shak

Thinking of picking up a e350. Any specific differences between the years? I think in 2012 they had a new engine, is that an only upgrade in addition to small things like fog lights?

Does the E350 come with airmatic suspicion, or its strictly E550? Few friends who had MB in the past, all had failed airmatic, something I am trying to avoid. My only other concern is the joystick looking tranny shifter, do they ever fail?

Would a CPO vehicle justify $3-4k in price difference? I am looking at the lower mileage examples, anything specific I need to be looking for? Will MB dealer provide me a maintenance records upon request, even if the car is not sold there?

Thanks

rhoffman000

Glad you asked this question because I was getting ready to post the same thing. I'll be looking to pick up a 2012 e350 within the next month or so. I'm brand new to mbworld (aside from lurking for the past 2 weeks) and it'll be my first ever Benz and my first time ever buying a used car. Definitely seems that going for the 2012 with the upgraded engine (more power & more efficient) is worthwhile.

I've been searching the sites for CPO 2012 e350 with sport package and P1 (P2 would be gravy, but not a requirement). Trying to target a mileage number around 25k. My plan is to own this car well past warranty expiration and I'll probably put 15k miles on it per year or so. I'll use it as a daily commuter, but my round trip commute is only about 30 miles.

Most of the online sites list the e350 with these specs starting at about $36.5k. Is that reasonable? I've never bought used. Should I expect to be able to negotiate $3-4k off what I'm seeing as the averages on cars.com, etc? I feel like people on here have been saying that $37k is too expensive for a used 2012 e350 with 25,000 miles, but that's what I'm seeing online so I'm looking for some help.

Thanks everyone! Glad to be here.

shak

In my areas, a clean 2010 with less than 50k miles start at 28k, CPO are 32+.

I found bunch of cheaper ones in Miami area, but that place is full of shady dealerships, and most of the inventory has branded titles(buy backs, lemons, airbags deployed, ...).

With MB warranty, and only 12 month with CPO, it looks like it makes more sense to 2012 non CPO vs 2011 cpo, you get the same coverage for a better vehicle.

I only owned Jap vehicles, but had experiences with MB in the past, they are great cars if taken care of, but if something breaks and you take it to the dealer, its "assume the position" time.

ngerstman

Airmatic only comes on e550 and while some love it, I would prefer a great regular suspension. The 2012 e350 comes with either a sport suspension or what's called the luxury suspension. The sport suspension generally comes with 18 inch rims, the luxury 17 inch. This is my two cents, if you live in an area with crappy roads, go with the luxury suspension and 17 inch rims, absorbs the bumps much better and lower chance of bent rims and blowouts. I believe that it is mostly vanity that drives a lot of drivers to the sport suspension and larger rims, they do look better, no doubt. That aside I would definitely go with the luxury suspension. Also try and find the P2 option package to get most of what you need including keyless go. I also like the safety option like blind side assist. Leather is not standard and most e350s come with what's called MB Tex, which most people have no problem with, it's actually quite comfortable. It can be hard to find an e350 with leather. IMO, these are no doubt one of the best luxury sedans ever made, truely great cars, like tanks and reliable. That's it. Regards. Ned.

carsandcapp

This is where I got mine. Several 2012's in their inventory.

http://www.***-motorcars.com/incomin...ec-sport2.html

rhoffman000

Is there a difference between the sport package and an AMG Sport package for a 2012 e350? I feel like I see it listed both ways.

carsandcapp

I think AMG is an option for the coupe only..not sure though.

carsandcapp

Nope, I am wrong. See this listing for an AMG optioned sedan. THe most notieceable difference is the steering wheel. I wish I had that on mine.

http://www.***-motorcars.com/incomin...0-sport16.html

shak

That must be for 2012+ models, the 2010 with AMG I seen had just the wheels and full leather steering wheel without wood dash.

