Hey guys...been reading here for a few weeks and just decided to register and see what you thought about my situation. I actually wrote a much longer post initially...but there was a significant amount of rambling...so here's the quick and dirty version (as quick as I could get it)

I live / work in the Seattle area, drive about 45 miles/day M-F anywhere from 100-200 on weekends...almost all freeway. M-F is stop and go half the time.

It's wet pavement about 6 months out of the year (again, Seattle) and I'm really looking at AWD cars exclusively...unless you can talk me out of it...which is totally possible

My budget is about $45k right now; I'm 6'4" 270lbs...so the C class is kinda out of the picture and I didn't really enjoy the ML. I don't need to buy right now, I can wait 3-6 months...but I want to buy sooner.

Which is kinda part of my problem. I test drove an 2008 E350 4Matic, and while i enjoyed it...I really didn't love it...especially not $40k sticker love. The 4Matic has the 5 speed transmission (does the 2009 4matic, as well?) and in the 20-40mph speed it felt like it didn't want to downshift / upshift a lot of the time...which led to a little bit of jerking (maybe i'm being too picky?). That being said if my car had a bomb in it tomorrow, I'd probably go buy that car.

The E350 RWD (7 spd) felt a little smoother, but sans AWD it's creating a problem for me. That and...if i'm going to go with RWD it makes a lot more sense to go with a E550, E55...but then I have the age/mileage conundrum cause those cars are pricier and I have to go older / more mileage. ugh!

Most places only have reliability ratings for 2003/2004...is the 7 speed tranny any more or less reliable than the 5 speed on the 4matics?

Sooo...if you were in my shoes and wanted a fairly fun car to drive, but still reliable for 6-7 years from now...and could put yourself in my shoes (size/ drive style / location / budget)...what would you guys do? Would you wait 6-9 Months to get a different model/year (some combination that I'm not aware of?) or would you buy something (what?) right now?

 

Definitely take your time. I'm looking for a camaro right now to tune and turn into a project car. I'm looking at spending a few grand cash, but I need a car that I can go right into restoration and tuning with. There's a lot of options, but I only like certain models (Z28, RS, and 1992 or later coupe with V6 or better). I would rather take my time and find the right one rather than sell myself short. I'll have this vehicle for 10-20 years, hopefully. Keep test driving and looking around, you'll find what you want.

 

There are several cars I would recommend looking at and driving - First I would recommend a 2007+ Certified Preowned car and extend the warranty to 7 years. A friend had a 2008 E350 RWD and I agree about the sluggishness - the car didn't seem like it wanted to downshift and really get up and go like I would have expected. The car was new so it may have just needed to be broken in. But since you have drove the E350, the E550 would be a great car for you to consider as well. I would also look at the E320 Bluetec Diesel. They are not available in AWD, but I feel it would give you all of the power you want and then some. It would have more torque than the E350 you looked at and would give considerable better fuel mileage.

If you do much winter driving, the 4-matic would be a great option. However, the ESP works very well on these cars and does a great job on wet roads even with the RWD versions. Not as good as AWD, but very good.

The AMG variants are also very nice, but you would be looking at more expensive tires, brakes, and tires that only last 20k if you are lucky.

I would spend some time the E320 Diesel and the E550 to see which one you like.

Also, be sure to get the options you want up front. Many of these cars are advertised as "loaded" but are actually base models. With the 2007+ you can get the Premium Package 2 that comes with COMAND, Navigation Unit, H/K Sound, Sunshade, Bi-Xenon lights, and Keyless-Go. They will also come with SAT radio and cellphone/bluetooth prewire.

You can extend the warranty for three additional years if the car is below 50k and is still under the MB warranty of 4yr/50k by calling up an MB dealer and giving your credit card. If you get it from an MB dealer, you can negotiate the price of the extended MB warranty in with the purchase of the car and typically get a better deal.

 

like polar bear said, i'd stick with 07 and up, especially if your budget can handle it. there is no real difference between an 07 and 08, but a big difference (comand unit/navigation) wise with 09s. so best bet would a CPO 07

the main issue people have with the 7 speed is the 1 to 2 or 2 to 1 gear shift. with the 5 speed i don't know of any real issues. the problems with these cars is not the tranny, it's the drive by wire computer thingy. i just reset my throttle before leaving my friends house about an hour ago. wow, it's as if she is a completely new animal. makes a big difference, more responsive and such. the car learns your driving habits and adapts to you.

the 350 is plenty powerful IMO, probably just enough for me (the 320 is slower, but i know how to work her ). i test drove a c350 and loved the performance. the 550 is a beast. with the AMGs there is more regular maintenance, especially with brake pads and rotors. i can't comment about the diesel, never driven them.

 

This is my 2nd 4matic E350 (I came from a 4matic C class) and I absolutely love the car. I live in Jersey where we have our fair share of wet/snowy weather so for me a 4matic is a must. My current car is a 2008 E class and because it has 4matic I have the 5pd tranny. No jerking at all; all the shifts are buttery smooth almost unnoticeable. The good things about the MB trannies is that they adapt to the way you drive. I would say go with a 2007 or 2008 (nothing before 2007 because of quality issues) and you'll be fine. I don't have an issue with the gas mileage either. I can easily go 400 miles with one tank while I do my daily commute and come close to 450 miles when I do lots of highway driving. The only thing that I don't like is the high RPMs during highway driving. When going 85mph the engine is at 3,000RPM. I just wish this car had two more extra gears like the W212 does.

