L.I. Ryder

So in the past couple days i have drivin the E350 amg sport. Loved it. Power is smooth for a v6 and isnt as slow as i thought it would be. Seats are comfortable which is a big plus for me as i love me a real comfortable seat for long drives. The cabin feels and looks modern and not cheesy at all. Very impressed.

Just now i test drove the Audi A6 3.0 supercharged motor. The car has more power but it actually didnt feel faster than the E350. The interior is a downgrade compared to the benz. There was alot of body roll and the brakes were very touchy. Steering is very assisted and floaty. I was not impressed at all with the A6. And honestly i love audi i just sold my audi S5 and also had an a4. Audi is usually my top choice.

I had a 5 series and i would score that the least out of the 3. I hated it so much i sold it after a month of ownership lol. I have nothing against BMW i had a 750i and loved every minute of it.

So out of all of these cars that are basically in the same category i see it like this E350>A6>5-series

Going to be picking up my first Mercedes tomarow my vote is that the E350 is fun to drive

K-A

Thanks for the review. I am gonna drive an A6 myself soon. The interior I already mostly agree with.... I do like it, but I find the design a little cold and some of the plastics feel thin, easily scratchable and "cheap" (center console area had a compartment I noticed namely). Also, the lack of ANY stitching whatsoever on the doors, or anywhere for that matter, leaves a lot to be desired when you have elegant stitching on the E and 5-Series' door inserts/areas namely.

Did you have an F10 5-Series? Seems lots of especially BMW enthusiasts are getting more and more displeased with the soft "Benz impression" of a ride. My issue with the 5-Series is that it doesn't do anything best in class. It's apparently not the tightest turning and best handling anymore (my drives with it show a comparable ride to the E Class in terms of floatiness), and it still doesn't match the E in the ultimate comfort factor, IMO. It's the best "jack of all trades" I think, but it doesn't indulge in any extremities as its competitors do more-so.

I drove an A7 and found the S/C V6 to feel VERY impressive and much more powerful than it is. So it's an impressive feat for the new E350 V6 to give you an impression of more power.

Edit: Whoops, I thought you'd posted that in a brand new Thread for some reason.

ngerstman

I originally had the Conti's and thought that they were kind of loud but comfortable. I now have Michelin Pilot Exaltos and they are quieter and handle a bit better but are also a somewhat harder ride due to stiffer sidewalls. Trade offs. I live in NJ so need all whether tires. Regards. Ned.

jmatero

The steering feel in the A6/A7 is much better than the E350 once you change it to the sport setting. Sounds like during that test drive you were in automatic mode (the default) or worse... comfort mode (or what ever they call NUMB).

To me, the Audi motor felt much torquier. I think the sense of "power" in Audis is very different than BMW/Benz because of the AWD. You don't get that sensation of a big shift of the car's mass to the rear when you hit the gas. You just move ahead. In the Benz, when you give it gas, the nose goes up, the tail squats a bit, and that "feels" powerful.

As for the interior, I have to admit, I'm a cup holder aficionado. I drink my Venti Iced Coffee in the car. I DESPISE cup holders placed in between the shifter and the armrest... even with paddles on the wheel. HATE it. It's one of the reasons I like the E350's shifter on the column. The cup holders are far ahead in the console and not in the way of anything.

Personally, I think the materials in the Benz are just as good as the Audi and BMW. I'm convinced the Benz takes hits because it is so square and some folks (auto reviewers...) equate that to "uninspired". Not me. I love squares... and symmetry.

I owned the previous gen 3-series and was one of the few who LOVED the dash. The F30 to me looks like it melted in the sun and I HATE it.

Prefer this...


... to this


Prefer this...


... to this

L.I. Ryder

I like the a7 more than the a6 mainly because it comes with the recaro seats (which come in the S models like my s5). The supercharged motor has great power and great torque. BUT the awd system looses alot of power to the wheels which actually made the E350 and A6 feel similiar in power not to mention the lag u get when u hit the gas on the a6. I drove the 4matic on sunday and was suprised at the power that i had to find one without 4matic and like i said i was sort of impressed.

The ability to tune the supercharged motor is the main reason i went to look at the a6. But the overall car wasnt so pleasing that i needed to buy it just for some extra power.

BMW f10 not to mention every bmw is always in the shop. Mine, my brothers my girlfriends always in the shop electrical & mechanical.

This is my first benz so i am taking a gamble on reliability. I have heard good things so i hope this one will intrigue me to buy more benz's in the future.

