I'm in the market for a new car, and because I'm a pretty big guy (6',7", 275 lbs.) I can only fit in a few cars comfortably. From that small sample I've narrowed it further to the cars I actually like - namely the Audi A8 and the MB E-class.

I've only driven an E350, and I must say I found it to be a bit anemic. I love the idea of that pretty V8 in the E550, but the gas guzzler tax is absolutely galling to me in principle. Moreover, by the time you've paid it a 4-Matic E550 with P2 and the AMG sport package is only a couple thousand dollars cheaper than the base price of the A8, at least arguably making the latter a better value for the money given the similar equipment levels (I don't find any of the A8's optional equipment to be particularly interesting or necessary).

Also, although I find the horsepower (and even more so the torque) numbers of the E550 to be music to the eyes, I'm forced to ask myself how often I'd actually tap into them.

I also wonder about 4-Matic in general given that I'd have to give up the 7-speed transmission and some front suspension geometry to have it. I'm in New England, so we get snow here, but let's face it - only for a few months out of the year, and it seems that these days between stability control and ABS, AWD isn't really necessary anymore unless you have to climb a lot of steep hills. Also, I don't know much about the system's reliability, and I'm concerned about buying a future maintenance obligation - especially given that big V8's prodigious output.

On the other hand, now that all E550's are apparently "sport" models of one flavor or another, I'm a little concerned about my potential tire bill without 4-Matic given MB's decision to used staggered wheels on their RWD W211s.

Anyway, I've done so much research at this point that I'm starting to lose my focus, so any input anyone may have on any of these concerns, comparisons, or choices, would be greatly appreciated. I keep my cars for a long time, so I want to be sure I have no regrets.

 

Between the three cars you mentioned. Depending if you were trying to save money or not, I would choose the A8. For a big guy like yourself, no question, A8. Between the 350 and 550, I would go 350, no sense in having the V8 if a 6 is an option for day to day dring IMHO. They ae fantastic cars, much like the w211's but there is something about the A8. I feel like the A6 is a better comparison. I went with the 320 over the 6, but the a6's colors and features were really appealing to me. (Light tan interior with the yellow birdseye maple... :-) super classy and unique). Good luck, either way you win.

 

Hard to beat any of these cars. However, the A8 is really in another class compared to the E-Class. Nothing against the E of course as I actually prefer this car to the Audi. Since you keep your cars for a while, is resale a big concern? Audi is not the best but this may not matter to you. It can seem overwhelming with all of the info available. For me, it should come down to how much I like driving the car and my relationship with the dealer and service advisor. A good relationship with your dealer goes a long way in making your car buying and owning experience a good one. Keep us posted on what you decide. Good Luck.

 

Just sold my 01 E-430 4-matic for an 08 550 4-matic. Had absolutely no problems with the all wheel drive. Never knew it was there until one day I was going up a snow packed road and flicked off the traction control to have a little fun. Audi all wheel has been around a long time as well. Can't speak for them personally. The A8 is a big car but quite lux. Make 3 columns on piece of paper and start listing the reasons to buy/not buy each car you're considering. Lay out the specs, insurance rates, distance to dealer, etc. and you'll get there.

 

I have a 2006 E350. Nice car, okay power figures and comfortable. I am 5"11 190lbs. So room for me isn't an issue in most cars...

I agree with A8 comments. Not to bash Benz as it is a good solid ride... however I ride in a 2004 A8L for lunch (coworker). Beautiful ride and nice power. He bought it used and what a deal. I never thought to look at preowned before I got my 06. I should have.

Hands down... A8 will fit your needs IMHO. The various E-Class is sweet and some have power to spare... but the A8 is pure luxury in every sense...

Good Luck.

Forgot to add, the guys that go to lunch are all tall. One is 6'2 and the tallest being 6'5 270lbs. There is a reason why we don't take my car... I am the only that fits in comfortably... being "short" has its advantages... hehehe

 

I prob get hang by saying this..
but have you check out the Lexus LS460 380hp 5.8s w/ 19/27mpg?

