dmbordoni

I was about to order the 550ix, but MB offered me more on a trade in for my mercedes and 10k off a new E5504. I was wondering if anyone had any insightful thoughts and opinions....beyond the pure economics of better MB deal. Plus, the new TT engines are coming next model year

Thanks!

mg-E550

Get the car you want most.

ngerstman

Wow!! Tough decision. It sounds like they really want to keep you in MB. $10,000 off sticker for an e550 sounds unbelievable. If it has all the tech goodies like the p2 package, driver dynamic seats, distronic and parktronic, it could be hard to resist. The new BMW should be a beast as well. I would be concerned about it being a first model year car. BMW has an iffy reliability record, especially with new models. The e550 is great, I just got one in indium grey, sport version with all of the above options. It will no doubt be more of a luxury car, even in the sport version, than the BMW, but that's what I wanted. Even with 18 inch rims and set in the sport mode, a pretty civil ride and slightly more foregiving in the comfort mode. The airmatic suspension is great. It depends what you want if money is not an issue. The BMW will handle better but beat you up more on bad roads. Is the e550 a sport or luxury suspension? I think the main difference is 18 versus 17 inch rims and maybe some suspension tuning, although no one ever confirmed that point for me. As much as I like the better handling of the sport version, if the give up is small to the 17 inch rims, it may be worth it if you are concerned about bent rims and potholes. You are right to think about the fact that the BMW has their latest engine with more horses and better mileage and that the new TT Mercedes v8 will be out either in the fall or year after. But it does sound like a great deal. How about a two year lease? Thanks. Ned.

dmbordoni

Thanks Ned. Its an E550 sport with P2, parktronic, pano, drive dynamic, distronic. pretty loaded. I am trading in my 2008 S class and looking for something more sporty. I have had BMW's in past and prefer the sportiness over the comfort of MB - but this deal may be too good to pass up. 1.65 percent financing too. My wife had a lemon ML so MB of White Plains is trying to make it up to us. She got a new ML for about 8k under MSRP last week.

EmE247

You are definitely getting more of a sporty car coming from an S to an E. But if you are thinking only in terms of sporty, the E doesn't come close to a BMW 550.

ngerstman

I would tend to agree with the above post regarding the BMW versus the e550, although I have not driven the BMW, so I'm going by what I've read. I also have not driven the s550 but can't imagine that the e550 will not be way more fun to drive. From my perspective, the Mercedes is a great balance of a good driving car and at the same time a luxury car as well. I have driven BMW's and my opinion is that no one has ever in the past or in the present made a better suspension than Mercedes. They handle well enough but don't beat you up. They do that better than all others. Needless to say their drivetrains are great as well. At the end of the day, if go cart like handling and an extra firm ride are the most important things to you, go BMW or Infinity. If you want more of a straight down the middle of the fairway luxury sport sedan(notice I put luxury first), go Mercedes. Living in the Northeast as we do, with the reality of crappy roads, I'll leave the driving machines to those who don't need a chiropractor yet. Thanks. Ned.

pkancel

I have had an equal amount of BMWs and MBs. I am 46 and each time we get a BMW, I am always extremely happy with the handling, power and overall sportiness. With the MB, I am always happy with the power and ride. Right now we have a 2003 MB E500. Drives nice, handles like crap. We have a 2006 BMW 550i, amazing power, great handling, good overall ride with the sportpackage. Our 2010 E350, amazing ride, decent handling and good power.

So there is a 3 way comparison. While price is certainly important, I would say drive them both, compare what you like most and then negotiate with a few dealers. Basically find your lowest price point, send to a few dealers and ask if they can beat that price. Before we bought the 2010 E350, I was really interested in the 2011 BMW535i, but ultimately they just wouldnt budge on the price yet since its so new, therefore it was a difference of spending about $10k more to buy the BMW. Best wishes and let us know how it goes. Either way, you will have a car you love to drive.

ngerstman

I would make one important obsevation. You live in California and we live in the Northeast, land of near third world roads. I think that you would feel very differently about the comfort of the BMW suspension if you lived where I live. As i said, no one does a suspension like Mercedes, if ride comfort is near the top of your priorities. Thanks. Ned. PS. It's snowing and 30 degrees and the roads are potholing as we speak!!

Imsorry

For me, buying anything is about getting the best deal. Mb dealers were more aggressive this time around, so I went for the E. But I didn't do enough research on the specs, only the price. I thought the 2 were comparable, and don't even test drive it. Bought the E only to kick myself. Torque on the BMW trumps the E by FAR!

K-A

Funny, I was recently talking about this in another Thread.

Seems M-B is training certain people to only want the E over the 5, because of the ridiculous deals they're giving out for them.

Taking off my consumers hat, and putting on my enthusiasts one, it gives the BMW a higher level of respect, in that they won't win their customers over by simply slashing the heck out of their prices. Not to mention, premium cars should hold their value. And with cars depreciating by $10K before they're even sold, it makes that aspect difficult.

On the consumers end, you've got a helluva amazing car, for an incredible deal.

ngerstman

So your decision would have come down to a spec on torque? From my perspective, a lot more went into my decision. My e550 has plenty of hp and plenty of torque. I prefer Mercedes suspensions to BMW's. I much prefer the much cleaner design of the Mercedes interior. I like the exterior design of the Mercedes, not that the BMW isn't beautiful as well. Fit and finish are great on both. BMW has a lower reliability record of late as compared to Mercedes and the new 550 is a first model year which would make me doubly nervous. I think your over thinking this if you regret owning a Mercedes e550. There are pluses and minuses to each. You're in the zone of owning one of the best sport sedans that mankind has ever produced. Enjoy it and don't obsess. Regards. Ned.

