jtamburino

Hi all, I am in the process of hunting for an 2006 E350. I was original looking for a 4matic but now am second guessing that choice. Help. I am in SE PA and drive in snow about 5 times a year. I currently have an IS350 that I run snows on about 4 months out of the year, so I am familiar with running RWD in the winter. My concern is that with the 4matic I would be giving up the 7speed trans, vs the 5speed in the 4matic. I am asking for more trouble with the 7speed, or the 4matic as far as reliability goes? I am most likely going to run aftermarket wheels regardless. I hate not being able to rotate my tires, such a waste. Can you get the sport package on a 2006 4matic?
Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks. This board has been awesome as far as getting information. TIA

Jeff

djjoonie

im loving my E500 4MATIC all the way and i just like the fact that all 4 wheels are getting the power when needed.
BUT, 5 times a year is 360 days without the snow, so it would be wasting the 4matic ability..

sosh

I too am in SE PA and would not be without a 4 Matic. No issues with the 5 speed and no issues with the 4 Matic.

CraigR

Having been used to rear wheel drive for the past 40 years, I've always enjoyed the challenge of driving in snow here in central Massachusetts. My E320 offers the greatest challenge of anything I've ever driven. I have never gotten stuck and the better gas milage without the 4matic pays off with over 30mpg. With your mid atlantic climate, do you really need the 4wd? I don't think so. Enjoy the challenge if and when it comes.

lkchris

4Matic or not, you need 4 snow tires for snow driving.

Untertürkheim

+1

Barry45RPM

I never have used Snow Tires on L.I. (just the All Seasons) When it snows 2 inches or more here, for everyone not in Healthcare, Fire or Police... its off to the Supermarket then back home to watch TV, Except for the short Blondes... Then its hop into the huge SUV, off to the Supermarket then back home to watch TV at 50 MPH, the driver just barely visible thru the glass...

sosh

Yes and the short blonds have a cell phone plastered to their ear with one hand on the cell and gesturing with the other. Its an epidemic here and I always wonder how these people have so much to talk about??

dvmak

Probably calling her daddy ...

It was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when the little blond got off work. She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation.

She finally remembered her daddy's advice that if she got caught in a blizzard she should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snow drift. That made her feel much better and sure enough in a little while a snow plow went by and she started to follow it.

As she followed the snow plow she was feeling very smug as they continued and she was not having any problems with the blizzard conditions. After quite sometime had passed she was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled for her to roll her window down.

The driver wanted to know if she was alright as she had been following him for a long time. She said that she was fine and told him of her daddy's advice to follow a snow plow when caught in a blizzard.

The driver said that it was OK with him and she could continue if she wanted, but he was done with the Walmart parking lot and was going over to K-mart next.

hagar852

lol good one.

Having driven through 4 New England winters with a rear wheel drive sports cars I decided I had enough of that and went with the 4matic Mercedes. Since I had to drive through about 4 snow storms and will never go back to a rear wheel every day driver after driving this car around in the snow. It is night and day even when I had snows on the rear wheel drive the 4 matic with all seasons handles like there isn't even snow on the ground(Within reason ofcourse)

dvmak

+1 .. the 4matic with all seasons handled very well in both rain and snow ...

sosh

You enjoy your challange while the rest of us are certain we are going to get where we need to be safely. As for gas mileage the difference between RWD and 4M is insignificant, barely measurable. The 4M I believe also rides and handles better on dry roads, like its on rails. I also just use the all seans OEM tires. never a problem and no problem with tire rotations unless you have the sport package with the low profile tires that are different size for front and rear. They are useless.

KYBENZ

And here in Cincinnati they also seem to hang in the high speed lane doing 12mph WITH the emergency flashers on!!!!!!
WTF is the emergency???, that you are an idiot??

sosh

And most of them are in Suburbans, at least here.

SAguirre

This winter has been less than stellar here in Colorado. I have driven my 4-matic over 7,000 miles since X-Mas with 4 snow tires and there has not been more than one snow flake on the road! However, I know that if I were to have been in my old W124 300E (RWD) I would have been in a blizzard or two.

Even in the summer, I love being able to totally floor the car when you are accelerating and turning. The traction control light hardly ever turns on and the car just goes like mad in the direction you point it. I also have driven a few other RWD W211s and I noticed that the 4-Matic suspension on my car is a bit stiffer and sportier. It can turn around the roundabouts in my neighborhood really well and with little sway.

As per the MPGs, I should post some pictures, but I recently drove 328 miles averaging 70 MPH and averages 30.2 MPG! This is with winter gas and snow tires (they usually use more fuel than my summer tires). I think that is quite impressive for any car of this size and I think that the 4-Matic is well worth it.

Now if they would bring a Bluetec 4-Matic, I would immediately replace my Audi with a W212!

Steve

djjoonie

Thats what im saying!!
im loving my 4matic

steveberde

Like you, I live where there are 4 seasons - I would never be without my 4matic - I have all season tires on it and find them suitable in most any conditions - the only time it's a problem is if the car might become high centered - that would be an issue with any tire frankly -

Yes the 4matic does come in a sport model I own one - a perfect car for me - 500 4matic sport pkg - you can''t do any better - the only risk I have is that dumb blonde (or anyone else in their SUV running into me) - go for the 4matic - You'll love it -

Steve