mikapen

Again, do you have an opinion related to the thread, or just negative comments on the participants?

But if its the roll moment you're seeking, you could also try answering my question about the net weight gain from a Pano roof, if you wanted to be useful.
Then I could calculate the amount of extra work the active sway bars must do (if any) since each contributes an estimated 982 lb-ft of torque. And from there comes slip angle, roll centers, and truthing of my seat of the pants observations.

The other thing you could do, if you're confused about whether i like pano roofs, is read the thread. Spoiler alert- I don't. Teaser- there are more reasons than I mentioned.

jrd1487

I am going thru this dilemma right now on GLE 450 - 2024. Get it or no get it. Car has been ordered with it, but having to wait 2 months on the build and driving 2017 GLE and S 450 I am not really seeing any benefit to having it. My last alteration to new GLE is trading the Pano for the Acoustic Comfort. Only way pano would be cool is laying back at night with a girl watching the stars.

jrd1487

I am going thru this dilemma right now on GLE 450 - 2024. Get it or no get it. Car has been ordered with it, but having to wait 2 months on the build and driving 2017 GLE and S 450 I am not really seeing any benefit to having it. My last alteration to new GLE is trading the Pano for the Acoustic Comfort. Only way pano would be cool is laying back at night with a girl watching the stars.

jrd1487

Even having to make one trip to a dealer, with full warranty of roof is worth not getting the roof. Dealing with the service department, scheduling appt, drop off, phone calls, whens it going to be ready, the politics, the dip**** service people. Everytime a car goes in it will never ever be the same the again, no matter what they do to fix the problem. For this reason alone, I'm out on my 2024 preorder. Much consideration and research leads me to this. If it cuts resale value than so be it. Surely there will be other owners out there that feel the same way.. Risk just not worth the rewards. I am trading the sunroof for the Acoustic comfort. Quiet cabin is the best cabin!

wildta

I have both and if I had to pick one, it would be acoustic comfort which also reduces IR into the cabin. I only use my panoramic roof on cloudy days or if my kid wants to look at something above us like a tall building, airplane, or carwash. With acoustic comfort, you're enjoying the benefit everytime you drive the car.

jrd1487

Thank you for letting me know. Means a lot to share feelings about all of it. I cant wait to get it now. Hoping it drives as comfortably as my S class now. That might be a stretch, but will see. Seems more of a novelty than anything else

cometguy

I strongly dislike glass roofs in cars. The full-length panoramic roofs are a puzzle to me, as to why people like/want them. In informal polling over the years of my friends and relatives, not a single person "needs" a glass roof (even the smaller frontward sunroof, with mostly a metal roof), and very few "want" one or prefer one. Why? Because they add weight and cost to the car, they are very hard to keep clean, they are susceptible to breaking (from falling or kick-up debris ranging from stones/rocks to branches, etc., or sometimes just heat/stress will do it), they create unwanted glare/heat in the cabin (so many people including my wife and I keep the underneath covers in place at all times), and they are much less safe in case of a roll-over accident.

I have been looking at GLE 450e cars in my research to special-order one next year; if I do get one, it'll not have the pano glass roof, that is for sure. I'd do without the standard smaller sunroof, as well, if I could get just an all-metal roof. In visiting some seven different MB dealerships in my area in the past month with GLE 450e vehicles on the lot, not one (or even a regular GLE 450) ordered by a dealership to sell off their lot is without a panoramic roof. I guess they make extra commission money selling those things. I did have a salesman send me exterior photos of an owner's GLE 450 that was in for servicing that had only the smaller (standard) forward sunroof so that I could see what it looks lilke.

jrd1487

yea i didnt end up getting it either. too many negatives about them. mine goes into production next monday.

BACnMercedes

In your informal poll not a single person wanted them but every SUV you saw on the lot had one…..…that’s crazy.

Bryce1023

I’ve had MB vehicles with no sunroof, with just the standard size sunroof, and with the panoramic sunroof. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky, however, I have not experienced any issues in any of the configurations. I feel that the pano roof significantly brightens the interior which I think is great. My current GLE has the standard sunroof, however, I am pleased I have the very light colored beige interior which makes for a lighter more open interior environment. Yes it does add weight, and is one more thing that can go wrong, however, with so much technology in these cars, chances are something else will go wrong before the sunroof.

jrd1487

this is true. you cannot buy one of the lot with out the panorama. this makes my 2024 custom in itself I will post pics around Christmas when I get it to try help decide things. Seriously trading my S Class for the new 2024 E Class. They look very nice but we cant order them online yet thru Mercedes. Only in Europe still

jrd1487

theres no question most of here will sell the car before it becomes a mechanical problem, but it over heats the car during summers, weighs too much, one good hail storm you are screwed, undriveable possibly. no great benefits imo, unless you laying out under the stars in the back cabin.

cometguy

Yep, I think that the auto industry has done a good job of conning people into thinking that they somehow need glass in their roofs. Lots more money in their pockets. It's probably seen as a luxury item to put you above the peons below you, like the expensive sound systems that nobody really needs in their cars, or the giant wheels that nobody needs on their cars (but which have the automakers/dealers laughing all the way to the bank).
Brightens up the interior? meh/lol ... My interior is fine with an all-metal roof; plenty of side glass to bring in light, but not too much.