 

If you are 6' 7" - no passengers would be able to sit behind you in an E class.

Get a slightly used Audi S8 or A8 as they depreciate like crazy and are a step up in terms of interior space and appointments.

E550 is definitely more fun to drive though...

 

I heard it is expensive to fix and repaint. My brother has one and he absolutely loves it. In terms of price and class it is more S Class than E Class. The A6 is more comparable to the E series.

 

I appreciate these insights.

I sort of wish I handn't mentioned the A8, as I do know that it's in a different class from the E. However, I just can't get used to the S550's styling (or base price) and I particularly dislike its electronic instrumentation. On the other hand, I quite like the E-class' appearance and appointments.

In fact, when I originally started looking, the A6 4.2 was the other contender, but I fit so much better in the E-class that I dropped it from the list.

Having spent a day at this point with both an A8 and an E350, there's much to be said for each. In some ways I actually prefer the E, but there's just no escaping the fact that I fit a little better in the A8 (although the ability to slip my left foot behind the brake pedal in the E350 actually allowed me to stretch my leg out all the way, which is something I haven't been able to do in any other car at any price.)

Leaving the A8 out of the equation for the moment, is there anyone else out there who was facing the E350/E550 decision? If you'd been looking at the E550 and went with the E350 instead, I'd be interested in how you felt about the decision now.

Also, is the 7-speed transmission and multilink suspension worth dropping 4Matic to keep?

Edit: Oh, and I did try the LS460. Didn't even come close to fitting comfortably behind the wheel, I'm afraid.

 

If you like the E350, but found it anemic. Try driving the Bluetec version. It has more torque, no gas tax, green mpg and same trim level as the V6. But isn't the E too small for you? The A8 is a different leaque. Did you look at the LS? The LS is a little more costly, but a lot larger.

 

To maybe help a little more. Dropping the A8 off the list..

E350 V6 is nice. Mine has enough power to make me smile. It will churp 2nd gear at times (although I can't get it to do it all the time for some reason.) Now keep in mind we all know the car is not "designed" for this type of driving but it will...

The E550 is a totally different feel. This thing hits like a sledgehammer. The power is incredible when compared to the E350. I was amazed how much more the E550 offers in the performance department.

Given the choice, space being equal... If you are a "enthusiast"... the E550 will keep you smiling longer. It does come with an added price, but I think it is worth it. I do not have the pockets to support such a purchase, but if you do... you won't be disappointed.

Also, ever consider a preowned 2003-2005 E55? Some really good deals on these cars now. Look at the classifieds or online prices. The E63... holy...

 

I do consider myself an enthusiast driver, and it's been awhile since I've owned anything bearing an even slight resemblance to an enthusiast car. That's why the E550 is, purely intuitively, probably the car I WANT the most.

However, once you've optioned it out and paid that maddening guzzler tax, you're right smack on the outskirts of A8 territory (see how hard it is to completely throw the A8 out of the equation, even when I WANT to?).

Combined with the fact that in 5 years I doubt an E550 will command any real premium over an E350 on the used market, its seems a questionable choice from a purely financial standpoint.

On the whole "used-car" question, my reluctance comes from the fact that I've known/seen a lot of disgusting people driving fine automobiles, so whenever I'm looking at a used car, I can't help but wonder what might have been under those seats and in between those cushions before it was detailed. Just one of those things, I guess.

 

Depends on your personal preference. Between the E550 vs E350 is just the engine and price but overall its up to you. I know its hard to decide on what will be your next car.

 

I love my E inside and out. I find the interior much better designed than the A6, but the A8 blows the E interior out of the water, it is simply gorgeous inside. Especially the MMI interface and how you can make the navi nicely fold away out of sight is sweet. I owned two Audis in the past and I was more than happy with them, great handling, solid build and finish. I was lucky and had a great Audi dealer with a very competent service department perhaps that helped my experience with Audis as well.

