superchan7

MB Tex looks tough, but doesn't vent very well. My family has a 2007 ML350 and the interior is full of hard-touch surfaces. The style is modern and the wood trim is pretty, but that's it.

I'm a fan of the new E coupe's look. The sedan and estate don't do much for me.

IS-SV

Leather is an option on the lowest prices Benz sedans (C and E-classes), so they do give buyers a choice. And giving buyers the choice isn't hurting their business. It's amazing how many people don't even realize MB-tex is not real leather.

I personally prefer Lexus leather over Mercedes MB-tex for feel, but I can tell the MB-tex holds up better (since I have cars with both and similar mileage).

IS-SV

The ML350 probably has real leather, most ML's do. I had a 06 ML350 with leather and it was a hard finished leather, very difficult to distinguish from MB-Tex.

DustinV

Really? Because as far as I can tell the taxi trim for the E class isn't even offered in the United States or Canada. Clearly you have no clue what you're talking about and I see this as a means for you to flame this new product from Mercedes.

Furthermore, I found your review pretty strange in some regards. You criticize some things that are seriously not even worth critiquing. Are we Americans so lazy that we cannot start an engine without an engine-start-button for example? I get into my E class every morning Monday to Friday and I have absolutely no problem inserting the FOB key and starting the engine the old-fashioned way. It's a very simple move that doesn't require much effort or energy. A 90-year old man with advanced arthritis could even manage this.

DustinV

I really don't understand this constant flaming of MB-Tex. It looks like leather and it looks high quality to most people, so what's the problem? Not everyone wants real leather, even in luxury vehicles. Most luxury cars sold in Europe for example don't appear to have a leather - by choice.

Nobody seems to realize that somebody going for an expensive car like a Mercedes or BMW has the financial means to equip the car with whatever they want and it often isn't an issue for them. If they want real leather, well, then they can order it. It's that simple. The truth is, most people are happy with MB-Tex. It's durable, easier to clean, looks like leather and it looks expensive too. So what's the problem?

My E class has cloth seats for crying out loud. Big deal, really. I feel comfortable in the car and the car doesn't feel any less luxurious because of this fact. In fact Mercedes offers a nice compromise here in Europe between seats that are made out of cloth and leather. And they look fantastic. I'm serious.


I used to think luxury cars needed leather to be even classified as a premium car, but after having been here for a few years I've had my eyes opened to see a different viewpoint.



Edit: Just did some research on MB-Tex and its benefits over real leather.


MBTEX, sometimes called "Taxi Leather" is a vinyl-like Leather-looking synthetic material that has been commonly used in Mercedes-Benz Vehicles for many years now. MBTEX is a a sort of rubbery-feeling material that has a grained look similar to leather but usually more uniform than leather. To the unknowing passenger (and sometimes owners) MBTEX is actually what you are sitting on, and not actually real leather.

In many newer Mercedes-Benz models "MBTEX with Leather inserts" is the standard equipment. Full leather interior is often an option and not included without an additional cost. Many Mercedes-Benz owners have probably bought their car not realizing that the seats are not full leather.

MBTEX can be very difficult to tell from Leather, as without really close inspection there is not a real "obvious" difference. Most cars that are sold with "MBTEX with Leather inserts" have the center parts of the seats (the parts you sit on and your back rests against) as real leather, and the seat bolsters, sides, headrests, armrests and seat backs as MBTEX. You can often tell the parts of your seats that are real leather as they are usually perforated (the perforation is necessary in order to allow the leather to "breath"). This real leather is often the panels where your bottom sits and where your back rests against the seat. There is also often sections of real leather on the door panels. Everything else is usually MBTEX, unless you got the full leather option of course.

Many dealers and people who are familiar with MBTEX will actually recommend it over Leather. It is commonly joked that you can tell if a 10 year old car has leather or MBTEX. The car with MBTEX interior will still look new while the car with leather will look worn. MBTEX is much more durable than leather, easier to clean and requires less attention. MBTEX is also a good idea to have on the seat bolsters as this is an area that is commonly worked well by drivers and passengers entering and exiting the vehicle. Leather bolsters will eventually crease and these creases over time develop into cracks. MBTEX does not have this crease problem.

MBTEX will outlast leather many times over and most individuals can not tell its difference from leather. MBTEX is an excellent choice for anyone who has children, or plans on owning their Mercedes-Benz for a long time.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Everyone has a different opinion and sees things differently, give the guy a break.

IMO, it's a little ridiculous to say things like:

"Are we Americans so lazy that we cannot start an engine without an engine-start-button for example? I get into my E class every morning Monday to Friday and I have absolutely no problem inserting the FOB key and starting the engine the old-fashioned way"

If you can get push button start on a Toyota Camry, then it should be STANDARD on a Mercedes E-Class. Sorry. There is no way around that.

If I have an atlas, do I need a nav system?

Since the standard 16" wheels move just fine, do I need the upgraded 18" set?

Since standard headlights light up the road just fine, do I need HIDs?


See my point? In the luxury class it's about features, luxury, and excess. Inserting the key fob on a brand new $50K car is laughable. Not because it's not possible to do it yourself, but because it comes standard on cars like the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

mmarshall

Agreed....and, believe it or not, I am one of them. I have long preferrred cloth over leather, for a number of reasons. First, cloth is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter (especially before the seat heaters heat up). Second, cloth usually gives you more friction, so you don't slide around in the seat as much. Third, cloth, especially, if it is done right, has a nice, plush feel and texture. Fourth, of course, it is usually less expensive. Fifth, it doesn't need dressing or preservatives. Sixth, (and probably first for the cows ), it doesn't waste animal life.