Wig

I don't think MB has much choice but to win sales by price slashing for the 2011 model year. It will be a different story when the 2012 W212s are available.

Only MB's new V6 and V8 TT can realistically compete with the 535i and 550i in terms of performance.

Tjdehya

The funny thing is that I like that fact. I generally only keep my cars for 1-2 years depending on how much I like them or if I see another car that I really like. I bought My W211 and a year later I traded it in for exactly what I paid for it. Right now the trade in on a 2010 with the same options as mine is exactly the same as I paid for my 2011. So if that hold good for the 2011 in the summer then I will trade my car for roughly the same as I bought it. "fingers crossed"
I don't know how much the new engine in the E will affect the resale of our cars but I will find out when I go to trade mine for the new CLS.

ash_cpe

I don't think it's about power and torque, I care less about that when it comes to E and 5er.
I think BMW is more aggressive when it comes to financial offers, since they are giving 0.9% financing and free maintenance for 4 years, as far as I know Merc never had 0.9 financing and they don't offer free maintenance, so their salesmen have to be more aggressive IMO.

BenzE350

I'd like to know the specific details on this trade...

scfishnman

Price must vary significantly in different parts of the US. In July 2010 I was shopping between an E350 (2010) and a BMW 535i (2011). The BMW sticker was several thousand $ higher than the MB, but even with the $2000 MB rebate the BMW deal cost less than the MB. I was trading in and the BMW dealer made the difference by quoting several thousand more for my trade (all that matters is net cost to me, not how the dealer computes it). The two dealers were next door to each other (but not the same company). I bought the BMW. After three months I traded it in on the E550 that I now drive.

ngerstman

What made you trade in the BMW for the Mercedes so quickly? Thanks. Ned.

dmbordoni

I was thinking with 10.5 k off msrp, if I want to trade it in next year for the new TT engine, I probably will not a terrible hit.

Tjdehya

Its in the Offical price thread I am too lazy to go look for it, but the trade was very close to what I bought it for.

mbfoup

I tried the 550i and was disappointed. The BMW handles slightly better and has a better gear box, that's it. The E550 engine is much better and much more responsive. The MB airmatic is much better than BMW active suspension. the E looks nicer to me, the BMW just look like any other BMW, too many of them.

pkancel

Ngerstman, good point and you are exactly right. California and especially Orange County, is land of the perfect roads. To your point further, when i have to drive up to Los Angeles, I would rather be in the MB because when i hit a pothole or healthy irregularity in the road in the BMW, it feels like I lost a wheel. Not very accommodating.

Someone mentioned they really like the airmatic in their E550. What year is your E550 and has MB made much in the way of changes from the W211? I ask because I hate the airmatic in our W211. There is 3 settings and not one of them is right. Its either to soft or to hard or so hard I feel like a 16 year old that chopped my springs and is low riddin. Aside from price, its actually one of the reasons we got the E350 this time is I like the ride and handling better. Not better than the W212 E550 but better than the W211. I didnt drive the W212 E550 because I knew there was no way I would step back into the E350. The rush of power is too much fun.

FYI, I tried the 2011 535i and loved it in every way, except for the nearly $60k price tag.

ngerstman

I actually had an 2011 e350 4matic for three weeks before I traded it back for the e550. I actually liked the e350 a lot and thought that the engine and tranny worked great together. I never really felt it was lacking for power. My dealer made me a good offer and I decided that the price difference to the e550 for the v8, leather seats and airmatic suspension were worth the trade up. I'm new to the airmatic suspension but to this point I think that I like it. Time will tell as I use it under a wider variety of driving circumstances. The airmatic only has two settings now, sport and comfort. I find that even the sport setting is quite comfortable while the comfort mode is just slightly more forgiving. The e350 that I had was the luxury suspension with the 17 inch rims. I never test drove the sport version. In the e550, I test drove the car that I purchased, which is a sport suspension with the 18 inch rims. I didn't have the opportunity to test drive a e550 luxury, although I would have liked to. I might have been willing to give up a small amount of sportiness to have more rubber between me and the crappy New Jersey roads. I don't know if the airmatic is materially different in the 212 versus the 211. Do you have the sport or luxury? Regards. Ned.

dmbordoni

I test drove the BMW 550IX M Sport. I prefer it over the Benz but I think I will opt for the significantly better deal with MB, who are now offering me 11k off the MSRP of a 74k vehicle. Plus, as you mentioned and as I am aware, the car is in the first model year and they are still working out the kinks, particularly the steering issues. Perhaps in a year I will decide between or the new MB TT engine our the 550IX, OR MAYBE GAS WILL BE 5 BUCKS PER GALLON AND, OUT OF DISGUST, I WILL OPT FOR AN AMERICAN CHEVY VOLT.

hyperion667

the BMW just look like any other BMW, too many of them.
MB FOUP

couldn't agree more!

ngerstman

Any way you look at it your getting one of the best sport sedans ever made(aside from much more costly items like Massarati's, etc., which add questionable value to begin with as far as a value equation for all but the stupidly rich). And there is no denying that after all is said and done, there are plusses and minuses with the e550 or BMW. I for one would take the what the Mercedes adds up to. And even when the new TT v8 comes out, barring any other major improvements, how much more power does one really need(I know as much as they will give me!!!!!!). And the new engine will be TT'd with a smaller displacement and many prefer a naturally aspirated engine. So aside from better fuel economy, there may not be much improvement. And the price you're getting is crazy. And with the "Bernank" printing money like there is no tomorrow inflation and a depreciating dollar could be right around the corner(but that is a discussion for the economic forum). Regards. Ned.