It's essentially an electric switch, very similar to the one first featured in the 2002 BMW 7-series. It's not so bad, as you have toggles on the wheel for manual shifting. It's much like a motorcycle foot shifter, as the lever returns to the same position (shown) after it has been used. I've driven a 745Li and S550 with this arrangement and didn't mind it. The BMW had a smart feature that automatically placed the car in "Park" if you turned the engine off while the car was stationary, probably also present in the MB.