Just purchased & installed the leather SLK 320 shifter **** Andrew referred to & posted in his album. I really like the more firm grip & softer feel of this leather covered one compared to the round & hard "cue ball" that came on my Autostick. Also, as depicted in Andrew's pictures, it looks the part.

However, the quality does not appear as good as the original, especially in the area of connection parts. It just does not fit as precisely as the original. It took some firm & VERY careful pressure to get it down far enough on the stem to reach the correct position without breaking the cheap plastic expansion clips that grip the stem.

At one point, I almost gave up in fear of breaking it & throwing away the $141 the Mercedes dealer charged me for it. This was also the best price I could get from 5 local dealers.

After all that, It does look more sophisticated than the original & as I said earlier, it feels much better. But this one is there to stay. Due to the less than exact fit, I don't believe it can be removed without damaging it.