AustinGuy

Okay, maybe it's the summer heat that's getting to me but today while I was out and about there were a few things that I just wish MB could have done better on the W221:

1) Radio channel presets: After you select a channel and then come back to the list, it starts back from the top ..... not from where you last left off! Dang. You have to scroll all over again just to select the next channel after the one you last selected.

2) No headlight indicator in main dash area. You don't know if the headlights are on.

3) "Mono"? Yeah, that's what you have to check off in the climate control if you want the passenger temp. settings to be controlled based on the driver's! Mono?

chipps

Good - The lighting strip around the inside of the interior.

Bad - Not enough buttons for common tasks that require command to access instead.

s600ed

Bad - pulse/massage function on front seats keep malfunctioning

Good - almost everything

Diesel Benz

1) I find it a lot easier to use the phone keypad (only works for early cars after the telematics update) for radio presets than browsing the cluster menu. I thought the next channel could be equally likely any of the presets and then the first one is (on the average) equally close to your next selection as the current one. But if the scenario was that you listen to a channel for a while and meanwhile quit the cluster menu, then the current one could be shown first (no harm anyway).

2) But don't you have the headlights/parking lights indicator at the light switch? I've never paid attention to this because we are supposed to have DRL on all the time. Perhaps you mean "there is no indicator at the instrument cluster. This is a bit weird when even a W204 has one. If the indicator was at the LCD screen, a single one could take care of the low/high beam status, just switching colour and shape.

3) I did not understand this issue, do you mean a different word could be used? Note that this needs to work throughtout the MB model line and in most cars the text would be printed on a button and cannot be changed for each language. At least for those who know what car stereo means and what existed before stereo radios and players, know what mono means against stereo and this single word works throughout all languages.

This bothers me a bit, which button(s) would you like to see added? What I'm afraid is that if MB added the favourite (missing) button for each owner, the cabin would be full of buttons and then everybody would start complaining about too many buttons. Is there one missing that you see most drivers would benefit? Are you sure there is no "shortcut" existing for that already?

chipps

The main one for me is a mode button for the air. Often I like to shift all the air directly at my face or other times at my feet. You have to go to the Command menu for this. On the SL on the other hand there is a button that cycles through the settings.

RajwanyS550

separate audio controls, like the climate controls would be nice.

better massage.

able to keep driving lights on with the heads at nite when set to auto.

fantastic car otherwise

WSH

Amazing car; its ergonomics are far superior to those of any other perf car I've ever driven (I exclude SUVs, convertibles and alleged luxury cars where the inept drivers fixate upon cupholder sizes, RSE and other nonsense for obese folks who can't drive anyway)

Would want customizable flat-panel dash so I can configure critical data readouts...dig speed, tire temps/pressure...rest of data is fairly non-critical and can be superseded by warning lts or hidden sub-menus...clutter is enemy of any driver driving a fast car as one processes key data while driving and tries to observe surroundings carefully (stuff up front, in rear/side view mirrors, speed enfcmt, etc) and plans an exit strategy if face possible collision

Would like seat massage to have an auto-repeat setting

My car has DRL activated and car has lts set to auto setting when shut off; and upon start-up always move lts to on (prefer full lighting at all times for safety, maximal visibility)

Live in coastal CA w/near-perfect daily weather and car is always garaged at home/office, so climate ctrl is always on 68F and windows/roof are always closed to maximize safety and minimize annoying noises/pollution, so don't know much about all those other clim ctrl buttons which seem only relevant back East when cars are parked outside and need defrosting, etc

I rarely listen to audio (prefer exhaust music) or use nav or use phone (except for receiving any emergent calls via BT), so I don't know details of infotainment ergonomics but would argue any driver wasting time/visual focus w/such stuff is compromising own active safety anyway...active safety (and driving precision/pleasure) always supersedes distracting infotainment ergonomics

Quadcammer

I crack up at every single one of your posts because they are so ridiculous.

keep it up.

Red Marko

Big +1 on that.



There is one thing which bothers me in "S" class.

Why oh why, the ugly shark fin GPS antenna on the roof?



There is a ONE thing which bothers me greatly in "CL" class.

Why the heck, the back windows have no auto-up feature... is beyond me

After I inquired my SA about it, his lame aswer was...
CL has no enough space in back quarter panel to put another motor.
What? I say TOTAL .

