2010 E350 Coupe ownership experience

Sep 1, 2015 | 02:38 AM

RA32925

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2010 E350 Coupe ownership experience

I bought a 2010 E350 Coupe CPO and had it for just over two years. Normally I keep cars longer, but I could hardly wait to get rid of this one.

PROS

It looks good.
The Harman/Kardon sound system is great.
The navigation screen is well placed and protected from direct sunlight.
It was practical for a coupe, it had a good size trunk especially with the rear seats folded down

CONS

The worst con was the ride. I found the ride, combined with the hard seats, horrible for a big luxury coupe. Harsh, jiggly and uncomfortable on everything but the smoothest road surface. (I did test drive the car and I sort of noticed the ride but unfortunately it did not really sink in until later how bad it actually was.)
Acceleration was delayed and unpredictable. It took 2 to 4 seconds for the car to react after I stepped on the gas; then it suddenly surged. Scary at times, for example when merging into highway traffic.
Something constantly creaked in the back of the cabin. The dealer said all coupes did this, and nothing could be done about it.
The rain sensing windshield wiper was useless. It did not start operating until I could no longer see through the windshield. The dealer said (without blinking an eye) that's because the rain here is “different than in Germany”.
This would not be a big problem if there was a manual intermittent setting for the wiper. But there isn't. In manual mode it is either “no wiping” or “fast wiping.”
The “floating dial” of the speedometer is difficult to see with a glance. It is small and blends in with the gray & white color scheme. Not sure why couldn't they at least make it red.
About six months in, I hit an average pothole driving at normal speed on a major city road. The side wall of one of the front tires was damaged and the tire had to be replaced. I never before had to buy new tires until the old ones were worn out. $400 to replace a basically brand new tire for no acceptable reason.
The Check Engine light came on once. The dealer replaced some sensor in the cooling system under warranty.
One of the LED DRLs stopped working. $500 for, basically, changing a light bulb.
A drive belt pulley started to chirp and was replaced under warranty. It took the dealer three attempts to find the faulty pulley.
The front windows were squeaking against the rubber strip at the top of the door frame when opening or closing. The dealer tried to fix it on three separate occasions (repeating each time the same procedure that had not worked before). Finally they changed the regulators and the weather stripping along the roof-line. The squeaking stopped for about a month, then it resumed.

And then I sold it.

I had a number of cars over the years, I liked some more than others but I could live with each of them. They all did the job and parting with them always involved some emotion. With this one, I was just relieved to see it go.

Sep 1, 2015 | 10:09 AM

NCBob

Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2012

Posts: 332

Likes: 4

From: Charlotte

2012 C63; 2011 E350 Coupe

Sorry for your issues. I have an E350C almost identical to yours.
I'm OK with the seats and the ride. MB has a philosophy that you sit on the seats, not in them.
I solved the delayed acceleration by installing the SprintBooster. Response is immediate.
Rain sensing wipers have not been an issue. They wipe as soon as moisture hits the windshield.
You could have changed the speedometer to digital.

Again, sorry for your issues. You got rid of a nice car.

Sep 1, 2015 | 06:47 PM

beejAMG

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Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 3,133

Likes: 134

From: Down Unda

W204 C63 AMG, W212 E250 CGI, C207 E250 CGI

like Bob, sorry to hear about your car. my coupe runs like a dream (touch wood). lil creaks from the back i think from the pano especially when cornering on an angle, but doesnt really bother me that much. maybe next time try another dealership. if they cant fix the same problem the second try, they cant fix the problem period. hope its a different experience with the sedan.

Sep 4, 2015 | 03:56 AM

RA32925

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Thanks. People have different expectations and I can see that C63 drivers are OK with the E-coupe's ride.

Looking back, I wish I would have never bought a Mercedes because then I could have maintained a life-long illusion of the brand as well built, comfortable cars. The sedan is still too harsh for me and I am not happy with the seats either so I look forward to selling it and getting something, well, comfortable. Not a German car, obviously.

I have no idea what "luxury" means any more except that it has nothing to do with comfort.

