Manual Mercedes What Is The Issue?
Discussion
The foot 'hand' brake is the biggest issue people have; mercedes have tried adding hill start assist etc, but people just can't get their head around having an extra pedal in the footwell.
The A/B/SLK manuals sell pretty well as they have a proper handbrake, but IMO until Merc put a proper handbrake into the rest of their cars they'll always miss a proportion of the market.
The A/B/SLK manuals sell pretty well as they have a proper handbrake, but IMO until Merc put a proper handbrake into the rest of their cars they'll always miss a proportion of the market.
It's not just Merc, it's the market.
In the size range of most Mercs the majority of BMWs and Audis are also auto.
In smaller cars you'll find a large number of manual Merc A-class.
In AMG they're all auto because idiot drivers would quickly rip the clutch and gearbox to pieces with engine torque.
In the size range of most Mercs the majority of BMWs and Audis are also auto.
In smaller cars you'll find a large number of manual Merc A-class.
In AMG they're all auto because idiot drivers would quickly rip the clutch and gearbox to pieces with engine torque.
Urban Sports said:
Why is this combination such an issue?
I have driven a few Mercs, they have all been autos, is there something fundamentally wrong with a manual one?
BMW and AUDI seem to do manual really well so why don't Mercedes?
I had to hunt hard to find a manual SLK - all the advice I got from various sources was don't - get an auto much better. An auto didn't fit with my criteria - on anything other than a big barge I want a manual box - so got a manual one anyway. It's fine - slightly agricultural shift and doesn't like to be rushed when cold but once warm it's nice - not rifle bolt nice but certainly not nasty or horrible to use.I have driven a few Mercs, they have all been autos, is there something fundamentally wrong with a manual one?
BMW and AUDI seem to do manual really well so why don't Mercedes?
But the few Mercs I've been in with autoboxes have been very nice so maybe it's just something they do better.
matc said:
The foot 'hand' brake is the biggest issue people have; mercedes have tried adding hill start assist etc, but people just can't get their head around having an extra pedal in the footwell.
Shows just how inept some drivers are. It's not difficult. You come to a stop, pop the car in neutral, then you engage the hand(foot)brake. When setting off, you pull the handbrake release with your hand as you would any other cars' handbrake.But I agree, a Merc is meant to be a comfy cruiser, so auto suits the cars character far more.
Baffled Spoon said:
matc said:
The foot 'hand' brake is the biggest issue people have; mercedes have tried adding hill start assist etc, but people just can't get their head around having an extra pedal in the footwell.
Shows just how inept some drivers are. It's not difficult. You come to a stop, pop the car in neutral, then you engage the hand(foot)brake. When setting off, you pull the handbrake release with your hand as you would any other cars' handbrake.But I agree, a Merc is meant to be a comfy cruiser, so auto suits the cars character far more.
niva441 said:
I believe it is a historic issue that manual gearboxes didn't used to be that good, plus also the practicality of using a manual with foot operated park brakes.
manual gears and foot / pedal handbrake requires you to untrain yourself from doing what both normal and advanced instructors tell you is best practice as you have to stop-neutral - handbrake/ sit on the footbrake rather than stop- declutch + handbrake - new gear/neutralniva441 said:
I believe it is a historic issue that manual gearboxes didn't used to be that good, plus also the practicality of using a manual with foot operated park brakes.
I never found this to be an issue. I had a 1991 Mercedes 200TE with a manual box. The manual box was sweet as a nut despite the car having done close to 200,000 miles and hill starts and so forth were as easy as, if not easier than with a normal handbrake. But as has been said, it just seems the auto boxes are stronger and better able to take the herculean torque some of these Merc engines chuck out, and also that people who buy them want to use the minimal input possible to propel themselves around. Manual is clearly far too much like hard work!
I had a manual shift in my W202 C230K. It was horrible to stir around and 3rd was very weak, think mine lasted about 55k miles before it went in for a rebuild. The foot-operated hand brake wasn't a problem though, like some have said previously it's just a matter of getting into ballet dancing when stopping on a hill!
My 190E 1.8 was a manual too, only with a normal handbrake. The 'box in this wasn't particularly splendid to punt around either but it did seem pretty solid. As someone noted previously, it was a bit "agricultural".
The "dog-leg" 'box in my 190E 2.5-16 was, on the other hand, pretty damn lovely. Once I'd sorted the linkages and the gear lever main bush it was a very nice thing to play with. The 'James May constantly engaging reverse instead of 1st' thing is also complete nonsense with that one
Personally I'd avoid a Mercedes with a manual 'box unless it was meant to be a manual in the first place. They make much better cars in auto trim.
HTH
My 190E 1.8 was a manual too, only with a normal handbrake. The 'box in this wasn't particularly splendid to punt around either but it did seem pretty solid. As someone noted previously, it was a bit "agricultural".
The "dog-leg" 'box in my 190E 2.5-16 was, on the other hand, pretty damn lovely. Once I'd sorted the linkages and the gear lever main bush it was a very nice thing to play with. The 'James May constantly engaging reverse instead of 1st' thing is also complete nonsense with that one
Personally I'd avoid a Mercedes with a manual 'box unless it was meant to be a manual in the first place. They make much better cars in auto trim.
HTH
Mercs are what converted me to autos - my first was an SLK230 and I was really impressed with it; the only one time I thought that I might have preferred a manual was on a spirited hoon down near the river Orb in the south of France. But for 99% of the time the auto makes much more sense.
The box in my SL500 is fantastic.
The box in my SL500 is fantastic.
matc said:
The foot 'hand' brake is the biggest issue people have; mercedes have tried adding hill start assist etc, but people just can't get their head around having an extra pedal in the footwell.
I really like the foot operated parking brake, I have driven both Manual and Auto Mercs with it and I prefer it to a normal handbrake and to any of the electronic ones I have used. Chicane-UK said:
But as has been said, it just seems the auto boxes are stronger and better able to take the herculean torque some of these Merc engines chuck out
^^^^ The great with computer controlled engines and gearboxes is they constantly talk to each other, essentially becoming a single unit. Engine torque can be reduced during shifts and in the lower gears. With parts protected from excess torque the car can be lighter and more powerful.adsvx220 said:
Merc has always done auto as standard
Only on the bigger engined vehicles - auto is an extra cost option on many models. Even something like an E250CDi is manual as standard.Futuramic said:
The only situation where that falls apart is hilly, urban driving. When I'm in crawling traffic, drving uphill, I tend to use the handbrake constantly in lieu of riding the clutch. I know lots of drivers sit there bouncing off their pressure plates; but it's not good for the car. I either have it engaged to drive the wheels or completely off. To hold the car stationary - even for a fraction - I pull the handbrake on. This doesn't work in a car with a foot operated parking brake.
It would be a slightly different technique but most recent Mercs have hill-hold so you just dab the normal brake pedal and it holds the car.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff