mafiozhak

hey there guys i can't decide weather or not i should get a E350 or a E500 is the MPG diference toomuch between the two? or does it not make a big difference? please help me out guys ty

Untertürkheim

They are very close on the highway, pick the one with better equipment.

mafiozhak

howbout the 320? u think i should go for a 320 instead of the rest do too gas prices? and also because the 320 is cheaper? lol

Untertürkheim

All you can do is make the best choice based on your financial situation. The fuel difference will not be large, 10% probably, I hope you are prepared to pay for maintenance? These are not the cars to buy on a stretched budget.

NCE500

My 05 E500 got excellent mileage, 20 or so around the burbs, and 29+ easily on trips. The 500 has gobs of torque and power, and will be much more entertaining to drive. If it were my $$, I would absolutely get the 500 as the price difference used is probably not that significant.

mafiozhak

well i currently own a 740 il and its not a problem for me to keep up with the maintenance however the gas on the other hand i think its like 12 miles a gallon i basicaly waste like 10 dollars a day to drive it
also its not like im trying to buy it when i cant afford it

i was thinking of geting a cl500 before but i heard that it gives way to many problems and its big buxs to keep up with it is the E class problematic also?

gaazmon

Ya, CL500 has **** load of problems. My heart fills with joy when I look at her, but I think it's time to let her go soon, really contemplating it.

E320 is great on gas mileage, but maintenance is the same for 500 (especially is you have airmatic on 320). I kind of regret not going for 500 but I sacrificed the engine (at the time) for all the options which I get more use out of anyway than the bigger engine. I'm sure if you lay off the throttle mashing you should get about 2 miles less to the gallon on surface.

mafiozhak

thanks for the info ill think bout the throttle mashing loll also any help on what an airmatic is? and is the E350 maintaince expensive or cheaper then the e500 and e320?

Untertürkheim

The 350 replaced the 320, so it is newer, and probably more expensive.

Airmatic is air suspension, one of the best features offered on this model. That would be a reason alone for me to get the 500.

007_e350

Here in Chicago traffic is crazy which means more idling ... and trust me, you dont wanna do that in an 8 cylinder engine...
Also, snow, sleet/ ice is common, so you dont want a rear-wheel drive
thirdly, you'll get an 06 350 for mid 20s ...

still have doubts ? ... Suit what your needs are as per the area/ weather .... personally, 2 more cylinders do make one hell of a difference in mpg... and e350 is not a slow car, you'll love it in Sport mode!

And lastly, do read some threads here on airmatic suspension repair costs that come standard on 500s ....

350 rulz!!

HumblePie

I can't speak for the 350. I have a '05 500 and LOVE it. I average about 17-19 in the city and 24-29 freeway. Here's a snap from a recent trip where I landed at about 26MPG. Granted I could've eeked out another 1-3MPG had I driven a little more responsibly...

Mackhack

Same here, raising gas prices, more and more traffic, more and more idling,... I get good gas mileage out of my 2004 E320. The picture has been taken on a trip to Vegas from San Diego, no traffic, 85 to 100 mph with cruise control on for almost the entire trip.

Dema

Wow, the trip took just a half of an hour.

Mackhack

No we stopped at Primm to get Gas and Mickey Dees

gaazmon

Nice. I think the 500's got better mileage once they added the 7-spd. The E350 also has a 7. The 320's had 5 gears. I know from the CL500 (it's a 2002, it doesn't get anything that good, but damn she roars amazingly).

mafiozhak

im prolly going to go for the 2006 E350 also can sumone please post pictures of a sport 2006 E350 and a normal 2006 E350? i seen some on google but they all look different. lol thanks for all your help guys =]

gaazmon

Go for sport. Better body work, more distinguishable.

mafiozhak

yea im looking for a sport E350 but sofar i havent had any luck finding a good one what do you think the price difference would be from a sport E350 and a normall E350?

TPAbnz

Actually, saw the president of MBUSA on CNBC this week. He said 53% '08 US E350 sales were sport and marketing suggested more "value" to perceptions of American consumers.

So, in reality it's really more pedestrian. Hardly distinguishable; that catagory, arguably is the diesel.

Ooops, edited to add the E55 to my comments.

oilbelcher

I never had problems with rear wheel drive cars in chicago snow. In fact, prefer it, so I can have fun when I want to. Especially with electronics and proper tires, this is never a reason to avoid the more dynamic choice. I bet a rear wheel drive E500 gets the same milage as a AWD E350. And the former is much more fun to drive. The airmatic is worth every penny. In fact, it is the only reason that kept me with MB and not with BMW (different car personalities, I know). I just bought my 46,000 mile 2005 E500 that with AMG visual package ('05 was first year to get 7 speed trans; important for perf. and MPG). I purchased the two extra years of warranty on top of the 1 year with CPO, with total of 3+ years of insured fun. This car is absolutely great. Gas milage is not bad at all, in fact better than my manual G35 6 cyl I had. I was cruising down A1A the other day, blasting a little vanilla ice... rolling in my 5.0 8cyl.

That naturally aspirated torque is so addictive...

Untertürkheim

Absolutely, nothing can come close to the diesel for fuel economy.

mafiozhak

everyone says they love this airmatic thing does the E350 come with it? or is it in E500 only?

TPAbnz

Sadly, no.

TPAbnz

While making a run yesterday to St. Pete (for some colossal heads-on fresh shrimp!) I glanced at the trip computer: 41.1 mpg while crossing the bay. It's amazing.

Untertürkheim

The first year for the E350, 2006, had airmatic as an option. In 2007 it was eliminated.