Vivek

Hello all,

I had a test ride of 2005 E320 4Matic today and was amazed by the car. I wanted to know if there are any changes expected in the near future for which it will be worthwhile to wait for. If yes, what are those changes.

I was told by the salesman that he will be able to give better discount on pre-configured cars. We went through the inventory and did not find car with 2 options I was looking for, interior color (ash, charcoal was available), HK Sound system and 6CD changer (salesman told me that CD changer can be installed later). I am ready to do the compromise on that

Any suggestions, is the dealer right in offering more discount on pre-configured car? BTW, I am in Toronto, Canada. How is the HK sound system as compared to standard one?

Thanks for your answers
Vivek

FloridaE55

Hi,

As far as I know you shouldn't face any changes in the near future (as you know, the W211 design is almost new and won't be changed). In addition to that, the MY2006 will also take a while to arrive since the MY2005 just launched, so you should be O.K. on that, too. Actually, the only changes Mercedes made on the E-Class during the last year was discontinuing options, so I'm not sure what to expect in the near future...?!?

Your dealer is right about the discount. They have to sell the cars that are already built. Their disadvantage is your "joker".

I'm sitting in front of the 05-brochure so I can answer the HK-Sound-question:

Standard system: 9-speaker system with 4-channel amplifier and automatic speed-sensitive volume adjustment.

HK: Logic7 digital surround sound system, 12 speakers with 7.1-channel amplifier speed-automatic and lots of additional gadgets and digital effects (too many to list..).

If you are not in a hurry for the purchase of this car I would suggest that you might wait until you find the car you like since the availability of those cars change from one day to the other. Tomorrow might be your lucky day and you might later regret your decision on buying a car that doesn't match your preferences 100%.

I hope I could help you a bit...

SAguirre

I just bought a 2004 E320 4-matic in late August. I replaced my 1991 300E that was totaled when I teen-aged girl made a left had turn in front of me while she was on her cell phone. I was wearing my seatbelt and was almost able to come to a complete stop (my airbags did not go off). But she still demolished my front end with her Jeep Grand Cherokee. No one was hurt or even scratched. I do feel a bit happy to know that My Benz did manage to severely bend her car’s frame and total it.

So now back to your question. . . I thought I should tell you that I love the car. I drive in the mountains and I was just trudging through some 6 inches of snow last night. It was incredible that the warning triangle did not come on even once since the car never slipped. I was driving the car as I would my old 300 E, so that is why I think that it did so well.

I bought the car severely discounted. I also only could get the deal on a car sitting on the lot. Silver was my first choice, but I ended up with Alabaster white. Not a bad choice since my last 3 Benzes have all been white. I like the Charcoal leather seats. As for the HK sound system I would say that it is a must! These are the options I got:

414 Glass sunroof (this includes the rain-sensing wipers)
873 Heated front seats (I also would not due without this).
320 Ent. Package HK sound sys. and 6 disk CD changer
325 Rear seat package Ski sack w trunk pass thru and split fold down rear seat (I have really gotten a lot of use out of this already!!!!

Sticker Price at this point was $54,685.00

Then the dealer threw this in:

Satellite Navigation (installed by the dealer)
Satellite Radio (installed by the dealer)
Winter floor mats
Basic carrier (roof)
Ski and Snow board carrier


I ended up paying $49,030 and then bought the warranty + tax + title

And a discount so that the 7 year 100K mile warranty was $1870
I immediately bought winter tires and rims, got the integrated telephone and then upgraded the headlight to Bi-Xenon. I paid for all of this stuff.

They could not even come close to this price on a car that was not on the lot. I wish I had rear sunshades and headlight washers since I could not put those in.

I hope this gives you some kind of reference, but remember that this was an 04 and not an 05.

Steve Aguirre

Barry45RPM

I have the HK sound system & from what I have read here it is MUCH better than the standard one. Be sure to listen to both (with the surround sound turned on & off on the HK)

cbh2

Hi,

We actually bought a 2005 E320 4MATIC in August. I told the dealer we were looking for a Platinum Blue / Full Stone Leather model equipped with the Premium Package, Lighting Package, and Heated Seats. They were able to find one in Europe headed to dealer inventory in Virginia, and simply had the car re-routed to our Massachusetts dealer. As far as price, he said they sell every E-Class in stock and was not able to negotiate.

As for changes, the big upcoming change (most likely available at the latest for the 2006 model) is the new 3.5L V6 already found in the new SLK and ML. It produces 272hp and will be coupled with MB's 7-G transmission, although the 4MATIC will have at least initially the current 5-speed transmission. The E350 is already on sale in Europe, in fact you can take a look at the following link: http://www.germancarfans.com/news.cf...ercedes/1.html.

We do have the HK sound system (part of the US Premium Package), although I have no means of comparing it to the standard sound system. I occasionally play classical music on the system, which brings the system alive and turns the whole cabin into a concert hall. The 6-Disk in dash CD changer is a very nice option that is hiden behind an elegant motorized wood panel.

If you were interested in a little more power (+50hp), I would recommend waiting for the 2006 E350 4MATIC.

Chris

Vivek

Thanks for sharing you experiences.

Here is the color choice and list of options I am looking for:

- Brilliant Silver Metallic
- Premium Leather in Ash
- COMAND-DVD in-dash GPS navigation system
- Split folding rear seats & ski sac package
- Bi-Xenon headlamps with active curve illumination system (includes Heated headlamp washers)
- harman/kardon® LOGIC7® digital surround sound system & CD changer

To get these options in a pre-configured car, I may have to wait for sometime.

Vivek

Vivek

Thanks Chris for sharing the URL. I have been hearing about the E350 for quite sometime now but the URL seems to confirm its availability it near future, atleast in Europe if not in North America. It will be nice to get the upgraded engine and transmission.

Does anyone have any confirmation on when E350 will be available in North America? Will there be a price change when these configurations are changed?

Thanks
Vivek