Before I bought this cupholder, I was using the compartment below the armrest. This compartment is unique to 93 300E's and 94,95 E320's. You can slide the door open to the size of the container, and virtually anything will fit in there. The problem is that you lose the ability to use the armrest because you have to keep it in the up position. You also lose the storage function of the compartment if you want to use it as a cup holder.
It seems like where ever I'm going, I have a beverage. On the weekends I bring a snapple with me, in the mornings going to work I bring a Rubbermaid container with orange juice, after lunch I refill the iced tea to bring back to the office.
I like this new cup holder so much, I'm buying another one for the passenger door so my wife can have a place to put her beverage. I also think the black plastic somehow strangely makes it look original: the dash top is black, the area around the door handle, pwr seat adj. is black, the steering wheel and area around the gauge cluster is black, etc.