Whenever I drive any modern mercedes, they immediately annoy me with their stupid gear selector stalk on the steering column, and also the electronic parking brake, which is a flimsy switch, recessed into the dashboard that you have to curl your finger underneath to activate. The switch feels like it will almost certainly break. And the whole infotainment setup, with the dual big screens is just too fiddly. It looks nice but it's irritating to faff around with.
The Volvo on the other hand is relatively serene place to sit, especially if you go for a lighter coloured interior. My only real gripe with the Volvo is the 4cylinder only policy, and the fact that most of the controls are within the vertical touch screen. However, if you are used to using a smartphone, you will quickly get used to the Volvo screen. The Mercedes screens are controlled by buttons and dials.
My favourite parts of the Volvo are:
1) The twisty knob that is used start/stop the engine. That is such an underrated little feature. So much more satisfying to use than a "push to start" button that the merc and other cars have.
2) The gearshift lever in the Volvo is simple to use, its just forwards and backwards. Unlike the merc where you have click the gear stalk up and down, and press a button to put it into park etc.
3) The seats are more comfortable in the Volvo.
4) The Volvo is a nicer looking car in my opinion. Distinctive in world full of cars that look very similar to each other. Its a very classy car especially with bigger wheels and light interior.
5) The shape of the dashboard in the Volvo is more satisfying to look at compared to the merc in my opinion.
Personally, I'd skip the Merc altogether and go for a 5 series as an alternative.
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