cc16177

So I had my E550 in for service the last 8 days and I was given a 2013/14 (not sure exactly) E350 to drive in the meantime. The car felt entirely different on the road... is that simply due to my car having airmatic and this one not having that?

It was a base model so i'm not sure if that makes a difference but it felt like i was driving a totally different car... almost like when they gave me a C250 last time.

I always kinda figured the primary difference was simply the engine size. Obviously a 2011 to 13/14 makes it different as well but I was pretty shocked at the contrast in how the two cars behaved.

Beyond that, I was very surprised how much faster my car was. Again, I assumed V8 would clearly be better than V6 but it was night and day.

badbenzz

I went from a 2014 E350 to a 2012 E550 and Yes it is night and day without a doubt like 2 completely different cars

cc16177

Okay so it's not just me... I almost bought a newer E350 rather than my 2011 E550 because the price was similar and I am SO HAPPY I made the decision I did!

jahquan3

How was the handling overall? Do you typically drive your E550 in sport or comfort?

cc16177

I drive my car in both settings so i'm pretty familiar with the way each handles... it's a hard comparison because my E550 has 70k miles and this E350 had 1800 miles.

That being said, I feel like my car handles almost the same as the E350 when in sport mode... and more comfortable than the E350 in comfort mode.

jahquan3

Ok thanks. That is kind of what I would have assumed.

cc16177

Yup! It made me feel good because when they gave me the E350 I was afraid I would like it more than my car due to the newer style and less miles.

It was exactly the opposite and I couldn't wait to have my car back.

BMWtoAMG

I've had a 2014 and 2015 E350 loaner as well. My 2011 has a tune, and for over a year used lowering links to sharpen the look and tighten up the AIRmatic.

I was amazed at how connected the newer E350 felt. Seemed lighter than it really is, and considerably less body roll in Sport. The engine isn't so bad, but I missed the V8. Glad to get mine back each time.

cc16177

The handling on the E350 did seem to be very nice, that's what made me ask the question about weight.

Body roll is hard for me to judge as I live in FL and 99% of my driving is on 95 or the turnpike... so i'm cruising at 80-90mph most of the time in a straight line.

Overall it's definitely a nice car but I prefer mine


EDIT: Out of curiosity, what tune did you get for your 2011 and did you notice a definite difference? I have thought about doing that to my car but i'm still under CPO warranty so i've held off.

MBSebas87

ha another reason why i'm getting an E550 early next year!

jahquan3

Funny how literally a week later I was given a 2016 E350. I made a post about it, this morning in the forum. It's only been a half a day and I miss my car already

beejAMG

you getting separation anxiety already? lol

can somebody please verify the exact dimensions and weight of the pre and the post fl 212?

Cao Black

Here's some info courtesy of Edmunds.com.

Not sure, but I believe E550 for MY 2014 was 4Matic only, which accounts for added weight over 2010 E550. Some other interesting tidbits in these numbers. Hope it helps.

beejAMG

Sweet. Cheers mate. So the fl is an inch longer.

pamiboy

May be less than half an inch (0.4) longer to be exact. And the wheelbase is 0.1 inch longer.
Wonder if that would make any real world difference at all?

beejAMG

youre right, less than half an inch.
didnt state the width so im assuming its the same?

OT: i love the rear side bulge on the pre FL but i love the front end of the FL AMG, the side skirt with the black inlay design, and the rear bumper. maybe i can convert my sedan and have the best of both worlds.

Cao Black

Yeah, about the width. When I made up the spread sheet, "exterior body width" was shown for FL cars, but not for pre-FL cars. After a little further research (also from Edmunds.com), they list the body width of 2010-2013 as 70.3 inches, and (surprisingly) 2014-present as 73 inches.

Quite a difference. I have had both and the 2014 doesn't "feel" wider. Note the tread is a little wider on the new version, so......

Somewhere on YouTube there is a video of a MB sales guy comparing the FL and pre-FL W212. He states that NO body panels except the trunk (boot ) lid are the same.