Are all Mercedes-Benz cars equipped with column shifters?
2 Answers
Older models are not equipped with column shifters. AMG models are not either. Here is relevant information: A column shifter gets its name because the gear lever is pulled toward the driver's chest when shifting. There are two types of gear lever arrangements in cars: floor shift and column shift. When the gear lever is located at the lower right side of the steering wheel, it is called a column shifter. American cars often use column shifters. Additional information: The gear arrangement pattern is the same as that of a regular automatic transmission. Nowadays, most column shifters are almost exclusively found in automatic transmissions. Column shifters are generally used in automatic transmissions. Common American cars with column shifters in China include the Buick GL8 and older Regal models; German Mercedes-Benz also frequently adopts column shifters, such as in the C, E, R, S, ML, GL series; British Rolls-Royce's three current models (Phantom, Ghost, Wraith) also use column shifters.
As a car enthusiast, I'm quite interested in Mercedes-Benz's interior design. The column shifter is very common in many new Mercedes models, from the S-Class to the entry-level A-Class. Mounted on the steering column, it only requires a gentle flick to shift gears, which is very convenient and eliminates the hassle of bending over to operate a traditional floor shifter. But to be honest, not all Mercedes have this feature. For example, the AMG GT series and some older Mercedes models still use floor shifters. This change started around 2010 when Mercedes promoted this design to enhance interior simplicity and driving safety. Personally, I think the column shifter makes the cabin much cleaner and reduces the risk of misoperation. On long drives, it saves a lot of effort. But if you're buying a used or performance car, you might still encounter floor shifters. In short, most new Mercedes models now come with column shifters, so don't assume all models are the same.
