Raron

Hey Folks,

I'm shopping for a daily driver and am considering these two. The Jag looks great and drives surprisingly well in Premium or Supercharged form. It is also rare to boot.

However, I have always loved E Class for it's vault-like construction and longevity going back to the beloved 500E. I have never driven one but plan to this weekend. One of my concerns with it is how prevalent they are compared to an XF. Also, you can get a V8 XF for the price of the 350...

Did any of you consider an XF?

Why did you pick the E and what are your thoughts in retrospect?

Is the 550 significantly faster on the street - or is 350 the better choice?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Tai230K

I pretty much looked at every car before purchasing my E550 including Jaguar XF and IS 350. I disregarded the Jag and Lexus for the following reasons:

JAG XF: Jaguars are not known for reliability and the car i chose was going to be a long term car. The design of the Jag is older as well.

IS350: compact sedan with a harsher ride and not as comfortable and large as a E-class.

and yes an E550 is very quick in a straight line for a 4000 lb car

peeta123

i dont think the jag had all wheel drive which the e class did

looking at where you are im guessing you dont need all wheel drive

Tjdehya

The E is prevalent for a reason.
Buy the vehicle that you want and don't let the fact that more people chose the car over the competitors sway your decision... It's not like a Toyota Camry. The reason you see more Toyota Camry on the road is because of price and not because it's the best vehicle. The reason you see more E's on the road is Obviously not because of price, so it must be because more people thought that it was the best choice.
Test drive the vehicles that you consider and make you choice based on what you want and not because it is not as "prevalent" as another.

Raron

From what I've heard the XF are quite reliable so I'm not so concerned there. Regarding E Class being more prevalent, this isn't a huge concern but I thought it was worth noting. When you pay $50k for a car you don't want to always see yourself coming and going.

But I suppose E's are nothing like a loaded 3 series which can approach 60k and you see about 50 of them per day - literally!

I was planning to go test drive a E today. Will report back.

Pntblnk

There is a HUGE difference in the 350 and 550 in street performance. That said, the 350 is adequate for everything you need, the 550 is more than adequate for anything you will ever need on the street.

My son recently showed me that the new Camero SS is only marginally faster than my 550 in the 1/4 mile and get's you there in more style and luxury.

Drive 'em all and buy what you like.

park423

The 550 is much more powerful than the 350 and the current 350 is underpowered compared to it's peers (GS350, XF, 535i, M37), if getting a 350, would wait for the 2012.

As for it being prevalent, it's popular for a good reason, you can choose a less popular car so you don't see it everywhere but it's probably lacking something. The better a car is, the better it will sell and be more prevalant on the road.

My friend really liked the XF, to me you could easily put an acura or infiniti badge on the car. What I like about the MB's and BMW's are they are distinctive with their styling heritage and branding.

hyperion667

I have not driven the 350, but the 550 is ultra smooth and very fast, and very comfortable too......I would LOVE to own a Jaguar, but really hate the look of the new ones....however the XJ has an amazing inside IMO.....very nice, very posh......I'll have one someday!

good luck.....drive a 63 too while you're visiting MB

El Cid

I would check out Consumer Guide's automotive website and Consumer Reports.
I think the Jag is beautiful, but didn't even consider it due to very low reliability ratings over the years. Have a friend who really loves Jags, but would not touch one due to reliability.
As for choice between 350 and 550, that's really got to be a personal choice.

BenzMan369

Strongly suggest you do NOT base your judgment of the W212 on your test drive today, unless price or other considerations prevent your waiting for the 2012's in October.

Although you may be perfectly satisfied with the test drive, based upon my test drives of the 2010 E350 Coupe last year and my new 2012 E350 coupe just received, there is a whopping world of difference in performance. Both the sedan and coupe use the same engine and trans.

The new D.I. engine and updated transmission have made this car feel much sportier and far more responsive. I literally cannot believe the difference, with slightly better fuel efficiency to boot (but will be checking on that as I refuel the car a few times). I would think it would do the same for the E350 sedan, taking into consideration differences in chassis, weight, etc.

If you're looking at an E550, the 2012 V8 gets an all-new D.I. version also.

If price or other considerations prevent waiting, the 2011's are fine automobiles and, IMO, best in class. You can't go wrong either way.

wmoor004

My Co Worker has a XF and I drove the vehicle and to be honest I didnt find anything wrong with the car. Personally I wanted to own a Mercedes so I bought the E350. I am strongly considering buying my wife the XJ in the future!

Raron

Alright guys,

So I drove a 2010 E350, 11 XF (which is exactly the same as an 10). First observation is that the interior i.e. leather dash and shape etc are quite nice in the XF. The E has a rubber/plastic dash seems more angular and German/cold.

In terms of driving impressions the E was very smooth. Didn't feel particularly athletic but had great isolation. Also felt a bit large with the long hood visible with the emblem at the front. Whereas the XF seemed to shrink around you and the hood was ultimately out of sight.