Something else to think about is the redesigning of the new E class [W212] that is scheduled to come out in about 2 years from now, not sure when the redesigned A8 will be introduced.

The A8 is also not as common as an E and that will make a diff in the "user-car" question you posted.

 

You know you're going to get the E550. Did you drive them back to back yet? Take a spin in the E350... run it well...

Then... pick the exact body color, interior and options that you would want in the E550. Buckle up to 391 lb-ft @ 2,800 - 4,800 rpm... you are going for a ride. Ask the salesman to bring the paper work... because once you test drive... you will take it home. It's only money and all of the cars mentioned will take a depreciation hit. Let us know when your emotions over power your brain and POST PICS!

 

As a recent buyer of an E550 I can personally say that we are totally happy with our purchase and didn't even consider the E350 once we had driven the V8. I am 6'2" and have full size people site behind me without any issue. I think the the 'leg molding' in the back of the front seats help with this as well.

I don't like the gas guzzler tax and it is actually within 1 mpg of not having the tax and I have seen rumors that the 08's will not have it but we have been getting 24 on the highway with the few hundred miles we have drive so far with somewhat agressive driving so we are happy with the results.

I haven't driven the A8 but have ridden in one and they are very nice but I would definitely drive the E550 before you make any decision. If you were able to find an 07 that you like there is a $5000 Factory to Dealer marketing incentive active until the and of July that helps offset the gas tax.

Good luck...

 

out of those 3 choices, Audi A8 no question.. it's not even close

 

I am in the same boat as you, I am 6'6" and most of it is in my back, so leg room isn't my problem. I bought a 2006 E350 4 matic. Little known fact is 2006 is the last year you could get a mercedes e class without a sunroof at least in the USA. Now I can even wear a hat when I am sitting in my car

I looked at other cars before I got my E and as you probably already know the A6 is way too small in the head room department. The A8 fits but I didn't like the handling, car feels and drives like SUV in my opinion, the 7 series drives and feels much better. I live in NY and I don't care what anyone says traction control doesn't cut it when there is snow on the ground, even with snow tires, so the 7 series was out. Also when it's raining you can't beat the 4matic, when I feel the car hydroplaning I can feel the front wheels pulling the car straight before I can let off the gas. I know electonics is doing a lot behind the scenes. It's true I could slow down from 75 in a rain storm, but I feel really confident with my 4matic.

As for the 5 forward gears as oppose to 7, who cares. It may shave a 10th of a second to 60, big deal. Not sure about fuel economy though. I think AMG cars have only a 5 forward gears, at least this was true in 2006. So my thinking is the 7 speed might be a little fragile.

I had a 94 E420 and it sucked in the snow regardless of what tires I had on the car and in the rain it handled nothing like my 4matic. All traction control did for me in my old e420 was when the tires started to spin it would brake the rear wheels so eventually the tires stoped spinning and I wasn't going anywhere.

Only thing I miss is the torque of a v8. The E350 has almost the same HP as the E420, but there is a big difference in the torque curve. The E350 is always winding up to 3K before it shifts. If I am going to have to constantly hear an engine winding up I perfer the sound of a V8 over a V6. A V6 just gets annoying after a while. My old E420 had much more torque available at a lower RPM, so it shifted sooner. In 2006 all you can get was the E500 which I didn't think was worth an extra 10K. If the 550 was available I would have jumped on it. Don't get my wrong, the 6 banger is more then enough for everyday traffic, I never had to floor it to get past some slowpoke in the left lane, but the acceleration never left me grinning. I am debating on getting a Dodge charger SRT for fun or waiting for the Pontiac G8 with the 6L. I heard it doesn't take much to get the gen4 to output close to 500HP. The big question is whether or not I fit in the G8 . The charger without a sunroof I fit fine. I guess trying to feel 6Gs in straight line acceleration has something to do with turning 40

I also looked at the japanese cars, all Lexus AWD cars were too small for me. Acura RL was a good fit, but there was a lag between when the car downshifted and when you accelerated, it has electronic reliability problems. The Infinity M35x was pretty good fit and it handled just as good as the E350, but that v6 would buzz even more then the E350 when shifting.

