Man what a ride. My thoughts regarding it are as follows:

When taking a curve, say to the left, the right opposite side back of the seat pushes harder on your back. In addition, the seats will massage you while you ride. When you cross the center line or line to the right in the road the steering wheel shakes like a video game. You could not tell the engine was a four cylinder diesel and it seemed to have plenty of power. If you let go of the steering wheel for awhile on the interstate it will flash a red warning on the instrument cluster to tell you to put your hands back on the wheel. This should make it a lot easier to text while driving or do your make up. It does have two cup holders in the front which the wife would like.

The absolute best thing, in my opinion, was the distronic cruise control. That was one of the nicest features I've ever seen in a car.

The whole time I was driving I attempted to imagine what the car will be like in 20+ years with 250k miles. I'm sure the drivetrain will be rock solid. I'd be concerned the seat would get stuck shoving you over to one side or the other or it would get stuck into one of the massage positions.

Nice, nice car but I think, for the time being, I will stick with the 95 E300.

With all this said, I think it is shame to see where this stuff is headed. In another few generations the ppl coming along will not be able to experience what "driving pleasure" is all about. It is probably just a matter of time before the NHTSA or some other such gov't agency dictates that cars drive with the distronic cruise type set up and all we do is get in the cans, punch in where we want to go and sit back while enjoying the entertainment system of your choice.

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Jim

Those will make nice second-hand cars to buy - way down the line. They're certainly not worth the new price approaching $60K +/- w/TTL out-the-door.

Sounds pretty fancy. In 20 years, it probably won't be on the road. We gripe about our 25-30 year old cars having faults but a car like this 2014 E-class has a ton more things to fail in it. Our 30 year old analog electronics have started to show their age. I wonder what would still be working in this 2014 model in 2044. I will be in preparation for retirement by that date!

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1991 F250 super-cab 7.3 IDI. (rebuilt by me) Banks Sidewinder turbo, hydroboost brakes, new IP and injectors.
2003 S430 - 107K
1983 300SD - Tanoshii - mostly restored ~400K+.
1983 300SD - Good interior. Engine finally tamed ~250K.
Monark Nozzle Install Video - http://tinyurl.com/ptd2tge

I'll gladly trade"driving pleasure" for a reduction in road user stupidity - there's very little chance of driving pleasure in traffic jams and contraflows

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

i vote for all the creature conforts being brokenlong term.

one incident with the power motor on a drivers seat shorting out and catching fire while driving was all i needed to realize how not a bother reaching down and pulling a lever to move back and forth was.

i can avoid the need for a rumbling steering wheel if i pay attention to my surroundings, and does it do it every time i make a left across a double yellow? also, if lights go nuts with my hands off the wheel, how will i steer with one finger on my knee on the highway? why would it be asssumed someone is paying attention to the dash if they arent even holding the wheel, seems sort of weird logic.

grumble grumble grumble, all these bells and whistles are just that. things that dress something up, and are largely irrelevant. powertrain and cruise control sound awesome though

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

I'm wondering if it's just a matter of time before DOT or NHTSA dictates that all old vehicles lacking the gov't mandated technology be banned or taxed off the road!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

A few years back I was bullied by a VW Caddy that flashed warnings on the dashboard every time it wanted me to change gear - sodding thing! And then there was the Renault that wanted me to put my foot on the brake and depress the clutch pedal before I was allowed to press the starter button...

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

At least these kind of annoying dashboard warnings can often be addressed with a bit of black electrical tape!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

The electronic niceties may be longer lived than we think due to digital electronics technology.

Some may question this due to their experience with analog 80's technology but if you really check thoroughly, digital and microprocessor technology have improved in reliability by several magnitudes.

The issue we then face is that it takes special equipment and proprietal knowledge to interface with the equipment and find any failures that occur. The layman, DIY mechanic is just not going to be able aquire this special equipment so we will be at the mercy of dealership garages. Eventually, this may change though. I remember when emission systems, with all their various vacuum hoses and devices, were a mystery to DIY mechanics. Now, with knowledge and the capability to test most of it, we aren't so "lost in the woods".

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Actually there is a good chance that all the electronic stuff may stand up pretty well in comparison to the past. At this point much may depend on the country it is sourced from.

If designed and executed in the orient properly it could be almost fault free. Mercedes has to be aware they have to improve their quality image or be consigned to history as car makers at some point.

Reliabiity and long trouble free periods are a known component of too many brands for them to continue ignoring now. Service costs after warranty are growing so fast it also will become an issue to continue producing problematic cars.

I took the wifes car into the dealer for a safety check yesterday. The law mandates the maximum charge for this service. I wondered how the dealer might try to possibly circumvent it somehow. The car is still under the bumper to bumper warranty so it would have to be a consumable item to replace.

Happy to be disappointed they did not although the bill had some form of corrective accounting from 136.00 to 32.50 that is the legal charge. I sat there waiting for the car examining the very high overhead that was engineered into that operation.

To bear that kind of overhead taking your car in there after warranty has to be similar to getting bent over the fender. There is just too much overhead that customers have to pay for in these larger dealership castles.

I'm sure the OP is talking about the E250 with the 4 cylinder. I had one of the E350 BlueTec's, among the first to come out in 2011, with the 6 cylinder. I ordered the Sport Suspension, and what a ride that was. I put near 50K miles on it before I got rid of it and never had one single solitary problem with anything. Great car, but too much car to go to the grocery store and back, and way too big for my taste, but the handling was terrific though some would say a bit stiff with that suspension. I got one of the first GLK250 BlueTec's and at almost one year old I've come closer to true love than I did with the E350. Still prefer to drive my 190D, and I thinks it's as good as those other two, or better. Have yet to decide if I'll keep the GLK long term, but I know I'll keep the 190D!

Can anyone explain what is Distronic CC??

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Rebe

It varies your speed to maintain an acceptable following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Assuming that reliability of today's electronics has improved dramatically, the continuing increase in the number of electronic devices and complexity of vehicles works against that reliability. Murphy's-law, software-glitches, and unintended consequences can affect the most sophisticated and well-intentioned automotive systems.
And, as I've said before, all this wonderfull technology is great for those that can afford to buy a new car and replace it when the warranty is done. But it doesn't bode well for the subsequent owners.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

EXACTLY my questions and problem, which is why I'll likely get rid of it when it's past warranty, just as with the E350. You can't even see the engine in these things, and aside from brakes, there's hardly any DIY repairs you can make without electronic support.