dprice03

That's very interesting how that works, thank you both for the info. Several months ago, I had spent countless hours pouring over each and every option, before I went to the dealer with my order. I just went back to the MB website and read the entire option description again and realized that originally, I didn't pay attention to the very last sentence of the option description:

"A leap in ease and efficiency pioneered by Mercedes-Benz, KEYLESS-GO® lets you unlock, start and drive away without removing the SmartKey from your pocket or purse. You can lock and unlock the doors with a touch of the exterior handles, and start the engine by stepping on the brake pedal and pushing the Start/Stop button on the dashboard. You can also start the vehicle in the conventional way by removing the Start/Stop button and inserting the SmartKey into the ignition."

However, for me, I still wouldn't order this option and here's why. Since I would definitely remove the button to use the standard key, that eliminates the benefit of that part of the option. I am so used to using the key fob to lock and unlock a vehicle, I would not use that part of the keyless go feature either. I've had my Lexus RX350 F sport for almost a year and a half and I just realized a few months ago that the Lexus had this feature, because I've never used it (it's either standard on the F Sport or part of another package I got). I grabbed the door handle one day and the door opened, but I had forgotten to hit the key fob, that's when I realized the Lexus had this. But I had gone for over a year of simply hitting the lock and unlock buttons on the key fob and I still do. Call me old school I guess.

As for the resale part. The cost of the option is $650. So that would mean that I would want to get an additional $650 in 5 years or so to offset the cost of the option I didn't want or use. Maybe that would happen and maybe it wouldn't. The other possibility is that the system malfunctions after the warranty and I have to pay to fix an option I didn't want or use. So in the end, logically, it just doesn't make sense for me.

One could make a case that many different options should be purchased just for resale benefit. For example, we didn't order anything for the back seat, no climate control, no dvd entertainment, no rear heated seats, etc., we have no kids at home and no one ever sits in the back seat of my vehicle. One could make the case that for resale value, I should order one or more of those options. But in the end, I think if you are ordering a vehicle, you should order the vehicle for exactly what you want or need, not thinking about what someone else would want or need in the future. I think that's the whole beauty of ordering a vehicle, instead of buying one off the lot.

27T

Talk about handwringing and overthinking.

27T

2016 will likely have less problems than the 2015 because it is an update, not an all new gen.

dprice03

I'm not sure what you mean or what you're referring to. But I think if you're going to drop 60 or 70 grand on a vehicle, you should make sure you get exactly what you want and not just settle for whatever is on the lot.

Of course the benefit to buying off the lot, is that you get something right now. Where as with ordering, you have to wait. I ordered mine in mid January and I won't get the vehicle until mid April, about 3 months. It sucks waiting, but I know that I am ending up with exactly what I want. To me, the wait is worth it, for others, it may not be. To each his own.

fabbrisd1

All the "conjecture" about what a GLE will and will not be - will ONLY be answered when the officiel Dealer Order Guide is released "possible" end-Marh - but more likely by mid-April - and there will be a GLE variant that will not be W166 chassis.

The purpose of individual options - as compared to the "packages" grouped by the Japanese - is to allow a buyer to choose which options are of value to them.

Yes - what is of value can be based on past expereince - but as much, if not more concern should be placed on features not-yet-experienced - which includes valuing the experience of others who have used these "new" features..

For example - I would say close to 100% of the owners's who have gone to Keylesss Go will demend it on their "next" MB - same close-to-100% on upgraded headlights - as another example.

Asking - and valuing - the experience of others - is a great thing about this board - and that fact no one needs to "agree" with another's experience...

dprice03

I agree with you on the GLE. I think it is set to debut at a major auto show in April. I would assume most of the details will be out at that point. My issue is that I am scheduled to take delivery of my ordered ML350 in mid April. Hopefully I will be able to see the new GLE (from the debut at the auto show) before my ML350 comes in. But barring some fantastic new aspect to the GLE that really matters to me (which I doubt), I will probably stick with the ML350 I ordered.

Your absolutely correct, the massive list of individual options for the MB allows one to tailor their vehicle very specifically to their individual tastes.

For me, I have the Keyless Go features on my current Lexus RX350 F sport, but like I mentioned, I don't use them. So it's not an issue of not experiencing the option, I just simply don't want or need that particular option. Others might not be able to live without it. Like I said, to each his own.

However, it's funny you mentioned the upgraded headlights. I first experienced the Xenon headlights on one of my BMW X5's and I haven't ordered a vehicle without them since. That's an option that I wouldn't live without on my vehicle, again just a personal choice.

Cars are like food, not everyone is going to agree on what is good and what is bad. But this board is a great place for people to discuss.

