
At a glance
 15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for hands-free mode for tele-
phone
*
and for voice command system*24
2Reading lamps97
3SOS: initiating
 an emergency request231
4Glass sunroof
*, electric40
5Interior lamps97
6Passenger airbag status lamp89
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9Central locking system34
10Automatic climate control98
11Changing
>radio station154
>track150
12Ejecting
>navigation DVD
*124
>audio CD164
13Drive for navigation system DVD with Pro-
fessional
* navigation system124
14Programmable memory buttons22
15Drive for audio CDs16416Switching Entertainment sound output on/
off and adjusting volume150
18Controller16 
Can be turned, pressed, or moved in four 
directions
19Opening start menu on Control Display18
20Drivelogic of Sequential Manual 
Transmission62
21EDC Electronic Damper Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission83
22DSC OFF Dynamic Stability Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission82
23POWER M Engine Dynamic Control for 
Sequential Manual Transmission59
24EDC Electronic Damper Control for manual 
transmission
*83
25MDM
>M Dynamic Mode for manual 
transmission81
>Switching DSC on and off in manual 
transmission82
26Selecting AM or FM waveband
27Selecting radio, CD and CD changer Temperature setting, left/right99 
Automatic air distribution and 
volume99 
Cooling function101
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control/recirculated-air mode101
Maximum cooling101 
Air volume100 
Defrosting windows and removing 
condensation100 
Rear window defroster100 
17
Heated seats48
Active seat ventilation
*49
Adjusting active backrest 
width
*44
Flat Tire Monitor
*84
PDC Park Distance Control
*79
Opening luggage compartment 
lid
*35 

Adjusting
44 ensuing loss of vehicle control could lead to an 
accident. 
Also on the passenger side, do not incline the 
backrest too far to the rear while the vehicle is 
being driven, otherwise there is a danger in the 
event of an accident of sliding under the safety 
belt, eliminating the protection normally pro-
vided by the belt.<
Please follow the instructions on damage to 
safety belts provided on page48 and the infor-
mation on the active front head restraints
 on 
page46.
Adjusting seat
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
please observe the adjustment instructions on 
page43.<
1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest width
5Backrest
6Head restraint height
7Shoulder support
*
8Thigh support9Lumbar support
*
Shoulder support*
This also supports the back in the shoulder 
area, This provides a relaxed driving position 
and helps relieve stress on the shoulder mus-
cles.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest 
to obtain additional support in the lumbar 
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a 
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press front 
or rear section of switch.
>Shift curvature up or down: press upper or 
lowers section of switch.
Adjusting active backrest width*
First set a comfortable backrest width, see 
above. Based on the backrest width set, the lat-
eral support is automatically adapted to the cur-
rent driving situation.
The adaptation of the backrest width and the 
speed of the adjustment vary depending on the 
program. You can select from among three pro-
grams from comfort to sport. The "Sport" pro-
gram provides increased lateral support on both 
sides when driving through a quick succession 
of curves. 

Controls
 45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Press the button repeatedly until the desired 
program is shown on the Control Display. The 
LED in the button lights up.
To deactivate: Press button longer.
You can also activate your preferred program 
for the active backrest width adjustment of the 
driver's seat with the   button on the steering 
wheel, refer to MDrive on page52.
Easy entry/exit*
To facilitate entry and exit, the backrest width 
temporarily opens all the way.
Seat, mirror and steering 
wheel memory
You can store and request two different posi-
tions for the driver's seat and passenger seat
*, 
exterior rearview mirrors, and steering wheel.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not 
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or ignition, refer 
to page57.
2.Set the desired seat, exterior mirror and 
steering wheel positions.
3.Press the   button: 
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button1 or2: 
The LED goes out.
Requesting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving. There is a 
risk of accident from unexpected movement of 
the seat or steering wheel.<
Comfort mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or 
switch on radio readiness.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1 
or2.
The system cancels the adjustment procedure 
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons. 

