Cheap Plastic
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2019
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT63, 2023 S500, 2022 GLE53
Yikes.
Yeah, there’s a lot of cheap plastic. I spent a little time just pushing, prodding and moving interior trims pieces just now while I was trying to figure out a headrest/seat noise and found a surprising amount of cheap plastic everywhere. The plastic around the screens are really cheap.
Yeah, there’s a lot of cheap plastic. I spent a little time just pushing, prodding and moving interior trims pieces just now while I was trying to figure out a headrest/seat noise and found a surprising amount of cheap plastic everywhere. The plastic around the screens are really cheap.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
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23 S580 Executive
Yep. A reviewer said it looks like 100 dollar bills when you first get in but you soon discover the quality is 20s. Something like that, I'm paraphrasing. I can say for sure that getting out of a Panamera and going for a test drive I felt exactly that concept. It all looks great but when you start feeling around and touching the surfaces many of which will squeak or move at that touch, you start to understand they did a masterful job of making it appear of a higher quality than the reality.
When I got back into the Panamera I showed Mrs Crab the old door handle trick: You'll see salesmen do it at the Porsche dealership, they grab the interior handle for the door (not the release, the handle) and give it a stout shake while encouraging you to do the same. This is where you discover it's very solid. In any event I showed this to here and invited to try it in the S class. You don't even have to try to get the piece, that is not a handle, we're meant to hold when we open and close the door, and you immediately feel movement. Push it a little more and it will creak.
You can do that all over in this car, and nearly everything seems to have a flimsy factor to it, it moves, it squeaks, creaks, something. You don't get that in a Porsche, it's hard to sit in the drivers seat and find anything that does the same. It doesn't look as pretty but it's put together better. I just tried the same the other day and a BMW dealer and it's the same deal, it doesn't look as nice but it feels better put together.
When I got back into the Panamera I showed Mrs Crab the old door handle trick: You'll see salesmen do it at the Porsche dealership, they grab the interior handle for the door (not the release, the handle) and give it a stout shake while encouraging you to do the same. This is where you discover it's very solid. In any event I showed this to here and invited to try it in the S class. You don't even have to try to get the piece, that is not a handle, we're meant to hold when we open and close the door, and you immediately feel movement. Push it a little more and it will creak.
You can do that all over in this car, and nearly everything seems to have a flimsy factor to it, it moves, it squeaks, creaks, something. You don't get that in a Porsche, it's hard to sit in the drivers seat and find anything that does the same. It doesn't look as pretty but it's put together better. I just tried the same the other day and a BMW dealer and it's the same deal, it doesn't look as nice but it feels better put together.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2019
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT63, 2023 S500, 2022 GLE53
All of this cheap plastic really doesn’t bother me provided it doesn’t look cheap and, more importantly, it’s quiet.
The center console plastic below the screen is ultra flimsy and that part—which is essentially right in front of our faces and within easy reach—could have been done so much better. It should have been the same material as the dashboard imo.
The center console plastic below the screen is ultra flimsy and that part—which is essentially right in front of our faces and within easy reach—could have been done so much better. It should have been the same material as the dashboard imo.
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From: U.S.
Current/Last 5-years:GLS;G70;Alpina B8;X7;Accord. Sold:X7,TeslaS;S560;S550,X5;530e;L.Navigator;LS460
But this is not even a W223 or W222, I guess, right? What car or trim is this car? Seats and leather look cheap, and that plastic piece seems of similar quality and match to those seats.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2019
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT63, 2023 S500, 2022 GLE53
Let us know if the dealer warranty’s it. They definitely should in my opinion, but it wouldn’t surprise if they try and back out forcing you to either pay for it yourself or filing a comprehensive claim.
