Moved from '09 C300 to '11 E350

[dfordham]

Nothing special, P1 and folding rear seats. I included a photo only because the color, Pearl Beige Metallic, seems to be pretty rare on the forum. Overall I'm very pleased with the move. While the C300 was a great car, the E350 is worth its price premium.

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[dbtk]

Haha, made the same move (albeit both 4matics). Did you steal your E350...it appears that the state troopers followed you home?

[dfordham]

Originally Posted by dbtk

Haha, made the same move (albeit both 4matics). Did you steal your E350...it appears that the state troopers followed you home?

Didn't quite steal it but did get a really good price. MB is still running the Conquest Cash incentive and since my wife's car is a Volvo, we got an extra $4k off the negotiated price.

[hyperion667]

nice color! I SERIOUSLY considered that color.....LOL, I seriously considered all 4 of their colors! haha...but really....
that is a great color......also love the euro plate

[jerome8283]

Nice car! And I like that color too.

[K-A]

Ahh, I just noticed that Euro plate as well. I dig that look. My friend used to have an American plate over a Euro plate on his S4, and as stupid as that sounds, it looked pretty cool. Something comes alive with these cars when you see them in a Euro context, I guess the plate helps that.

Nice work on a unique color as well.

[dfordham]

Regarding the Euro plate:

I had a similar one on my C300. One day a Neandertal Texas trooper pulled me over (I think because he saw my radar detector) and, as he walked around the car trying to cite me for something, he saw the plate and said: "Whut's this? Are y'all with NATO or sumthin'?" I replied: "No, the plate is a tribute to the car's heritage." He replied: "Huh?."

[ngerstman]

Nice color!! Hope it looks as good in person as it looks in the picture. Did the state trooper follow you home or is he having an affair with the good looking woman who lives in that nice looking house across the street? Regards. Ned.

[dfordham]

Originally Posted by ngerstman

Nice color!! Hope it looks as good in person as it looks in the picture. Did the state trooper follow you home or is he having an affair with the good looking woman who lives in that nice looking house across the street? Regards. Ned.

Thanks, Ned.

Regarding the trooper, he is one of three who live within a few blocks. NM troopers take their cars home when off-duty, so there are always police cars parked nearby.

Needless to say, we have a very low crime rate and my new E350 is very secure.

[K-A]

That's a nice perk to your neighborhood it looks like! Free Patrol!

[dfordham]

It's been about two weeks now, so I thought I'd give my initial impressions of the E vs. C. It might be helpful to anyone contemplating the same move.

Handling: The C wins hands down. While the E is fun to drive, the C felt much closer to a driver's car: better road feel; tighter, firmer steering; less body roll.

Ride comfort: As you would expect, the E wins easily. The same suspension that gives the C great handling also gives it a harsher ride.

Road noise: A real weakness in the C and a real advantage in the E. C really needs more insulation.

Exterior styling: In the front, I like them both. The C is more pointed and aggressive while the E is taller and more upright, but they are both beautiful to me. In the rear I must say I have never liked the C too much. It always looked abrupt and unfinished. The tail lights are rather bland, too. The E rear, on the other hand, always appealed to me. I know it has been criticized roundly and had to grow on many, but I have always liked it. The vertical crease in the taillights is a really subtle touch of luxury.

Interior styling: The E really shines over the C here. The C interior, while highly functional, is truly minimalist in luxury. I can't speak to the new facelift C's just starting to appear. Additional features in the E like lots of wood, ambient lighting, and stitching on the MB-TEX are nice luxury treatments but the overall design itself is superior. Simple things like hiding the cup holders make a world of difference in overall feel in the cabin.

Engine: I'm comparing a 3L to a 3.5L here. In real-world driving with my conservative style, I don't see much difference. Comparing the HP/Wt ratios, the E has a fractional advantage on paper, but it's not noticeable to me. Perhaps this is a function of the added sound insulation.

