Hi everyone,

Thinking about leasing a 2020 S class. Dealer has 2 available Black on Black. The MSRP for the first one is 124K and has no Magic Body Control, Heads up display, and Night Vision Assist. The second one is 134K MSRP with MBC, Heads up display and Night Vision Assist. The monthly payment is around $200 more for the higher MSRP.
Which one should I get ? Are these 3 options worth paying $200 more? How useful are they ?
thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

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How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? The more complex suspensions, like MBC, are more prone to expensive failures. Bear this in mind if you plan to keep the vehicle beyond the factory warranty.

 

Get the cheaper of the two. I hated night vision because there is no way to look straight ahead while keeping an eye on the very rare sighting of a deer or whatever with the dash screen display. Had it on my 2007 S600 and never saw the practicality of it. I also have heard the MBC is just not that good. The car already rides smooth as silk so I don't ever see where that expensive add-on is worthy of the cost. The heads-up display is a great item , but even though I have it and thoroughly enjoy it, I could do without it as well. You'll be paying $200 times 36 ($7200) for stuff you really don't need. Just IMO and for my situational needs. You may need night vision if you drive on a country road that does have a lot of hazards like deer. . I don't. BTW, I leased mine. It was originally stickered at $125,000. My lease was based on a price of $104,000 and it is a 2019. You should be able to do at least that good since the W223 is just around the corner.

 

My '18 S560 MBC is simply magnificent, it is a difference maker IMO, car rides and handles so much better than my '15 S550, no comparison, a must have for me

 

I personally love night vision assist, and if you drive through a poorly lit area or have deers in your neighborhood, it could really save you. Night vision assist alerts me to cyclists, skateboarders, and pedestrians well before I have a chance to see them. Have I encountered a scenario where it helped me avoid an accident? Not yet.

If you are leasing, MBC is awesome. It really is impressive as there is almost no body roll on aggressive turns and it soak up the rebound if you hit a large speed bump. If you plan on owning for 8 to 10 years, repair of the MBC could get expensive. I love my MBC but I plan on driving my car to its death and it's the only system in my car I worry about in regards to long term maintenance. I do most maintenance and repairs myself but I don't think there's enough knowledge out there or easily available generic parts to cut down on significant repair costs if the hydraulic portion of the suspension went bad. I still don't know how long the hydraulic struts last on average because the newer generation MBC hasn't been around long enough (since 2014 model year S class) to tell us when struts fail. Or if they do, how easy it is to bleed the system after repairs. I just did a suspension overhaul of my wife's BMW 535i replacing all the struts, control arms, and most bushings except the rear carrier. Strut replacement of an Airmatic is easy. But MBC is a great unknown. Maybe I will go through the WIS and see what it takes just to educate myself.

The HUD is nice but not necessary. My understanding is that the HUD on the newest models (2020 GLS) is outstanding.

The residual value on a 2020 S class is going to be horrible. You will probably be able to negotiate down the capitalized cost of a $134K sticker car significantly since the W223 is about to be released. 20% or more. If there are 2019's still on the lot, you could probably get even more aggressive. This means happy days for any buyer in 2023 willing to pick up an off lease older chassis W222.

 

I have a 4matic so I don't have MBC. If I didn't need all-wheel drive because of where I live and I would definitely opt for that level of comfort.

However I do have and use the HUD each and every time I drive the car. Main reason: keeps my eyes on the road. Also with my height and necessary seat position the HUD is much easier to reference than the instrument display as ZZTony points out.

And, like bkdc, I also love the Night View Assist feature. Lots of cyclists, runners, and deer between my house and town at all hours. I have it set for automatic activation with the spotlight function enabled so I can keep my eyes on the road and not have to stare down at the screen. Over 35 mph if it detects anything it will turn itself on automatically in the instrument cluster display. Someday I'm sure it will be able to display in the HUD as well.

In terms of black on black, as you can see, I like it:

 

I recommend MB of Daytona Florida. They have gone above and beyond to get me the car I want at the price I'm willing to pay. Ask for Edgar.

 

hey i own a 2017 black on black it's a awsome ride but the work i have to put into this car i am crying a river lol.

 

Night vision is a pretty rare option. It works well.