Taymar16

You will not go wrong with your choice. From an exterior stand point there is not enough to tell the difference (from a general public stand point) Since you do not like the the iPod dash then you will be fine because other than that there are only a few minor changes. I was in the same boat wondering if I should wait but with the options I have, I knew I would be happy. Besides when is it a good time to buy one? The 2016 will be out soon, the W167 will be out in a couple of years then its facelift 3 years later...it's never ending, you just have to jump in and enjoy!

Additionally I would like to know which variant GLE will not be on a W166 chassis as mentioned by another poster, Both (GLE and GLE COUPE) are on a W166 chassis.

Wolfman

I am not sure what you expect. You are asking members the forum to chime in about how you configured your car. As you are new here others clearly have more experience with these cars and are share their experience with you.

I feel that you are getting a bit defensive on some of your more unusual selection of options (or lack thereof). Everyone is trying to help...

Personally I would strongly recommend waiting for the GLE (which in its standard format is a 100% facelift model). It will better than before IMO.
You will get better navigation, a 9 speed transmission, most likely better priced options (assumption - I have seen MB make prior options a. Standard feature). It improves resale value when purchased (you might hate it and want to sell early ). All really with no risk as all of the options implemented have already been out on other models. No teething issues here.

One note is that the current ML does not have properly working curve lights when getting the Xenon light. Even though it's listed on the sheet, it's actually not there...

Kartergreg

Works on my ML. Never really paid much attention to it untill early one morning last week when it was very foggy. That's when I could really see how it worked as I turned the steering wheel.

Waykool plantz

The 3 options I wish I had on my 2012 ML350 are the lighting package..the open pore wood and most importantly the wrapped dash. The standard pebble finish is the biggest dust magnet and unless you wish it shiny...impossible to keep clean.
So glad I didn't get the running boards...just tacky.

skw

I know your order is already in so not sure on how much flexibility you have at this point, but I would strongly suggest the Keyless-Go. I see your point in ordering to your specs and not picking options based upon the next buyer. However, unlike rear heated seats, dvd, etc, this is one of those options that people will look at as being a basic. When deciding between 2 vehicles, not having Keyless-Go may very well take your vehicle off of someone's list who is used to it. When I ordered my BMW last year, because of having it on the MB, I had to have Comfort Access (BMW's version). I also would not get another vehicle w/o xenon headlights.

The GLE is rumored to be shown in April at the New York Auto Show, we should have pics Easter weekend. I'll be heading out there myself in the early part of that week. I'm hoping for a July/August release to dealer's lots so the hype & crazed pricing would have subsided by the time I'm ready to trade into one at the end of the year.

Wolfman

Interesting. I was surprised not seeing it work on the ML while it works perfectly on the SL. I checked with the dealer and in fact it's not built in. Ours is a 2014...

Here is one of the threads for it (not the best one, was lazy searching...) https://mbworld.org/forums/new-m-cla...placement.html

The headlights do turn just a little but the actual curve illumination comes from the LED side lights. Can you turn the steering wheel and take a pic of the side LED lighting up?

dprice03

I think you may have misunderstood my intent with this thread. As I mentioned in the first post on this thread, I had already ordered the vehicle when I posted this thread. My main question was whether I should stick with my ordered vehicle or wait for the GLE, hence the reason for my choice of the title of the thread. The thread went in a little bit different direction and that's fine, that happens on forums all the time, no problem.

I don't mind and I actually enjoy the discussion about this option or that option, etc., it can be a learning experience for everyone. It's perfectly fine for someone to say why they like this option or that option or explain its virtues. But in the end, everyone has to understand that each buyer's wants or needs might be different. An option that you deem to be a necessity might not be to someone else. Take running boards for example. Take a look back through this thread, you will see people saying they hate them and see other people saying how great they are. To each his own.

If you take a look back through my posts, I go into detail as to why I chose a particular option or didn't choose another option. I don't think that's defensive, it's simply explaining why I ordered mine the way I did. That's the great thing about ordering, you can get exactly what YOU want, it may not be the way someone else would have ordered their vehicle and that's perfectly fine, right?

Anyway, back to the point of the thread. From looking at the spy photos you provided earlier in this thread, looking at other spy photos on the internet and reading about what is most likely to come on the GLE, for me, I think I will probably stick with what I ordered. I tend to agree with Taymar16, if I wait for the new GLE, there will surely be something even better the next year and so on. Therefore, barring something unexpectedly fantastic (to me) on the GLE, I think I will stick with what I already ordered.

Kartergreg

Wolfman, perhaps you are confusing active curve lighting where the lights turn while turning the steering wheel with what some people are calling cornering lights where a separate bulb illuminates to provide light to the side of the car.

I don't have the cornering lights and I don't think that is available on the ML.

Wolfman

No confusion on my end.
Mercedes calls both active curve illumination on the spec sheet, both part of the intelligent lighting system. On the ML the side lighting LED's are omitted (only the LED's itself, the LED side light area is still part of the headlight housing) while on other MB models it is included (like the SL).
There is no difference in naming conventions between the two...

