2011 E350 or 2013 C300
 

Hello all.

I am having a hard time deciding and i am looking for inputs. I am coming back to MB after having a 2009 CLK which i am sad i traded in for a Toyota Tundra. My budget is 39K and under. I want CPO. So with my budget in mind what i am finding is E's that are from 2011 or maybe RWD 2012. Is there any downside to getting a CPO older E, or should i consider a 2013 CPO C300.

John, where are you located? You can easily get a 2012 E350 CPO in that budget.
I would get the 2012+ for extra hp from the direct injection V6.

Here's my local dealership inventory on 2012.
http://www.keyesmercedes.com/invento...order=pricel2h

Let me know if you need a referral there.

My first question would be if you've driven both the C and the E. They are vastly different in size and feel. I find the C to be too small, even though I rarely have more than one or two people in the car. (I did have a 10 mile five person trip a few weeks ago. It was pretty tight in the back with three adults, but they survived.

Personally, I buy a car and keep it for a long time, so the model year is not that big a deal for me. I'd rather have a 2012 E class than a 2013 C class.

I looked on mbusa.com for within 500 miles of me, and there were plenty of E's for under $39,000.

Depending on the options you want, you should have a lot of choices. The CPO warranty is unlimited mileage at the moment.

When I bought mine, I wanted Luxury (not Sport), and I wanted P2, not P1. I ended up with a diesel not by choice, but I am completely in love with the engine now.

The only thing I wish mine had is Distronic since I do a lot of highway driving.

There should be plenty for you to choose from.

E-Class feels small i can't imagine how C would feels.

E class , no doubt , C is too small , and less options , and not as sexy as E , and less power , and under 39K you can easily get a nice and CPO E for sure.
E over C :)

instantfob Unfortunately i live in the DC area now, and not Southern Cal anymore

Thank you all for your responses. You are confirming what i was already thinking. I guess i needed an unbiased opinion (wink) to make me feel better about my choice. I just wanted to make sure i was not overlooking a feature that was in the newer C that was not in the older E. It's funny i posted similar question is both the C and this E forum, and no one suggested i get the other car. I think either car is great, so on to local DC Mercedes dealers this weekend to see what i can pick up.

get an E , and you will thank us later :y
good luck!

i have found that the MB dealers in the DC area consistently price their used inventory 10-20% more than what you would find in places like Florida, Texas or California. If you're able to fly down and drive it back, I would do that 10 times out of 10 rather buy from a local DC dealer.

Hard to not say E class. I'm selling my 2010, so no CPO there. But if you are interested, lemme know. For that price range, I wonder if you can get a 550?

You are so right. I expanded my search a bit, and BAM the prices drop.

I'm shopping for exact same right now. Test driving a 2013 C300 luxury and 2011 E350 4matic luxury tomorrow. I will make my decision once I see and drive them both. I'm already leaning towards E350 because of size. I'm pretty excited. Haven't driven an MB since my dad's 1980 450SL.

Also, I'm doing it through Carmax and they brought it both vehicles for me for free because of distance. They seem to have a large selection. But I still am hesitant about carmax.

I have been thrilled with my Diesel e350! The mileage is amazing and the turbo is a blast!

two completely different car sizes, if you plan on driving around a crowded city a lot, get the C, if you live in suburbia with lots of parking or you will def be driving around 3+ people often, get an E.

Bought mine from Carmax. It was actually a great experience. 5 day return policy so you can get car fully checked out. No one else around here does that. Their extended warranty is a bargain to.

+1

Good advice all around!! The c is the Mercedes 3 series alternative, sporty and more agile, a car to zip around in. The e is a luxury sedan with a bit of sport to it, especially if you get the sport suspension. There is a meaningful difference between the luxury suspension and the sport suspension as well as 17 inch or 18 inch rims. I live in NJ where the roads are terrible and would lean toward the more comfortable and more tire blowout proof setup myself, but many members much prefer the sport suspension and the look and ride of 18 inch rims(some feel the sport suspension is a bit too choppy over rough roads). I would also lean toward the 2012 for the extra hp, over 300 as opposed to 268, big difference. If cost is an issue, the 2011's could no doubt be had for much less as a result of older engine. If you're not too concerned with the power difference, the older engine is still a really good power plant, it has a lot of torque and can be stepped on pretty hard. Good luck. Regards. Ned.

I wouldn't buy a c class right now especially a late model one with the new C coming out in September. The price of the W204 will drop then

Oh yeah, great point.

I had to decide between W212 and W204 as well. The result , my vote was for the W212 and never regret going for it
I love W204s but some items are not available that can be opted in W212 too
I also inspected W205 closely in person and sat in two W205 . Despite 10cm increase in length ,I feel it is still cramped in comparison with any W212

Well all after all the great comments for both the C and the E. i picked up a 2012 E Class. I am so happy to be back into the Mercedes family. Thanks all for your great comments.

Best of luck with the new car. I have had mine for 4 months and love it.

The C class is a great car, but I think you made the right choice. Now, you have to come post pics!

Congrats, either choice was good but W212 was a better one surely :y