I actually think the gated shifters are more precise. I don't see how they take up more room than a fore-aft shifter.

Drove another S560 last night, I kind of like their little column mounted shifter.

 

You are correct.....they don't take up any more space. I just find them a little more annoying to use than the straight fore/aft motion.

Though I have not test-driven some of the very latest Mercedes models in the last couple of years, one thing I found annoying about Mercedes stalks, for years, is that they put two stalks on the left-side of the steering column.....one for the turn-signals, and another, right next to it, for the cruise-control. Until you get used to it (or you squint down at the fine print on them, taking your eyes off the road) it can be very easy to mix them up......on several M-B test-drives I did, I ended up fiddling with the cruise-control when I meant to signal a turn.

At least, that won't happen wth the transmission stalk, which is on the right side of the column.

Does the S560 still have those double-stalks on the left, or have they redesigned the cruise-control?

 

They did away with the second cruise control stalk in 2018. They have buttons on the wheel now.

 

Good. That's a big improvement. I'd wager it was from at least some customer complaints.

Toyota and Lexus used a small-but-thick, stubby, parts-bin cruise-control talk down on the lower right side of the wheel for many years (still do on some models, I think), but it is not likely to cause confusion, as it is much different in look and feel from the larger wiper/washer stalk above it. The former Mercedes system was just asking for confusion.

 

where's the fun in that?

we all comment about all sorts of brands we've never owned, you included. and that's ok.

even the now 20 year old Lexus RX300 i had did not have a gated shifter, just up/down with the button.



it was fine and i liked how lexus had it up high more on the dash, providing a nice space between the seats.

i agree it's very elegant.

 

^ That old RX had the ugliest dash design, that center stack just looks like a urinal.

 

Urinals aren't covered with highly-polished wood LOL.

 

I've seen better looking urinals than the fake wood in cheaper Lexus models, lol.

 

You just aren't going to the bathroom in the right places.

 

My first Lexus was a 2001 RX300, I really liked it including the dashboard since it was a little different than what I was used to. Mine had a wood steering wheel and gear shifter so it looked nice. The only thing I really hated was the turning radius.

 

Lexus doesn't (or at least didn't in RX300 era) use fake wood. I still think they use genuine wood currently.

That RX300s (real) wood looks pretty fake, though. I remember car reviewers mentioning it.

 

The reason it looks fake is simply too much polish and high-gloss finish on it. Tastes may vary, but, in general, IMO, the best wood or wood-tone finishes are matte or semi-matte.

Jaguar, for example, once made that mistake with the very dark (almost black) wood in its sport-oriented R-series. It was so highly polished, and so dark, that it looked almost like cheap black shiny-plastic LOL

 

There isn’t much wood in that pic so it doesn’t help. My wood steering wheel was really nice. My shifter on the other hand didn’t really match the rest of the wood and looked a little off. You could tell it was real wood based on the grain and the non-uniform look it had.

 

meanwhile back to shifters (and not wood, or urinals lol)...

 

There's a editor's blurb in the newest C&D (Cayman v C8) about shifters I just read about 5 minutes ago, lol.