Adjusting
50 Press the respective button once per ventila-
tion level. The ventilation level appears on the 
Control Display. The maximum level is supplied 
when three LEDs are lit.
The air quantity is reduced and if need be, the 
ventilation is switched off in order to reduce the 
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off: Press button longer.
The highest level is used for rapid cooling, 
e.g. when the vehicle has become heated 
up.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is 
more curved than the driver's mirror. 
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than 
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of 
following traffic based on what you see in the 
mirrors, otherwise there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<
1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the auto-
matic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page45.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by 
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror 
glass.
Folding mirrors in and out*
Pressing button3 allows you to fold mirrors 
in and out up to a speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h. This is advantageous, for example, in 
car washes, narrow streets or for bringing mir-
r o r s t ha t  h a v e  b e e n  m a n u ally folded in back into 
the correct position. Mirrors that were folded in 
are folded out automatically at a speed of 
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the 
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on 
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heated whenever the 
engine is running or the ignition is switched on.
Tilting down passenger-side exterior 
mirror – automatic curb monitor
Activating
1.Slide switch into the driver's side mirror 
position, arrow 1.
2.Shift into reverse or move selector lever into 
position R. 
The mirror glass tilts downward somewhat 
on the passenger's side. This allows the 
driver to see the area immediately adjacent 
to the vehicle – such as a curb – when park-
ing, etc.
Deactivating
Slide switch into the passenger side mirror 
position, arrow 2. 

Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
3.Select "MDrive" and press the controller.
The functions contained in MDrive are dis-
played:
>"SMG Drivelogic"
Sequential Manual Transmission with 
Drivelogic: shifting modes and Drivel-
ogic driving programs, refer to page62
>"EDC" 
Programs of the Electronic Damping 
Control, refer to page83
>"DSC"
Dynamic Stability Control and 
M Dynamic Mode, refer to page81
>"POWER"
Programs of the M Engine Dynamics 
Control, refer to page59
>"Backrest"
*
Programs of the active backrest width 
adjustment, refer to page44
>"Head-Up Display"
*
Views of the Head-Up Display, refer to 
page90
You can reset all settings for MDrive to the 
default values:
>"Reset to default"
4.Select the desired function.5.Press the controller.
6.Turn the controller to select the desired set-
ting.
"Unchanged" retains the current setting 
made outside of MDrive.
7.Press the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Activating settings
Press the   button on the steering wheel.
The indicator lamp in the instrument 
cluster lights up. The settings made on 
the Control Display for the functions 
contained in MDrive are active.
Pressing the button again deactivates MDrive.
If the indicator lamp flashes after the but-
ton was pressed, MDrive was unable to 
respond because the ABS Antilock Brake Sys-
tem or DSC Dynamic Stability Control are cur-
rently regulating driving stability. Press the 
button again when the indicator lamp no 
longer flashes.<
Even with MDrive activated, you can change 
individual settings outside MDrive, e.g. with the 
buttons in the center console. To reactivate all 
settings made for MDrive on the Control Dis-
play: press the   button twice. 

Transporting children safely
54
Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the 
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger 
themselves and other persons, e.g. by opening 
the doors.<
Children always in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place 
for children is on the rear seat.
Children younger than 13 years of age or 
with a height under 5 ft/150 cm may only 
be transported in the rear in child restraint sys-
tems which correspond to the age, weight and 
height of the child. Otherwise there is an 
increased danger of injury in an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a 
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint 
system can no longer be used due to their age, 
size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child 
restraint system on the front passenger 
seat, the front and side airbags on the passen-
ger side must first be deactivated. Otherwise, 
there is an increased risk of injury for the child if 
the airbags are triggered, even with a child 
restraint system.<
For more information on automatic deactivation 
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page89.
Installing child restraint 
systems
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions for selection, 
installation and use of the child restraint sys-
tems. Otherwise the degree of protection may 
be reduced.<
Backrest width on front passenger seat
Open the backrest width setting of the 
front passenger seat all the way. After 
mounting the child's seat, deactivate the active 
backrest width adjustment and do not call up 
any memory position. Otherwise this limits the 
stability of the child's seat on the front passen-
ger seat.<
1.After unlocking the vehicle, sit on the front 
passenger seat and close the door to call up 
the memory position.
2.Completely open the backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page44.
3.Deactivate active backrest width adjust-
ment, refer to page44.
4.Install child's seat.
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the safety belt for the 
front passenger can be locked against pulling 
out to secure child restraint systems.
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint system with the 
belt.
2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.
3.Allow the belt webbing to retract and pull 
taut against the child restraint system. The 
safety belt is locked. 

