So I'm really, really contemplating a diesel
 

What are the opinions for that as a daily driver? Enough power for a quick merge on a freeway? Decent in snow with the correct tires?

Any downsides? I'm figuring that the torque makes up for lack of horsepower in normal driving.

I haven't owned a diesel in about 30 years and I figure they've probably changed a bit.

In short....torque...you betcha.Merging onto the Interstate is a breeze,as is passing.Winter driving...with my BMW ("all season" tires) not that great.But by keeping my speeds down (which I do in winter anyway) it wasn't a problem.I have basically no experience in winter with my Bluetec but my hunch is that it would be similar to the BMW.

No real downsides worth mentioning (apart from winter driving with "all seasons"),only upsides.As one who's owned two substantially different (recent) diesels I'll say this....if "luxury",rather than "sport" is important to you then the E Class Bluetec is a *great* choice.And the more that rear seat legroom means to you the more you should look at the E Class Bluetec.But I must say that my BMW "d" was *far* more fun...particularly the accelerator.....but it can't really be called a family car.And yes,I know this is a Mecedes enthusiast site. :-)

Oh,one last thing...with both my diesels I found that they weren't so great in the city.But then,I'm not a fan of city driving anyway so maybe others would disagree.OTOH both my diesels absolutely *shine* on the Interstate.I'm convinced that the E Class diesel is,first and foremost,a highway car.

The E BlueTEC is a great car all-around. Powertrain is more than adequate, and as mentioned, the torque is awesome. You just have to adjust to the low shift points and turbo lag.

30 years since last diesel, you have lots to learn.

Todays diesels are actually better to drive at slow speeds than gasoline due to the huge amount of torque available from the engine. Less HP compared to gasoline model does not matter here as we cannot take full advantage of it. Diesel would loose to the gas model with top speed in German autobahn where the gasoline model would go 156 mph, which is the eloctronically set limit in Germany (probably all Europe). Diesel top speed is 149 MPH.

In the U.S. both models are electronically limited I think to something like 120 mph and both cars can do this very easily.

With diesel you then get the awesome fuel mileage so go for it.

Best, of course, is to go have one for a longer test drive. You'll see.

Just make sure that you will not be moving to Illinois during your diesel ownership... Also, remember to fill up diesel before driving thro Illinois..
The corn lobby and the govt have ensured that all pumps in Illinois have 5% to 20% bio diesel junk added..
It is getting very difficult to find non-bio diesels pumps here.

Other than that diesels are awesome. That's all!
My 2c

I have owned many diesels. I swear by them. While technically not as fast as the E350, the torque makes it feel much faster than it is. And, it is within a half second of the gasser. The real issue is the type of driving you do. If you are mostly doing short trips and short communtes, the diesel, while still better than the gas engine, is not as good on fuel as many expect. If your driving is biased for highway driving, then you will likely be amazed at the mpg. On long drives I regularly see around 42 mpg. Also, MB allows up to 5% biodiesel. I would run 100% (B100) if MB supported it. I regularly used B100 in a Passat diesel I had and it ran great!!!. Biodeisel is a great thing.

Yep, I had Audi, BMW and MB diesels when I was in Europe. I never really had a top speed issue but I wasn't really a car guy back then either.

I took a diesel for a longish drive right after I drove the 350 4matic, so the diesel was pretty evident even though it was way better than the old ones.

Not planning on moving to - or going to- IL. Will the diesel choke on 20% bio?

Yes, just about any modern DI diesel engine will have significant and expensive problems running anything much beyond 5%. While BioD might be great for some of the older things on the road, it is not for the new stuff.

Aside from the great lease rates, this is another reason for a two year lease on the Bluetec :)

You do need to compare the price of deisel vs. gasoline before comparing mpg ... just to be sure there is any real advantage $-wise, if that's your objective.

It may not concern you but the diesels have run flat tires that are very expensive and give a harder ride than standard tires. There is no place for a spare tire since the space is used for the urea tank.
If you are comparing the new diesels to the old mechanical injection models,that simple, reliable, mechanical system is now replaced with a computer controlled system comparable to the current gas engines.
My final complaint is that every time I have filled up with diesel fuel the price has been higher than premium gas. When I was first driving diesels, the fuel was based on cost, not what they can charge, and was less than regular leaded gasoline.

