2005 E500 vs. 2006 E350
1) What do you think about this price?
2) If I decided to buy this car what sort of issue/problem and maintenance cost I should be expect?
3) Should I consider purchasing additional 2 year warranty at $2500?
4) I am also considering 2006 E350 34000 miles at $29K. Which seem better choice for you?
5) What is overall reliability of 2005 E500?
Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
2. The gas milage between the 2 won't be a dealbreaker, and the more powerfull V8 is a really nice drive. The 350 was a nice improvement over the old 320. Drive them both.
3. Off warranty, I would budget a possible $1200-1900 a year for unexpected (non scheduled) repairs, and about $1,000 over every 2 year period for normal maintenance. If you don't have the unexpected surprise repairs, its money in your pocket. Thats why I reccomend the Extended Warranty.
4. Does one car offer more options than the other car?
Last edited by Barry45RPM; Aug 29, 2008 at 11:58 AM.
E350 has V6 with 260ish hp, 260ish torque.
E500 has 302 hp, 339 ft/lb torque. And that torque comes in at 2,700 rpm. The V8 is an amazing motor. Its like a hot rod in a tuxedo. When it comes to power theres' no comparison.
You get the premuim leather standard. Ck. your options with both cars. The dynamic seats are amazing, and I recommend the xenon lights and navi.
E500 has airmatic suspension which provides an amazingly smooth ride. (Don't know if the E350 has it). BUT there have been failures in the suspension which can lead to $1K+ in repairs. Do a search here. I have 33K on my E500 and had her 9 months, and I love the car. The E500 RWD models come with a 7-speed auto tranny which is smooth as butter. (Don't know about the E350).
You really should drive both. But I honestly believe you'll regret it if you choose the V6 over the V8. (Unless you also own a sports car), if you're not into muscle, then you may be happy with the V6 (until you go for a ride in a V8)

E500 gets 26+mpg on the highway.
Good luck!
Last edited by gnma; Aug 29, 2008 at 12:54 PM.

GNMA -- hey, even those of us who also have a sports car (911 C4 Cab) would want the V8
I settled on a 2006 E500 pretty loaded (Premium w/Panorama, Bi-Xenons, Parktronic, Keyless Go, Trunk Closer, iPod and Bluetooth) for around $34k in NYC. Car has about 11k miles on it.
As you research on this forum, u'll note many prob. existed with the '03-'04 models. Others say '06+ have few problems. My exp. so far (9 mos. and only about 1K miles), has been great. Good luck to you!
High Technology: u're absolutely right, and nice combo of cars BTW!



