Test drove one of these the other day; I have a new Volvo wagon which is $20,000 cheaper. Impressions:
Yes, the climate controls are set too low. I don't care if you do set it to "Auto" and leave it - they are still too low. If you need to change it for whatever reason, your eyes are off the road. Low set buttons instead of rotatory dials make it confusing too - too many buttons to sort through. Not an optimal design.
Seats: Low set, especially the rear. Firmer than my liking. You know, the Swedes also make seats that are comfortable over long-distances without being rock-hard so I don't buy the argument that German cars have hard seats to provide support over long distances.
Leather: not as soft as you would expect.
Parking assist: what the reviewer failed to mention is that this car DOES NOT have front or rear parking sensors... unbelievable in a car of this price. The GLK, E Sedan, ML etc all have them - but the station wagon E series available in Canada (also known as the T-model) does not have them at any price. It does have a rear view camera, but it is not the same. This is a serious omission in my view.
Turning signals: as one poster here did mention, the indicator stalk for turning signals is set too low. It is not in a natural position - you need to reach down. Stupid really.
Rear fog light: I did not see a switch. Did they fail to put one as well?
Child third row seats: these are so small and flimsy that they look comical. I have not read anywhere on the internet where they were not rated as "useless".
Engine: it is powered by the 3.5L V6 that was present in the last E-class wagon - a new 3.5L engine ("Blue Efficiency") with uprated power is on sale in Europe. We have to make do with the last generation one until Mercedes brings the new one here. Kind of disappointing. The engine is more than adequate, does have to work somewhat when accelerating. It is the minimum what you would expect in a car of this price though.
Rear compartment luggage space: the rear seats fold down by pulling a lever at the rear (left and right separate). Interesting concept - you don't need to open the door and pull the seats down yourself. Not sure how difficult it would be to lower the seats the traditional way. However, the seats do not fold down completely, which is more important than how to get the seats down in the first place. They sort of float a bit, probably due to the thickness of the backrest cushion. A nice feature is that the cargo cover can be set to rise and fall when lifting the rear hatch so that the back is always covered. Also the seats fold down as 60:40, as opposed to 40:20:40 as in a Volvo.
Steering: a little too light for my tastes.
Some good points:
Interior: in Canada, the only option is a black roof liner, which is part of the standart AMG Styling Package. While initially hesitant (I prefer airy, light interiors), it is actually quite nice, especially if coupled with beige seats - while a personal taste matter, in my view it is distinctive and looks quite nice.
Attention to detail and quality is impeccable. Doors close with a well-engineered sound
Turning circle radius: quite sharp, less than the Volvo - easy to maneouver then.
Instruments: this car does have a real clock, a temperature gauge for coolant.
Ride: as expected, smooth, soaks up bumps on the road, quite interior. Feels very solid.
