SnakeDoctor

My 2010 E350 most certainly faded. It's a light shade of brown now. I prefer the black ash, but for whatever reason in Houston, TX all cars have the walnut trim. During a repair of a break-in, they replaced only some of the wood. Mismatched...I hope it evens out.

In my new 2014 E550, again, had to accept the walnut trim. :/

RNBRAD

Drivetrain wise prolly won't find a more reliable car than the TL or a Toyota product, but these E's are used for taxi's in other coutries for a reason. One thing the Benz will have over the TL and that is interior/exterior quality. Not just look and feel but longevity. Lasting with use and abuse. Also exterior things like paint, trim, door seals, plastic emblems etc. You won't find a car with better quality items than a Benz. That's why these cars look new 5 and 10yrs down the road. The Acura/Honda, Toyota/Lexus is substandard in comparison and in some cases bordering unacceptible.

spyked

OP, you are making the right decision with the E350. As I'm sure you know, Honda has finally put the TL out of its misery. You don't want an orphaned model. Resale is TERRIBLE on cars that are no longer produced.

I know you said you only keep your cars for five years, but with European cars, you can keep them for 20. Think about it.....how many 20-30 year old Acura or Hondas do you see on the road? If you do...they are sad. You see MBs from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s everywhere all the time. At least here in DC area. People actually WANT to maintain and care for them.

You are getting the better car. No car is perfect, but out of your two choices, its W212 for the win.

ejmb2010

Ok I own a 2010 E350 & TL here are some things about the E350:
Seat is uncomfortable
You have to hold the memory button
Can't talk to the climate control unit
TL nav is 10x better

mikeyle

lol, holding the memory button is an inconvenience? are you talking about the seat memory?

thefisch

I think the poster is referring to the seat memory. I don't mind holding the button, but I do wonder what the point is versus a one-touch system. Is there an advantage to the 'have to hold the button'? Do some folks like to only partially adjust the seats and mirrors to their preferred positions? At least with the windows, you have the option of holding the button to raise or lower part way or fully depressing to completely lower or raise. Makes more sense to me.

El Cid

I've always assumed it was a safety feature. The seat will not unintentionally continue to come forward if a large/tall person is in the seat. Even with memory (especialy 3 settings on each seat), this would be safer. The windows have an automatic device to stop them if an obstruction occurs. That's why some vehicles only have one auto-down and zero auto-up windows.

SnakeDoctor

Yeah I think it's meant so that the seat and steering wheel only move when you absolutely intend them to in the event the car is moving. At least I assume so. The way it is, HAS to be on purpose, because making it one touch wouldn't be hard at all.

thefisch

Excellent points on safety. Makes sense now.

KEY08

It's equally important not to crush the legs of a rear seat passenger, and having to hold the memory button helps with that as well. The rear seat leg room in the E- class can get very tight if the front seat is moved all of the way back. This is not the S Class.

cbeck44

Are the keys tied to the memory settings in the E350? If so, no issue with a rear passenger being crushed, since they should not be be in the car when it is unlocked. Almost all memory settings I am aware of do not work while the car is moving, so that also should not be an issue. Why would someone decide on a another memory setting while driving anyway?

thefisch

My memory settings can be chosen while moving .... I think. But my keys are not tied to any particular setting that I am aware of. Is that possible in the w212?

KEY08

It's a Smart key, but not that smart.

mikeyle

id hate to step into a car some tiny little girl was driving and accidentally press her one touch memory button thinking it was mine, id have to visit a mechanic to get my knees removed from the dash....

ejmb2010

Sorry to confuse everyone, the TL will move your seat and mirrors according to the key memory. All is adjusted before the door is open. I do like the MB 3rd memory setting and the steering wheel adjustment.

