FG05NOVA

Okay gang, I have about a week left before the deadline to change exterior color and any factory options on an E55 Wagon I ordered last week. I'd love to read your opinion/reasons for color and option choices.

FYI: I tend to be attracted to less routine colors (even though I currently own two silver cars!) and would love to know what you think about Platinum Blue, Everest Green, Capri Blue, and Barolo Red (the MY06 replacement for Bordeaux Red), for example.

What about the various options? Which have you found to be truly useful and a good value?

Here's my initial but completely changeable order:

Everest Green metallic paint
Standard charcoal leather (prefer sand, but NA in E55)
Burl walnut wood trim
Premium pack (active/vented seats, nav, H-K stereo, 6-CD, sun blinds)
Lighting pack (adaptive bi-xenons with washers)
Third seat
Power tail gate
Satellite radio

So, I didn't order Distronic cruise, Keyless Go, or phone.

At this point, I am open to just about anything. I do care about resale value but I'm not going to buy black or silver for that reason alone.

Schiznick

Keyless go is a must!!!!!

FG05NOVA

Uhh, okay.....but why?

Lady Wolf

Hi there,
I have to agree. I did not get the keyless and I wish I had. It's just a convenience like the lift gate. Also, the 3rd row is fairly useless unless you have kids small enough to fit into it but big enough not to need a car seat. I also paid the $275 to upgrade to the maple wood and am very pleased with that. Breaks up a somewhat dark interior. You are going to LOVE this car!

MB Fanatic

Keyless GO is a must as other people have said. It is a convenience feature that everyone appreciates. It is worth the money. Just makes things easier if you or your wife have kids and hands are full.

medici78

Looks good to me except for the color and wood, but that's a personal preference. I saw a Platinum Blue E320 wagon and kept thinking how badass it would have been if it was an E55.

SCH

I had the third seat and the keyless go on my E500 wagon and did not order either on my E55 wagon. Third seat is for small kids only. A lot of people love the keyless go but I never really got into it.

Just as an FYI - Mercedes mounts the sat radio antenna on the roof of the wagon. I believe they drill the roof and have a cover plate that is visible on the interior headliner. You may or may not care but I was not wild about the idea. As such, I did not order the sat radio from the factory (installed at the port) but had it installed by the dealer after they received the car. My dealer was able to mount the antenna under the air vent in the hood thus it is totally concealed. If you do a search there are a lot of posts describing the process.

FG05NOVA

Wow, now THIS (advice about getting sat radio from the dealer instead) is the kind of info I can really use. THANKS!

I have two small kids and occasionally desire to travel with another adult and their children so we always have to take two cars. A third seat would solve this.

E55 and 993

Honestly, Green cars are hard to sell as used cars. Might want to reconsider that one.

Keyless Go is a cool gadget. I love it. But lived without it for 20 years!

I get lots of complements on the black wood. I did not like the burled walnut on the all-black interior.

See, we all have different tastes!

Sounds great, have fun!

MB Fanatic

The Everest Green on Mercedes looks gorgeous. Stick with your color choice. You will not be dissapointed.

mhh

The rear facing seat is a good option if you have kids up to say 10 years old. Even if you don't really need them, the resale will be improved as most wagon buyers do have children - that's often the main reason for getting a wagon.

Lady Wolf

Go with your heart on the color and forget the resale. I almost got a color I was not thrilled with because of that and I am SOOOOO happy I decided to go with my heart. There are going to be so few of these out there that I don't really think resale will be an issue.

FG05NOVA

Good to know the age of children you're guessing the third seat will accomodate. I was wondering about that because I tried to get in them and it was almost impossible. My kids are 4.5 and 2 and their friends are naturally of a similar age, so we ought to be able to use that third seat in a pinch.

Thanks for the advice, and I agree about resale especially since the E350 and E500 wagons come standard with the third seat.

FG05NOVA

I am down to Everest, Platinum or Barolo. I just wish I could see a vehicle in Barolo which I understand is also available on the MY06 M-Class. The paint chip looks similar to Bordeaux but you never know, right?

We used to have a metallic burgundy BMW wagon and my wife absolutely loved that car. Since the E55 wagon will be a surprise for her, I KNOW she would enjoy that color. The green or light blue would work, too. Please post or send any more photos of your Bordeaux that you happen to snap!

I saw an E55 sedan today at the dealer in Platinum and it was very nice, but I think it might get boring after a bit. Very elegant, yes, but slightly dull over time.