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Joined: Apr 2023
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From: Occupied Palestine
2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore and 2024 Jaguar F-PACE SVR
None of the tabs looks broken... just snap it back into place and get on with life. I'm thinking maybe Mercedes actually knows what they're doing here tho, as the plastic in my EQE SUV has definitely gotten firmer and less squeaky after baking in last summer's sun. I've seen softer plastics get sticky and start to warp after just a few years, even in extremely expensive exotic cars. Then again, I might just be fooling myself to justify the 100 grand I blew. LOL
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 9,322
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
In the 222 that whole seat side is part of the cushion, that cheap trim piece doesn’t exist.
Last edited by SW20S; Feb 18, 2024 at 02:12 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 2,260
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT63, 2023 S500, 2022 GLE53
The center console area is the biggest failing in this car imo. It's a big visual and physical touch point that was designed and built in a way that didn’t take that immutable fact into consideration. And yeah, no felt or rubber on the bottom of the center console storage was surprising to me and a big miss.
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 700
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From: Illinois
S560/SL550/LS460/Q70L 5.6 AWD
It looks nicer but you still have to look down in order to eventually use that display, not something I would be inclined to do while driving....
Apparently the I7 kept it like our W222....
Apparently the I7 kept it like our W222....
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 9,322
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
Yeah I do like how the G70 7 Series does the screen, and the interior is top notch with none of these quality issues.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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23 S580 Executive
You don't really need to look down much; the map shows in the drivers display, you can change tracks, volume, and so on. Nav destinations are best entered with voice, it's the fastest, easiest way. Voice is also good for many other functions and works well.
I'm writing this post killing time in an antique store an hour from my house while a certain someone shops; didn't need to use the center screen once on the drive and that's typical. I'm a pathetic old man and learned to use the tech without any difficulty. You young people need to suck it up and get with the times.
I'm writing this post killing time in an antique store an hour from my house while a certain someone shops; didn't need to use the center screen once on the drive and that's typical. I'm a pathetic old man and learned to use the tech without any difficulty. You young people need to suck it up and get with the times.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 9,322
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
Most cars out there on the road have infotainment screens that are not on the same level of the dash as the instrument cluster, it’s a design choice, if it were a legitimate safety issue there would be legislation requiring that they be a certain way.
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
It’s on another level in the 223. Another big difference is when you open the console storage armrest, in the 222 that’s a felt material all the way under where the console lid closes, in the 223 it’s cheap plastic with a surprisingly sharp edge. Just lots of little things like that which irk me.
In the 222 that whole seat side is part of the cushion, that cheap trim piece doesn’t exist.
In the 222 that whole seat side is part of the cushion, that cheap trim piece doesn’t exist.
To me, any MB-tex in the S-Class feels pedestrian but then the older models didn't even have that. Many surfaces were plain plastic even with Designo interiors (pre 2003)...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 9,322
Likes: 4,729
From: Maryland
2024 S580
I know you are new to MB so you are missing the historical context. We have had too much plastic in S-Classes for the last 24 years. No need to just compare the last two models. Also, the only reason why I felt the W222 had a great interior was because we had the exclusive nappa leather.
To me, any MB-tex in the S-Class feels pedestrian but then the older models didn't even have that. Many surfaces were plain plastic even with Designo interiors (pre 2003)...
To me, any MB-tex in the S-Class feels pedestrian but then the older models didn't even have that. Many surfaces were plain plastic even with Designo interiors (pre 2003)...
“pedestrian” means it’s of common quality and if you look at other cars made between 2014-2020 that were competitive to the W222, its interior is the nicest of the bunch. When you compare it to lesser cars that would classify it as “pedestrian” it’s certainly a huge step up from there. That’s not the case now, the W222 has the cheapest feeling interior in the segment and that includes the Lexus LS and Genesis G90, and exclusive Napa doesn’t solve any of that.
Last edited by SW20S; Feb 19, 2024 at 09:17 AM.
Newbie
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
W223 S450L
Its very irritating and I don't have this issue with the w222. Not sure if there's any work around. I even tried adjusting my seats to reduce the weight I put on the edge when I get out and nothing works (probably the only way is for me to lose weight!!!!)
Anybody have any workaround this?
