Nalod

The 2010-2016 Coupe is in my opinion one of the best looking cars on the road!!! Im currently driving a 2007 328i coupe with Sport package and Manual 6. With 78k miles its been a great car and enjoy it still.
Why shop? Im 54 year old male, average build and after years of down sizing I might want to get some size again. In my 30's I drove an low mile 89' 420 SEL, then a 2001 E-430, then a 2004 Audi allroad 2.7biturbo with MT, 2007 530i with MT then the current 328i I bought with 35k miles. since I don't drive as much Leasing makes no sense anymore.

My neighbor got a e-350 coupe a few years ago and that darn thing is drop dead gorgeous!
My other choice is a 535i with MT. Not sure Im ready to give up driving a stick.

I have a few questions and was hoping a few of you might indulge me:

1. Is their sport package that includes suspension "upgrade"? I see some that offer the electronic dampening but mostly on the e-550 coupe. Mostly it appears the "Sport appearance group" is exterior upgrade and the AMG style wheel.. Is the "Sport" suspension or just larger wheel with lower profile tire set up? years ago I got the E-430 with "Sport" and it was just the wheels. Looked cool but it really did nothing but make the suspension feel in need of being tighter.


2. Real life MPG expriences? Seems on paper the 550 for a v8 is quite good on gas. I realize its cheap now, but that could change. Also maintenance costs are usually higher.


3. Resale. What is attractive is the cars seem to depreciate badly. not quite in the range of the s class but seemingly compared to the 5 series BMW. What are some of your opinions if any on the matter?

Im looking at a 2013 as I am finding them coming off lease and a better selection than 2014's and looser pricing. There are some nice 2013's with Premium 1, and Sport appearance for about $29,000-32,000 with 20k-32k miles on them. Not much supply at MB dealers which tells me the demand is not too high and dealers don't want them on their lot.

Silver with red interior, or with brown/black is my preference. Black is most common and Im ok with that. I have childhood thing about the first SL I ever saw as a kid was silver with red leather. Isn't what this is all about?

ffr2014

I'd highly suggest going with the E550 Coupe as it does have the Electronic Adjustable Sport Suspension and the MPG is not significantly lower than the E350 (I average low 20s with spirited driving). There is nothing like the TT-V8 M278 performance and it has proven to be just about bulletproof (even with ECU Tune). Although the E550C is rarer than the E350C, the price differential is not that significant for what you get.

Good luck and hope to see you as an E-Coupe owner soon!

ffr2014

Here's a nice Silver / Red E550C:
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-...e=emailListing

PaulE550

I have to agree with ffr20914. If you have a choice between getting the E350 coupe or the E550 coupe (E400 wasn't available yet in the model year you're looking at), I would say definitely go with an E550 coupe. Why go half way, when for a bit more you can really enjoy yourself behind the wheel? After all, that's the whole purpose of buying these vehicles. The E550 is an incredibly fun and affordable drive for the price.

The sport package includes Dynamic Handling suspension package and the brushed aluminum pedals and AMG-style rims. The suspension package works quite well to firm up the handling when driving on switch-back roads. Firm, but not jarringly so.

To answer your question on MPG, I get an average of 20 MPG in city style stop and go driving and a bit over 28 MPG on long distance highway drives. Far better than I originally expected when I bought the vehicle, since most manufacturers tend to over-state the actual MPG. I like to enjoy myself when on open highways and the road conditions permit, so this is excellent MPG for a TTV8.

Sorry I can't help you with the resale value question. I tend to buy vehicles with the intent of keeping each of them for at least 8 to 10 years. As for depreciation, that's an issue with virtually every luxury brand vehicle you can look at. In general, most luxury brands depreciate far more and faster than the average Ford, Toyota, of Kia. It's something you're either comfortable with, as the trade-off you make for owning an luxury vehicle or not. It's up to the individual to decide what is reasonable and acceptable when it comes to depreciation.

Hope this helps.

beejAMG

thats gorgeous. and that price! i got my wifes '11 E250 coupe mid last year for almost twice that price!