 

Consider Infinity M series

 

Wow...Great info here guys thank you. After reading here and talking to my wife, she really is set on having an AWD car in the family...and I can't really disagree.

It's crazy how you can read/research a ton and still be missing vital information, so i really appreciate everything you guys have stated. I think I owe the E350 4Matic another test drive.

I had no idea about the extended warranty that I could purchase on top of the certified pre-owned warranty. I'm sure they would have told me that AFTER i purchased the car...which would have cost me more money.

My next question has to do with the price...how much should I be willing to pay for the car linked below, including the extended warranty? I have no problem haggling with salesman but what I don't know is where the boundaries lie...I don't want to go too low and get laughed at and shown to another car, but I also don't want to pay more than I have to. Would asking for the Extended warranty, and tax/title/registration included at the listed price be too much to ask, or not enough?

http://tiny.cc/sURoX

I think that might be my car...package #2, black on black (i know...everyone has one but I still love it!)

Edit: Also what's the strategy for going in and haggling for the *1* specific car you want? Do you pretend you want something else or just say up front this is the exact car i want...but I just want to pay X amount less?

 

how do u reset the throttle on the e320

 

search throttle reset. i don't have it at my work computer.

 

If wet pavement is your sole concern (that is, exclusive of snow), then I wouldn't dismiss RWD. Appropriate tires, anti-lock brakes and ESP should be able to handle that. And there's the added complexity and degraded fuel economy associated with RWD too. Good luck in your search.

 

IMO, this car handles quite well in the rain. WAAAYYYY better than my 2005 chrysler 300 and better than my 94 s420. better than our previous 07 c230 too.

 

I took the dive fellas!

Picked up a certified black/black 08 E350 4Matic...15k miles.

Premium 2 package, parktronic, ipod integration and keyless go.

$36.5k @ 1.99% Benz financing...felt like a solid deal with the package and mileage...and for the exact car (black/black) i was looking for. Certified through late 2012, and extended through 2015.

The only complaint I have is the navigation is a little sketchy...I think i need an updated DVD. Other than that...i'm VERY happy. No buyers remorse here.

Thanks for the advice guys - I would have got less car and less warranty if I hadn't come here first.

 

If you want fun the I'd go RWD - 4matic will give you a slightly better footing on wet roads but MB's ESP is pretty amazing at keeping the car under control. I prefer AWD for my wife who likes more neutral and safe handling while I'm a fan of RWD myself.

At your price range you could easily snag a low mile E55 or possibly an E63 and add an extended warranty. You have to decide if you need/want that level of performance and cost (1st cost, maint. and gas mileage) or if you'd be happy w/ an E550 which is by no means a performance slouch.

Given that you drive a lot of miles the Bluetec may be a good consideration for mileage and reliability and while it's no screamer the ample torque gives you surprising acceleration.

 

Congratulations! Don't worry about the nav...MB nav leaves a lot to be desired.
Post up some pics of your new car!

 

congrats on the buy. you'll love the 550. there is more than enough power.

EDIT: whoops. i misread. the 350 is awesome too. that's what i get for turning on my computer at 4:00AM after getting home

 

here it is...

 

Looks great!
211 **** never gets old lol

Do you plan on doing anything to your car or will you keep it stock?

 

haha I'm really enjoying looking at it! walking up the stairs and taking another peek as it goes out of view...really cheesy ****!

I actually didn't plan on doing much...told myself probably keep the stock wheels and all that.

But now that I actually have it...I find myself looking online at aftermarket rims and stuff.

There's so much to learn and I have sooooo many questions about little things...like...

• How do I know exactly the specs of wheels that will fit my car?
• Who are the reputable wheel manufacturers? From my quick research, it sounds like the replica's tend to run really heavy (and soft) so they're not as reliable.
• How do I know what software version my COMAND unit is currently running?
• How do I upgrade it?
• Is there a nice easy way to download a burned copy of the latest Navigation DVD? I naively assumed there would be a mailing list when buying the car and they'd charge $5/10 when they came out with updated DVD's...not $250 or something crazy.

and various other little questions that i'm currently on google to try and nail down.

 

$5/10 for a map dvd ??!? Why on earth would you think something like that would cost as little as 2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs or a Pizza ?

 

I said Naive!

I guess I was thinking this:

They have hundreds of thousands of those cars out there, and blank DVD's cost 10 cents? They might even make more profit from people actually buying the upgraded DVD for $5 instead of NOT paying $250 and doing without!

Hell every single person I know has a DVD burner...they could even post the DVD images on the website and let you download for free!

I'm not saying I expect them to do that, and I know the costs of re-authoring all the maps is quite expensive from a DVD creation standpoing...i'm just talking about what's possible.

I'm guessing this has probably been beaten to death in the past anyways...was just a comment

 

w211 ****.... *drool*

I got 2 free updated nav discs from GMC for our 06 yukon xl denali. i think they were like $50 for regular price.

lol barry, i like your comparison.

 

I hear ya.... but really, how much do you think a heart valve costs to make or a Stent? Everyone's gotta make a buck.