Most SUV's are crap for comfort. However, I think the ML particularly the 550 was the best riding SUV I have ever ridden in, by a long shot. I also believe it rode better than my E550 which surprised me. I just cannot believe how comfortable that SUV is. For overall driving experience, looks, comfort, power, there really is no comparison to my 212 though. For me to drive an SUV as a DD over a nice sedan, I better have a flippin good reason to need the suv instead, which I don't.

 

sig's lookin' good RNBRAD

 

Hey thanks Hyp yours too!! Looks like you got your car. Where's the pics?

 

I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee for a number of years and moved back to a sedan. What most people don't realize is the toll that driving an SUV takes on your body. The higher center of gravity forces your body to counteract the roll motion of the vehicle requiring your body to use much more energy for the act of driving, resulting in a higher fatigue level. If you don't need the functionality of an SUV, why bother? Regards. Ned.

 

Interesting stuff, never thought of this.

I think that SUV's, like full fledged Sports Cars, are very "one sided" ownership experiences, in that they do one thing very good (obviously Sports Cars and SUV's are on opposite ends of the spectrum here), while with a Sedan, you'll have a more dynamic ownership experience.

 

I was at the dealership bright and early yesterday to test drive the E class and below are my first impressions:

Exterior - The exterior is very classy and sophisticated with just the right amount of sporty elements which has just the right amount of balance.

Interior – Immediately upon climbing inside the E my wife's first words were, "Wow this is luxurious" and I agreed!

Roominess - As a 6-1 male with a somewhat athletic build I was extremely comfortable in the driver's seat. After adjusting the front seat to suit my height, I climbed behind the driver’s seat and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of available space.


Overall Drive - Several folks on the forum commented on how the Sport edition offered a rougher ride compared to the Luxury edition. I didn't experience this at all and trust me I was hunting for uneven pavement! IMHO driving the E over potholes didn’t feel much different from the GL.

Stereo – Harmon Kardon is Harmon Kardon….nuff said! :-)

Acceleration – From what I’ve read some folks prefer the E550…others the E63 but for me, the E350 was plenty quick. Especially in sport mode!

I am in a weird situation…… I signed the paperwork for the 2012 ML350 on 29 Feb and on the same day the dealership submitted the paperwork to Mercedes Benz Financial and a new account for the 2012 ML350 was established in my name. While speaking to MBF I also confirmed that the dealership already paid off the 2011 GL450. Now I am somewhat perturbed and perplexed! Why would the dealership establish a new account in my name for a vehicle that has yet to be delivered? Let’s say my heart was still with the ML, don’t I have a right to drive it, inspect, etc? Furthermore, doesn’t this start the clock for when my first payment is due? I spoke with the Manager and he said I could wait an additional week and stick with the ML, switch to the E, or cancel the contract altogether.

The Purchase – If the dealership had an E class with my desired options, I would have driven it home yesterday. As luck would have it, they didn’t and therefore would have to search the inventory of other dealerships and vehicles in transit but there was one problem! The search system which I think he referred to as NexStar was completely down. They gave us an E class to take out to lunch hoping the system would be up and running upon our arrival. No such luck!

As a good faith gesture they swapped the C loaner for an E and said they would call when the system was back up and running. We did receive a call as promised but it was an hour before closing and the report was the same……system still down! My wife think something shady is going on but I tend to believe what they have said thus far is true. Not that I am a trusting person because I’m not…especially of salesman! To my wife's point and to my dismay, the dealership was open today but I didn't receive a call notifying whether they found an E with my desired options or if the system is still down. My wife thinks the dealership is stalling until the ML arrive in 5 days.

Most of you who read my original post know that I am (was) torn between waiting an additional week for a 2012 ML that was promised to arrive in two weeks OR go with a 2012 E. One thing I’ve concluded during the waiting and decision making period is that I am no longer interested in the ML. It just doesn’t do it for me anymore. K-A said it best and I paraphrase, the MB bloodline runs deeper in the sedans than it does in their SUV line, and that is no lie! The indescribable feeling I have while driving the E class has never been felt in any of the 3 Mercedes SUVs I’ve owned in the past.

 

hehe, yep, check the cls board

 

An update to my update above, salesman called before closing to say system is still down. Is it time to call

 

Interesting thread. I have directly opposite question. I drove all my lie sedans, but all my neighbors have SUV. So I noticed that equally equipped SUV will cost me $10,000 less. So how easy transition from sedan to SUV ? Is it easy to park? Should you reduce more speed taking sharp ramp? How fast can you go on twisty road? What I can think that SUV will be winner everywhere and if s much safer car. Needless to say no worry to hit curb when you park SUV.

 

So you mean if you need lose some weight, SUV can be perfect solution, instead of daily 4 miles jog, you can to just 40 miles driving. It is awesome, and SUV have more space for heavy people, certainly I should seriously think to move to SUV.

 

It's safe to say my thread has been officially hijacked! lol

 

why don't you call the other dealer first thing tomorrow and see they have the same problem. if they don't, your dealer is very fishy .

easy or not: depends on the size of the suv.
reduce speed: not a bad idea as suv is higher than car and bigger chance to roll over.
twisty road: depends on which model.

well, not a "regular" cls board, guys. it's the "amg" board .

 

Hey GL,
I am elated to see you liked W212 . Interior is very elegant namely if it gets U09 code , leather wrapped dashboard ,I highly recommend it
You can make E350 quicker with a few tweaks as well lol

 

Lose weight and get six pack abs as well!! Regards. Ned.

 

I agree with your comments. Mercedes is a great SUV if you need an SUV but for me the true spirit of a Mercedes you need to go for on of the big heavy sedans (not saying I wouldn't like a SL are 3rd car one day ). So your dealer sounds a little sketch with the system being down, maybe they just don't want to do the work and are already loosing $ having paid off your loan for you and are eager to book the sales with the new ML arrives. However, regardless seems to have turned out for the best because it gave you time to re-evaluate your decision and go away from the ML.

 

so what's the final verdict? still waiting for their system to boot up ?

 

On a completely different topic, I know that you are always looking for feedback on nice rides, K-A. I was on vacation in Florida last week and rented a Chrysler 300. I want to tell you, it was great!! Definitely some MB genetics in there. The car had the new 295hp Penstar v6 and the 8 speed transmission. The interior was decently made and very roomy and comfortable. The car is pretty big at 198 inches long as compared to our e's at 192 inches. The ride was great, reminds me of a good Mercedes suspension, comfortable but decent handling. Ate up road inperfections which is a complaint both you and I have had about the e class. The steering had good feel. The car was as quiet as could be, quieter than my e at highway speed. The NAV screen is 8 inches and right on the center of the dash. To state the obvious, it not a looker like the e class at all. But a much more comfortable drive!! With an MSPR of around $40,000 loaded, a great deal. Regards. Ned.

 

Thanks for the info, ng!

Yeah, the new 300 seems like an incredible value, and although not up to E-Class par indeed, it's actually a nice, mature and classy-ish looking offering this time around for what it is, not the more interesting yet cheesier "make you look like a gangsta" last one, lol. My Brother actually recently got the last one, and I gotta say, that thing rides VERY smooth and strong. It swallows the bumps that make the E Sport tremble and transmit harshness to your senses (of course, it comes at the price of a much floatier and less tight ride.... which is totally appropriate).

There's definitely some Mercedes DNA in that car I'm sure, and as for the motor, it is a co-developed motor with M-B, that's based on/a tweak off of M-B's new D/I 3.5L, so DNA there as well. I drove the new Charger, and was really impressed with what it offered.... for a mere sub $20K at that!