I've got an '02 530 and have been thinking about an E class. I noticed that there are several here who had BMWs, which makes me curious as to why you switched.
I'm on my 4th BMW. One look at the new "Bangled" designs in the new 5 and 7 and that was it. The disasterous iDrive makes it all that much worse, especially because it comes with a stunningly plain and industrial looking interior ill befitting a 50-65K car.
Any thoughts/opinions?

 

I'm a very happy convert
1985 528e
1997 540iA
2000 540iA Sport
2004 E500

The only way I could enjoy the BMW 545i would be like the Motel 6 commercial when they turn off the lights and say their rooms look the same as the luxury hotel in the dark!

 

How do you find the handling vs. a BMW?
Any regrets, or is it just the opposite?
I really wanted to like the new 5 series, but found my jaw dropping in disbelief at how truly ugly it is, inside and out.

 

Previously owned an '00 528i and loved it. The hideous Bangle styling, iDrive, active steering and the austere and cheap-looking interior of the current 5'er all conspired to extinguish any interest in owning a new BMW.

The CDI engine's blend of good performance and great fuel economy was the main draw for me. The W211's great looks, handsome interior, great build quality and decent driving dynamics all helped. The W211's (and MB's) dismal reliability record weighed on the other side of the scales, but BMW is no longer a paragon of reliability either, as witness the disastrous 745i.

 

I had BMW’s since 1986. Forgot the dates, but here is the list:

728
750
735
735
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528
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525
520

And my wife still drives a MY04 3-series. I never had any troubles at all with my BMW's, (not with my E-class either). I looked at the E60, didn't like it, and converted. The last MB I had was a 1985 500SEL. My obsession for big engines has gone, so now I’m looking for cars with great comfort, and lots of gadgets. I found it!

 

We had an E30 from 1984 to 1996 (!) and a 528i E39 from 1996 to August of last year. We planned to keep the E39 for a few more years but it got snuffed by a red-light runner. My wife, who was driving, was uninjured; the car gave its life to protect hers. Waiting a few months for the arrival of the E60 was out of the question; we had seen the pictures and were repelled by the ugliness of the thing. That was even before we realized how cheap-looking the interior is. We looked into getting another E39 but the remaining local supply was already sold out, probably purchased by people who also saw the E60 coming.

We looked at an Audi A6, a Volvo S80 and a few other cars but settled on a W211. I thought that an E500 would be the closest replacement for our E39, with the extra power sort of compensating for the automatic transmission. It's not all that close, actually. Out 528i was a manual transmission, and our E500 isn't anywhere as much fun to drive. That's not to say that the handling isn't competent, but it just lacks the feeling of nimbleness and tossability of our BMW. I wish I could say that the E500 compensates for the reduced fun factor by being quiter and smoother, but it isn't, actually. That may be the fault of the Conti tires we have; nobody has anything good to say about them.

Knowing what I know now, I still wouldn't get an E60. You can't, so to speak, put out the lights and pretend that an ugly car is beautiful. Would I get our E500 again? Probably. I really like its looks, inside and out, and despite the horror stories, our early-production '03 has been almost totally trouble-free so far. The car is as solid and rattle-free as the M-B's of ancient legend. I can always throw some Michelins on it if I get too upset about the rough ride and noise on bad roads; that might help.

 

As my screen name implies, I'm an EX-BMW guy. I'm a happy convert! Other than just a few minor nit-picky annoyances like inadequet Nav map coverage and the fact that you can't scroll through your radio memory presets, I love my E class.

I came from an '01 530 E39 that I just loved, with my heart set on a new style M5 until I saw what the new E60 stlye looked like...I was crushed. Maybe someday I'll return, but they've gotta do a whole lotta style changing before I'll even consider it.

It may still be the ultimate driving machine, but 50% of ownership to me is esthetics.

 

I had an 01 E39 M5 that I absolutely loved...I put 50,000 miles on it and sold it in 03 for good money. I also had an E36 M3. Both cars were amazing, but the E39 M5 holds a special place in my heart.

 

I have owned 3 BMW's and still own a 2001 X5 4.4. I have enjoyed each BMW I have owned. I think they are great cars. When my wife and I were looking at cars this summer we just didn't like the look of the new 5 series as much as the current E series. What bothered us more was the BMW interior, which seems cheap compared to the Mercedes. The I-drive wasn't something I was excited about either.

