Love the new E-classes but I have to echo all the other comments about HIDs not being standard. For a car of this price range and caliber, to be nickel and dimed ($6k+!) for the next package to get them is a JOKE. But, still a beautiful car.

Also, be careful of adding brighter halogen bulbs as they might up the wattage quite a bit like from 65w to 110w. This will melt your harness connectors over time and cause other issues.

 

It wasn't like this on previous generations. You could do the lighting package with autoleveling/highbeam assist/corner adjustment separately.

I spoke with the guys at TRS and they said I shouldn't have any issues with heat/glare in my vehicle. I trust their opinion over anyone elses. So ... it's all systems go.

 

^Did you speak to Matt? He's the man!

It is crazy, however, the $6450 is not JUST for HID's.


P2 Package includes:
- Bi-Xenon headlights
- Headlight control and active headlights
- Cornering lights/curb illumination
- High pressure headlight cleaners
- KEYLESS-GO smart card/smart key; includes central locking, ignition starter, Memory seat and memory steering wheel, Card key power locks, and Engine start button
- LED day time running lights
- Ventilated driver seat and Front passenger seat


Plus it includes everything in the P1 package for that price as well:
- Navigation system with 3D and voice
- Voice activating system for radio, phone and navigation system
- Gracenote media database; MP3 player; Internal HD : 40.00 GB storage
- Harman/kardon audio system , digital radio and satellite radio with Fourteen harman/kardon speakers
- Rear electric blind
- SIRIUS real time traffic service with Zagat survey restaurant guide & Traffic Information
- Rear cam & radar parking distance sensors
- Heated Front Seats


All of THAT is what you get for $6,450.

So really, if you get the P1 package, the P2 package is only ~$2500 more. Even so, they should be standard.

 

JB: I did speak to matt and someone else. They, and others, said the bulb should do fine and cause no damage if its installed correctly. Since its a 35w draw it runs cooler. They also said the light output would be greater without MUCH glare through our stock projectors. He said a retrofit would definitely help visibility/performance, but wouldn't be required.


Just an update on the packages ... for 2012 LEDs come standard on all vehicles. No more hokey stick fogs, just the straight bar.

Plus they've added some things for 11/12

Premium 1 Package $4,000:
Hard-drive-based navigation
10GB Music Register
harman/kardon LOGIC7® sound system with Dolby Digital 5.1
HD Radio™ receiver
Gracenote® media database
iPod®/MP3 media interface
SiriusXM Satellite Radio with SiriusXM Traffic and Weather
Enhanced Voice Control (EVC)
Heated front seats
Power rear-window sunshade
Rear view camera

Premium 2 Package $6,450:
Includes all items in the Premium 1 Package, plus:
Bi-Xenon headlamps with Active Curve Illumination
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
LED front turn indicators
LED Daytime Running Lights
Headlamp washing system
Corner-illuminating front lamps
KEYLESS-GO
Heated and Active Ventilated front seats
Electronic Trunk Closer

Also, I wanted the new sport steering wheel

 

Cutoff from a halogen projector using the morimoto kit. It isn't perfect but it's better than spending 1200 on a retrofit.

 

Edit: those dont look like typical output shots/cut off shields from European cars makers, are you sure you are not posting pictures posted by users with Japanese makes?

 

^^ Yeah, what I posted was from the 2011 specs. Cool they added a few things for 2012. Still think they should add HID's standard

 

You'd think that knowing that the cost of HID components these days is not as high as it use to be 20 years ago when the HID technology was first introduced. The problem is that most of the German companies dont just put HID equipment in the lights and offer HID as standard these days. They have to go all out, balls to the wall with adaptive cornering lights, height control (AFS), high beam assist etc etc hence driving up costs enough to not have HIDs standard. Heck the new Audis have GPS assisted LED lighting where the GPS tells the headlights when it approaches an intersection to turn on LED lights to illuminate the sides

 

^ I know... it's like robotic headlights. Just give me HID's dammit

Although our A6 had the HIDs with the adaptive corner assist and leveling... and it was pretty cool...

 

The first cap was of a crossfire, the second of a legacy gt

 

Hokey stick was standard for late 11's as well.

I like my hokey stick fogs better than straight line...
I can't believe you missed out on sports pkg. I am very happy with mine... until I saw 12 model's steering wheel. fml.

 

I have the sport package, just not the 708 (wheel) package. So I have the standard 4 spoke steering wheel and standard sport wheels.

I like both styles of LEDs equally. Also, I'm pretty sure you could get the regular fogs on the 11s as everyone stated that standard LEDs were a feature for ALL new 2012 MBs.

Also, I noticed you got P1 only as well. Did you get an HID kit?

 

I see.