Stop what you are doing, stop thinking, and go to your MD dealer and buy a Bluetec. My first was a 2008 E320. What a beautiful car. Quiet, smooth, powerful (I raced a crotch rocket across the Utah desert, and it lost), and great milage. I drove it from Cincinnati to Boulder on one fuel stop. Left at 6AM, arrived Boulder 9PM. 1199 miles. Then I saw the MB commercial where the guy didn't know the car in front of him stopped but his MB did. Last April I purchased a 2011 E350 Bluetec with P01 and P02 packages. At the time there was only one Black/Black with those options in the USA. I wanted it, and my dealer sent a truck to get it. I've seen 40 MPG. I drive average 75 MPH. Even at that speed I see 35-37 MPG. I've added some chrome and trunk spoiler. I always get compliments on how classy it looks. One lady who rode in it said she had never ridden in a car where the radio was on, and she could have a conversation in a normal tone of voice. People can't believe it's a diesel when they listen to it. Compare apples to apples if you are looking for fuel costs. In Ohio I pay a few cents more per gallon for diesel than premium. I bet a gas E350 can't get to Boulder on one fuel stop!

Also, there is Sport and Luxury models. The Bluetecs all get 17" wheels, sport or lux. I have the lux and love the ride and four lamella grill.

My regular commute is about 30 miles in the greater DC area. In the morning it takes about 45minutes and the evening commute is about an hour and a half. About twice a week I go to a remote office about 70 miles away during non rush hours on a divided highway.

Because I have MD plates on my car I generally need to set the cruise to 4mph over when driving that particular route, so about 59mph.

The main reason I')d be looking at the diesel is the gas mileage. It would be a no brainer in Europe but here in the US the diesel prices make you think twice.

Why all the concern about fuel prices. The Diesel gets about 30% more miles per gallon. For example, if premium gas (required by the e) is $3.00, it would cost you $3.90 to travel the same number of miles as you would get from one gallon of diesel which would cost about $3.05 (Diesel is often $.05 more than premium. Who cares if Diesel costs a little more than premium????

My prior car was a Volvo S80 T6. Turbo inline 6. It was rated 17/27. I regularly got 28 mpg on the Highway. With my Bluetec I regularly get 42 mpg on the highway. About 50% better than my Volvo (which is comparable to the E350 EPA mpg figures. Diesel is going to win from a cost perspective. There is the minor cost of the AdBlue (DEF) for the Bluetec, but I have spent less than $50 during my first 22K miles on AdBlue.

IIRC, there are only very minor changes to the '12 diesel - most cosmetic, so if I get a post july build I should have most of the changes or is the diesel getting the new tranny too?

I drove the Sport and didn't like the ride. If I want sporty I'll drive my SL. I went to one local dealer and bought a couple of bottles of AdBlue. The dealer gave me the "MB brand." I was on the road and approaching my first 10K miles. I was worried I'd run out of AdBlue so I stopped at another dealer. That dealer gave me the "generic" brand. I compared the specs on the labels. Both the same. A friend has a Ford diesel truck. He says go to Ford and by the AdBlue. Really cheap! I sympathize on your commute. I used to live in Fairfax and communte to DC daily.

several folks report buying their adblue at their local Audi dealer...There is a warning about 1000 miles before you run out of adBlue so you'll know far in advance if you are even getting close to running out.

So far the best (cheapest) solution to the AdBlue issue I've found is to buy a 1/2 gallon bottle (with the special spout) at a VW dealer (that's where I went) for about $8 and also buy one or more 2.5 gallon bottles (without special spout) for about $13.Then,when refilling the car empty the 1/2 gallon bottle into the car then remove the special spout by cutting at the crimp so that the whole assembly easily screws off (it's easy,took me about 10 minutes).Then,just fill the smaller bottle from the larger ones and fill the car's tank.Takes a bit of work (and a little time) but it's **much** cheaper than the dealer charging you $300+.

Someone here (or at another MB site or BMW site) posted pictures showing how to remove the special spout...wish I could recall exactly where.But it's so easy even I can do it! :)

AdBlue at second MB dealer was $22.50 for 2.5 gallons. Container came with screw-on flex hose. Hose fit in the tank perfectly. I saved that container. I"ll now go to the VW dealer and get the same amount for $13, and pour it in my nice container with the flex hose hose. Thanks for the suggestion. VW dealer is slightly down the street from my office.

Peak also is making DEF (AdBlue) bought a 2.5 gallon jug for $10. AdBlue is just not an expense that is significant.

Yep, Walmart sells 2.5 gallon jug of adblue for $11 with a spout built in.

Does the Adblue warning count down the number of miles remaining, or does it give you a certain number of engine starts before you need to refill it? I was told the latter, but I have not checked my owners manual yet.

If I recall correctly, you get a message on the screen around 1000 miles before you are going to run out...and then some additional warnings before you get the one that says you have three starts before we destroy your car (or whatever the message is). You should get lots of warning well before you get to the limited start stage.