In the end we opted for an 2004 E500 with just some basic options. We have about 4,000 miles on it and have had no problems. Not sorry we made the switch, but that doesn't mean I would have been unhappy driving the BMW. Take your time with your decision, you're spending a lot of money.

Best of luck with your decision.

 

I had a Z3 for five years before getting my e320. The Z3 was a great car. It handled great and was quite sporty, but it was not a luxury car. Like most convertibles it was loud and uncomfortable for long drives. The Mercedes was a perfect next car for me as my requirements shifted more to comfort and luxury after the birth of my new kid... Wow I guess I've become my father...

 

I had a '00 323i and traded it in for a '02 525i. Four months ago I decided to trade the 5 for a loaded E320 (because I too thought the new 5 was ugly). It was absolutely the best decision I ever made. While I really liked my old 5, the E kills it from so many perspectives. My favorite thing is the image jump. I had a great looking 5 with the sports package, spoiler, etc. but it never drew compliments like the E (especially in black).

As for options, I bought a lot for the E and that definitely helps make the car that much better but even loaded similarly I would like the E better. The handling is good in the E although the sports suspension in the 5 is pretty much unbeatable (and that is not to say that the E does not corner well). From every other perspective though I would give the nod to the E.

Go for it. You won't regret it...

 

I felt exactly the same as you and ditched 2001 530 and 2002 318 Compact for 2 MBs. Never looked back. Very comfortable with my decision.

 

if you love driving -- bmw is the one. (I still keep my e39.)

no doubt, both old e39 and new e60 are great driving cars (better than w211). but I don't like new e60 in both interior and exterior while w211 provides me great lookings both inside out.

 

Had an 03.5 M3 SMG fully loaded. Sold it because the tranny blew, kept the car in the shop for 5 weeks while they broke the replacement tranny and had to physically build another in germany. also, I didnt fit at 6'3. Had backaches due to uncomfortable seats. People under six feet with thin frame have no probls. I'm not fat, just large guy. But anyway, the interior of a MB blows the leather off of a BMW. No comparisson. The M3 was nice, aluminum trim was awesome (REAL brushed aluminum, not fake crap). E500 is no comparisson, but it feels more drivable, steering feels better actually, and so does power. The M3 you really had to wind it out to make power.

 

I owned 3 BMW before the switch. E39 530i, e46 M3 SMG, E39 M5.

even though I have no BMW right now, I am not really impressed with mercedes either. I had more issues with Mercedes quality than I did with BMW.

As far as interior goes, it really depends on the grade of car you get.

I find that base W211 without wood/leather steering wheel's interior is actually worse than my E39 530i. Plastic are quiet cheap. The leather is only so so as well on the base car (this is for my E500). I don't think the base car interior quality is better than E60 base car. Both are cheap.

As far as E55 goes, the interior is a huge step better than my M5. The leather, the steering wheel, the panel are done in good quality. My ex-M5 can't come close to it. The command was better than the constant crashing navi on the BMW.

As far as handling goes. This is not MB's strong point and never will be. So if you are looking for BMW experience you are looking at wrong place.

Personally, I liked E60 styling more than W211's styling. I-drive does not bother me at all. W211's interior dash design is more pleasing to the eye, though. I am actually very eagerly waiting for go back to BMW when my M5 spot is up.

 

E60 styling is verrrry subjective. Not my cup of cocoa

 

I still have my 1987 325e. Approx. 325,000 miles. Speedometer quit after 300,000. I just love the ride of the Mercedes. I test drived the newer models of BMW 300 and 500 series and 700 series. With the exception of the 700 series, MB is definatedly more comfortable ride.

 

I drive an SL55. My previous car was a BMW 745. Sounds crazy, right? Well it is, on the face of it, but there was a method to my madness. Before the 745, I had a Porsche 996. I'd had Porsches for almost 25 years, but found I was getting too old for them. The 996 was killing my back, and so noisy that on long trips I had to wear earplugs. I bought the 745 used as a stopgap vehicle to hold me for a year until the 645 that I had ordered arrived. The early 645s didn't have the features that BMW promised, and they proved to be so buggy that I abandoned the idea of getting a 645 and got the SL55.

I have a E500 Wagon on order. It would have been a BMW except for two reasons. 1) BMW doesn't import the 545 wagon to the States. 2) The way the seats fold on the BMW wagons (back over bottom cushion) means that there's much less headroom for dogs than in the Mercedes, where the bottom cushion folds out of the way first, then the back comes down.

