Sorry if this has been covered already...

With the power increase to the 350 with respect to the 500, it does not seem like the 500 is worth the additional cost if one were to choose between the two. Aside from that, what would be the differences? Assume some options are purchased on the 350 to make it comparable, feature-wise.

Another question...how much has the base price of a 350 changed from the previous 320?

 

The latest MSRP I can find quoted for an '05 E320 is $48,500 and the MBUSA web site quotes the E350 at $50,770.

An E350 with full leather (like the E500) has an MSRP of $52,270. MBUSA quotes the E500 at $58,520. The major differences in standard equipment between the E350 and the E500, apart from the engine, are air suspension and four-zone climate control. I don't believe those items are available as options on the E350. Whether the additional horsepower, the air suspension and the four-zone climate control add up to $6,250 - whether the E500 is worth the additional cost - is a matter of personal opinion.

 

To be honest I dont see the justification in the price between the two. My E350 is torquey, and has some neck snapping acceleration which for me is more than good enough. Plus I get the fuel efficiency of a V6.

The E500 adds the Aimatic DC suspension, and 4 zone climate control, and full leather seating surfaces. If you ask me the E350 price is a bargain in the grand scheme of things.

Just my $0.02C

 

E-Class Sedans
$50,770.00* 2006 E350 Sedan Brilliant. 5-speed, all-new 3.5-liter V-6 engine, dual-zone climate control, leather seating inserts, leather-trimmed steering wheel, Burl Walnut wood interior trim and 9-speaker audio system with automatic speed-sensitive volume.
3.5L 24-valve V-6 engine - 268 hp @ 6,000 rpm CITY 19 MPG HIGHWAY 27 MPG
$51,070.00* 2005 E320 CDI CITY 27 MPG HIGHWAY 37 MPG
Groundbreaking. New CDI technology makes the diesel engine more powerful, more fuel efficient and quieter than ever, complete with all the E320 standard appointments.
3.2L inline-6 diesel engine - 201 hp @ 4,200 rpm
$58,520.00* 2005 E500 Sedan CITY16 MPG HIGHWAY 24 MPG
Enchanting. Driver-adaptive 7-speed automatic transmission, 4-zone climate control, premium leather upholstery, Burl Walnut wood interior trim and 9-speaker audio system with automatic speed-sensitive volume.
5.0L 24-valve V-8 engine - 302 hp @ 5,600 rpm

 

Actually the E350 has a 7spd transmission not a 5spd transmission. Only the 4matic has a 5spd.

 

Of course I'm biased, but the simple answer to your question is "eight cylinders." Still nothing beats it for feel and responsiveness. The other extras are bonuses, and real nice to have. So my advice is, if you can afford the 500, buy it. In any case, the E is a fantastic car.

 

Agreed

 

First Comment: A friend on mine says "You only want to cry once" when making a major purchase. Meaning that don't look back 6 months from now with the regret of not getting the E500.

Second comment: Had the 350 been available last summer, I may have ended up with it based on what I'm reading on this thread. Bottom line is that most of use these cars for basic commuters and I doubt that a 5.8 0-60 time versus a 6.5 or 6.7 0-60 time is going to matter or be noticed.

Then again, I love my car and so glad I went for it rather than the 320. It's basically a smaller S500. Also, the 500 comes with 17inch wheels versus the 16's on the 350. The larger wheels for me are nearly as important as the other goodies.

Good luck with your decision. Bottom line is you can't go wrong either way.

 

bigger brakes on the E500 too... not to mention the gas mileage on the 6 cyl. is not a whole lot greater than the V8...

 

One other consideration....the E350 is a 2006 model and the E500 is a 2005 model.
So, technically the E350 is 1 yr ahead of the depreciation curve.

 

You only live once, get the E55 and have no regrets

A good friend of mine has a E500 and he loves it

 

haha! Yes, the E55 would be my first choice, but...

Thanks for the opinions all.

 

Just drive them both. No contest 500 all the way!

 

The torque of the V8 still rules the day. The E350 is however a vast improvement over the E320. It also gets the V8 braking system on 2wd models.

 

An E350 that I priced out with metallic, leather, appearance package and sunroof package listed at $58,460. That's a lot for a V6, but still packs a good value IMO because the power is not far from that of most V8's - which start at a little less $ and go from there (plus it has a 7-speed auto). A similar E500 with light options would be a tad over $60k, so the issue is more or less crossing that price barrier to get the V8 in a Benz. For slightly more $, the E500 could be considered the better value within the E Class, but maybe not relative to its Japanese "competitors."

 

I bought a couple of 'lowest model available' cars in the past to stay within budget. Each time, I regretted it. My last one was a Lexus GS300. I only had it 3 years, but wished every day that I had dished out the extra bucks for the GS400. And the difference in features between those 2 cars were so much less than the difference between an E320 and E500. I decided from now on I'd never go with the lowest model. I happened to get a decent deal on my new E500 last week with sunroof and 6-disc, $49,950. But Even if it was $52K, I would have bought it. And if the price was beyond my budget, I would have rather bought a slightly used E500 than a brand new E320.

The pleasure of owning a brand new car fades quickly. The pride of owning an E500 instead of a lesser model will remain as long as you own it.

My $.02

 

Moocowman,
Can you provide details on you how/where you were able to obtain such a deal? Maybe the 18% drop in sales has had made the dealers more aggresive! Thanks,Walter.

 

Peter Liew: 3 friends of mine have bought through him as well. Can't always offer same deal because of availability, but whatever price he gives you is sure to be absolute lowest he can offer. My friends who bought from him had the same experience I did. Shopped around, talked to him, heard his price... no sense in trying to negotiate. In my circle, he's sold 1 E320, 2 E500's, 1 SLK. When I called, he gave me a price over the phone because he remembered my friend who had just bought an E320. I thought it was bull, but drove right down and was the owner of a new E500 in less than 1 hour at the exact price he quoted.

 

Thanks for the info! It looks like once I get my 2000 E430 cleaned up, it might be time to replace it.

 

The 3.5 liter is a more modern engine. At 268 hp, it generates 76.6 hp per liter. The 5 liter engine generates only 60 hp/l. BMW's 4.4 liter engine in their 5 series puts out 325 hp, or a specific output of 73.8 hp/l. In 2001 I opted for the 4.3 l. V8 over the 3.2 l. V6. I'm not so sure I'd go for the bigger engine at this time, given the smaller one is almost as powerful and gets better mileage. I do agree, however, that the other upgrades in the E500 offset at least part of the extra cost. The real question is, when is MB going to update the V8 with more horsepower and better fuel economy?

 

Looks like MY 2007. In the mean time go for a base 500 vs a loaded up V6.

 

just built an E350 with sport and premium. comes out to 61,000. grossly overpriced.

buy a 500 for 3k more.