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Old 03-25-2021, 11:17 AM   #11
JST
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Yeah, the controls were a little mystifying in terms of what did what, and it's a lot to learn a whole new interface design.

I didn't even notice the autonomous driving features, ha ha, but I'm with you--no interest in those.

I appreciated the little charging pocket for cell phones in front of the cupholders, though I feel like it was only big enough for one?

It's a neat car, very much designed to do A Thing and do it very well, and that thing is the thing that people use cars like this for. It's hilarious to me that people would rather buy GLEs, which are worse at doing the thing they want, instead of these, and that Mercedes had to butch these up to keep selling them.

I agree that the E63 is ultimately not better at being the car that this car is, though mostly the E63 is about goofy excess, so I appreciate it. But if you're actually going to use the car, the V6 is a better choice.

Really makes me wish BMW still sold a long-roof 5er with a stick.
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Old 03-25-2021, 11:34 AM   #12
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Yeah, the controls were a little mystifying in terms of what did what, and it's a lot to learn a whole new interface design.

I didn't even notice the autonomous driving features, ha ha, but I'm with you--no interest in those.

I appreciated the little charging pocket for cell phones in front of the cupholders, though I feel like it was only big enough for one?

It's a neat car, very much designed to do A Thing and do it very well, and that thing is the thing that people use cars like this for. It's hilarious to me that people would rather buy GLEs, which are worse at doing the thing they want, instead of these, and that Mercedes had to butch these up to keep selling them.

I agree that the E63 is ultimately not better at being the car that this car is, though mostly the E63 is about goofy excess, so I appreciate it. But if you're actually going to use the car, the V6 is a better choice.

Really makes me wish BMW still sold a long-roof 5er with a stick.
The fact that wagons are dying as quickly as sports cars w/ manuals was another motivator to grab this now. 2019 seemed like the best model year. 2020 cars would have questions around COVID quality and 2021 is a jacked up SUV wannabe. The volvo V90 wagon is pretty, but only has that turbo/supercharged 4 cyl which didn't seem like a good fit for a car that big. I looked at the A6 wagons, but never warmed to them like we did to the Merc wagon and most of them are jacked up too.
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Old 03-25-2021, 11:47 AM   #13
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About getting used to a new interface in a different brand of car...Discovered the other day that I've been driving around like a dolt with the Mazda fog light on. I thought it was the auto bright setting.

I tried poring over the manual, but it's so dense and not well written or organized, I can't take it for more than a few minutes. Even when I look for a specific answer, I don't ever feel like I've successfully found the solution...
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Old 03-25-2021, 11:48 AM   #14
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Congratulations! Beautiful car and nicely specced.

Friends of ours have a 2018 E class wagon (same color but not as well equipped) and love it. I think they will hold their value since not many were sold here and the "butched up" version that they just introduced doesn't look nearly as good. I'm not surprised about the ride quality being excellent- that is something MB has always done well. I remember even being impressed by the ride quality in a beat up W123 taxi in Germany many years ago. The MB infotainment wil take some getting used to I think-- I played around with our friends car a bit when they first got it and found it confusing. Kind of funny that the first owner decided to trade it in due to it "being a waste of money"-- he took the biggest depreciation hit that the car will ever see.
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Old 03-25-2021, 11:52 AM   #15
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Active steering seems less so. It floats back and forth in the lane more than a driver does, and since you have to keep your hands on the steering wheel anyway, I fight it instead of just 'letting it happen.' Maybe on the long rides to the lake I'll find a more use for it, but so far no interest.
When I drove the RAV4 to California and back in December, I used the the active steering (or whatever the equivalent name) a bunch. Long distance, straight highway with little traffic it helps reduce the fatigue level even with your hands still on the wheel if you let it do its thing (and it doesn't get in a pinball loop).

Beyond that, yuck.
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Old 03-25-2021, 12:01 PM   #16
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When I drove the RAV4 to California and back in December, I used the the active steering (or whatever the equivalent name) a bunch. Long distance, straight highway with little traffic it helps reduce the fatigue level even with your hands still on the wheel if you let it do its thing (and it doesn't get in a pinball loop).

Beyond that, yuck.
Yep- i'm finding the same thing with our car. There are scenarios where it helps on longer trips. but certainly not something i use reguarly.
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Old 03-25-2021, 12:32 PM   #17
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PSA from the MB manual:

If you ever ship your car on a train, be sure both axles are on the same transport vehicle.

The more you know...
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Old 03-25-2021, 12:56 PM   #18
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The way you describe your experience with the active steering sounds just like what happened with me and our new 2020 Fusion.

I had the 4 wheel alignment checked (and adjusted) and the active steering works much better on the highway (only place I use it) Before alignment, when trying to use the function, it worked so badly one of the dash screens would pop up with a "time to stop and get coffee" message within 10-20 minutes of use. The car was always trying to correct for what the bad alignment was doing.

Before the end of the summer you will love the ventilated seats. I may never buy a car without that option.
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Old 03-25-2021, 02:07 PM   #19
FC
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Originally Posted by Josh (PA) View Post
PSA from the MB manual:

If you ever ship your car on a train, be sure both axles are on the same transport vehicle.

The more you know...
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Old 03-25-2021, 02:56 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Josh (PA) View Post
PSA from the MB manual:

If you ever ship your car on a train, be sure both axles are on the same transport vehicle.

The more you know...
Haha- Doug Demuro wishes he'd found that
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