mihink

Have to chime in here...as you can see from my join date, I am an 'OG' member on this forum but have not posted much since I have been driving BMWs since '05.

Anyways..long story short, my '09 BMW 335i was returned to the dealer after my lease was up. So..I am shopping for my next car.

The candidates are 535i/e350/Audi A6/Lexus GS350/maybe Acura TL SH-AWD...I know, I know it's god forbid a Honda product, but I think it looks cool.

So...I test drove an '11 e350 (RWD) today (used with 11K miles), had P2, adaptive seats, pano roof, etc. pretty loaded car.

The car felt underpowered especially coming from the twin turbo 335i. The ride was pleasant, but road noise was clearly present and ride was sort of 'busy/bouncy' on the HWY. I always thought MB's ride should be smooth as glass over all pavement. I had an '02 c230 kompressor coupe (which i loved and dearly miss btw) that had a firmer, more attached to the road feel than the e350. The rear camera turned when I put in "R" but so did the stereo, what's up with that? Does this happen every time?

Anyways..none of the above was a deal breaker for me. But I have a few questions for the group.

1. Is 4matic really worth it? I have never owned a 4WD/AWD car even living here in the mid-atlantic, have had no issues with snow/ice. Does 4matic help or hinder handling? Particularly the added weight and slower acceleration times and worse gas mileage.

2. I know the '12 models have the DI engines...I could buy a new car if I had to, but it's nice to save $$$ on a slightly used '11 model. To the '12 owners who have owned/driven the '11 models, is there really a SIGNFICANT differernce in performance between the two cars? i.e real world acceleration, gas mileage.

3. Has anyone noticed a slight whistling sound at HWY speed on their '11 models? I mentioned it to the salesman..he said every E class has the same sound and it is 'normal'?

4. The '12 models come with the new color screen in the speedo, the '11 models have the old school black and white screen. Do the '12 models contain more info on the screen? Or is it just the same as '11, but colored?

I plan on test driving the BMW 5/A6/Acura TL this week to make a decision.

Thx for everyone's response in advance

brauhaus313

1. I would never buy AWD unless you absolutely need it, unless the car had a pretty sophisticated vectoring or differential system.

2. The extra 30 or so hp isn't that significant. The mpg is a big improvement on the DI models though. If it is true that next year's car is going to get an extra 33 hp, I'd wait for that to come out. Jumping about 60hp from the 2011 to the 2013 would be a significant difference.

3. I get a slight whistling when taking long sweepers at highway speeds. I think its the door seals leaking from flex. Another reason why I don't think the car's chassis is as stiff as it should be and how it is marketed.

4. The 2012's screen shows AC info when you change settings.

My humble two cents, if I had to do it again, I would buy an A6 3.0t. That car isn't the best in any category, except maybe traction and acceleration, but it is the best balance of everything. Everything the W212 was supposed to bring back from the best of Mercedes' of yesteryear, has IMO but mostly marketing.

ghstudio

If you are going to lease another car, BMW and Mercedes will give the best lease deals...and the best lease, by far, is the e350 bluetec for 24 mos and 10 security deposits. It will likely be $100 or more less per month than the equivalent gas models and it's quite a car...very different than your previous wheels, but worth trying.

BenzV12

As a happy W212 Owner, let me try to answer some of questions

335i should normally make you feel quicker and nimbler because it's a car that is equivalent to W204 C Class .
W212 should be compared to F50 5 Series but I think BMW should be faster but that doesn't mean W212s are so slow compared to BMW F50 5 Series

MB's ride is smooth I think you drove Sport version , try Luxury version may it should make you feel smoother . What you drove was loaded car , you can't go wrong with them

When you engage in R , dash screen shows behind but if you don't like you can turn off the rear view camera . Rear camera and stereo uses same screen , you can turn off stereo by pressing Tell or Navi , Disc buttons

I wanted 4 MATIC as well . I picked up RWD and most folks say 4 MATIC is not necessary unless you live in snow areas, downpoor wet driving conditions and things like these
Steering wheel system is designed different for 4 MATICs as well . I think RWD's is called parametric

Color scheme for '12s is great , I have not looked at '11s read out gauges this is why I don't know whether 12s come with extra things . It's like to see multi colored readout .
Steering wheel is a different for 12 models if you prefer Sport - Avantgarde
According to my manual , you can also see 15 mins fuel consumption graphics in COMAND screen too

BM2BZ

just fyi, current bmw 5 series is f10, not f50 .

greasykid

Have had 2010,2011 and now 2012. To me each has been improvement.Factory ordered my 2012 to get exactly what I wanted. Black/ash interior. P2.,lane tracking/blind spot feature,and multi-contour seat. Just took a 2000 mile trip. Averaged slightly over 30 mpg. This includes driving around Cleveland & Chicago. Straight highway driving was about 32 mpg.
More HP was more noticed as making the car more eager to go quickly. I guess you could say that response was smoother.Also tranny is smoother shifting. Mine is a Sport model. Also had dealer change out Conti Pro tires for Conti Extreme Contact DWS. This was done n/c by dealer. No noticeable road noise. Have had NO problems whatsoever.

petee1997

My wife and I both traded BMW 3 series on the E class. I doubt I would buy another Bimmer. I hated the rough riding run flat tires. Both BMW's had the sport package and had a stiffer suspension than the E350 sport. I must admit the 335 engine was superior to the MB but problematic due to fuel pump problems. A better comparison would be the the five series.