But, my feelings are that if you're going to put leather in the cars anyway, then do it RIGHT. Don't do what some carmakers are doing by charging people for leather prices in 50-60K cars and then giving them cheap synthetic substitutes.......or leather that feels rough and grainy. If you're going to do that, you might as wll use Alcantra, which is not smooth leather, but an attractive-looking, suede-like leather that holds you in with seat friction so you don't slide around. But I don't see much Alcantra in today's cars either.

mmarshall

Agreed. he took the time to write the car up and post it. That shows he has an interest in the forum. Give him credit, even if you disagree with some of his opinions.

RXSF

MB doesnt even do MB tex with leather inserts anymore (at least in the US). it is stricktly MB Tex everywhere, and NO it does not look or feel like leather. but i live with it.

As for the E class, I would say i like the shifter on the column, but there is a standard shifter **** on the E63 for you hardcore car enthusiasts. And i like the LED fogs

DustinV

We seem to define the luxury class as a market where everyone thinks alike - they don't. Just because a Camry has this feature doesn't mean the E class or other cars need it as well. The lack of an engine-start-button won't hinder E class sales. In fact, I can't imagine somebody buying a Camry over an E class for the sole reason that the Camry has an engine-start-button. Honestly, it's a small trivial matter that has absolutely no effect on the ultimate decision when it comes to purchasing a car.

And the Camry doesn't influence what the E class has or hasn't. Nobody compares a Camry or a luxury car in the market niche of the E class. These cars are polar opposites. The Camry is a mainstream sedan with emphasis on value. There's no need to explain what the E class is because value has never been a Mercedes trait. The Camry shopper cares about value and how much he gets for his money - the E class shopper isn't really concerned about that for the most part. Furthermore, your standard E class in the US comes well-equipped with the necessary features. If they want something else, they can gladly order it.

Mercedes, like other brands, know their customers or what their customers expect in their products. If an engine-start-button was on the wishlist of their prospective customers then it would have been added. Apparently it isn't important.

Inserting the FOB key and turning it to start the engine is not a difficult task, do you agree? It's not a difficult task and it starts the engine, just like a button would, right? And an engine-start-button still requires that you insert the key into its slot. So let's assume that we have two E classes in this theoretical situation: an E class with an engine-start-button and one with a traditional key-starting-system and we also have two drivers who are of the exact same age and physical condition. Both unlock and open the doors at the same time. Both enter the car at the same. Both insert the key into its slot at the same time. Both start the car at the exact same time - one presses the button, the other turns the key. The end result is the same. The car is idling and both were started by very simple and hardly physically exhaustive means. I honestly don't see any advantage an engine-start-button has over the old-fashioned-way at the moment.

Forgive me for talking about my fellow Americans in such poor regard, but you have to understand that for the past years I've been exposed to the European mentality and it has given me a new insight into different aspects. In contrast we Americans do seem lazy and we complain too much. There really is no other way to say this I'm afraid.

A few weeks ago I was in Heidelberg with my wife and we were eating out in a traditional beer garden. The table next to us was occupied by an American family who were clearly tourists and not an army family from the nearby bases. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when the teenage girl (must have been around 19-20) complained about, "How it totally like sucks that nobody here speaks good English and that we like have to speak to them in German."

Um, hello, darling? You're in Germany. Those were my thoughts. Thankfully, I am fluent in German and I hope my accent didn't show when I was conversing with my wife. Now, obviously the little darling wasn't the brightest thing out there, but I've met people (yes, fellow Americans [tourists]) who seemed a bit more educated and they've complained about some pretty trivial things without opening their mind to other possibilities.


I hope we're not offending each other here, by the way.

IS-SV

Since we are going even more OT than usual, I should mention that some dead cows smell bad.

At one point the new E-class was the topic.

The G Man

Am I the only one who thinks MB tex doesnt look and feel like real leather? The MB tex looks and feel like the material Lexus and Audi use on the back of their seats, except in MB and BMW's case, they use it in the seating areas too.

DustinV

I agree with IS-SV, we shouldn't stray off-topic.

In the end it's very simple. Most Mercedes clients seem to prefer MB-Tex because of its simple care qualities, durability and its convincing leather appearance. MB-Tex is therefore suitable and satisfiable for these people.

Anyone who wants real leather in their Mercedes', well, shedding out an extra [insert $ four-digit-number here] isn't a problem for these people. Those who want a Mercedes want a Mercedes. It's an old saying I've seen on a number of forums. People are willing to pay for this. It's that simple. Value has never been a trait of this company.

Och

iTrader: (3)

I'll add my five cents to your posts. I dont claim to be a leather expert, but from my experience the grainy rough leather gets dirty fast, and the dirt is simply impossible to clean out of the pores. The buttery smooth Lexus leather just stays clean, and even when it requires cleaning, just simply wiping it with microfiber cloth and leather cleaner does the trick.

It is not an issue for those who opt for black interiors, but I like light tone interior, and its a huge problem. For example just a month or so ago I was at a BMW test drive event, and they had a brand new X5 there with white seats, and they were filthy already with the dirt etched into the pores. Also, back in 2006 I had the seats in my 94 LS400 re-upholstered with new leather from leatherseats.com - they also use this grainy leather, and it got dirty literally two days later. I've had them in my car for 2 years, and after two years they looked way worse than the original 12 year old seats did.

I've since threw them out and replaced them with 8 year old seats out of 01 LS430 that I picked up at a junk yard. The picture below is what they looked like before I even had a chance to clean them. They were probably never even cleaned once in their life, and then sat at a junk yard, and they are white, yet look at them. Now, thats quality leather.

The G Man

The Lexus glove leather do not wear well over time. You look in most 3 year old Lexus and the leather usually have wrinkles in it. Look into a BMW's roughter and thicker leather after 3 years and its as good as new.