Sep 4, 2015 | 10:02 AM

hillcreative

Senior Member

Joined: May 2013

Posts: 415

Likes: 9

2011 E350 Cabriolet

Quote:

Originally Posted by Das Rattlebox

Das... cheer up... you're bringing me down

Sep 4, 2015 | 12:53 PM

Kirkster

Member

Joined: Jan 2013

Posts: 151

Likes: 1

2014 E550 Coupe

i have a 2014 E550 that I did Euro Delivery on and I have to say that it is the best car I have ever owned. The ride is good, power is incredable and it has all the features I look for in a car of this price point. Some of the other benefits are that I get approached by women who want to talk about hte car pretty frequently. Trust me, it's just about the car. Sorry you don't feel the same way, but I love mine.

Sep 8, 2015 | 11:53 PM

RA32925

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirkster

Some of the other benefits are that I get approached by women who want to talk about hte car pretty frequently.

Remarkable. Where do you find all those women who line up to talk about your car? I had two people compliment me on my car (outside work): a young kid and a homeless dude.

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Sep 28, 2015 | 10:14 AM

pamiboy

MBWorld Fanatic!

Joined: Feb 2014

Posts: 1,306

Likes: 40

E 350

Quote:

Originally Posted by Das Rattlebox

I have no idea what "luxury" means any more except that it has nothing to do with comfort.

Very true. Most auto journalists seem to equate sporty ride and handling with luxury. Comfortable luxury cars seem to be a dying brand. May be Lincoln or Buick. But they come with their own baggage.

Oct 1, 2015 | 09:21 PM

#10

MBNUT1

MBWorld Fanatic!

Joined: Oct 2002

Posts: 4,976

Likes: 1,345

From: Cincinnati

2010 E350 4Matic

Quote:

Originally Posted by Das Rattlebox

I bought a 2010 E350 Coupe CPO and had it for just over two years. Normally I keep cars longer, but I could hardly wait to get rid of this one.

PROS

It looks good.
The Harman/Kardon sound system is great.
The navigation screen is well placed and protected from direct sunlight.
It was practical for a coupe, it had a good size trunk especially with the rear seats folded down

CONS

The worst con was the ride. I found the ride, combined with the hard seats, horrible for a big luxury coupe. Harsh, jiggly and uncomfortable on everything but the smoothest road surface. (I did test drive the car and I sort of noticed the ride but unfortunately it did not really sink in until later how bad it actually was.)
Acceleration was delayed and unpredictable. It took 2 to 4 seconds for the car to react after I stepped on the gas; then it suddenly surged. Scary at times, for example when merging into highway traffic.
Something constantly creaked in the back of the cabin. The dealer said all coupes did this, and nothing could be done about it.
The rain sensing windshield wiper was useless. It did not start operating until I could no longer see through the windshield. The dealer said (without blinking an eye) that's because the rain here is “different than in Germany”.
This would not be a big problem if there was a manual intermittent setting for the wiper. But there isn't. In manual mode it is either “no wiping” or “fast wiping.”
The “floating dial” of the speedometer is difficult to see with a glance. It is small and blends in with the gray & white color scheme. Not sure why couldn't they at least make it red.
About six months in, I hit an average pothole driving at normal speed on a major city road. The side wall of one of the front tires was damaged and the tire had to be replaced. I never before had to buy new tires until the old ones were worn out. $400 to replace a basically brand new tire for no acceptable reason.
The Check Engine light came on once. The dealer replaced some sensor in the cooling system under warranty.
One of the LED DRLs stopped working. $500 for, basically, changing a light bulb.
A drive belt pulley started to chirp and was replaced under warranty. It took the dealer three attempts to find the faulty pulley.
The front windows were squeaking against the rubber strip at the top of the door frame when opening or closing. The dealer tried to fix it on three separate occasions (repeating each time the same procedure that had not worked before). Finally they changed the regulators and the weather stripping along the roof-line. The squeaking stopped for about a month, then it resumed.

Thank you for posting this. The car is very attractive but I agree the ride quality is not to a Mercedes standard. Part of the problem is that it is built on the C Class chassis and rides accordingly but it is a beautiful car.