Drive program E (drive program C on AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:

 - the vehicle pulling away more gently in forward and reverse gears, unless the accelerator pedal is depressed fully
 - increased sensitivity. This improves driving stability on slippery road surfaces, for example
 - the automatic transmission shifting up sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven at lower engine speeds and the wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program S (drive programs S and S+ on AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:

 - sporty engine and automatic transmission settings
 - the vehicle pulling away in first gear
 - the automatic transmission shifting up later
 - the fuel consumption possibly being higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points