Wolfman

I didn't think I misunderstood. You asked for opinions and and are in your words "somewhat questioning my current order/purchase of the 2015 ML350".

I thought a lot of us did just that. It's natural that many come with different viewpoints but hope that the input helped. Personally I find it difficult to pay anything close to full price for a car that is about to be replaced in a few months time. The car will take a significantly bigger hit than the GLE in terms of value.
I also differ from Taymar16; this is not something newer/better in the future, it is imminent...

Whichever way you decide I am confident that you enjoy the car. It is miles better than the Lexus and much roomier than the BMW.

Kartergreg

According to this MB info they are two different things

http://techcenter.mercedes-benz.com/...ht/detail.html
http://techcenter.mercedes-benz.com/...ht/detail.html

dprice03

I think you may have misunderstood my intent with this thread. If you go back to my first post, the ENTIRE paragraph right BEFORE the sentence you refer to ("somewhat questioning my current order/purchase of the 2015 ML350") I was discussing all of the aspects of the upcoming 2016 GLE and THEN I said, "I am somewhat questioning my current order/purchase of the 2015 ML350". So I was NOT questioning the options that I chose, I was questioning whether I should stick with my ordered 2015 ML350 or wait for the 2016 GLE, again hence the reason for my choice of the title of this thread. However, I didn't mind at all having a discussion about this option or that option, everyone can learn from that discussion. But I had put in hours and hours of research, visited 2 different MB dealers and therefore, I had a really good feel for the options that best suited me. Again, the way I ordered my vehicle may not be the way someone else would have ordered theirs and that's fine. To each his own.

Just to let you know where I am coming from, I had 3 consecutive BMW X5's and finally went to a Lexus RX350, because of reliability/quality concerns. I just ended up hating the styling of the RX, but reliability/quality is extremely important to me. So much so, that it affects my buying decisions, what to buy, when to buy, etc. To others, this may not be important and that's fine.

In looking through ConsumerReports.org, they specifically denote the year that a vehicle has been redesigned or is all new. Every vehicle ALWAYS has lower reliability in that new or redesign year, it's just natural and understandable. This is the case no matter what manufacturer you are looking at. CR does a great job, they list the year a model has been redesigned or is brand new, so you can actually see the reliability differences over a span of years. Therefore, I would NOT want an early production 2016 with the redesign, I would wait a considerable amount of time before I ordered a 2016 or even wait for a 2017. But for me, I have already waited for almost 3 months for the vehicle I ordered back in mid January. HOWEVER, I would forego my reliability concerns, IF there was something significantly better (to me) about the facelifted GLE, that was the main reason for me starting this thread.

After seeing the spy photos you put up and doing some other internet research, this is what I determined. The front and rear bumper will change design. The hood and front fenders may change design. That's it for the exterior. The interior looks very similar to the current ML, except it will have a touch screen sticking out on the dash (which I personally don't like). That seems to be the major change to the interior. Mechanically, it may get the 9 speed transmission. I don't know for a fact if this is all the changes, but that's what I think based upon what I know right now. We should know for sure in a few weeks from the New York Auto Show, where supposedly the 2016 non coupe GLE will debut.

If my assumptions above are correct, I will probably just stick with my ordered 2015 ML. But I will know for sure when we hopefully get to see the 2016 non coupe GLE at the New York Auto Show in April.

Wolfman

What's most important is that you will enjoy your new M-Class. Post some pics when you get it!

Wolfman

I obviously know that they are different things, but you can't buy either separately. They are part of the included or optional (depending on the model)
lighting package.

It just appears that the excluded it in the ML, not the SL. Those are the cars I have and both window stickers show the exact same wording for the lighting.

dprice03

Thanks Wolfman, I'm really anxious to get it. But I'm also anticipating the New York Auto Show to see what the new GLE is going to look like, exterior, interior, etc. I honestly hope I don't like it, I really don't want to wait to order again.

I will post pics when I get it.

Kartergreg

Just checked my window sticker and it says bi-xenon lighting with active curve illumination. No mention of cornering lights.

Wolfman

Not sure how many different ways I can say this.
On the SL windows sticker it says "bi-xenon lighting with active curve illumination". The exact same thing...

27T

Whatever helps you sleep. However, your countless hours researching options seems that it isn't helping.

I order all of my cars. I'm particular about the options but my time and sanity are worth more than the relentless handwringing. The fun of ordering a car is to get a car that excites you, not avoiding a car that you're worried if you got an extra option that you don't use. I can see the defensive discussions/speeches in your holster that you are having or will have with anyone who checks out your new fancy car.

Kartergreg

Never mind.
You just don't understand what active curve is....