Dema

MY 09 has fabulous iPod interface. It looks better than my BMW has. However BMW can use generic USB drives, when Mercedes only SD cards.

imolas54

tiny *** side mirrors and over assisted brakes

Dema

Agree with over assisted brakes, steering is also over assisted a bit comparing to BMW. MY 09 has slightly bigger mirrors though.

220S

Dema, your MB must feel like a barge compared to your new Montego Blue scooter.

imolas54

that's a big picture for a little car

Dema

I like a barge feel of E class, unfortunately couldn’t afford second barge for myself….so stick with the scooter.

dvmak

I just picked up an '06 E500 about a month ago. Had low mileage (17K) and nav, hardon kardon sunroof, heated cooled seats . ect .. didn't find one with sport package but had been looking for a while and really wanted the flint grey so when one came along ....

Prior car was a Volvo S80 (turbo).. The E500 is light years better ... really is a solid car with great performance in the V8. I actually started with the E350 but saw the E500 one day .. took it for a spin and that did it. Really a big difference in 'feel' of the V8.

Definitely run a good check on the car. Make sure it hasn't been damaged but other then that .. if there is remaining warranty you should be fine.

My only complaint is lack of phone integration but I plan to either add the iPhone integration (probably $1000). Then again you are buying pre-owned so you can't expect latest and greatest technology.

dvmak

Oh .. and as for depreciation .. for what you are probably getting it most of the depreciation has already taken place ..

Where are you located?

Dema

For BT integration search the forum, there are several kits much better than MB supplies with car. It will be also cheaper, around $300.

gaazmon

Depriciation and maintenance is a given. Complaints...

1. Seats creak (I have dynamic seats)

2. Roof creaks (I have pano)

3. Drive by wire sucks (car would be soooo much better if it didn't have this)

4. Would rather have regular brakes than SBC

No major problems yet, knock on wood

Interior is great, way better than a 5-series IMO.

Overall, she's a great car with everything. Parents were taking about getting me an A5 (I know this car looks nice when my parents and I both are interested in the same vehicle) when I graduate this May and go off to law school. My dad would take her then. However, I don't know if I could let her go. Just all around it's the best car I've really ever driven (minus my 94 S420, nothing matches up to her).

smooth_caramel

The one I want has both of those options. I guess I'll pay attention to notice those things. Thanks for the heads up.

It has Appearance + Premium Packge with Pano, IPOD, Sirus, w/keyless go. It's loaded up. It's not the right color, but It's the closest to what I want. So, I'm going to go with it.

Does anyone know if MB is still offering the factory extended warranty for used cars under 50k?

Polar Bear

If the car is under the 4/50 and is a 2005 or newer, yes. But is is not cheap.

My biggest complaint is too many stripped cars on the market. Takes forever to find one with decent options.

FYI - My dynamic seats make no noise.

LRM1

I did the same thing and for me, the scratch is right where I can see it EVERY time I get behind the wheel - like a constant reminder of a stupid move.

LRM1

My biggest complaint is the technological level of the car (COMMAND screen and dash interface). I didn't really pay much attention to it when I was test driving it - I assumed it was the latest and greatest.

Compared to other cars in it's class, my '08 has less in it than most, much cheaper American cars. I cam off of an Audi A6 which had a great MMI system that was thought out, well designed and easy to use. Everything was also fully customizable. By comparison the Benz seems to have been designed by people who've never been in a car. It's all silly crap - like for example, if you set radio/Sirius presets, and you hit up/down on the wheel, it doesn't scroll through the presets, but rather whatever station is numerically next.

The fonts used are crappy looking, control of the iPod is goofy (and doesn't appear on the Command screen), CD Text doesn't work. You actually have to look at the command screen to select things (though you do get used to it later on).

With my Audi, everything was right at my hand under the armrest. The scroll wheel and buttons were such that I didn't have to look, the dash screen matched the main screen (unless you changed it). You could adjust everything from interior lights to wiper speed preferences. I realize that these sound like petty complaints, but the sticker on the car is $64K, you expect btter design and user interfaces.

gaazmon

You'll have pretty much every option with this one. Very nice. The creaks are not unbearable, but you don't expect that from a Benz. On an SL55 I was in with the pano roof, the thing made noise like a motherf*cker. I couldn't believe it for a car that costs over $140K brand new.

220S

A lot must have changed with the MY09 Comand. And even better changes coming with the 2010, of course. All the complaints you mention above must have been fixed in MY09.

Up and down on the wheel will scroll thru your presets; hold it down and it then scrolls thru all stations. iPod works great and is displayed on the screen; all display fonts look crisp and nice; Nav has detailed maps (of course, Comand is HDD now); Gracenote works with all music media including music register, and there are Zagat reviews with POI (and very easy to phone the restaurant from the POI listing.)

And voice control works well once you go thru the routine of it learning your voice. I rarely touch the display and use voice instead. And also I found that instead of shutting off audio with mute (which leaves radio, CD, music register, and the iPod still playing), I use voice control "audio off" and it actually shuts down the audio, leaving the music where you left off. With audio off, sound with phone still works and with Navi, too. iPod, CD, music register, will pick up where you left off when you turn audio back on.

BRABUS_E500

AIRMATIC .... I HATE it

220S

Unfortunately that's what kept me from getting a new E550 or a E63. I'd much prefer to be able to tune my own suspension easily down the road (I'm thinking of getting a PSS9 coilover kit for my E350.)

As good as Airmatic sounds, steel and gas are still great components to work with even if you do have to adjust them manually.

MBNUT1

I challenge you to name a sedan that significantly better looking. Remember its a sedan not a Gallardo (pant, pant).

imolas54

m3 4 door

Boulder GT3

In the Mid-Size, I think the A6, 550i and W210 are better looking. Something about the rear flanks on the 211 were never very striking to me. I thought the 210 I had was great styling.

That said, the oil burner CDI I bought is solid as a rock and the controls are understandable.

gaazmon

Oh, the wipers on this car are a piece of sh*t. I don't know what it is. This is my second set from the dealer and right off the bat, the things would chatter and leave streaks. Our 02 CL doesn't make any noise and the things swipe straight clean. What you guys think?

IndiumGreyE63

More compliments than complaints. I love my 'swiss army knife' E63. The only thing I would have liked was to have audio beeps along with the visual parktronic.

But that's just a minor complaint. I've owned many other car brands in the past BMW, Mazda, Lexus, Toyota, 2 other MBs, etc. The car that spent the most time in the shop was my Lexus IS350, believe it or not

LaicepsYdobon

My previous E-Class the wipers were good; quiet and wiped without a problem. In my current E-Class the wipers that came with the car were not that good. They were noisy and they tended to skip a lot when the windshield was not soaking wet. When I went for my pre 3,000 mile courtesy checkup I told them about the noisy wipers and I got new ones. The new wiper blades are quiet and wipe quite well. Plus the new blades that got put in don't freeze in the cold so its an extra plus when driving in the snow.

LaicepsYdobon

While I understand that the looks of a car is a very subjective thing I think that the current generation E-Class is the best looking car in its class. I really don't like the current 5 series after Chris Bangle had his way with it. And the current Audi A6 is a very boring looking car. The E-Class looks very elegant from the front but it does look a little bug eyed from the back (although in the dark the rear lights do look very distinct). From an elegance perspective the current E-Class is the benchmark by which every car in its class is measured by both externally and internally. Then again I am biased being on my second W211 E-class. Unfortunately the next-gen E-Class (W212) is going to fall below this benchmark judging from the pictures I've seen so far.