The 5 series is really good and I fit fine, even with a sunroof. The seats are much better in a BMW then Mercedes. You even get a thigh rester thingy. The seat grows another 6 or 8 inches to support the back of your legs. Really nice for us tall guys. In 2006 the 530x series had awd, but the engine was weak in my opinion when compared to the new E350. Now in 2008 the BMW has the 535x which is turbo charged and that blows the E350 out of the water when it comes to hp and torque 300HP and 300lb, so you might want to take a look at that car.

You may also want to take a look at the Dodge Charger RT AWD, sure the interior can't compare to the mercedes or audi but you can get one for mid 30s with all the rebates Dodge has right now. The base 5.7 V8 is 340hp and 390lb of torque. Handling is pretty good as well ( it has the E rear suspension ) and you will have plenty of room. Only gripe I have with the car is the turning circle, it's much bigger then the E class so the car doesn't feel as nimble. The rear seat has tremendous room so the person behind you will have lots of room with you in the front. I think it's worth your time just to test drive one. I would have gotten it if AWD was offered in 2006. The dodge 300 awd has even more room, but it's a little too ghetto in my opinion and the magnum awd looks like a hurst. Just to warn you the dodge sales people are the biggest morons on earth so don't let their ignorance effect you about how you feel about the car.

 

the A8 is a nice car but if your looking to buy new stick with the E-class its better resale value the an A8. You can pic up a used 04 A8 for under 35k with a sticker price upwars of 90 verses an 04 E-class for the same price with a sticker price of 60k. The resale value on Audis in general is horrible stick with the benz.

 

Audi A8 is an outstanding car. All the features and wants in one. The first time I drove an 07 A8 I realized this is the car. For you, (and most) as the sales of the A8L are much higher. Quality, fit and finish and the 4.2L FSI engine is dependable and gets great mileage, (I think it's in the 27 mpg on hwy).

 

The A8 is actually a full sized luxery sedan, in the same range as the S-Class correct? If so, then you're not really comparing apples w/ apples, and if those are your options, and you're a big guy, then the A8 is the winner.

I've never heard anything bad about 4Matic and I've personally tested it on a closed course on surfaces made to emulate loss of traction and it does its job.

 

I have the same issue regarding performance. My lease is up this month and I will most likely get the E350 with the P1 and the 321 AMG package, put my 20" wheels on from my last car and call it a day. I drove the E500 for 4 years and I probably used the V8 only a couple of times.

I am using it to and from work and I am more concerned about the looks than the perfomance. When I was looking for a car in 2003; the 320 was WAY UNDER POWERED and I could not drive it, I had a hard time getting on the on-ramp on the interstate. Now the 350 is fine regarding performance for how I will drive it; which is 90 miles round trip to the office and mostly on highways.

Once you have driven on a track, the street is not the place to get crazy.

When I purchased the wheels and tires for my car and we were discussing tires, tha salemans stated that the tires handle 150mph corners, I stated that if I am in the car and turning at 150mph, I HAVE MUCH bigger issues than having fun !!!

the E550 is almost $70k when you get done with it and really is idential to the 350 for about $15k difference.

Have you made up your mind ???

 

I recently had to choose between the e550 4matic and e350 4matic.. and I went with the e550 4matic.. even with the gas guzzler tax of 1700... and the additional gas prices i shal pay.. i know deep own the ***** of the e550 will keep me happy for many many many years to come

 

I say go with the E550 and call it a day. All of these cars are going to be expensive to maintain as they age. Trying to determine which one will be cheaper is just hair splitting. The different tranny and suspension in the E550 4Matic vs the RWD model doesn't make that much of a difference if any for the average person. Forget the E350 if you drive the E550. A SWB A8 is something to think about though especially at this price, it too is a fine car.

M

 

A8. Bigger, nicer, roomier, more sophisticated 4WD.

The A6 is the Audi analogous to Mercedes E line, in size and price.