With the news of the "refreshed" E350 coming out in October with the following changes:

-Model line features more fuel-efficient 7-speed automatic transmission, new steering wheels, color instrument cluster display and standard LED DRL's, media interface moved to center console.
-E350 Sport/Luxury new direct-injection V6 engine (302 hp, 273 lb-ft) and available 4MATIC all-wheel-drive.

would any of you consider getting the outgoing E550 model? because it'll probably be about the same pricing wise, and with dealers being more aggressive to get rid of the older models.

The current E is still a great vehicle, but 17/24 MPG (which is about the same as the V8) really sucks.

 

1. If you think you could get '11 E550 for same or very close to '12 E350, then choice is clear. Actually there's no choice then - E550 hands down.

2. IMHO, mpg consideration is the last thing on a typical MB buyer's mind in this price range. Does extra 2 or 3 (or even 5) mpg make a difference here? You do not buy an MB because its more economical car, you buy MB because its an MB.

 

no, mpg isnt the most important for a 60k car, just want to choose a better product for the same price.

 

I think you're missing my point.

If you were to cross shop '11 350 vs. '12 350, then maybe mpg could be one of the considerations.

But when comparing '11 550 to '12 350, mpg shouldn't even be one of the considerations - its all about the power (lots of it in 550), airmatic and a couple of other things.

 

I would do 2011 E550. I have someone here, that can give you a bad *** deal! just PM me and i'll detail you, if ur willing to travel or have it shipped.

 

I have been loving the 550, although I'm going in the morning to 'pull the trigger'
as they say, on a 2011 E63.....that I feel like I''m getting an okay price on...for having it built for me.....

but yes, you'll love that 550-ness

 

No conterst -- at similar prices, the 2011 E550 is the clear choice, if for nothing more than the Airmatic suspension.

 

I chose to order a 2011 E550 when I found out about the 2012 V8's. The few E550's in the Phoenix area were all stale and had been sitting in the Arizona sun and dust for months. My new car arrived a month ago with exactly the color and options I wanted on it and it was as fresh as a daisy with 10 miles on the clock.

You are going to have to take what you can get because it's probably too late to order a 2011.

 

I'd go with the 2011 E550. It's usually recommended to wait a year after a new release of a new engine/design as the kinks need to be worked out.

Also from what i've read on the forums, it seems that the new 2012 E550s will have some cost cutting done to it making the previous 550s a lil more valuable.

 

Tough call. The e550 does 0-60 in about 5.2. The current e350 in about 6.5. I would assume that the new e350 would be in the 6.0 zone. So the current e550 would win on performance from that parameter. The airmatic suspension will not be available on even the 2012 e550. The airmatic is a good sport suspension, although I personally find it hard on the crappy NJ roads even in the comfort mode. I would prefer a well done standard suspension. There is something to be said for having the latest product. I assure you that all of us on this forum will be jealous that we don't own the "new" product to banter about. You also get leather standard on the e550 if that matters to you. Ned.

 

Does the performance matter? If not, go for the E350. That being said, I love the V8 power and torque and the airmatic suspension. Since there is no difference visually, your only issue should be the power. Also, I am getting better gas mileage on my E550 than my wife's ML350.

 

2011 E550, unless you just have to have the newest and greatest. BTW my wifes uncle just picked up a red SLS. I cant wait to see it and drool

 

Tough one. I'd say if performance matters, than E550. If not, I'd go with the '12 E350. Airmatic is a non issue to me anyway, too much hassle and if you keep the car long term, it is a crutch as if/when it goes out, it costs a lot to fix.

 

The 12 will have a better resale value %, if you're leasing then it doesn't matter.

 

I beg to differ. Lease cost is based on residual value. The higher the residual, the lower the lease cost. With similar cars, a new 2012 will have a higher residual than a new 2011. When I was shopping in July 2010, the 2011's were not out yet but could be ordered (orders on 2010's were closed). Had I ordered a 2011 the lease would have cost less than for a 2010 sitting on the lot.

 

With the 12 having a higher/better residual it translates to a better assumed resale value. Just because the 11 was a cheaper payment may have been due to a better money factor, not just residuals although I'm sure the 11's residual were higher making the biggest and most sensible reason in this case. The new engine 350 will hold it's value better than the left over gas guzzling old schooled engine 550; not to mention the new 550 will have a much improved engine as well. If leased it doesn't matter because at the end of the lease the car can be handed back to mb with no resale needed...