Since I am also shopping for toys for myself and the wife will be driving the sedan as well I'm wondering what she would think of the two... She might think the E feels "old" or "mature" considering it's real or perceived size (she is 26, I'm 34). It was also a bit slow but the 550 would take care of that. Wife would probably like a C but I can't seem to get into them unless it's a C63!

I think the answer is probably an E550 if it feels sportier along with the additional power. My vision is a white or silver one with some conservative yet aggressive aftermarket wheels like BBS LM or something like that.

K-A

First off, the E's prevalence is for good reason, as people just don't get into $50+K cars because it's convenient. Most people choose the E over the XF in mass hoards for the same reasons I did.

For me, I loved the XF initially, then the Design started to look kind of plain/bloated/"Ford"-ish to my eyes. The E had a Benz bloodline written all over it, giving me the enthusiastic aspect of having a modernized version of my favorite brand, and the build quality is ace.

The XF has a much more refined interior in the soft-touch/materials sense, but I feel that the "future" look of it made it age FAST, and now it looks like something out of the 70's made to look like it's from 2009. The E has the classic, logical, durable German Teutonic'ness, which is constructed and finished to a higher code than the Jags, but not as fancy in terms of materials used.

I recently rode in my Cousins XF all throughout Paris, and I am once again a big fan of the XF however, and I will say that now the Design has warmed up on me more, as my eyes now see it as a smooth, well proportioned, beautiful Sedan (especially when optioned right).

What really works against Jag, over all other things, is the "business side". BK's up the yin-yang, sold off more times than you can count, now owned by unproven Indian company, etc. etc. Also, the quality of Jags just are forever suffering, and that is unfortunate as it keeps many away from a beautiful brand. Although, they have improved a lot as of late.

In closing, I'll say that the XF offers much more bang for the buck, yet people still choose the E350, with its much less HP, etc. for good reason (usually).

I'll also say to take advantage of Jags desperation to move cars right now. I have been eyeing XJ's, yet can't get myself to take it seriously for the reasons I stated above (business practice/confidence in their future, and quality). The XJ is a HUGE bargain for its deals coming out, however, the car seems to be full of bugs, and resale value is sh*t, as we'll soon see.

Raron

Well said!

Raron

I forgot to ask about the CLS... I used to wonder why anyone would get an E when there is a sexier twin. Same substance but with a bit more character no?

Did any of you consider the CLS?

hyperion667

without a doubt.....drove the cls before I even drove the E....fantastic car, but slightly different from my needs at that time............should have gotten that one, very nice......also very fast

K-A

I actually prefer the E's styling to the CLS, and feel that E's will age better.

The previous CLS just didn't do it for me like the E did. I checked out the new gen, and I like it a lot for the most part, but the E is a much more functional design. For example' at 6'4", I don't have enough headroom up front to be comfortable and safe. So it's a no-deal either way.

Also, remember that the CLS is much more expensive than the E, and is practically the exact same car with a different form.

hyperion667

the cls is nicer inside than the E, IMO.......not as plastic and cheap feeling......
the 63 on the other hand is also nicer than my 550 cabin....talk about 'vault like'...

haha

K-A

The new CLS's interior is indeed nicer than the E's. It's basically like the E's but more fancy-fied and with more soft-padded Leather/ette surfaces.

BenzMan369

If you missed it, please see my post above re the upcoming 2012 E350 and E550 sedans with all new engines and updated transmissions, expected to be available in October. If you can wait, it may change your opinion stated here.

Again, you probably can't go wrong either way.

Good luck with your decision.

hyperion667

you'll more than likely get a much better deal on a 2011.....the bumps in power are not
that significant IMO......for the '12's...
might be a meagar selection......but you'll save.......

Raron

Not sure about waiting for 12's as I don't think I want to spend that much on a daily driver. Will spend more on the toy!

WEBSRFR

No because: Ridiculous back seat that seats only 2 and has a crazy contraption in the middle of the rear seat with silly compartments that I will never ever use. I'd never consider a CLS as I consider it nuts for such a large car to have such an unpractical backseat. Otherwise I love the design of the CLS. My E has accommodated as many as 4 people (thin people albeit...) in the backseat sometimes when I am out around town with friends and we need to go someplace late at night in one car for a short distance. I'd never be able to that in a CLS. People who buy Es are looking for a daily driver. For me, it is unconscionable to buy a 4,000 lb car that seats only 2 people in the back...

If I wanted a small sports car, I would have bought one When I buy about a 4,000 lb 4-door car, I expect it to accommodate 5 people.

WEBSRFR

I agree. Get a 2011 E550 now and you'll get a good deal on it. The current E550 is plenty powerful to keep up with virtually anything on the road... If you wait until 2012 you will get a bit more power but will loose the feel of a naturally aspired engine and FWIW you will loose Airmatic dynamic suspension (which i happen to really like).