OP, I couldnt agree with you more. i love the design of the E coupe, more the pre FL than the post FL.
goodluck with the hunt. hope you get into an E coupe sooner rather than later. also, petrol consumption should be last of your worries.

Nalod

Thanks for the feedback! I might have to consider the 550 as it is a very attractive package!
Pricing puts it in the neighborhood of a 2012-13 535i sport with MT. Problem there is those are rare packages.

ffr2014

The MB E550 has significantly more power / torque than the BMW 535i:

Manufacturer Published Ratings:

MB E550 Coupe
402 HP / 443 LB-FT

BMW 535i
300 HP / 300 LB-FT

The MB E-Coupe is also lighter than the BMW 535i Sedan.

A simple Stage 1 ECU Tune on the MB M278 TT V8 yields excellent power and torque increases: https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-c...550-coupe.html

andrew e coupe

~ very nice!


i love the shifter in center console area...this should have never changed with the redesign/updates.

andrew e coupe

~ I was a bmw guy as well with 325, 328, 330, M3, etc but...


I really enjoy my '15 E400 4-matic coupe... just a great all around car!

Nalod

regarding the BMW its not about Power, its about shifting my own gears and driving dynamics. My current inline non turbo 6 is a great motor.

Ive owned 3 Mercedes, 3 Audi's and 2 BMW's....all unique and wonderful german engineering. The Hondas and Toyotas were great appliances and all served their purpose. The e-coupe is flat out attractive and ranks high for its looks. that is not usually now I pick my cars.

andrew e coupe

~ keep us in the loop! we hope to see you in an e coupe soon!

C230Brit

Hi Nalod,

Like yourself, all my prior cars were manual transmission - the E-coupe was my first auto - ever. To be honest, I do not miss the manual at all, I barely even notice these days.

At first, I was concerned about going to an automatic from the manual and not being able to control the RPM's and shifting, but the 'manual' mode on the E550 is amazing. As with previous comments, get an ECU tune and you will love it even more - the throttle response is the most fun I've had in a car for a long time. I love feeling the car pull along at 4K RPM or more - it's a great experience.

Good luck with your car shopping!

ljn21

for the MPG question - my wife and I just went from Phx to the Grand Canyon to Flagstaff and back to Phoenix this last week, about 500 miles total including time driving to all the overlook points on the South Rim, parking, restarting, going to the next etc as well as two trips into Flagstaff while there for dinners so city type driving. I averaged a hand calculated 30.4mpg for the trip. For a V8, I feel that is outstanding! I have a 2014 E550 coupe, no tune (yet).

ffr2014

That is excellent MPG, especially with mixed driving. I get high 20s in steady highway driving and low 20s otherwise, likely due to very spirited driving. :-)

Nalod

Thanks for the feed back. We just got back from trip to mountains and I enjoy my wifes allroad even when I have to negotiate the switchbacks using the "Tiptronic". Good as it is, and new automatics in Sport mode can be performance wise im just not sure I won't miss the torque transfer of having a clutch to operate. The BMW I have, even though its not a turbo is a sweet revving machine. Truth be told when I drive the Audi I don't miss it at the moment so its entirely possible. I own four cars, one each for my two kids and they both drive sticks. 2007 Mazda 6 and a 2013 Civic Si. They will give me shyt for it, but that's the least of it!!


The 535i and perhaps the 550 is more motor than I need but the suspension dynamics are very important. A 528i with msport might be the compromise as might a e350. Just hashing it all out and enjoy the feed back.

Other than the self damping suspension that I think is optional on the e-350 and standard on the e-550, there really is not "Sport" suspension is there?

Nalod

That is really quite good and about what we get on my wifes 2.0 Allroad!!

C230Brit

Other than the suspension dampening, I believe when "Sport" mode is active, the shift points for the transmission are different.
Another example that I've seen mentioned, is that the car starts in 1st gear, vs 2nd gear in 'Comfort' mode.
As far as I know, you get 'more aggressive' up and down shifts. Certainly it is noticeable. More so with a tune.

I'm sure otherwise will chime in if I've missed something out.