 

I think '11 E350 is a better choice, if you don't care about performance and want it for better deal. I not sure if the new direct inject engine is more reliable than the current engine. And I believe it is the first direct inject engine from MB, I think it will take at least 2~3 years to get it perfect. So, if you are not planning to keep your E for long term, then go for '12 E350 or E550 for better performance.

 

There has been a direct-injection version of the current V6 (M272) available in Europe since 2006, known as the CGI. So although the new V6 is a new design, Mercedes do have experience with DI.

 

The current W272 V6 has a 90 degree block which results in an engine that's inherently unbalanced and requires a balance shaft to help smooth it out. The new 2012 V6's have a 60 degree block which results in a balanced engine that doesn't require that balance shaft. To me that's a good reason to wait for the 2012's. The new engine will have more peak HP and should have some improvement in fuel economy. Waiting for the 2012's also offers the opportunity to order your car from the factory so you can get what you want and so the car will be fresh and no one will have used it for a test drive.

Even if you don't order a new car, you will at least have the opportunity to get a fresh car out of a dealer's inventory.

 

The new engine will have a 20% increase in fuel economy from what I've read

 

That 20% increase assumes lean burn engines and the Start/Stop feature. Lean burn isn't making it to the U.S. because of our high sulfur fuel. Even if the Start/Stop feature makes it to the U.S., you can turn it off and probably will do so. Although there will be some improvement in fuel economy because of direct injection and reduced friction in the new engine, I doubt it will be more than 1-3 MPG over the current V6.

 

I'm not so sure about that but not 100%, I remember reading it was 20% for the US market without the start stop etc all via the DFI, new powertrain tuning and less friction components; I believe with start stop the increase would be about a 24% improvement for the 6 . These new powertrains are massive leaps ahead in many areas not only in power, but refinement, economy and technology.

BTW, the new 6 was designed to have a turbocharged version...this will be very interesting when it debuts in it's forced induction form.

Here's info on the new 350's engine from the first drive report:

While North America finally gets a proper Gas Direct Injection version of the V6, which certainly accounts for most of the improvement in fuel consumption, North America's sometimes higher sulfur content fuel has forced Mercedes to lose the stratified "lean burn" phase of the DI combustion cycle due to downstream catalyst and filter issues. The net-net is slightly less stellar mpg and C02 results versus the engine's European counterpart. Nevertheless, the projected fuel economy improvements over the outgoing port-injected North American V6 are still around 20 percent, which means jumping from city/highway miles per gallon figures of 17/24 to roughly 20/28 – very impressive.

It's impressive primarily because the 2012 E350 is now rated at 302 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 273 pound-feet of torque between 3,200 and 5,250 rpm – that's a 34-hp jump and a 15-lb ft leap in the midst of the much improved fuel economy and CO2 emitting. Other than the intro of direct injection to our 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, overall friction losses between the mechanical moving parts of the engine have been reduced some 28 percent, a move that permits the use of lower viscosity fluids. There's less stress.

 

Unfortunately, this is yet another statistic that has yet to be elevated above the speculation stage, it seems. Here's Benzonly.com's take re the U.S. 2012 Coupe/Cab, dated June 1, 2011:

"2012 E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet specifications:







E350 Coupe and Cabriolet:

• New Direct Injection 3.5 Liter V6 motor;
• 302 Horsepower, 273 lb-ft of Torque;
• New 7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-Speed Automatic Transmission;
• Acceleration from 0 to 60 MPH - 6.1 seconds (6.3 Cabriolet);
• Rear Wheel Drive;
• Fuel Economy: 18 mpg - City, 27 mpg - Highway (18/26 Cabriolet);
• Turning Circle: 35.3 ft;
• Engine Block Angle: 60 degrees.

E550 Coupe and Cabriolet:

• New Direct Injection 4.6L Bi-Turbo V8 motor;
• 402 Horsepower, 443 lb-ft of Torque;
• New 7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-Speed Automatic Transmission;
• Acceleration from 0 to 60 MPH - 4.9 seconds (5.0 Cabriolet);
• Rear Wheel Drive;
• Fuel Economy: 16 mpg - City, 24 mpg - Highway (16/23 Cabriolet);
• Turning Circle: 35.3 ft;
• Engine Block Angle: 90 degrees."

Slightly better fuel mileage than the current engines. I imagine fuel mileage would be a little less for the 2012 E sedans.

I do think some of these Benz websites are getting their stats twisted and we won't know until we know.

 

About the 60 degree VS 90 degree V6 block, are there any current popular V6's on the road that have 90 (or 60) degree blocks that you can think of? Trying to draw conclusions as to how different the two may feel by way of if I've driven any cars with the 90.

 

That's the same fuel economy as my 2010 550 sedan.