Like everybody else, I agree that BMWs handle better (my wife has a 6 speed 540 Sport), but I'm not uncomfortable with the tradeoffs. BMW has nothing like the SL55, so the fact that, should they build something similar, it would feel more connected to the road is not relevant.

Although my last two buying decisions have resulted in Mercedes purchases, I don't feel I'm wedded to the brand. Should BMWs stying and reliability improve, I could easily be a customer again. I have a deposit on an M6 so I'll get a chance to make another decision in a couple of years.

Jim

 

Had an '04 M3 6-speed, traded in on my E55 - absolutely no regrets. I am just a Mercedes kind of guy. I don't want or need a daily commuter I have to rev the **** out of to get good power out of it. The M3 was an excellent street racer type car, stiff handling, lots of road feel, and a high revving engine. Enjoyable in it's own right, but just not what I want for everyday. The E55 offers me boat loads of power, lots of comfort and luxury, timeless looks both inside and out, and thus far has been very reliable.

My thoughts on the M5 versus E55 are simple. Yes, the M5 handles better - but I'm sorry, my daily commute does not involve the Nurburgring. However, that extra nearly 200 ft/lbs of torque the E55 has over the M5 does come in useful quite a bit more often... and best of all, boat loads more is just a few relatively inexpensive bolt ons away. The beauty of forced induction.

-m

 

Recent BMW owner here. I just sold my 2001 E46 325Ci Supercharged and bought a 2003 C32 AMG. I must say, day to day driving. I love the MB way more than the BMW. The power, handling is a little lacking on the C32, but nothing coilovers can't correct.

I am sure I'll be back eventually to the BMW's, but I am happy with the MB for now.

-Mike

 

I think it has to do with usage. My E55/(new M5 when it arrives) is/will be my weekend cars. I don't use it for commute (that is reserved for the van and E500). So the above is not an issue for me.

Although I don't understand what is the purpose of driving such a gas guzzler to pollute environment during traffic jam. It's not like you can use the power anyway.

 

I too have both, a 2001 E-430 MB and a 2003 530i BMW. I love the E-430...it has been trouble free and enjoyable to drive. That being said, the BMW (this is my 2nd one) is a much better quality car overall. It is infinity more fun to drive, more responsive and much better handling. The BMW has superior seats, better sound system, much better air-conditioner (I live in Texas), and better brakes, and far superior handling qualities. Like many others have said, the new E-60 turns me off because of its ugly appearance, both inside and outside, and the i-drive is a total joke. I'm waiting for the next upgrade of the 5-series BMW before buying another one....UNLESS MB drastically improves their quality control. The newer MB's are basically Chryslers with 3-pointed stars on the hood. Very sad...maybe the new CEO will improve quality like he says he will.

 

krispy,

My commute involves little traffic, the 10 miles of highway I take 75% of the time is fairly wide open and I hit 90mph+ on a routine basis. There is also a slightly secluded entrance ramp for this highway that I often try and take and you can just blast it for around a 1/4 mile up to that point, and then the entire ramp is a nice long uphill sweeping turn that straightens out onto a nice straightaway of highway... quite fun really. The M3 could carry noticeably more speed through the turn, but in the 1/4 mile leading up to the turn the E55 gains so much speed it's ridiculous. The speed the E55 attains before going into the turn even the M3 couldn't carry though, and as the turn straightens out, the E55s power is very decisive and no question from beginning to end the E55 would anihilate the M3 through it... and not to mention it's more fun, IMO, to take it in the 55.

Another way I could answer your question - in a more political way, is to say I drive my E55 in less than ideal situations because I want to, and because I can. Please spare me your eco-liberal speech on automobile pollution. Even though I consider myself very considerate of our enviornment, to tell me I shouldn't drive my car because it's a "gross polluter" is just a ridiculous statement. Mt. Saint Helens released more pollution in terms of carbon monoxide and other harsh pollutants in it's few days of life than every single car that has ever existed on this planet since their creation, combined.

-m

 

traded 01 M5 for E500 last month.....

 

aren't we sensitive today. chill man.

i had no idea what your commute is. and i am not saying that you can't drive e55 for your commute. i am just puzzle that typical commute really does not include open road and driving the E55 at those conditions serves no real purpose. but it's your right.