Lexus ES350 Vs. MB E350
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From: Diamond Bar, CA
2005 BMW X5 Black/Black, Premium, Sports, Navigation, Rear Climate, Xenon
Lexus ES350 Vs. MB E350
Hi everyone, What are your thoughts on the Lexus ES350? I test drove it and it rides nice. The price is also $10k less than the E class. I have never owned a Lexus before so any feedback / suggestions are welcome.
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2007 Mercedes E550
I tested drive both car before i go with my 2007 E550. Lexus is nice but really doesn't have good lease deal so I ended up with the E550 special lease. It also depend on your budget, If the money is not an issue go with the MB.
Last edited by gl996tt; Oct 7, 2007 at 01:43 PM.
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i535
I have owned ES350. Indeed, it is a nice car, very luxury, fast, comfortable, quiet. I also liked that it is based on Toyota Camry and FWD. However I wouldn't recommend to buy it. It ages quite fast, after a year of owning interior had look as I owned it 10 years. Another thing it is brakes. Something wrong with design, car was shaking when you brake on high speed. I'd recommend to save $10K more and buy Camry or Avalon. Actually direct competitor to E class is GS which is RWD as well and built on unique platform. Test drive GS as well, you will be impressed with performance.
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i535
Do you mind to share your E550 lease term details? I paid for ES350 something $400 tax included and $5K down. It was really rip off.
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2007 Mercedes E550
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From: Irvine, CA
2008 E550, 2012 GL450, 2014 GLK350, 2015 S550, 2020 GLC350e
One is a Lexus, and the other is a MB. Its just a rebadged Toyota to me. MB isn't a rebadged anything, its a pure product.
Yes, you pay $10k more for a MB.
... I love my 08 E550.
Yes, you pay $10k more for a MB.
... I love my 08 E550.
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From: Pleasanton/Fremont California
Mercedes Benz E350 Sport
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BMW 540i
I too am making this comparison based on used 2007 to 2008 model year prices, which are similar for the Lexus ES350 and MB E350.
I have an aging BMW 540i with over 200k miles and a 2009 Civic. After a few runs to Las Vegas from So Cal in the Civic, I knew I needed another car that is quiet, comfortable, and has good power.
I do not like the newer BMWs and my research on quietness and comfort in my price range yielded the Lexus and MB.
The Lexus ES350 has better reliability and gas mileage, is built in Japan and has excellent comfort and luxury features. The CPO warranty is 3 yrs and 100k miles from the purchase date.
The MB E350 has better styling, prestige and a ride closer to my BMW than the Lexus. The CPO warranty is 1 year from the expiry date on the original warranty and 100k miles.
So the decision comes down to rational vs emotional (Lexus vs MB). The CPO warranty for the MB is a factor that keeps the MB from being a solid choice for me.
I have an aging BMW 540i with over 200k miles and a 2009 Civic. After a few runs to Las Vegas from So Cal in the Civic, I knew I needed another car that is quiet, comfortable, and has good power.
I do not like the newer BMWs and my research on quietness and comfort in my price range yielded the Lexus and MB.
The Lexus ES350 has better reliability and gas mileage, is built in Japan and has excellent comfort and luxury features. The CPO warranty is 3 yrs and 100k miles from the purchase date.
The MB E350 has better styling, prestige and a ride closer to my BMW than the Lexus. The CPO warranty is 1 year from the expiry date on the original warranty and 100k miles.
So the decision comes down to rational vs emotional (Lexus vs MB). The CPO warranty for the MB is a factor that keeps the MB from being a solid choice for me.
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From: NY
'12 Mustang 5.0, '89 Supra Turbo, C55,
Cannot compare FWD ES350 to MB E350. Direct competitor to E Class is the Lexus GS. (Ever noticed that neither MB, BMW or any high-end scale automobile manufacturer does not make one model that is FWD)? And I hope they never do IMO.
IMO - Keep a FWD vehicle for grocery-go-getting, and keep a RWD for driving pleasure, or get an AWD (4MATIC), and be done with it.
Good luck!
IMO - Keep a FWD vehicle for grocery-go-getting, and keep a RWD for driving pleasure, or get an AWD (4MATIC), and be done with it.
Good luck!
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2024 EQE350 SUV, 2022 SL55 AMGMG, 2022 C300
To me, any Front Wheel Drive is not a serious car. If you compare to Lexus, at least compare to GS...
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From: Long Island
2018 GLC 300 4Matic
Cannot compare FWD ES350 to MB E350. Direct competitor to E Class is the Lexus GS. (Ever noticed that neither MB, BMW or any high-end scale automobile manufacturer does not make one model that is FWD)? And I hope they never do IMO.
IMO - Keep a FWD vehicle for grocery-go-getting, and keep a RWD for driving pleasure, or get an AWD (4MATIC), and be done with it.
Good luck!
IMO - Keep a FWD vehicle for grocery-go-getting, and keep a RWD for driving pleasure, or get an AWD (4MATIC), and be done with it.