MarkerVB

We ordered our GLE 450 without the pano roof because the 350 we test drove had one and it seemed noisy. Also, my wife (it's "her" car) keeps the shade closed anyway. We don't notice much impact on heat in the car and we're in Florida but as mentioned the shade is kept closed. Sometimes when I'm driving or riding it gets opened, but not often.

mercedesbuff

If given the choice between Acoustic Comfort Pkg and Pano Roof... I'd take the Acoustic Comfort.

That said, if we're talking GLS, the Pano Roof is helpful/nice for those seated in the 3rd row, by creating less of sense of being stuck way back in the recesses of the cargo area.

But if we're talking GLE, then standard sunroof is fine for me.

And FWIW, our W212 had Pano roof, and we dealt with a terrible body flex POP noise, when entering driveways on an angle. The dealer finally figured it out, and it was repaired under warranty, but it was disconcerting nonetheless.

Pros and cons... either way.

BlueYonder

One good hailstorm and it doesn't matter if you have sunroof or not. Dealers spec sunroofs on cars because that is what the customers want. I have found that using the tilt function on the sunroof helps keep the car cooler on a hot day.

cometguy

Sure, it matters. If you have no glass in your roof, you won't even know if there's damage or not -- it just won't matter. With glass if there's damage, you'll not only know but you'll be greatly inconvenienced.
And hail is much less likely than are stones/rocks thrown up (or coming out of trucks with open beds), falling branches or ice, or just pressure/heat that can cause glass to crack. Remember that there's also gravity contributing to heavy glass that lies horizontally in a car roof and is only supported on its edges, and lots of going over potholes and bumps can contribute to weakening that glass over time, combined with huge gradations in temperture.

petee1997

If my GLE did not not have a sunroof, I would burn it.

BlueYonder

Hail big enough to damage the sunroof is going make the rest of the car look like it has been hit with a ball peen hammer. Your car is going to be totaled regardless of whether you have a sunroof or not.

BACnMercedes

I promise you they are laughing way before you omit the pano on their vehicles.

cometguy

Here in America, it seems that roof rails are standard on the GLE 450... I'm not sure why you'd get roof rails and an all-glass (pano) roof.
It seems to me that, if they allow an all-glass roof, they should have roof rails be optional, also. The roof of the GLE 450 is pretty high off the ground; I'm doubtful that many people would use the roof rails for anything, anyway --- particularly those who opt for the pano glass. I don't know about Mercedes-Benz history with roof rails, but I know that both Volvos and Toyotas have had frequent leaking problems from the holes punched in the roof for the roof rails, as well as bad leaking problems from glass in the roofs (Volvo especially bad on the latter due to seals failing).

BACnMercedes

I could go for no rails. It should be an option like RR does.
And fold out power steps.

wildta

I might be one of the select few but I love the pano roof. I love using it on cloudy days, driving through downtown with tall buildings, at night just to see the sky or building lights, and on warm summer nights I'll have the glass open. Oddly enough, the only time I avoid using the "sun" roof is when the sun is out--the extra sun is discomforting in both heat and glare. Also, my kid loves looking at the tall buildings and sky too, along with the planes flying overhead when we're nearby the airport, and watching the touchless carwash tunnels do their work above.

​​​​​ I also use the roof rails with an inno surf rack for surfing several times a month. In the winter we go snowboarding a few times during the season. These are the only times the running boards become useful for me. My 43" tall child still uses it to get in so I guess they're helpful for her.

chrislk55

By looking at the cars on any MB dealership lot, I'm sure the pano roof is a must have for most. Personally I love it, a car without a sunroof or pano roof feels very closed in and disconnected from the outside world. We rented a car years ago without a sunroof and it wasn't the greatest feeling. As with anything else, I do see the potential downsides but the benefits are far greater IMHO.

cometguy

No: MB dealerships do NOT generally spec their lot cars with glass in their roofs because people want it; they do it to make money, period. They con people into thinking that they somehow need/want glass in their roofs.
I think that if everybody looked at all the pros and cons of glass in car roofs, the majority of people would just say "no" to glass roofs. Is it really that important to have extra light in the cabin? Windows all around the car (front, back, sides) isn't enough?! seriously?!