Josh Noh

I am in the market to purchase a pre-owned 2012 E550 Coupe. I've become weary of the new turbo engine as almost every forum post seems to state that turbos, regardless of if it is a Benz or not, are finicky and very expensive to repair. I plan to keep the car for a long time. Since 2012 was the first year for this new BiTurbo V8, would it be silly to assume that it may pose issues in the future that I might not face with the regular 2011 V8?

I'd rather be safe than sorry and speed/power is not a concern for me. 2011's are much cheaper and I'm getting the impression that in the LONG run..I may be much happier with hockey stick LEDs and a tried and true engine. However since this is a major purchase for me, I want to get the BEST car I can for my money. What's your opinion? Pay $10,000 more for the BiTurbo V8 2012 or 2011 to play it safe for the long run? I've only ever driven Lexus cars; this will be my first Mercedes purchase and I'd truly like it to be a very happy and fulfilling, long term experience.

I posted prior to this one earlier today asking other questions; I apologize if I'm posting too often being new to this forum.

Dueclaws

We've had zero problems with our BiTurbo: 15,000+ miles
....unless you count wearing out rear tires.

np888

12,000 miles on my biturbo. Zero issues. Only issues have been the brakes which warped.

Gerry_C

I own a '13 550 cabriolet. Although not an MB, I also own a Volvo C70 HPT. The Volvo is a 2300cc engine which makes 240 H.P., a lot more per cc then the MB engine. I have had no problems with anything on the engine of the Volvo which could not happen with any other car that age (stuck open thermostat and a bad coil). No problems at all that could be considered turbo related. I would expect at least as much from my MB since much better oils are used now which stand up better to higher temperatures.

I am more scared of direct injection than I am of a pair of turbos.

I read read in another post by you how power was not that important. I think you should try a 350 and see how you like it. Not many differences except power and sport node. With the better MPG, it might be a better fit for you.

$100 GUY

As the years have passed, how is the reliability of this engine? Any known issues? Oil consumption?

SnakeDoctor

I have a 2014 with ~27K miles on it, and it's solid.

$100 GUY

Reassuring, I like that.

ffr2014

My 2012 E550C (M278 TT-V8) has over 64K miles (over 20K miles with an OE Tune) and has been bulletproof with no issues at all (knock on wood). I'm very happy with the reliability, dependability (and love the tuned performance) of this engine!