atl7

thanks for all of the feedback everyone and sorry that im so late! it took me so long because i was waiting to find out if i was getting a job promotion and it turned out that i did, so i could expand my budget to around $55k. this is going to sound bizarre, but i reconsidered all of my options and found myself deciding between a 2012 cls550 and a 2011 porsche panamera. a few weeks ago a buddy of mine took me for a ride in his 2013 panamera turbo and i loved everything about the car. ive always been a fan of the panamera but with originally a $30k budget, i never thought of getting one. to cut to the chase, i went out last saturday and bought a 2011 panamera with 40k miles and a great price at a little over $54k. even though its a v6 it packs a lot a punch and is a blast to drive. i get 0-60 times at about 6.0 seconds and just about everywhere i go i get people gazing at the car. i have a few pics im posting and yes i do realize the wheels dont look that great so if they still bother me by the end of the year im going to buy 911 turbo 2 wheels. anyways i was wondering what your guys' thoughts are on the panamera?

Tjdehya

you asked, so I will tell you.
Just want to let you know that the reason why people are "gazing at the car" is because it is a very awkward vehicle. It's not because they admire it.
It is definitely a vehicle that only the owner can love.
Everything else about the car is nice though.

I wish I could say "at least you will enjoy driving it" but you bought the V6.

If you love the car then that's all that matters. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Enjoy the car!

bigigg

Was never a fan.. should have gotten the CLS

megaoctane

I would have bought the CLS, but taste is individual, so enjoy the car.

atl7

thanks!..i think? lol. yes, i know ive heard a lot of people say they dont like the panamera and im sure ill hear more about it especially on an mb forum. if i were on a porsche forum im sure my replies would be much different. and yeah im sure some people are looking at it because of its strange shape but ive gotten quite a few compliments on it so there are plenty of people who admire the car. yeah, i know i wouldve liked the v8 more but then it wouldve been the 2010 first year of production model and the buddy of mine that has the 2013 turbo also had a 2010 panamera 4s and it burned oil about a quart every 1000 miles which kind of scared me away from the v8. plus i have no problem with the v6 and love the way it drives! i know i wouldve liked the cls performance but i didnt like the design nearly as much as panamera and sacrificing looks for a v6 wasnt a big deal. theres been a couple times at a stoplight where someone wants to race thinking that the pani has a huge engine, but unless i know i can beat them for sure i wont take off if anyone else has an opinion, chime in!

ngerstman

I also heard of oil burning issues with the v8 in the Ceyanne in some user reviews that I had read a few years ago. I found that unbelievable!! The Panamera has grown on me a bit over the years but it still seems like a stretched 911 to me which I still find somewhat odd. The interiors do look gorgeous and comfortable. How do you find the ride? Is it all wheel drive? Thanks. Regards. Ned.

kash2014

When I bought my porsche cayenne v6 earlier this year the salesman told me its normal for it to burn a quart of oil, and to just add as needed per the oil level monitor.

Seems to be a Porsche thing.

atl7

yes the oil burning was a problem that i definitely wasnt taking a risk on a $54k car! with the wheels i have, it does look odd but if i get new ones, which i probably will, i think the car is going to look way more sporty. mine is a rwd v6- i came from a c300 so there was really no need to pay extra for the v8. the drive of it is awesome! i get 0-60 in about 6.0 seconds. when i just feel like taking a nice drive the engine is very subtle but sounds and feels great. when i want to drive like a maniac i just put it into sport and i get more than enough power than i need! the interior is beautiful, but i wish for the original $80k price tag it had full leather interior not partial leather. oh well, still an amazing car in my opinion!

atl7

i was reading online and found that too and that it says that in the owners manual. sounds like a much bigger deal than it actually is

SnakeDoctor

I, also, would have gotten the CLS, or the Panamera in it's higher trims. The pics look great, but man...you took a ride in the turbo version of the car, and passed on the very nice v8 of the CLS550 for the Panamera. I don't think many would have made that choice, but it is a Porsche. I'll give you that And as others have mentioned, you like it and ultimately, that's what matters. Congrats on the new car!