Wow - I didn't realise they were that up to date in the tractors too Nick.
We did buy a nearly new Merc truck back in 2002 and that had all the clever sensors and no oil dipstick etc but that was it.

 

The New Actros brochure is worth a read - it's quite scary really.

The Volvo FH now has independent front suspension and an interior that makes most cars look so dated and fussy, IKEA must be weeping...

 

Very interesting tech' in trucks... I worked with Cummins Engines a while ago and the engine management technology developments were fascinating. Alas the weak link in all of this is the driver.

I have friends with a large road haulage company and they've tried carrots and sticks to get the drivers just to use cruise controls, all to no avail. They're professional drivers y'see and know best...

 

Nice car, the new E looks much more modern than the previous one.

I got my first Merc in November, C Class not E Class, and I'm really happy with it. I didn't want a BMW, they look over designed and fussy to me, and as you've already noticed, Mercs get let out into gaps that mysteriously close up for BMWs...

Seven speed box is great, not sure what you mean about the paddles working better in Sport mode than Eco; I thought they only worked in Manual mode? Although I haven't tried using them in non Manual modes so could be wrong.

Our MD has the previous E220, on the commute from Wetherby to north Manchester and back he's getting mid to high 50s MPG; not bad for a big barge. My C220 doesn't do anything like that however, on a 20 mile commute of motorway and town without traffic I can get high 40s but with queues it drops to 40ish even with stop start and in Eco mode etc.

And the foot parking brake still catches me out after six months. Releasing it rather than appyling it though!

And so onto trucks; I work for a Scania dealer, and some of the stuff on the new trucks is amazing. They now offer a product which monitors individual driver behaviour, even in a shared truck, and records it in order to highlight where improvements can be made. This is then built into driver re-training and further monitoring. Some fleets have already seen over 20% improvement in fuel economy, which offers a massive saving to big fleets.

Anyway, enjoy the car and well done for not being another Munich sheep...

 

It's not just driver training (albeit it is the nut on the wheel...) but even the Telligent tranny remembers the route & times its gearshifts better next time round.

Most of this stuff is from Bosch/ZF (Toothwheelfactory Friedrichshausen) so it will appear on many trucks (there are in fact very few manufacturers left any more)under different guises.

 

I've had a couple of these as hire cars, they seem pretty well put together.
In normal town style day to day driving they just seem a little on the large side and the C class a little on the small side
Roll on the new D class

 

It is a bit lardy Simon.
But I hop onto a motorway and spend a few hours and then drive to a power plant/hotel.
So I rarely do any town driving. The Reno does the shopping trips much better.


Re previous comments on the auto box - this is the 7G Tronic PLUS (not found on C Class)
There is no manual mode, only Eco/Sport.
The paddles work any time, and it drops back into full auto after ten seconds or so of inactivity.

Its got an electric oil pump, so the stop/start Eco modes won't wreck it due to low oil pressure.

"the 7G-Tronic Plus has a new fuel efficient torque converter with centrifugal pendulum damper and regulated zero
slip at the torque converter lock-up clutch as well as a new automatic transmission lubricant (FE-ATF)."
Lower NVH, full lock-up and Eco drive program patterns, plus a vibe damper ... yada yada yada.

The thing is better than the last 7G Tronic iteration, and smoother. But manual paddling is still way too slow to be useful.
My only criticism so far - great auto box when in auto, lousy in manual over ride.
It was designed to allow the stop/start functions to operate, and a big bonus for me I just found it won't need servicing until 70k.
By Which time it will be gone. I cut my maintenance cost significantly as its an expensive service item, gearbox oil and filters.

Have to say the Stop/Start on this thing is light years ahead of the BMW, which is violent and course and slow in comparison.
The instant you begin to lift off the brake it fires up, so its idling before you even get on the throttle.
And you don't feel it start. The engine rotation sensor knows the resting position of the pistons and aids a seamless restart...

 

Actually, the paddles on the Honda Insect worked really well. Similar sort of set-up, but the delay seemed about right.

The only thing wrong with the stop/start on that was the transverse engine plus a bloody great traction motor meant you could feel it shift thumpily when it got bump-started.

 

LOL.

The little diesel Bimmer properly rocks.

You can see it, its awful.

Like when you used to blip the throttle on an old Rover V8.

 

They did do that then, didn't they. Mind you, so did my MX-5 (power plant frame tied the driveline together) but it didn't have quite the same effect, somehow.