My wife has just ordered a new 2013 E350 coupe 4Matic. BMW was never considered. She has had numerous MB's prior to the BMW and thought one Bimmer was plenty.

In any event, cars are suggestive. It is very difficult to impose my taste on someone else. This is one decision that only you can make. It's your money and you will be driving it.

Good luck

Arrie

Point 4.

I think the AC info will show on 2011 models too. I think it is a setting in engineering menu.

tjkaz

I had this "show up" after the dealer updated my COMAND SW to the latest rev.

BenzV12

OK, thanks for the correction . F10 sounds like my notebook's keyboard buttons lol

A/C shows but comes off a few secs after you mess up with A/C buttons
I don't know if you make it appear pernament with some tweaks

WEBSRFR

Get AWD if you live someplace with snow or drive a lot in the rain. The benefits of AWD is not just for rain and snow but give you better grip even during dry conditions. It is always nice to have two extra wheels with grip and power. Personally I'd never buy another car without WAD. I am completely sold on 4MATIC.

In fact I am now shopping around for a convertible but AWD is a must for me.

BetterTomorrow

I was in similar shoes not long ago. I think I could've bought a brand new A6, Lexus GS350, or 11 535ix with similar money I was planning on spending but I ended up picking up a certified 10 e550 4matic.

I thought A6 offered everything but in an unattractive package. The new GS350, when I looked at the rear, I just laughed. It looked almost exactly like camry. I could've gotten another BMW I guess, would've been a good choice. But when I test drove e550 4matic, I knew it was going to be my next car.

I did not test drive E350 because most other Es I saw on the road were E350s. Also I knew what 60mph in mid 6s felt like and knew I wouldn't be happy with it. Not that I drive fast but knowing that I could would be good enough. I do not notice any wind noise in my E. Ride is smooth and composed on most surfaces. It feels very similar to E39 M5 (which is thought to be one of the best BMW Ms) with more comfort than sport. I used love every mile in that car. Now that I am in E550, I love every mile in this car as well. My only compalins are annoying rattle in the rear quarter and defective 2nd key fob.

Perhaps you should go test drive E550.

mihink

Thanks for everyone's responses...

I really want to LOVE the e350..after all it is a large sum of $$$ and I want to enjoy the commute after a tough day at work..

To update: I test drove a '12 BMW 535i X-drive with sport package + many other options today.. I was SO disappointed. WTH happend to BMW. The 5er floats down the road and feels disconnected to the road, the electric steering has a vague on center feeling. Actually felt frightened to take turns at speed even though the salesman riding along was telling to 'push it'. It is so different than the 335i had (night and day). I was really hoping to like the 5er. Have to say the interior (seats/Nav screen/dash) are a step above the e class IMO. Felt like 1st class...but the rear seat room was much tighter than the previous 5er (e60) I had as a loaner once, what's up with that? Particularly given the size of the car is now much larger.

As for the e class: after reading more on this forum, I suspect the ride quality/high road noise was related to the Pirreli tires on my test car..lot of people complaining about them. Maybe a tire swap would give that quality MB ride. During the test drive of the E, I noticed the passenger seat shaking a lot at HWY speed, is that a common problem? To me that is a sign of a poor body structure or bad tires, who knows?

Anyways..will be driving a new '12 e350 (both 4matic and RWD) and A6 this week to get a better idea what I want.

brauhaus313

I'll tell you in advance, that 3.0t engine is pretty exhilirating. Some testing numbers show sub 5 second 0-60 sprints for the A6.

The one I drove had 19's and I don't remember what tires, but the road noise was unacceptable for that level of car. The W212 wins in that regard and its sharp styling has the edge IMO as well, though the A6 is also a fine looking automobile. Very interested to read your own perceptions once you drive both cars.

K-A

My thoughts EXACTLY after I drove the F10 5-Series (535i WITH M Sport Package) the other week. I HONESTLY couldn't tell that it supposedly handles better than the E-Class. I mean, both are pretty isolated and floaty, now that the 5er joined the club. The 328i I recently pushed around was a classic BMW in driver involvement and more exhilarating feel. Slight handling edge still goes to the 5, and slight comfort edge to the E, but man are they almost interchangeable drive-wise.

I love the W212's extremely teutonic/Germanic and classically M-B inspired interior in its own right, but objectively, I agree that the F10's interior is a step above in overall sense of occasion and "dazzle". It doesn't feel as built to last or solid, but it feels more refined and fancy. The W212 interior reminds me of the W126 interior (which is a great thing), however. At the same time, I feel the W212 E's exterior is a step and visual class above the F10 5's. Exterior is more important to me, so there's my choice.

FEGELEIN

only go AWD if you have to, like me living in NE and using as a daily. My parent's have an 11' E550 4matic sedan and IMO, it is definitely underpowered. However, I can only compare to my E5504 sedan and my GL450. Regardless, I feel a Benz should never be underpowered, regardless of engine size / weight.