MBNUT1

Are you sure it was the leather or were the seats vented? I have found the that vented seats are not as comfortable as the non vented ones.

ghstudio

Continuing my quest for the replacement of my 2011 e350 BluTek, I decided to drive a 2014 e550 and see how it fit vs all the other cars I've driven recently. I also drove an e350 (gas) immediately after the e550 so I had a pretty good comparison. The e550 is everything the e350 should be...it's fast, tight, responsive vs the e350. I'd compare the A6/7 with either 3.0 or TDI engines to the e550...in fact the e550 and a7 are within $100 of each other when I configure them. Not sure where to put the 535i..nice car, but really seems more like the e350 than the e550. The new 550i would probably blow them all away, but one has to stop looking at some price point.

I think I'm down to the e550 or one of the audi's (is the A7 looks worth $9k...mechanically, they are identical cars).

My current e350 Blutek may be the best long distance car ever made....but it's time to move on. The e550 and A6/7 don't handle the tar strips/bumps as well as my current car, but they are so much more fun to drive.

Did I mention the lexus gs with the f package. For me, it was somewhere in the middle of the other options....not exciting in any one area...probably the best balanced car in the group, but dull.

Still to try....the e350 smaller diesel and the 535d...and of course the maserati ghilbi if it ever gets here.

strawberry

I suggest seriously looking at an ES 350
a gs 350 and es 350 are similar but the es might slightly fit your needs and you can add more options within the same budget.

ghstudio

I refuse to drive an ES350...every realtor in town drives one. I want something a little distinctive

strawberry

hmm i drove a 535i recently it was nice, put a m sport package and you'll be distinct or the a6 with led day time lights also will seperate you from the crowd, there are also some american offerings these days.

also the a7 is worth it it will turn more heads than the rest.... but the issue is parking it.... also 4 seats, i presume you dont need more anyways... i wouls also recoment the cls which i actually see alot it's lowered stance is really something.

K-A

You said the E550 was a Vert in another thread yeah? If so, it's actually not really an "E Class", but a C Class with 2 doors and a huge TT V8 stuffed in it, hence the stark character differences from the softer Sedans. I can imagine such a setup would drive exhilaratingly, though the styling of the facelifted Coupe/Vert is bad enough to recently get it stated as one of the "Ugliest Convertibles On The Road" (it's a "Best and Worst" list) in some car article I read yesterday.

threeMBs

Completely disagree. Though facelift of the sedan IMHO greatly depends on one's tastes (personally I mostly dislike it, especially out of place rear bumper's lower treatment), again IMHO the re-design of the C207 (coupe/cab) line works beautifully - they kept good parts (i.e. pantoon rear fenders) and further improved front (star grille works much better than the one they chose for the sedan, aftermarket on pre-2014 looked much better) and rear bumper (much, much better than sedan's).

K-A

I like the Coupe's facelift generally more than the Sedans as well, as they didn't alter/destroy the inherent design so much (however for the record I of course like the original W212 and never really liked the E Coupe, which partially explains that), but the front looks totally awkward to me. Looks like an M-B SUV or Commercial Van front grafted on or something.