I haven't install HID kit yet, but I know a shop that willing to do it for $200, which includes DDM HID kit.
I am aware of that DDM kit only cost $30-40, so charging $160 for the labor. I know Euro cars aren't just plug and play type of style... so $200 for everything is pretty damn cheap.

Have you decided which kit you gonna run with?

 

Nice car, I can understand being disappointed about it not having the hids. I felt the same way about my last car(Subaru Legacy), but it had the projector beams like yours. For me, they looked good enough to not worry about getting hids. I am sure your car looks good with the regular projectors too.

 

Projectors > *

Only problems with German car is the code... If you just hook up any HID kit can throw off the code, not like some Japanese cars.

I am still debating if I should go with HID kit or not... The way I see HID as for "looks" than anything else. I probably add the HID kit down the road, but not in rush to do so.

 

I'm just used to the light output. Looks are secondary. I'm going with the MORIMOTO kit. All things being equal, I'm going to go with the best possible kit on my expensive car.

 

Honestly I couldn't tell the light output differences between HID vs. regular.

I feel you. Don't go cheap on your $55k car... this ain't some honda civic.

 

$56k I got folding seats

 

Damn dude! Nice car! congrats!

 

Here is my current light output/cut off:

 

Post a picture with the car parked at least 30 feet away, right now it just looks like a blob of light.

 

I can't believe MB charge extra for fucking folding seats.

 

yup, $440 and I have the metallic paint ... so add $7-800

 

metallic paint for $ 700-800 is common, so I am not surprised by that... charging extra for folding chairs are pretty lame.

 

It is. Everything is a la carte for these premium brands. Rich people don't care. They keep buying. On top of that, Mercedes has made a big come back. If you look at sales numbers the E class only trails the 5 series by a few hundred cars a month. Years ago it was less than half.

 

I was never fan of E class until W212 came out.... I hated my W211 model.
I can see how their sales numbers gone up... definitely digging the new design plus they are offering aggressive discount to customers.

Any other plans for your car?

 

Hey! I had a 2006 w211 and hated it too! As far as plans, HID and perhaps a flat badge, rear spoiler and tint. No real big modding plans.

I'm just trying to avoid this: http://www.tallyimports.com/showthre...REX-X-Ridetech

 

omg that benz in that link, damn man. DO IT DO IT haha

 

So I got the TRS kit installed last night. I'll be honest it's good enough for now. It increases visibility by more than a factor. There is no glare AT ALL. It even has a blue "flicker" at the cut off or whatever.

The only light spillage is from refraction off of the plastic halos around the projector. That would happen even with a retrofit as it is part of the headlamp assembly and not part of the projector itself.

A retrofit would be superior, I'm just letting the guys that want to do this know that you won't be blinding people as there is no glare. Plus, the bulbs should run cooler based on the fact that energy in = energy out.

stock bulbs 55w draw = low light output + y heat output
HID bulbs 35w draw = high light output + x heat output

If you set up a ratio, x must equal a very small number compared to y.

SCIENCE.

 

You can see the plastic halo thing in the assembly here:

 

^^ The quad projectors on the factory HID headlights look sick, noticed one on the road last night.

 

I need to adjust my headlamps up before I show my output.

With JNC's guidance/help I found that our cars have the old school hella projectors ("E55"). This is a good example of what stock HID/Hallogen projector output looks like:

HID vs Halogen projectors in these are basically the same with minor differences. The halogen lamps reflectors are painted silver whereas the HID reflectors are chrome so you might get slightly better output with the OEM HID but not by much (says jnc).

So ... you can safely put HID "kit" in your car. It's not going to be as nice as a retrofit but it will work. More details to come.

 

We have pretty similar wish mod list.
Let's see... I already have spoiler and tint... I am planning on running flat badge, and star grill in glossy finish.

I also thought about running springs and 19" AMG rep, but probably not gonna go with that route.

 

Obviously retro is the best way to go, but would you want to do that on your leased car?

I thought about retro as well but not sure if I want to spend that kind of money for damn xenon.

 

only came in on E550 and E63?

 

quad projectors come on any car with P2.

Anyway, on my leased car ... no its not worth a retro (right now at least) and it doesn't blind people now so I say go ahead and do a kit if you want the output.

 

It's sad that the merc forums suck so hard that I feel I have to come here to post about my findings with this car.

The best one is mbworld.org I suppose?

The MB community isn't as large as the bmw community but it can't be that much smaller. I suppose bmw's appeal more to people who want to mod/explore/have fun rather than those who just want a comfy ride and don't have time for such things.

Sad.

 

^ They're terrible. I usually find out more information by searching on Google then from the forums.

When I do resort to the forums... I use MBworld.org...

 

yup, mbworld.org is where I go to...
They are terrible just like what JB said.

 

very nice....