sunnySD

I test drove a CLK550 and thought, "Wow, that's a fun ride!" Now I've got thoughts of trading back in my E350 for the CLK550. Do you have persuasions of why the E350 is a better car and that's what I should keep?

gaazmon

It's all about you. Do you need the back bench or can you live with a tight, 2 seater back seat. It really depends.

Honestly, the CLK550 is a beast. Very nice interior IMO. You are definitely upgrading in the performance department. I'm sure you can get great deals on CLKs now since they are being phased out as a model.

I was choosing between a CLK320 and E320 when I was shopping back 2 years ago. I went with the E because of the options I was able to find (cornering BiXenon (I think 06+ have this), AC seats (very hard to find on CLK, and doesn't exist on 03-04s), dynamic massage seats (CLK only had multicontour, again very rare), pano roof (not a fan of convertible), and bunch of other things. Also, since I always have friends or family in the car, I wanted to have the back two doors.

The 09 E350 has all the updated nav and audio system with ipod and what not vs the CLK has the same one since 2005. Also, the CLK chassis is based off of C class vs E is E. I also like exterior styling of E better. You will be getting an AMG exhaust with the CLK V8 (rare option on CLK350), it sounds very nice with that engine.

sunnySD

Thanks for the info gaazmon! That really helps. I don't need the extra 2 doors. I've also got an Accord for that. I was actually surprised with the legroom in the back. I felt it has more room than our IS350.

I put on 25K miles a year driving between San Diego and LA every year for work. Thank goodness I get mileage money. Most of the time it's just me spending hours behind the wheel and I'd like the extra performance.

Can you explain what it means to me, the driver, the difference between driving in a C chassis vs an E chassis?

gaazmon

As the driver, not much really. It's just the platform they use. The ride will probably be a little stiffer, but not much (the CLK63 is another story). The interior is also from the W203 C class, but I find the CLK interior much nicer with leather and all that extra wood (you probably don't have leather on your E since it isn't standard on the V6's and is a very hard option to find).

Yes, the legroom isn't bad in the back for a 2 door. Also, since you drive a lot of highway miles, you will get quite well gas mileage for a V8 engine in the 550.

Again, you could probably get one h*ll of a deal on the CLK.

alejotrujillo

Could you please expand on the "thinking about trading back my 2009 E350..."?

Will you just take the tremendous hit of trading in an almost new car? Or is there some type of program that your dealer is offering?

Thanks,

-Ale

werewolf34

The e350 is a cruiser and the CLK550 is more of a GT - sporty cruiser. That said I would get a BMW if you need something sportier

The easiest way to talk you out of it is to look at the financial impact of the deal. Depreciation on the e350 should put you 10-15k in the hole to start plus the cost of reg and sales tax should be another 4-5k

To me the e-class has a strong and well-understood demographic of buyers. I don't really understand the clk buyer. To me the E-class should hold value better (guessing here)

For you the 5.5 v8 will do you no favors on the gas bill.

DrDrilZ

get a E550 and be done. best of both cars

gaazmon

nice call.

To the OP, you will lose a lot on the value of the E if you sell it though. The E still does have the latest tech (even the 09 since they updated all that good stuff). The CLK never got any advancements due to phasing out of model line.

220S

You'll take a hit for sure. I went from a 2009 E350 to a 2009 E63. But I sold my car to a relative (I gouged them! j/k ); actually I gave them a payment plan which helped them out and allowed me to get a bit more for it. And I got a really good deal on the leftover E63s.

But you will have lost the tax, fees, etc., as someone already mentioned.

I got bored with the E350 and got to the point where I just couldn't keep it. A really great daily driver but just too plain jane for me. But if you absolutely don't like the car, then you'll have to do something about it. Life is too short. But if it's actually okay for you, then just keep it.

The V8 is definitely a nice motor and very smooth. I personally would stick with the E Class since you get a bit more bang for the buck on the comfort side of it. And as Gaazmon says, the 2009 has the upgraded electronics. The new HDD COMAND with VC is pretty decent, as you know.

Unless a coupe is an absolute necessity to make life that much more pleasurable for you, or the desire for the V8 is really tugging at you (in which case get the E550), then just keep what you have.

If you're leasing, let it go when the time comes. If you bought it, then drive it for 5 years, dump it and start all over again. The 2014 E Class should be pretty nice.

sunnySD

Thanks all for the posts. Regarding the sales tax, we get to write it off our federal tax this year, right? I don't know if there's a stipulation that I have to keep the car for a certain amount of time.

220S, I'm sort of with you. I've driven a couple thousand miles and think the car is ho hum. I test drove the CLK350 and liked the tight ride a bit more than the E350 but I wouldn't swap for that. Then I drove the CLK550 and thought, "Whoa, what in the world? This car just begs to be driven." It was a real emotional thing which I never got with the E350. Don't get me wrong, the E350 is nice but there's no emotion. It's not like missing a meal when I leave it in the garage and drive my Accord.

I haven't test driven an E550. I'll have to try that too. I have a co-worker who bought a 2010 E550 and he said to me, "These E series cars are awesome, aren't they?" My thought was, "Eh, it's just a car." I wonder if I'll know what he means if I test drive an E550?

Maybe I'll try to sell the E350 as a private party sale to not take too big a beating. Regarding gas mileage, if that was super important for me, I wouldn't have bought a Mercedes. I don't think we Mercedes owners put a high value on gas mileage.

gaazmon

+1, Gotta love these big torquey MB engines. I was next to a black GS430 today with asanti wheels and an exhaust. The car sounded like sh*t.

220S

You have to do what makes you happy in life. The V8's a great motor, plus the 550 has a nicer suspension, full leather, and better climate control.

But don't go broke doing it.

The tax thing is for this year only. And you only can write it off once and the limit is around 4k (if I remember correctly.) If you bought the E350 last year you lost that $$, and if you buy the new one this year you can write off that max amount but don't forget that CA tax went up in late spring so it's now almost 10%. Plus your registration and fees, etc.. That's all gone. Despite the tax write-off it's really still money spent and gone. And figure what you paid for your 2009 E350 versus what people can now pick up new left overs still on the dealers lots for; it makes depreciation more an issue.

And if you go for a W212 550 you'll be paying top prices right now. Left over W211 550s are a steal and not that easy for dealers to move. E63s are even a better deal relative to the ~95k they were selling for in 2008.

Sell it privately for sure, but car sales are still pretty slow. Although used sales are way better and prices seem to have bottomed out somewhat now.