My dealership FINALLY received an allocation (5 month wait) and we were successfully able to place the order with MB. July allocation with a September delivery. There's currently no base price for the 2027 (only option prices), so I have no idea what the total is at this point, and it's also forcing me to take a package that I don't want. I'm not interested in the Driver's Assistance Package, but every time we tried to uncheck it in the ordering system, it wouldn't let us. Has anyone else experienced this, or have any insight here? It's not a make or break, but I don't want/need the package, and I'm not excited about having to pay an extra $1,950 for it.

T.I.A.

 

Might be an early glitch in the ordering system - do you know if your getting the new S class steering wheel with the scroll wheels?

 

Uncertain. Minimal information available at the moment on the 27's.

 

I know that this is not at all helpful, but the DAP is often seen as a “must” and not having it could potentially limit your resale value/appeal. At a vehicle of this price, the features of the driving assistance package are expected.

 

I also am one of the few who doesn’t like the DAP but agree it’s good for resale if it ends up having to stick.

 

I would go ahead and order with the DAP to ensure your allocation and try to delete after your order is set. I added several options before my 450 was in the build process so I know you can change things while your order is in the cue. I personally would get the bird in hand and work on deleting the option later. Incidentally, I ordered my 25 450 without the DAP as I prefer to drive my car myself. Don’t really care about resale plus or minus.
As far as base price, nobody has that info on pre-year orders as was in my case as well. I’d just figure around 2k + or - on the new model as compared to the 26 model year.

 

I prefer driving myself too, but I wouldn't consider the driver assistance package in the W214 something that drives the car. The lane keep assist is just a correction to keep you in the lane if you drift and the active steering assist is really just lane keep assist full time and the ability to change lanes. I always have lane keep assist in, but active steering I leave off unless I'm on a long trip. It does help with the cognitive load even though you still have to keep your hand on the wheel most of the time. The other features such as emergency brake assist evasive steering assist are really useful as a safety feature and are passive until the car thinks they are needed. It can be wrong and I've heard of people in other car models having their car brake for no reason, but in my car at least it has worked quite well. I think the driver assistance in the W214 is a good balance of automation and safety while not being too intrusive on the driver to let them drive. My only complaint is when I decide to change lanes without a blinker the car will try to keep me from doing so. I've learned to use a blinker to inform the car even when it is not actually necessary externally.

Your advice on the order is spott on. Order it without any special requests and the change things once the order is in the system and progressing but before being locked. It could be though that in 2027 the DAP is standard and cannot be removed.

 

The order is in and will stay, irrespective of what happens with the DAP. I'm not concerned about resale, since I'm leasing. I guess it's more about principal for me, having to pay for options that I'm not going to use or interested in having. As previously mentioned, it's not a deal breaker. My SA (and the Sales Manager) know to keep checking the order and remove DAP when/if possible.

 

My early 2026 allocation was changeable surprisingly late in the game…up until about a week before the build date. Plenty of time for details to emerge about new colors, options, packages, etc. (I specifically did not want DAP either; it did not impact resale of the 2022 wagon I also ordered without it.)

 

Then why wait 5 months for an allocation?

 

I originally asked for a build/allocation in January. I was in no hurry, and at the time, they were still doing '26's. I don't "need" a vehicle until December of this year. I was planning way in advance, not thinking it would take 5 months or a model year change. The wait wasn't a big deal.

 

Nice choice for your next car.

If you want cruise control, it is only available as adaptive cruise control in the Driver's Assistance Package.

DAP is a decent package. The features in the package add convenience or safety. That said, you should be able to order the car without it.

 

Update: There was in fact a glitch in the ordering system and the DAP has been successfully removed.

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is a standard feature, as well as blind spot assist, and PARKTRONIC with Active Parking Assist. Good enough for me!

 

Ah. Then maybe you are in Canada instead of the USA. Active Distance Assist Distronic is standard in Canada, but not the USA. A bunch of items in the US Driver Assistance Package are standard on the Canadian E53's. The above applies to the 2026 model year. Since you are ordering a 2027, standard items may have changed.

 

I'm in the US.

It does appear, that while Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC was not a standard feature on the 2026 models (it's not on my 2026 order sheet), that it in fact now standard on the 2027 models.

 

seems this is a good thing - really should be standard at a car of this price class.

 

Agreed. A car that isn't going to sell for less than 100,000 USD should come with cruise control standard.

It was surprising that cruise control wasn't included on the 2026 USA E53 giving that otherwise, it starts off very well equipped.

 

Thanks for the update. It's definitely showing standard on your 2027. It looks like you are set with your configuration.

 

What are you talking about? Of course it does.

 

he means radar smart cruise control.

 

I don't think so. Second time in this thread he's mentioned it:

 

Yes. I meant standard cruise control without radar distance control. The MBUSA.com doesn't have cruise control in any of the standard features lists for the 2026 E53. So you're telling me that Mercedes is good with listing "FrontBass system," a deletion of speakers as standard, but they choose not to mention that cruise control, which someone might use, is standard?

 

The 'E-class' has had cruise control as standard equipment since the W123 generation. At some point in the last ~50 years they figured it wasn't worth listing anymore...

 

I see. I figured they would list it in the standard equipment if it was standard equipment.

I'd rather drive myself than use regular cruise control. However, I always spec the auto driving feature on Mercedes. I use radar distance control, braking alerts and lane keeping assistance for highway driving all the time. Today I had Distronic cruise control engaged on the busy Hutchingson Parkway to reduce some of the intensity of driving there. I particularly like using it in high density traffic. Then I continued using it for a relaxing highway drive with the moderate traffic on I-684. I exited onto the windy backroads of Westchester, turned off Distronic and put the E53 in sport mode. It's such a good driver on the back roads. If you took this car back 30 years in the past and had someone drive it, they would ask what magic was being used to make it drive so well. The seat side bolsters are perfect for turns, I can brace against the bolsters and they are firm, yet comfy on the ribs. Once again, kudos, to the E53 seat designers.

 

Another E53 in Westchester! The roads here are truly awful (in particular the dreaded Hutch/Cross County interchange).