K-A

Good points by both of you. Yeah, BMW's current 5ers reliability has been leveraging against "disaster zone". Lots of reported issues with the first couple of year models. Statistical reports show this as well. Aside from some unlucky's, the new E's are about bulletproof and either at or right about at best in class in reliability.

Ugh, I forgot about the A6's hideous pop up screen. Even the shutlines around it look crude and poorly fit when you see it up close. IMO the E's interior is all in all a bit nicer than the A6's.... that pop up aftermarket-looking, non-integrated screen just loses a lot of points to me.

vdubpower

sounds like the f10 is even worse than the e60

K-A

I think the F10 is a much better all around "car" than the E60. More refined, softer, more luxurious, etc. However, as a "BMW", and the precision tool that you expect them to be, and in a sense of character, it isn't nearly as focused on sporting dynamics as the E60 is. The E60 is much more raw and connected, while the F10 is more serene and aloof.

hyperion667

yeah something is aloof alright......

alphapenguin

We've driven Audis for 12 years and I still drive my 2000 A4 Avant Quattro, purchased new. We finally bought our new E350 after more than 2 months' looking for a suitable replacement for my wife's 02 A6, totalled at a traffic light by a thoughtless Escalade driver. We had expected to buy a new A6. But after driving a new 3.0T A6 Quattro for a weekend, we were disappointed. The best feature is the engine. It's a treat. But the slab-side body with that maw of a grill was off-putting. It felt huge but insubstantial for its size. We both felt the interior design and materials were lacking, and as one stated, it had an overall feminine aspect. But the biggest turnoff was the pop-up screen. Hideous is the perfect description. An abysmal afterthought.

The new 5 series was far more attractive and fun for me, but it did nothing for my wife, and she had difficulty with the rear seat headrests obstructing her vision through the rear window.

That brought us to the three-pointed star. This is a sedan that projects gravitas. The exterior is simply gorgeous and the interior design, materials and craftsmanship are peerless. The sport suspension coupled with the new 3.5L engine sealed it, along with a screen properly ensconced in the dash, where it belongs.

K-A

Very nice, congrats. Also totally agree with you on your take on the A6 and E.

alanme123

I always thought the 5 series multi contour seats were much more comfortable than the seats in E class. The seats in the E hurts my lower back on longer rides..

greasykid

The 2011 engine is not the same as the 2012. The 2011 is a 90 degree V6. The 2012 is a 60 degree V6 w/No Balance shafts. Also fewer moving parts.

alphapenguin

The gentleman is correct, and the advanced engine design, in addition to the appreciable difference in power and fuel economy, is one of the reasons my wife and I decided to pay more for the 2012 E350.

petee1997

I stand corrected. Since this is progress, all engines prior to the 2012 model are now inferior. The 2014 model will have another advancement and will develop 235hp. It's great, otherwise why would we trade cars?

mnje350

Time will have to tell if the prior engines are "inferior". So far my "inferior" engine has performed flawlessly and I have not needed the additional HP or economy that the new "superior" engines deliver.

golfster

My wife and I have been looking at GTI's and Golf R's as a second car for her as her primary is a TT convertible which has limited room. Although neither is super fast, they are both "fun" to drive. After those test drives, I would agree with previous statements, getting back in the E, it is enjoyable to drive.

K-A

I drove a Mustang GT 5-Speed recently. Harsh, crude, loud, fun, felt kind of cool and a throwback to my Mustang days. Getting into the E was incredibly "enjoyable" afterward, so I agree that's the best way to put it. You really appreciate the quality and luxury when you have something different to benchmark it off of.

davidbijan

Get a E550 then you will have fun. Take it from me I had a 350 it was a nice cruiser but i wouldnt say i had fun. But then again that depends on your definition of fun. For me its being thrown back in your seat when you gun it. The V8 does that very well.

rjm

I'm with ya on that, Bro!

K-A

Of such monumental proportions that people will go through whatever means necessary to have it in view?

Case in point, I guess.

Dema

It is hard to be objective. I drive E350 after wife when she told that car is sluggish. So she got V8. I am not so picky, I just know limits of the car and drive accordingly. I have older version of W212, so hopefully 300hp version is a bit faster, however I believe you will still struggling taking sharp corners. Otherwise the car is fabulous.

alan_e550

Aside from some rims and perhaps an illuminated star on your grill, not much.

if you had an e550 i would have suggested exhaust mods like I’m doing on mine. However the e350 has a v6 and while it’s a smooth ride, I highly suggest staying away from the straight-piped v6 honda accord crowd.

You’ve got a great ride, enjoy her as it is!

hyperion667

Necro bump!!