jmatero

I know, I know. But I'm serious. I certainly respect the engineering, quiet, and smooth vault-like ride of the E350 everyone talks about. But as I get closer to my purchase decision, I find myself (perhaps as I'm approaching 45 yrs?) moving away from rough-riding cars like my soon-to-be-lemoned Mustang GT to something more civilized.

BUT... I'm not dead either. I'd also like something that's enjoyable to take through the curves now and then. And I definitely enjoy taking off-ramps at speed without feeling like I'm going to flip over.

I've only driven the 2011 E350 Luxury to date and found the experience a little floaty and disconnected. Do the suspension, tires, and extra oomph of the 2012 Sport Sedan liven things up for the driver? Has anyone else here gone from a sporty car to the E350 Sport?

So appreciate owners reflections on their prior cars and the move to the E350!

Thanks!

jvc300

Is the sport version a little livelier... Yes. It does offer enough for it to be fun. Of course, this is as personal as ones taste in color. I enjoy the ride and handling of the E350 Sport with the AMG options such as lowered suspension, steering wheel, and the AMG wheels.
It's not a true sports car, but if performance is the main goal get a 550. The E350 has enough punch for fun, but I wouldn't use it for stop light drag racing or track days.
Bear in mind that I have a laid back "Floridian" driving style.

jmatero

Thanks so much for the feedback. Honestly, I'm not about being the fastest on the block. I get more enjoyment from excellent handling than raw power.

listerone

My BMW "d" was fun to drive...my Bluetec is comfortable,pleasing and many other positive adjectives but not particularly "fun".

newyorktoLA

No, the E350 isn't as sporty as a true sports car and there is quite a lot of body roll with sharp turns. However, the steering is crisp and the power isn't too bad, although my 268 hp is actually quite low in terms of the competition for this car out there. Then again, the 2012+ models have more power.

If you want handling, go with a BMW. Even my GL350 handles better than this car; maybe it's the AIRMATIC suspension on my GL that my E350 doesn't have?

eagle_lex

these guys are spot on. i went from a C63 (weekend car) to the 2012 E350 which i drive daily. i miss the rawness (if thats a word) of the 63 for sure. but i needed a new daily driver and the 63 would just be losing money as it sat and i paid insurance and taxes on it.

the E350 has much better power IMO over the 11 and older ones. is it sporty? yes are you going to love the handling..? probably not. its best around town or on the highway. its SOLID and SMOOTH with a nice jolt of power once you get it in its "sweet spot."

its going to blow you away in every aspect probably except body roll and raw power coming from a mustang. entirely higher level of build quality.

the 550 would have been MUCH better on power but probably the same on body roll i dont know for sure. someone here might know. but 550s are hard to come by in my area and the deal was just too sweet on my 350. i didnt think i cared about all the options but im telling you they are nice to have once you learn them (distronic plus blind spot and others)

go drive one. they shouldnt be hard to find. i def like the amg wheels as it adds some sport to its appearance. the MBtex is awesome if you like the "new" look longer than leather provides and the near zero maintenance of them.

im getting a little off track but i think we have pretty much all hit the points. sporty = yes
sport car tracking and aggressiveness = no. like everything else its a compromise.

drive one and if you miss the more aggressive feel maybe in a few years pick yourself up a preowned fun car to take out and kick around. good thing about cars you can easily trade or sell them for something else if you find out you get tired of them.

ghstudio

You will think I'm crazy, but if you want a truly fun car to drive, buy a miata. I had one for six years and never drove the car without smiling. Doesn't have the prestige of the MB, but consider it. The other truly "fun" cars that I've driven recently are a lotus and the porsche cayman S.

I would not put any MB in the truly "fun" category....

K-A

The Sport will definitely be a lot "livelier" than the Luxury model.

I find the car very fun to drive, but that's because I didn't buy an E Class to be sporty (therefore all the other concentrated aspects of what I wanted out of it, i.e E-Class virtues, fulfill my needs). If you are looking for something sporty, I'd say it could be a toss up as to how it'll please you in that respect. On one hand, power delivery is solid, and the car grips and handles confidently, however the smooth ride of an E comes with a price: Exaggerated body roll. I wouldn't think of taking this car corner carving as you'd be rolling all over the place (yet the car WILL hold onto the ground).

I'd recommend a 5-Series, but I drove one even with M Sport, which BTW has NO suspension improvements over a normal 5-Series anymore, and I found it to roll and float similarly to the E.... though naturally it's a bit tighter-suspensioned and more spirited to turn (I mean SLIGHTLY now, the F10 isn't what the E60 and E39's were in handling).

All in all, my best advice to an E buyer is: Know what you're buying. If you buy an E for what it's designed to be, you'll love it.... if you're looking for something that it's not, you'll be unhappy with it and probably won't even be able to appreciate it's positive virtues.

telemakhos

This is such a personal choice that you should try driving the two back to back. I find my 2011 E350 a tad underpowered for my liking (not sure how much faster the 2012 motor is). The V8 would certainly make it light on its feet but that comes with increased fuel consumption and cost. Having said that I am quite happy with the handling of the car be it on curves, on-ramps, off ramps etc. I always have a smile on my face when I drive the car.

Good luck

P.S. I think I have the sports package as all Canadian cars are set up that way if I'm not mistaken.

Wig

Correct. You can order the E300 without the sports package, but in stock E300s always seem to be with sports packages. All 350s and 550s are sports package only.

jmatero

What I will say about the E350 is that every single time I sit behind the wheel in the showroom, I giggle and say MAN this is gorgeous, comfortable, and built like a tank. One thing I do remember from my test drive is that it seemed to require more rotation of the wheel to make minor adjustments vs the c-class I drove right before it. Looks like another test drive is in order.