That's all folks.
Everything else is perfect (almost)

carsnob

bad: sunroof should have one touch close instead of your having to give the finger to people while you're closing it.
good...nice to be able to adjust front passenger seat from drivers side.
spaciousness of rear seating on S Classes for past 15 years is always impressive to guests sitting in the back.
Also torque of S 600 is impressive at all speeds , plus
when I first got the car, because of the V12, I thought I'd be accelerating into posts in underground garages, but the car slowly creeps forward and basically holds back until you want it to go...

Red Marko

One more I forgot to add, on the negative side.

Sound system.

It must be a way better, than the current Harman Kardon, which sounds like utter garbage in my car.

How about Bang and Olufsen?

AsianML

According to a leaked options list for the new SLS, a B&O sound system is available. Hopefully MB starts moving on to good sound systems for the rest of the lineup.

Franman

When would one ever have the need to adjust the front passenger seat from the DRIVERS side? Odd, never heard of this feature and dont know when I would ever use it..but OK

hayden

A scenario: If you have a passenger who really likes to lounge (move the seat way back), and then you go to pick up your kids from school (riding in the back)... you can easily move the passenger seat forward.

Ofcourse the reason this feature was created was for hired drivers/chauffeurs to be able to move the passenger seat up for their rear seat passenger to have lots of space, since the passenger would normally sit opposite the driver in the rear.

Diesel Benz

I've had several grown up passengers who are too confused about the multiple seat adjustment options and I've adjusted the seat on behalf of the passenger.

In addition to the previously posted scenarios, the one I see more important is a VIP sitting at the back and the driver wants to adjust the front seat to arrange more space for him/her.

Actually the option to adjust the passenger seat from the rear is useful too, if a more ordinary person sits at the back and the front passenger seat is empty.

But I wanted to add a "hate feature" because forum members consider me too biased in favour of the car otherwise : The multi-contour seat adjustments should get automatically readjusted at least every time the car is started. Now the air bolsters tend to loose pressure gradually and the car does not readjust the seat even if it clearly is able to do it (just hit the memory button and the air bolsters are adjusted to your settings). It may take quite a while before the seat needs readjustment but at least after a week or two some readjustment helps.

transferred

Yes, the sound system needs to be better. Audi owners get B&O in the A8, BMW get a tailor made Dirac system in the M5....both sound amazing. step it up MB....

silberrosa

Just got some news on the facelift of the 221 so I thought I might pass along some of the updates…

Radio channel presets: After you select a channel and then come back to the list, it starts back from the top not from where you last left off! Dang. You have to scroll all over again just to select the next channel after the one you last selected.

Done – facelift car starts where you left off.

Bad - Not enough buttons for common tasks that require command to access instead.

Button logic for transmission and suspension controls now separated a la 220. Therefore, you can have the transmission in S mode but the suspension in Comfort. Button added for rear sunshade. Now you can program the favorite button to do more important tasks like….

Would like seat massage to have an auto-repeat setting

Repeat the previous massage program for driver, passenger or both (among other options).

bad: sunroof should have one touch close instead of your having to give the finger to people while you're closing it.

Funny, I was always concerned of the same thing re: the finger. This was actually cured with either MY08 or MY09 when the Panorama roof got one touch closing. Even the rear shade (that covers the rear glass section of the Panorama roof) is one touch.

Sound system

The system is upgraded and includes one additional speaker. Also, a number of refinements have been made to the amplifiers/speakers to improve the overall sound. Unfortunately, the B&O system does not exist for the 221.

trumpet1

I use it more often than I thought I would. Many times one of my kids has it all the way forward, then when a friend is just about to jump into the car with me, I realize that I better get it set back before they get in and think "what is this? A Fiat?"

hayden

+1

AustinGuy

I don't know - may be if you have a handicapped passenger?

But yeah, I see your point

AustinGuy

Good!

Looks like MB is finally testing their cars rigorously after being in production for 4 years

AustinGuy

Actually I like the HK sound system....

Now it might not produce the perfect ghetto rap boom chakka boom but the bass and Logitech echo feature produce a pretty nice effect

Jan AMG

Useful when your passenger falls asleep. enough said

QuadBenz

Am I the only one that is tired of the volume on the radio preset to some loud setting every time COMAND is turned on? Every time I turn the damn car on, the radio always seems blasted - even if the volume if muted when I turned the car off.

AustinGuy

This should NOT be happening! In fact I always have mine on mute ..... and everytime I start the car it's still in mute - until I un-mute.