JWS3

1) Way too much like BMW's 7 series, including a horrible iDrive like device which they used to make fun of and

2) Rather unattractive with a silly double hump dash design and dischordant swopes.

cracker123

I think it is way better than the bmw system, at least from what I could see, hopefully I want to test it out when it comes out, nothing can be as bad as Idrive.

Bascially Idrive was developed by drunk star-trek nerds. Seriously a 777 ****pit is easier to operate than a focking I-Drive.

Paldi

I think the Phaeton is better inside than both MB and BMW now.!

naadp

I think VW generally has the best interiors of any maker. It's amazing what their engineers are able to do. I prefer the A8 over the Phaeton, but the Phaeton is pretty nice. There's many interior components shared with its brother the Bentley Continental GT.

Dema

I like 7 series interior, so I'm glad that MB picked it. Regarding iDrive, it's quite Ok, I figured out how to use it in 20 seconds. Nice job MB.

MB Fanatic

IM sorry but the Audi interiors look like boxes. There are no curves they put into their interiors. Even their cars are first class pieces of ****. About the only nice car from Audi I ike is about the new A3. Even the new interior on the A3, A4, A6, A8 are all too boxy for me. No passion.

FThornton666

I find the VW interiors to Plain, and since they use the same interior on every car, just plain boring and uninspiring. Also they saw the glass on the phaeton is incorrect and gives some kind of weird effect. Personally i enjoy the 7 series and S-class interiors.

Jakpro1

Benz has always been known for taking chances with design and always will.

A few years from now, most designers will follow suit.

Anything new is strange to us, perceived first as "bad" or "negative" and will be criticized...it's just human nature.

If that wasn't the case, we all would have jumped on stocks of a small company out of Washington called......Microsoft.....but it was new and different, and hardly anyone thought it would succced....oops. 10K then worth 2.3 mil now.

Once everyone who is anyone is driving one, we'll be too.

CE750

The i drive itself isn't the issue, it's the execution of the interior with that double dash board, and the Ford LTD column shifter, lincoln Navigator silver buttons, and ugly steering wheel... this is the problem, not the tech. I want more tech out of MB, read all my *****ing about my new E-Class on the E board... I hate that my friend's $45,000 Acura blows my $55,000 Benz out of the water in gizmo's.. but for God's sake, don't throw the baby out with the bath water... I still want a German car with German design!

sosh

My opinion is ugly!! I do not like the exterior particularly the side treatment and rear wheel flares. The interior looks like a BMW 7 as previously stated. I had been considering trading up from my 05 E but thats out of the question now. I guess all the engineers that created the quality problems have been moved over to styling!!

AMGLAB

The W211 is not love at first sight. The only thing that seems right is raising the navagation screen to the top of the dash. Get rid of the i-drive and put the shifter back on the counsel!

naadp

Which is exactally what BMW did when they released the 5-series, along with a redesigned i-Drive. It appears that MB hasn't learned from the complaints about the 7-series. I personally am ambivalent toward the new design, my only complaint is the execution of their new i-COMAND unit (or whatever they want to call it).

Otto

yes, this design blocks the driver's vision. (unattractive is not a problem but unsafe is a problem.)

from automobile
A good design is moving this unit down (do not block driver's vision) and providing HUD for showing the information on your windshield. (ceteral nav is not a good design due to difficulty in looking at both roads and information from centeral unit at the same time.)

cracker123

Which Acura are you talking aabout the new RL ? TL? what gadgets blow your benz out of water.

BTW I checked you train pictures very nice. I have a nscale track planning on selling it out and upgradding to HO scale.

norb

Is that the most stupid place to put the phone key pad? Its totally unsafe as you have to look way down to dial a number. Should have been on the dash. The interior is totally insane, they took the worst of the BMW design and made it theirs! What the heck happened to the door pulls? Those are hall mark MB design cues and they do away with them! Shame shame shame. To me the interior looks kinda cheap. You know this trend to making the interior have less buttons is backfiring as it makes the interior simply look cheap. Look at the light switch for instant, nothing surrounds it! Its just a hole in the dash!

gbahri

Ok guys. BMW didn't put the shifter back in the center of the 5 series because of the complaints. A 7 series driver is usually an old man who doesn't switch gears much, same as a S class. A 5 series driver is more "younger" per se, so they like to switch gears.

cracker123

Actually dial pad is not bad, if you think of it normally your fingers already memorized the keys on the phone. try dialing a number without seeing. I can dial the number without looking at the pad, so I think that is the reasoning to put it there.