RNBRAD

Well my brother just fairly recently bought a new BMW 335i about the same time I purchased my MB, around this time last year. Well this isn't the 1st time we've raced our cars but 1st time we've raced our new German auto's cause you know there is going to be some contention there, lol. Sometimes we're just shooting the breeze talking about our cars, next thing you know were like "lets go" lol. We both live on the edge of town so always easy to settle any disputes in our cars performance. Anyway from a dead stop take off, not too pretty, MB leaped almost a cars length off the line pretty quick, so not really a challenge there. We did a start while cruising highway speeds (60mph) up to around 120. MB pulled it, more subtle than at takeoff, but pulled about 2 car lengths in about 5 seconds. Not phenominal but both impressive runners none-the-less. Not pissing on the BMW cause it was a worthy apponent. Any other experiences out there?

Tjdehya

Maybe your brother cant drive. Or if he is like me where I let my sister win sometimes because I feel sorry for her. j/k

I love the HP in this beast...

fromthebeginnin

I guess the real challenge would be vs the 550 BMW rather than the 535, the following are excerpts of an analysis of the 2010 MB E550 vs the 2009 550 BMW (but still not their newest engine)

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-seri...f-premium.html

"The Mercedes-Benz E550 is the quickest to 60 mph with a run of 5.3 seconds (5.1 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and its quarter-mile run of 13.6 seconds at 103.5 mph is also the best of the group. We suspect the explanation comes from the largest-displacement engine with the most torque that is connected to the only seven-speed transmission in the test. These items also probably serve to explain the fact that the E550 returns the best observed fuel economy in this comparison with 19.3 mpg, compared to the BMW's 16.9 mpg and the Jaguar's 16 mpg"

sosh

You are both idiots!!

fromthebeginnin

You must be a joy at your house,

BPhillyBenz

That was funny.

kingofire

It is a 335i not 535i and I agree your brother is not good at racing. A turbo 335i(not the AWD ix and traction off)would beat a E550 all day long from a stop(very close) and also a rolling start.

RNBRAD

Actually he's much better driver than me but then again how much experience does it take to mash a pedal in a straight line. I gave him every opportunity even allowing him to roll on throttle 1st but he couldn't hold the 550 back in any scenario. This is real world not paper vs paper but 550's power to weight ratio is still a lot better than the 335's, so the 550 should win on paper too. Also BMW reported 0-60 times are 2/10's slower than MB's reported times. Not sure how you come to your conclusion but glad to hear it.

RNBRAD

Well you know how men can be sometimes. I'm sure my wife would say the same thing.

emilner

Funny- My 212 and 211 E550 spanked 335i and ix's all day long. I would pull on them from every point we could run (I ran at least a dozen over the last few years). Now the new 550ix, that is a different story- it runs like a beast. It is certainly faster than both my E550's- when the E550 gets the new TTV8 it will be a different story...

mg-E550

I just bought a 335i vert...maybe I should race myself?

C&D had the 2010 E550 tested at 4.7 sec 0-60. I think this beats their test of a 335.

Emilner man you trade cars a lot! I may have missed some of your posts but what drove the change from the S550 to the BMW 550?

emilner

I do have a disease when it comes to cars I loved my S, but I grew tired of the size. On the highway it was a dream, it handled like a much smaller vehicle- but around town (where I drive most) it was a barge. I was also growing tired of the suspension, I could not believe how rough the AMG package is even in C mode.

I drove the Panamara and LOVED the car. What a machine, but I could tell I would grow real tired of the sports car feel for everyday use. I also could not get past the sticker shock.

Then the Supercharged XJ. Again, WOW. That car blew away my S in every drivable measure. It was extremely fast, like AMG fast (I think they have clocked it at 4.0 0-60 and 12 flat in the 1/4) and handled like a much smaller car. It also was not jarring. I loved the interior and technology, the exterior is beautiful except for that weird black painted rear pillar. In the end it came down to concerns about reliability.

Then I made the mistake of sitting in the 550i. I fell in love. The exterior is a beast, it is the first car I have seen in a while that has the top of the grille protrude past the bumper. I loved the look. The interior is classy and business like, overall I like it. It is less luxurious than the S but does not disappoint.

The drive is the best I have seen in a car. I know the rags complain about the steering but they are missing the target. This car is the perfect compromise between MB and BMW. It gives you enough feedback to keep you engaged but also recognizes that for the most part you are there to get where you are going, not hit the apex perfectly on every turn (I'll take a P-car for that). It handles really great for such a relatively big car. The brakes are solid and the engine is awesome. No turbo lag here just get up and go! Off the line it is a little scary, it launches like a bat out of hell. At the same time the car is much smoother to drive than my S and quieter to boot! The adjustable suspension has 4 settings that make a big difference in how the car drives. It is a much have for me.

I also love the tech. I have so much control over the car I love it. I can enter a menu to change how much heat goes to the bottom of the seat vs. the back. You can select if you want the suspension controls to control the tranny as well. It is amazing how engaged you can get with the idrive. I find it super easy to operate. I can't live without the google maps function which allows me to email the car an address and phone number for where I am going. The car will read emails and text messages for you, it has bluetooth and Pandora streaming. The nav screen is huge and can be split in half so you can see audio functions (or whatever you want) and any other function such as nav. It has a few quirks like all cars do, but overall I absolutely love the car.