Conclusion: Well, it's all about affordability, preferences and priorities, isn't it? Similarly equipped, there is a $9-10k difference in the two vehicles. To me, it is well worth it.

[hyperion667]

wow, I just ralized that's the perfect color for the desert. haha, nice!

[Stryker0624]

Beautiful car and color. The E has a look that can't be beat.

[AkaSigFreak]

Enjoy the new car. It is definitely not a common color.

[dfordham]

Originally Posted by Stryker0624

Beautiful car and color. The E has a look that can't be beat.

Originally Posted by AkaSigFreak

Enjoy the new car. It is definitely not a common color.

Thanks, guys. I really did love my C, too.

[park423]

Originally Posted by dfordham

It's been about two weeks now, so I thought I'd give my initial impressions of the E vs. C. It might be helpful to anyone contemplating the same move.

Handling: The C wins hands down. While the E is fun to drive, the C felt much closer to a driver's car: better road feel; tighter, firmer steering; less body roll.

Ride comfort: As you would expect, the E wins easily. The same suspension that gives the C great handling also gives it a harsher ride.

Road noise: A real weakness in the C and a real advantage in the E. C really needs more insulation.

Exterior styling: In the front, I like them both. The C is more pointed and aggressive while the E is taller and more upright, but they are both beautiful to me. In the rear I must say I have never liked the C too much. It always looked abrupt and unfinished. The tail lights are rather bland, too. The E rear, on the other hand, always appealed to me. I know it has been criticized roundly and had to grow on many, but I have always liked it. The vertical crease in the taillights is a really subtle touch of luxury.

Interior styling: The E really shines over the C here. The C interior, while highly functional, is truly minimalist in luxury. I can't speak to the new facelift C's just starting to appear. Additional features in the E like lots of wood, ambient lighting, and stitching on the MB-TEX are nice luxury treatments but the overall design itself is superior. Simple things like hiding the cup holders make a world of difference in overall feel in the cabin.

Engine: I'm comparing a 3L to a 3.5L here. In real-world driving with my conservative style, I don't see much difference. Comparing the HP/Wt ratios, the E has a fractional advantage on paper, but it's not noticeable to me. Perhaps this is a function of the added sound insulation.

Conclusion: Well, it's all about affordability, preferences and priorities, isn't it? Similarly equipped, there is a $9-10k difference in the two vehicles. To me, it is well worth it.

Great comparison, pretty much how I felt as I had a C also before the E. Powerwise, the E550 is all the power you will want although you do get used to it. The C interior is fine until you get used the E interior, when you go back into a C for a day or two with a service loaner, you realize how cheap and spartan it really is. Although the 2012 C350 with the new interior and new V6 and 18" wheels might be a Bimmer beater as I too thought it was a good handling car and good road feel and response, this is where the E feels more isolated, as it should be considering it's main purpose.

[ImInPA]

I have had a C Luxury as a loaner. I found the ride and noise supression to be exemplary. Put a diesel in it and I would drive one in a heartbeat. You do not see many C Luxury sedans on the road where I am. To me they have an exterior presence like a small S. MB did a great job on the C, and, the new interior is like a smaller version of the E, that is to say, very nice.

[dbtk]

Great color and great comparison. A biege metallic masks dirt better than any color I have had (300TE and 190 16V were both a similar color, albeit smoke silver).

[park423]

dbtk - I see you have a BMW 135i, how is it? I was thinking about picking one up used in a year or so as a track/auto X car. I assume it is plenty of power and great handling...

[amaycg]

How much is the pricing difference? Dealer quoted me $800 lease for a $50k preowned E class.

[dfordham]

Originally Posted by amaycg

How much is the pricing difference? Dealer quoted me $800 lease for a $50k preowned E class.

$800!!!

That sounds absurd. I don't know anything about leases on preowned, but compared to what MBUSA shows on their web site, $800 is far higher than they advertise for new E classes. They give an example of a selling price of $52k with $4684 down (including 1st month lease payment) for 33 months at $589 + taxes.