Good luck!
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Another round of ICE
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From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
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From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
Not the same calibre of car, and not a "drivers car", but it will be a pleasant ownership experience, and you'll likely never have an unexpected visit to the service department. If Mercedes were as dependable and with fully developed electronics like lexus, there would never have been a Lexus in the 1st place.
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2007 E350; 2018 GLE350
I would rule out the Lexus for one reason: it is not rear-wheel drive. I've owned front-wheel drive cars that were excellent in just about every respect. But I simply don't like front-wheel drive "feel." The Lexus is a fine car and will likely be the most dependable, reliable, cheap-to-keep car you'll ever have ... and all that counts for a lot. A rear-wheel drive Lexus, especially an LS, could interest me, real easy.
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From: Bay Area
08' S550, 04' E320 4matic, 03' Acura TL-S 6 speed, 1968 Vespa P150
If you shop hard enough, you might be able to find a decent LS460 for just a tiny bit more than the E Class.
Here's how I looked at it cause I just recently test drove a few
ES ....... not even comparable to the E Class
GS < E Class
LS > E class
LS < S Class
IMO, the LS would be quite a few a step up from the E and not quite an S.
You gotta also sit in and drive it to actually know what you want. I would just skip the ES as a whole and jump into a GS or step up to an LS if warranty/piece of mind is what you're afterm as Lexus CPO warranty is excellent compared to MB.
Here's how I looked at it cause I just recently test drove a few
ES ....... not even comparable to the E Class
GS < E Class
LS > E class
LS < S Class
IMO, the LS would be quite a few a step up from the E and not quite an S.
You gotta also sit in and drive it to actually know what you want. I would just skip the ES as a whole and jump into a GS or step up to an LS if warranty/piece of mind is what you're afterm as Lexus CPO warranty is excellent compared to MB.
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08' S550, 04' E320 4matic, 03' Acura TL-S 6 speed, 1968 Vespa P150
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BMW 540i
I will make a few points:
1) It's obvious that there is a strong emotional attachment to MB in this forum. Duh.
2) My comparison is economical not from a power/ride/class point of view. The only physical attribute I considered in common was quietness, of which only three qualified Lexus LS 460, Lexus ES 350, and MB E350. The car also needed to be a good bet in terms of reliability.
So that being said the market price for a Lexus ES350 and a MB E350 are in the same range. I know you can find cases that may prove otherwise, but overall the MB E350 depreciates more rapidly than the Lexus ES350.
If I make this analysis and consider a used BMW 540i (like the one I own), it would not make the cut, even though I can pick up a used 6 speed manual for about $16k. A used MB E320 would make the cut more so than the BMW.
So given all of this, and weighing everything - I do prefer the MB E350 as a "Vegas Bomber", and will start shopping in Oct for CPO deals. The things that lean me toward the MB 350 over the Lexus ES 350 are:
a) Styling - sharper edges, recognizable frame, more aggressive angle.
b) Forum - I like to work on my cars, so the existence of a forum where others share their maintenance experiences and are brave enough to try is of utmost importance to me.
c) MB now has flexible CPO warranties which can extend to 3 yrs/135k miles. Not as big a factor as Lexus already gives you 3yrs/100k.
The negatives: It gets the attention of Vegas Gold Diggers.
1) It's obvious that there is a strong emotional attachment to MB in this forum. Duh.
2) My comparison is economical not from a power/ride/class point of view. The only physical attribute I considered in common was quietness, of which only three qualified Lexus LS 460, Lexus ES 350, and MB E350. The car also needed to be a good bet in terms of reliability.
So that being said the market price for a Lexus ES350 and a MB E350 are in the same range. I know you can find cases that may prove otherwise, but overall the MB E350 depreciates more rapidly than the Lexus ES350.
If I make this analysis and consider a used BMW 540i (like the one I own), it would not make the cut, even though I can pick up a used 6 speed manual for about $16k. A used MB E320 would make the cut more so than the BMW.
So given all of this, and weighing everything - I do prefer the MB E350 as a "Vegas Bomber", and will start shopping in Oct for CPO deals. The things that lean me toward the MB 350 over the Lexus ES 350 are:
a) Styling - sharper edges, recognizable frame, more aggressive angle.
b) Forum - I like to work on my cars, so the existence of a forum where others share their maintenance experiences and are brave enough to try is of utmost importance to me.
c) MB now has flexible CPO warranties which can extend to 3 yrs/135k miles. Not as big a factor as Lexus already gives you 3yrs/100k.
The negatives: It gets the attention of Vegas Gold Diggers.
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From: NY
'12 Mustang 5.0, '89 Supra Turbo, C55,
I stand corrected. What is the world coming to. I have to modify my prior statement:"No high-end automobile manufacturer such as Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, Maserati, RR, or Bentley make FWD cars".....
To the OP, good luck. U did mention you like to DIY. Research how user-friendly the LExus is. That could help your decision.