PJ550CAB

A couple of points here. Carefully evaluate the price difference going from the 6 cyl to the TTV8. IMO, it's one of the best deals in the German car world. When you include all the standard items when you opt for the V8, it becomes a no-brainer. The V8 adds so much character to the car. Great sound, and it is truly a monster. More engine than most of us will ever need. I get crappy mileage in most of my in-town errands, but I put less the 5k/yr miles on it, so I really don't care.
1. Suspension- I had a '09 BMW 535i rwd sport package. Nothing will drive like that car did. Wish I kept if for my son. The MB is very confident and stable. I'd give it a 6/10 on the handling/fun factor. I think the V8 comes only with the "sport" suspension. Not the most compliant around town.
2. I get 15 around town, mid 20's on the highway. I don't use if for long trips, so my results are worst case. I use about two tanks per month...65-70 bucks total per month.
3. Resale- terrible. Not a high volume car, and not main stream. Buyers are few and far between. I like the fact that there are very few around. It is a bit of unicorn.

I've got the cabriolet. It is a brilliant drop top. I really enjoy driving this car with the top down. Top up, you'd barely ever know it was a convertible.

Nalod

Thanks for the info. I put about 8k on my current 328i and avg. 21mpg rarely hitting the highway. My take is the MPG would be about the same as yours.

The resale on the E-coupe is pretty bad and I realize the price is based on the rapid depreciation. I love the sport/msport 535i with MT.

At the same time with just 78k on my odo I can just buckle in for another 5 years and just enjoy the fun and enjoy the benefits of just paying for maintenance. I don't need NAV, and the tech in the car is just fine: Blutooth and Sirius/XM all work just fine.

Im having fun shopping. The 550 is a compelling package. Saw one down in Miami,, a silver/black with 20k miles for just under 35k.

PaulE550

Just an item to think about as you mull things over. You mentioned you could just wait another five years and then pick-up something. Fair enough. That's always an option. Just be aware that in another five years, in order to meet the 2022 increased fuel and emission standards, you'll be hard pressed to find a V8TT in this category from any auto manufacturer. They'll all be pretty much relegated to their high-end performance models only. With price points to match. That is if you're shopping new versus used. Everything else will either be a small 6 cylinder or likely a 4 cylinder TT. Just a thought.

Nalod

I did a landscape project and had a speedway put in so a 220 charger could be installed! My driving pattern would be fine for an electric car!

Too soon!!!

Good points about the current wussification of engines. A 328i is now a turbo 4. I have one in my Allroad which is a 2.0, and while it performs fine, its not the same. Drive train is more important than tech to me which is contrary to the current trend where cars are becoming rolling smart phones and too many sensors all around.

I love my "Sport" in my 3 but also might want something a bit more comfortable which is why my top choices are as described. The current 3 series seems a bit flimsy in the interior compared the previous generation. I like the old school use of wood. I have the unpopular "Poplar" wood with my brown leather, and even put a wood shifter as my sold interior mod. Wife said to make sure what ever I get don't get "boy racer" on her, she likes the wood and leather feel of a gran touring teutonic machine. She required it on her allroad

This week Im going to drive a few e-coupes and see what becomes. There are no 6MT 535i's for 300 miles of me. Not easy to find as I don't want black or white. wives car is white. No garage and no more black for me.

PaulE550

Latest electronic tech is also of secondary importance to me. It's nice to have, but I'm more interested in the overall driving experience, build quality, safety features and long-term durability of a vehicle. I've driven several brands of luxury and sports cars over the years and I think the E550 is a good combination of all those attributes for a DD car. Obviously you can get a higher end sports car, for either more speed or better handling, but most of those cars make terrible DD cars and their long-term reliability stinks.

Nalod

Looked at the Car fax of a few cars and notice some had 2 sets of brakes replaced before 20,000. Mercedes/German build are known for the squeaky brake thing, but is this been problematic for anyone here?

I can't see anyone except those really old drivers who brake uphill or drive too fast wearing them out so I assume its the squeak.

PeterUbers

The only other c class chassis with a twin turbo v8... Is the e550 coupe.... Gotta love this car

GerryMac

The brake issues have to do with warping, there were a few threads regarding the issue in the past. I have not had any problem with my brakes but recall others making reference to the issue.