hyperion667

550 was about 5% of E sales? no wonder

FEGELEIN

No disbelieving or right / wrong here, just matter of opinion. Your point in valid as well as that it could steer people away, such as why I am also considering a 550xi. However, I think I make up the minority, in that I am a 550 "loyalist". As sales have proven, the 550 simple doesn't work for them here in an E platform. The CLS 550 is still here, but the 4 seats is too impractical for me. I have a family of 5 w/ three young kids, so if SUV is out of commission ('14 GL450), then we need a backup!

FEGELEIN

This is my DD, in that I will be commuting to work and driving into Manhattan quite often for meetings. IMO, the S is too big and AMG too impractical. I would get an S as a family car, but wife prefers the 7 seat / 3 row GL!

FEGELEIN

My dealer reminded be that the 0-60 in my cls550 is 5.2 as opposed to a 5.6 in the E400. I am scheduled to drive one.

BluetecKING

If you were to get an SUV I would say that you should look at the 2016 XC90, which in my opinion is better than a gl. I used to drive into manhattan every day from Westchester and the ML didn't take the potholes very well, same platform as the gl. Meanwhile the S-class is the best place to be, which makes traffic somewhat enjoyable. If I may ask, which dealer beacause with truecar Benzel Busch in Englewood saves the most.

550x2

Me too! I've got the coupe and it blows the doors of almost everything this side of an AMG. The TTV8 is a marvelous engine with even more tuning potential. It is rated at 402HP but it is really closer to 449HP as in the S Class. Just makes me smile!

Jeffy

Your dealer is just trying to get you into E400... Your CLS550 is mid to high 4s 0-60 easy. The manufacturer quoted 550 times are bloated. I have driven C400 back-to-back with the '14 CLS550 I had and its quite good but for sure no V8 BiTurbo. And the E400 is probably even slower. Go check it out, but I am pretty sure you will be underwhelmed as a die-hard 550 guy.

Jeffy

Bocahoo

The problem with that from my perspective is competition. While I'm sure the TTV6 performs well and has significantly more power than anyone really needs, the fact is you can get a TTV8 midsize sedan from BMW or Audi for a similar or slightly higher price. It would be one thing if they replaced the E350 with the E400 and just dropped the E550 altogether due to lower sales, but they replaced the E550 with the E400 for roughly the same price and significantly less power relative to the competition. So I wouldn't write the E400 off as inadequate, I'm sure it's more than adequate, but why settle for adequate when the competition offers a beast for a similar price.

I will be in the market for a new car in the next 9 months and it will most likely be a V8 powered mid-sized sedan. So the E class won't even be on my shopping list which is sad because I really like Mercedes. (I switched from an X5 to a GL a few years back and never looked back). I will take a look at the CLS550 along with the 550i and S6. If I do decide to take the plunge on a 6 figure price tag car, the E63 will definitely be on my shopping list along side the M5. But I have a hard time bringing myself to spend that much on a car.

PaulE550

Never under-estimate the power of politics to influence the direction of car companies. With the higher CAFE standards that are intended to drive the marketplace eventually towards all EV's, whether there is a demand and desire for them or not from the public, ALL car companies are being forced to squeeze as much fuel economy from their fleets as possible to meet the standards. Thus many car companies have already moved away or are moving away from producing large amounts of V8's towards fleets based on either V6's or 4 cyl. models. The financial hit, in terms of govt. imposed additional taxes and penalties, a car company would take for a non-compliant fleet, in any model year sold here, would be significant. Far easier for them to simply do what they're doing and hope their customer base accepts the changes.

The fact that the E550 was a low volume seller in the United States, just made it an easier decision for MB. Yes, I agree with you that it's funny, given the so-called rationale behind the CAFE standards, but that's not taking the political decisions and goals behind the CAFE standards into account. Anyway, it is what it is, so we just have to roll with the punches and plan accordingly.

By the way, the way the CAFE standards are currently designed to impose higher fleet-wide standards in the coming years, I wouldn't be surprised if the only non-AMG V8 sold in the United States would be the S class. Everything else would, by necessity to meet the ever-increasing CAFE standards, have to be powered by smaller, more fuel efficient engines. It will be interesting to see in coming years how MB adapts to being forced into a market more traditionally dominated by Japanese car companies. Just a thought.

PaulE550

Damn right! A 550 should do 0-60 in 4.5 to 4.8 with no problems. A friend let me drive his new E400 a bit and while it's a nice car, when you get used to a V8TT, you grow impatient at how long it takes to get up to highway speed. I would say 0-60 is maybe in the mid to upper 5's. Very good when compared to what most cars do, but again when you're used to a 550 you're bound to be asking yourself "Is that all it's got?" Still you should test drive the E400 yourself and maybe it's fine for what you're looking for. Cars are a very personal experience.

petee1997

I cannot speak for prices in the US . However, in Canada, the E400 replaced the E350. We still have the E550. The price of the E400 remained comparable to the former E350.

Bocahoo

In the US it definitely replaced the E550. In fact, I believe the base price of the E400 is even a bit higher than the old base price of the E550, although I believe the E400 has more standard options so on a like-for-like basis it's slightly lower in price. But the base price of the E400 is $63,100 compared to a base price of $64,900 for the 550i. But the 550i has 116 more HP and 126 more lb-ft of torque.

Munich77

It is a real pity - for the original poster I would stay away from the BMW 550i or any V8 powered BMW. They are having bad problems with that engine so much so that they have a recall (see http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=817273). I would consider the S6. That was the short list for me S6 or E550. Considering the great price I got on the E550, it was a no brainer.

cocobeex

E550 M278 Engine has huge potential.
After tuned, It is a perfect sleeper.
0-60 easily getting high 3s.

Love to see those tailgaters drop their jaw everytime they try to show off.
That really makes me smile.

Russ103

If you don't mind me asking, why is the E-63 impractical as a DD for you? I realize that NYC isn't a place where anything bigger then a golf cart can stretch it's legs but I don't see practicality being different between the base E-350 to the top dog E-63. Stiffer suspension maybe but that's all I can think of.

BluetecKING

The potholes are terrible so a stiffer suspension can really make the difference.

thefisch

Does the S6 versus the A6 come with the same higher costs for insurance, maintenance, etc. like the E63 does compared to the E550?

Why not look into getting a used 2012-2014 E550? That's an option my long term plan when it's time to move on from my 2010 E550. I am kind of looking forward to the TTV8.

Bocahoo

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but I wouldn't rule out a 2014 (maybe 2013) E550. 2012 might be pushing it as I don't want to buy an almost 4 year old mercedes. The problem is finding one. Because MB sold so few to begin with (one of the main reasons I'm sure they discontinued it), there aren't a lot to be found in the used market. A quick search of auto trader turns up 0 E550s (2013-2014) within a 100 mile radius, 7 within a 500 mile radius, and 61 nationwide. I also leased my last car which worked out well for me since I only drive 8-9K miles per year so that pretty much rules out pre-owned cars. But if I found a 2014 E550 with low mileage and the options/color combination I want, I wouldn't rule out a purchase.

I'm not sure about the insurance premium for an S6. I can't imagine it would be enough of an increase to alter my decision.

BluetecKING

He is leasing.

thefisch

figured OP might be leasing, but could always purchase one if they want it that bad. It's all financing in the end.

PeterUbers

There are several 2014 e550 CPO sedans around me with less than 5k miles for 59k

That's a steal

Haffster

The 2015 E550 is available in Canada.

rediesel

MB Canada got it right. Replace the E350 with the E400 and keep the E550.

MBUSA should take note.

equetefue

^^ agree.