I also drove the wagon and it was quite a performer!

Lady Wolf

I too was considering the Platinum but mostly because Wolf preferred it. I'll get some more pictures of the car in the sun tomorrow. Can't today as Wolf has it I would say if your wife loves Burgandy you have your answer I have found this car looks good in ANY color but great if you really love the color you chose if that makes sense. I would avoid the green only if that is a color that wouldn't thrill your wife.

Lady Wolf

Have you seen these photo's? They really don't do the color justice. Just ask Dancing Benzos or Vic55!
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...highlight=e55t

E55 and 993

I agree with you Lady Wolf. I personally like green and have had a couple of green cars in the past. My initial comment was simply about the resale value. I think the highest resale value is on black, silver and white.

Lady Wolf is right, get the color that "moves" you.

Good luck and what a great surprise for your wife.

Lady Wolf

One thing to think about with kids in the third row. If your state requires a special seat for kids under s certain height or weight I don't think the seat would fit on that seat.
Kim

paul928

I have a new CLS 55 in Black Opal, and it looks great. It is almost black, but is really a midnight blue metalic. It sparkles in the sunlight. I would also get parktronic and keyless go.

FG05NOVA

I'm not a regular M-B owner or observer, so in a nutshell, what's the basic difference between Black, Black Opal, Obsidian Black? Black is obviously not metallic, so that's a definite no, but what about the others? Opal has a bluish tint, so what about Opal?

Believe me, I would get Parktronic in a heartbeat, but for some completely inexplicable reason, you can't buy that on an M-B E-Class wagon...only the sedans. Relative to the competition's offerings and to the practical need for a back-up warning system on a bigger vehicle like a wagon, how much freaking sense does THAT make?

MB Fanatic

I too am puzzled as to why Parktronic is not being offered on the wagon. Again idiocy at MBUSA working at its finest levels.

Obsidian is a deep black with metallic flakes in it. Supposedly its easier to clean and shines better than regular flat black. It has no other tint to it unlike Opal which has a slight bluish tint to it.

SCH

Mercedes DOES make the E-class wagons with parktronic in other parts of the world. For some strange reason, which no one can explain, you can’t get it in the United States.

If you look at the underside of the bumper on the E55 wagon you can see the holes for the parktronic sensors which are covered up by the piece of black plastic molding right above the tailpipes.

FG05NOVA

FYI...

MY06 E-Class (including E55 sedan/wagon) Option and Package Changes

Options and Packages

– An all-new Premium Package featuring high-value options has been created for MY06.

MY06 Premium Package (526)
• Glass Sunroof
• Rear Window Sunshade (Rear Side-Window Blinds for Wagon models)
• harman/kardon Logic 7 Digital Surround Sound System
• CD Changer
• DVD Navigation
• Heated Seats (Active Ventilated with Heating Feature on E500 models)
– The value of these options would exceed $4,500. However, if ordered through the Premium Package, they are available at $2,950.

Additionally, M-B added a Premium Package with Panorama Roof (in place of the regular glass sunroof) which brings the same great value with the added benefit of the all glass roof AND rear sunshade.

– The pricing for the Lighting Package (code 319) has been reduced by $210, and is now $990.

Paints

The following colors are new:
• Barolo Red (544) replaces Bordeaux Red (567)
• Iridium Silver (775) replaces Brilliant Silver (744)

Additionally, the following colors are deleted:
• Jade Black (185)
• Desert Silver (693)
• Midnight Blue (904)

– Special Order charges have also been eliminated, to further reduce ordering complexity.

To further streamline the ordering process, MB reduced the number of stand-alone options and optional equipment packages.

- 401 Active Ventilated Seats are available only with E500 and E55 AMG models as part of the 526/626 Premium Packages

- 413 Panorama Roof is only available as part of the 626 Premium Package

- 432 Drive-Dynamic seats are now exclusive to E55 AMG vehicles

- 475 Tire Pressure Monitoring System has been deleted. A modified version of TPMS is now standard on all E-Class vehicles

- 323 Heating Package, which included Heated Seats and Heated Steering wheel, has been deleted. For Heated Seats, please order as a stand-alone option (code 873) or within the 526/626 Premium Packages.

- 325 Rear Seat Package, which included Split Folding Rear Seats and pass-through with Ski Sack for $540, has been replaced with 287 Split Folding Rear Seats at a reduced price of $300