Things to remember when driving
118 vehicle. Traces of condensed water under the 
vehicle are therefore normal.
Before driving into a car wash
Fold in the exterior mirrors, refer to page50, 
otherwise they could be damaged due to the 
width of the vehicle.
You can find valuable information on this topic 
under Care, starting on page218.
Ground clearance
Make sure that sufficient ground clear-
ance is available. To drive down curbs, 
select the "Sport" program of the EDC Elec-
tronic Damping Control, refer to page83, to 
keep the ground clearance as uniform as possi-
ble. Otherwise the vehicle may be damaged.<
Cargo loading
To avoid loading the tires beyond their 
approved carrying capacity, never over-
load the vehicle. Overloading can lead to over-
heating and increases the rate at which damage 
develops inside the tires. The ultimate result 
can assume the form of a sudden blow-out.<
Make sure that no fluids leak in the cargo 
bay; otherwise the vehicle could be dam-
aged.<
Determining loading limit
1.Locate the following statement on your 
vehicle's placard
*:
The combined weight of occupants 
and cargo should never exceed 
XXX lbs. or YYY kg, as otherwise the vehicle may be damaged and unstable driving con-
ditions may result.<
2.Determine the combined weight of the 
driver and passengers that will be riding in 
your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver 
and passengers from XXX lbs. or YYY kg.
4.The resulting figure equals the available 
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. 
For example, if the XXX amount equals 
1,400 lbs. and there will be five 150-lb. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 
650 lbs.: 
1,400 lbs. minus 750 lbs. = 650 lbs.
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage 
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That 
weight may not safely exceed the available 
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated 
in step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, part of 
the load from your trailer will be transferred 
to your vehicle. Consult the manual for 
transporting a trailer to determine how this 
may reduce the available cargo and luggage 
load capacity of your vehicle.
Load
The permissible load is the total of the weight of 
occupants and cargo/luggage. The greater the 
weight of occupants, the less cargo/luggage 
can be transported. 

Mobility
 205Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Observe all national and local maximum speed 
limits, otherwise violations of the law could 
occur.
Tire identification marks
Knowledge of the labeling on the side of the tire 
makes it easier to identify and choose the right 
tires.
Tire sizeSpeed letter
Q = up to 100 mph/160 km/h
T = up to 118 mph/190 km/h
H = up to 131 mph/210 km/h
V = up to 150 mph/240 km/h
W = up to 167 mph/270 km/h
Y = up to 186 mph/300 km/h
Z = over 150 mph/240 km/h
Tire Identification Number
Tires with DOT codes meet the guidelines of 
the U.S. Department of Transportation.
DOT code:
Tire age
The manufacturing date of tires is contained in 
the tire coding: DOT ... 1008 indicates that the 
tire was manufactured in week 10 of 2008.
Tire sizePressure specifications in psi/kPa
Traveling speeds up 
to max. of 100 mph/
160 km/hTraveling speeds including those exceed-
ing 100 mph/160 km/h
All pressure specifications 
in the table are indicated in psi/
kilopascal with cold tires.
Cold = ambient temperature
245/45 R 18 100 V XL M+S 35/240 38/260 35/240 38/260 41/280 46/320
255/40 ZR 19 36/250 - 36/250 - 41/280 -
285/35 ZR 19 - 36/250 - 36/250 - 46/320
More details on the permissible load and weights can be found on page239.
e.g.
Nominal width in mm
Aspect ratio in Ξ 
Radial belt construction
Rim diameter in inches
Load rating,
(not on ZR tires)
Speed code letter (in
front of the R on ZR tires)
245/45 R18100 V
285/35 ZR19
e.g.
Manufacturer code
for tire make
Tire size and tire design
Tire ageDOT xxxx xxx 1008