Now on to my wifes 2010 Escalade we bought in March. I want to trade it in for an ESV, I should have not bought the short version...

kingofire

The 335i is a much lighter car than the E550 but maybe the numbers are correct. I remember a 335i being compared in a straight line test on Road and Track with a bunch of other cars including a E550 and coming on top. Maybe it was a E350 but why would the bother comparing a E350 with its mighty 268 or so hp. I will try and dig the article by googling. I still won't believe it until I see it in person......

thegamemodo9

I own a w211 E500 and an e92 335i. I haven't raced the two yet, but just in driving both of them, it feels fair to assume the 335i would wax the E500. It absolutely flies off the line and from a roll in a way I don't feel in the w211.

In fairness, this is a sedan vs. coupe, and I don't know the versions of the w212 or 335i ya'll are driving. I know the e550 is significantly more powerful than the e500, but I'd still like to see the race too.

220S

After looking at it very closely and driving it several times, I think the F10 550i is a better overall car than the W212 E550. And for many of the reasons you mentioned (and I agree, the Nav system is light years better than the Mercedes version and iDrive is now a much more intuitive and a way more refined system than COMAND.)

The only issue for me so far are the RFTs. I was super disappointed that they decided to use them on the F10. I realize they are part of BMW's idea of safety, but I hate them. If they would offer enough storage space in the trunk to at least carry a space saver and pump, and choose an non-RFT option, then the F10 550i would be the ideal sedan, imho.

But if you don't run RFTs on the F10, my understanding is that you somewhat undermine the suspension because it was optimized for using RFTs.

RNBRAD

King, yes the 335i is 427lbs lighter than the E550 but the 550 has 82 more ponies & 91ft/lbs more torque. The E550 weighs 4,034lbs giving it a p/w ratio of 1/10.5, the 335i weighs 3607lbs giving it a p/w ratio of 1/12, which on paper gives the E550 a 12% advantage. Not really rocket surgery here. Real world for me matched papers prediction perfectly. Both fast cars but the 335 couldn't pull, stay past, or make any gains on the Benz in any scenario. I literally walked that car in every situation.

emilner

100% agree. In the dozen or so cars I ran not one had a point of the race where I did anything but pull. From a start, roll, top end, low end, two door coup, 4 door, nothing- I pulled on every one, every time, some for three consecutive runs while the guy tried to find a sweet spot. Now, none were modified mind you- If I ran a Vishnu or similar tuned car the out come would have been different.

emilner

I agree that the run flats are a letdown, but if I did not know they were RFTs I would never know it. Every car has a downside, they are filled with compromises. You can always replace the tires with non RFT's. If that is one of the major downsides I would say that is a pretty fair compromise (the trunk is huge!). Considering how amazing the car handles I would not change a thing.

fromthebeginnin

I thought the BMW 5 was a great car, when I bought my W212 E550 MB was dealing and BMW wasn't. A comparable car from BMW was almost 14000 higher including the added tax, plus I got the 100k warranty which I didn't ask BMW about. IMO the .3 of a second in the quarter quarter and the few other things I did like didn't make up for the price differential. Now if they were the same price I might have gone for the Bimmer.

Dema

E550 is certainly faster than 335i. I would tell it without race. 135i can be a little faster than E550 and will lose to E63.

220S

fwiw, I saw an interesting interview with Ernst Lieb, the CEO of MBUSA. He was talking about the issue of inventory surplus and comparing MB to other brands. MB had a lot of inventory whereas the BMW F10 was just being released and their inventory was not nearly like MB's. In fact, it was short.

He talked about the delicate balancing act of production, inventory, and sales. And while at the same time trying not to resort to doing the "0% no money down" sort of stuff like some other mfgs. What the dealers can do price-wise is always a reflection on inventory. Over production is something to try to avoid, but it happens.

btw, he seems like a pretty smart and decent guy.

hyperion667

sounds like fun

MagicJack

I detest street racing but every once in a while my testosterone gets the better of me. Coincidently last time was with a 335i. At first I thought it was a 328i and I was initially shocked why I wan't pulling away faster.

220S

Yeah, I realize there are always compromises but I still loathe RFTs. And as I mentioned, if you do replace them with conventional tires the fear is that it might undermine the suspension since it was designed with RFTs in mind. It doesn't bother me not to have a spare in the car (my Porsche doesn't have one and neither do many performance sports cars.)

But overall the F10 is a great choice. I was closely reading the owner's manual and it has all the goodies that Mercedes has slowly been removing from the E Class over the years. Comparing the features shows how much cost cutting and decontenting MB has been doing. It's a shame. You get a lot more with the F10 compared to a W212. If BMW keeps selling the F10 the way it has and takes over sales in this segment (which already happened last month), then the best thing is that maybe MB will get more competitive and start adding content.

iDrive is dramatically better than COMAND and is a completely different animal than when it was first introduced. It's pretty amazing what you can do through iDrive. MB needs to get their act together in this area, too. MB relies too much on their marque and supposed status (which means nothing to customers like me who just want performance and value; not a badge.)

RNBRAD

Didn't FTB (Rich) say that a comparable BMW 5 was 14k more than the E550? Where's the performance and value in that? I did the same thing before purchasing my E, I built a comparable 550i and was already in the 80 grand range. Hardly performance and value in my book. Yes maybe more options but they come at a cost. Then again the BMW could of been 14k cheaper and I still wouldn't of bought it. I just can't swallow the look and every Tom, Dick, and Harry has one.