[KevinH2000]

I don't know the answer to all your questions, but I can help with a couple of them. Please note that I am basing my answers on my experience with a 2005 C230 which is considered a "facelift" model of the W203. Your car is considered a "pre-facelift" model. There are differences between pre and post facelift models and that may affect the validity of my comments.

First thing is, do these cars have the easy entry/exit feature? I ripped a brand new steering wheel cover with the clip on my pocket knife shortly after I bought the car, so needless to say the steering wheel is in the way of getting out.

Easy entry/exit was an option on the W203's. If your car came with memory seats, you should have the easy entry/exit feature as part of the package. I retrofitted the seat slide feature on my car when I added memory seats. I have contemplated adding the steering wheel and mirror features if I find the parts available in a salvage yard.
This link shows how to add memory seats and the easy entry feature.

Third, do they have the "summer" convenience option that allows you to roll the windows up/down using unlock/lock on the key?

Yes, but it is a feature that breaks fairly frequently due to poor solder joints on the circuit board that controls the feature. Here's a video that shows how to repair the summer convenience feature.

Good luck repairing or upgrading your car.

 

[KevinH2000]

Second, do they have the safety feature with the windows that cause then to roll back down if they hit something? If so, mine isn't working. However, the sunroof seems to have that function because it acts like it's encountered an object and goes back if I try to close it with the one touch function, so I have to manually hold it to close.

For these issues, I suggest that you reset the windows and sunroof if you have not already done so. The windows and sunroof lose their settings if the battery is disconnected. To do this for the windows:
1. Turn on the car.
2. Roll a window all the way down and hold the control down for 5-10 seconds.
3. Roll the window all the way up and hold the control up for 5-10 seconds.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining 3 windows.

For the sunroof, first check that there isn't an obstruction and whether the tracks need lubrication. I think Mercedes sells a special lubricant for the sunroof, but if you search you will find some other products that work. After you have checked for obstructions and lubrication, reset the sunroof by opening it all the way and holding the control for 5-10 seconds. Then close it all the way and hold the button. Do the same for the tilt function.

After you have reset everything, see whether windows stop when they hit an obstruction. As you point out, it is hazardous for children if the windows don't stop if they encounter an obstruction. I thought this was a mandatory safety requirement in all modern cars.

 

[Xion22]

Thanks for the insight. I'll look into all of that.
And as far as the windows not stopping upon obstruction - I found that wasn't happening on a family trip not long ago. I wasn't paying attention and started rolling up the windows while my wife still had a hand on the frame. Thankfully she pulled her hand away, but when I assured her that it wouldn't have done anything in the first place (based on my past Mercedes) and told her to try it out using a bottle of water, the window proceeded to crush the bottle and I had to physically stop it with the door switch. Definitely not happy about that. Hopefully the reset works to take care of that. I knew the sunroof and the seats had manual reset functions because my S class regularly lost sync with the sunroof, and once lost sync with the passenger seat.

My model has the memory seat option, but no "convenience settings" section in the onboard menu outside of headlight settings. Haven't checked the links yet because I wanted to acknowledge the reply first, so maybe I'll get something about that in the link lol. Thanks again for the help

 

[KevinH2000]

I'm glad no one was hurt. I plan to check my windows to determine whether I have the same issue. The water bottle is a good idea for a test.

Here are a couple of threads that may help with your effort to identify your easy entry issue:
Potential action by previous owner to fix power drain. The seat modules in the "pre-facelift" W203's could fail and cause a drain on the battery. To fix that problem, some owners would modify the wiring harness to turn the module completely off when the key was not turned in the ignition. This meant the power seats wouldn't operate when the car was not on. It also prevented the operation of the easy entry function. From the factory, the seat modules had two power wires. One was "hot" all the time and the other was only on when the car was on. If the previous owner modified the wiring, you should be able to tell by looking at the wiring under the seat.

Another possibility is that a previous owner replaced the instrument cluster. If the cluster isn't original, it may need programming with the Star Diagnostic system to turn the easy entry feature on in the instrument cluster. This would allow you in turn to set your preferences.

It's also possible that easy entry was not available until after the facelift in the 2005 model year.