Munich77

For those that did not see it, Car & Driver reviewed the 2014 E550 4matic. They really liked it except that they are thinking that some features of the driver assistance package are standard.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ic-test-review

And I learned something new - apparently summer tires are a no cost option.

usamuscle

Good review. 111 in the quarter is not bad for a 4500 tank. Crazy to think my Z06 weighs about 1300 lbs less.

AudiA4Turbo22

Such a shame they're taking them away.

Munich77

That is how I feel, too, and it is the reason I got a new car. I wanted the V8. I suspect that in addition to corporate fuel economy standards they want to push more people into the CLS which is probably a higher profit margin.

What I find interesting about the article is that it really shows how insanely fast "regular" sedans have gotten. If you were to take the numbers from the article and compare it to those of sports car from about 10 years ago, I bet that the E550 is just about as fast.

PeterUbers

Cool article

The 1/4 mile was in the 12's a couple years ago, did the 2014 gain more weight?

I do not like the cardinal red on the 550

I think the 550 is a better buy than the e63... Plenty of juice with a fraction of the maintenance costs

Get one while you can!

BenzV12

Thanks for the link , let's see how they commented over the car

Munich77

The comments there are pretty good - some people are critical but most of them love the E550.

AudiA4Turbo22

I think the reason they're taking it away is rather simple, it has to do with sales. I'm sure out of every 10,000 e-classes sold maybe one is an E550.

In my honest opinion, the E550 should look different from the E350, afterall we are paying 10k more for the same car, they should look at it like the GL550. When the GL550 came out with the massive grille, the 21" wheels, the quad exhaust tips, etc. It gave an exclusivity that attracted buyers and it still does today. I felt the same about my ML500 and my ML550, there was no distinction from the lesser models. The car needs to look/feel more special to the buyers, I should be able to quickly see why spending an extra 10k is worth my while. Us car lovers just want more power, but let's face it, most people who buy these cars don't give a damn about cars really, they either buy it cause they like it or because it's a status symbol.

I suspect the ML550 will be stopped shortly as well.

If you think about it, people buy the G550 all day long spending 125k on an SUV that rides like garbage thanks to the solid axles, horrendous aerodynamics, body styling from the 70s, etc. The reason they buy these is the uniqueness, they look awesome and totally different. The CLS is very unique, it's really just a sleek E-class yet people pay 80k all day long for one because it's different. The higher end models need more distinction, people want to see why they paid so much for a car.

just my two cents.

Tjdehya

I disagree, it should not look any different. There is nothing special about the E550. Its just a different engine choice, some will take the diesel, some will take the V-6, others will take the Hybrid, and another will take a V-8.

The real price difference between an E350 and an E550 is only $5k, not 10k. Standard Leather and 4matic.

The reason why people don't pick the E550 over the E350 has absolutely nothing to do with looks.

PeterUbers

Yup, I bought the 550 for it's jet propulsion, had zero interest in a v6 Benz, zero

AudiA4Turbo22

5K? Where do you see this? 2014 E350 starts at $51,900 and 2014 E550 starts at $61,400

I can see where you're coming from and I can respect that. However, today's V6's are putting out some serious power and torque while being much more efficient. They put out more power than V8's of even 5 years ago. It used to be that a V6 E-class(05 E320) had 221HP for a car that weighed about the same as the E350 of today. That is sufficient power to get the car moving, perfect for those who don't care about power. Those who wanted a swifter model bought the E500 which made 302HP.

Today, the V6 E350 makes 302HP same as the E500 from back in 05. Let's face it, 302HP in any mid-sized car is PLENTY to get around town, pass cars and even have some fun on the twisties. The E550 is now offered with 402HP which is A LOT of power, more than necessary really.

My point is, the days of driving a V6 powered Mercedes and feeling that it's not enough for your needs are gone, again I'm not talking about us gear heads. The buyers who would get into a V6 E-class and say it needs a little more power are few and far in between.

Personally, I feel that Mercedes now has to recapture the V8 buyers in a different way, whether it be looks or more standard features, etc.

Tjdehya

If you add leather and 4matic to the E350, then there is only $5k difference between the models.
Not "standard" features but rather "exclusive" features.
In some cases more standard features may make a buyer stick with the V6 instead of going for the V8.
e.g. If buyers were able to build an E550 without leather and 4matic then the stating price for the E550 would be ~$56k. Someone who doesn't care for 4matic or leather may be enticed to purchase the E550 for only $5k more instead of paying $10k extra for a car with features they don't want/need.
However, if a buyer wants the true luxury of Benz, they would have to get the E550 because the Airmatic is not available for the E350.

PeterUbers

Oh and I love that v8 snarl that a v6 just never delivered for me, no matter what type of exhaust

Same reason a tesla does nothing for me but I get the buzz and excitement over tesla model s

usamuscle

agreed .