K-A

There you go, it's an emotional connection then which is priceless, and is a buy order!

I guess if you like so many things about it and if the handling doesn't please you enough, you can invest in some suspension mods to tighten it up.

petee1997

I don't know if the E is fun to drive but it is certainly nice to drive. If you are getting out of a Mustang you will think you went to heaven. If you had a Porsche 911 you may feel short changed in the corners and at speeds in excess of 100mph. I hope this answers your question.

PS Another plus, your friends will think you have finally grown up. Who drives a Mustang at 45?

brauhaus313

While maybe not in the same competitive class in all respects with the E-class, if you're used to the power of the Mustang but want something a bit more luxurious or civilized, I think an Audi S4 or A6 are decent options.

The E350 is quieter than both cars, but nowhere near as fun, and not as luxurious as the interior of the A6.

As for your main question, IMO....NO, the 2012 E350 is not fun to drive. The transmission is ponderous in shifting, and while the extra hp is noticeable over the previous V6, its still neither particularly quick or fast. I still chose the E-class over either Audi.

Case1906

A C63 is fun. I would describe an E350 as enjoyable to drive.

ngerstman

I would agree with the comment that the e is enjoyable to drive as opposed to fun. I would even say that about my e550. I have driven both the 2011 and 2012 e350 and can attest to the additional quickness of the new engine although the older engine seemed to have a better power to torque feel. The new engine may be quicker but didn't feel quite as solid to me, hard to explain. I had the new e350 as a rental for a week last month. You will most definitely find more "fun" to drive cars in a BMW 3 series or even the c class Mercedes or even get a great deal right now on a more fun Infiniti G37 if that's what you want. I personally think that the Mercedes e class is as good as any luxury sedan that has ever been produced, built like a tank, very solid drivetrains, beautiful design and very reliable. But if you want "fun" which is not defined as simply those things or simply fast, you have to go with a smaller footprint of a car, period. Regards. Ned.

K-A

Ned, your views on both V6 motors is interesting, as I felt the same way really.

When I drove the 2012 E350, I felt a similar motor that mainly felt more "angry" or "aggressive" when I pushed it. However, like you said, the balance of HP/TQ wasn't as inline as the pre 2012 6er I don't think (makes sense as the 2012 has similar torque with a higher HP aspect). My biggest take from the motor was that it felt more sprightly and eager when I gave it juice.

I'm a big fan of the pre-2012 V6 motor, which puts me in a relative minority on this particular board. I don't like it for any spirited factor, or because it gets my adrenaline rushing.... but I do because as you said, it feels so solid, and has a great torque powerband considering its HP. Also, its relative simplicity to newer motors makes it more confidence inspiring to own for the long haul.

ngerstman

The new engine was more sprite as you observed but just didn't feel as solid to me or as well connected to the car. It also seemed to me that you could step on the old engine harder and despite the fact that the 0-60 time would not be quite as fast, it has a more solid feel. I don't mean do disparage the new engine, because I do appreciate the extra zip, but I wish the new engine felt like the old one with the extra zip!!! In a way I'm glad that was the case so I don't feel I wasted my money on my 2011 e550. That engine feels like the older v6 with the additional power. Regards. Ned.

petee1997

It's the SAME engine with a different fuel delivery system. Now it has direct fuel injection. A far superior system that produces more power.

K-A where do you come off with this crap? You made statements like that when you drove a W211 and the W212 was so inferior.....until you got one.

K-A

Where do YOU come up with this crap, Pete? It's a completely different motor from the ground up.

Also, I never stated the W212 was inferior in any objective way (aside from some cost cutting hard plastics where the W211 had carpeting, which nothings changed here). it was the styling that I didn't like at the time. Obviously that changed as I purchased the car by choice, not force. If you remember, I was one of the firsts (if not the first) to actually drive a W212 on this board and post a review of it. There I gushed IMMENSELY over how amazingly I thought the W212 drove VS my W211.

K-A

For the record, I'm not disillusionally finding reasons to say I'd rather have the pre-2012 motor over the 2012+ motor. I would 100% take the one with better HP and MPG.

However, that's not to say that I can't decipher positive traits from the pre-2012 V6, which IMO is a great motor though gets kind of dogged on enthusiast boards due to its obvious lousy HP to MPG ratio, not to mention does have its own merits over the newer one.

ngerstman

It is a completely different engine, a thoroughly new design, not just direct injection. I owned a 2011 e350 for a while so I know the feel of that engine. As K-A said much maligned on this site but unfairly so IMO. I enjoyed driving the new e350 which I had for a full week down in Miami. And as I said, the old engine could be stepped on harder than the new engine without getting revy feeling, it just feels tougher to me. There is no doubt however, that the new engine is more responsive. Regards. Ned.

K-A

Well said. I do think the reason I come to the defense of the older V6 here is because of how tough people are on it. I recently spent a week with a 308 HP V6 Mustang, I recently drove a 306-ish HP Lexus GS, and I found my 268 HP E to feel almost as fast as them.... in fact, I felt it had a more well-rounded powerband and just gives an impression of more "toughness". I like the simple tech that should prove lasting in the long run. For the record, I've owned 3 E350's (W211and two W212's) and my 2011 feels like a factory freak.... the shifting and motor are more responsive and aggressive than my previous two.

I also drove another 535i recently. Though that motor with its torquier powerband, 8-Speed ZF Tranny and Turbo made it more apparent that it had more HP than my E, than the N/A Mustang and Lexus did (both had 6-Speed tranny's, which hampered them), I still didn't feel like I was getting into a dog when I got back into and drove my E.

mnje350

Fun is in the hands of the holder. I ride a motorcycle for the fun experience. But that's me and it has obvious risks.

mnje350

PS

I have heard that mini-coopers are a lot of fun.