El Cid

I test drove two Sports versions and then a Luxury version in 2010. World of difference in ride and comfort in Luxury version. Sport has 18" wheels with low profile tires and sports suspension. Luxury has comfort suspension, 17" wheels and tires with larger sidewalls. If possible, you need to try both. Some appearance differences as well, but most people don't notice them.

mikeyle

the sport package gives a slightly lower car with a 18 inch wheels and a different grill amongst other cosmetic difference like the area around the speedometer and three spoke round steering wheel. You get the flat bottomed steering wheel and amg wheels with the "wheel package" as i believe it was called.

rhoffman000

So it would seem that maybe the AMG package is referring to the wheels and the steering wheel upgrades. That I could live without, although it does looks cool. My X3 m-sport has a fairly stiff ride, especially in sport+ mode. I'm fairly certain I can live with a stiff suspension.

Any comments on 2012 pricing? Should I expect to do much better than about $38,000 for a CPO with 25k miles?

rrayll

My two cents. I recently purchased a 2011 E350 CPO and highly recommend trying to find a car with the P2 and the Driver's Assist packages. They are pretty rare to find, but are worth seeking out. The Driver's Assist package which includes Distronic Plus, blind side assist and active lane departure warning is totally awesome. Makes driving so much easier and safer. P2 gives you xenon headlamps for much better night lighting and convenient keyless entry and push button starting.
If I had to make a choice of only one, although I love the convenience of P2, the Driver's Assist package would win because of its safety features. I was fortunate to find one with both, and to add to my good fortune also had leather and panoramic sunroof (not requirements but nice to have).
Finally, because of all the extra electronics that my car has, I purchased an additional 2 year extended warranty past the extra year that Mercedes gives on it's CPO cars. As wonderful and reliable as I think my car is, out of warranty repairs can be really painful to bear. So I have until 2018 with unlimited miles for covered repairs.
Good luck with your shopping and if you are like me, you will thoroughly love driving the car.

SLpat

i agree with rrayll, the drivers assistance package is great. After using the distronic plus i think it is one of the best features of the car.

As for the Airmatic suspension i have heard some poor stories as well but I have had no issues. I talked to the original owner and he had no issues and I have 45K miles on the car. My father in law has a 2007 S and he has over 100K with no issues as well.

If you buy the CPO car you get 12 months unlimited mileage on the warranty. You can purchase an additional two years with unlimited miles as well. The list price from MB for the additional two years on an E class is $2,295 but as with everything it is negotiable.

Good luck with the search.

rhoffman000

If you don't mind sharing, what did you end up paying? How long ago was this and what was the mileage on the car? I'm still seeking some verification if 38k or so is right for a 2012 with 25k miles. Thanks for the info.

agalindez

I purchased a CPO 2012 E350 Bluetec P1 w/30k miles from Texas Direct Auto for $34k 2 weeks ago. I love the car and would purchase it again in a heartbeat. However I do wish I had the keyless go and distronic options. Also, folding rear seats is not standard, so if that is important to you make sure yours has that. On a final note... I would whole-heartedly recommend Texas Direct Auto, no matter where you live, they will deliver fairly cheaply and have many to choose from.

RNBRAD

Yea I feel sorry for those guys that take their car to the dealer for everything. I had a crankshaft position sensor go out a couple weeks ago in my w211. It costs about 300 from the dealer to replace but with some knowledge acquired from this forum I got the part for 10 dollars and replaced it in 15 minutes. So if you can turn a wrench, these cars mechanically are pretty easy to work on. How about a 2010 E550 with 10k miles?

rrayll

My 2011 E350 was bought in March cost $35,500 plus $2,500 for the extended warranty for a total of $38,000 before tax and a little over $40,000 including taxes and fees. The car had 19,500 miles and was bought from MB of Manhattan in NY. Although the type of miles on a used car purchased from an urban dealer may be suspect, in my shopping experience a 3 year old CPO car coming off lease averaged about 10K fewer miles than from a suburban dealer. So you can have a "quality" vs "quantity" of miles decision to make. Bear in mind that prices depend very much on where you buy the car and it's best to shop around locally to get a sense of proper value for your area. Need to do your research. However, $38K for a 2012 seems pretty good depending on options included.
I have also found that prices for used cars do not always seem to logically reflect the value of the included options. This can result in a very good deal when considering the whole package and can work to your advantage.
As far as the model year, the biggest advantage of 2012 over 2011 is the newer engine which is not only more powerful but more fuel efficient. But you knew that. When I was shopping many more 2011's were available probably because they were almost all coming off 3 year leases. Also having more inventory to sell puts you in a better negotiating position.
I am not regretting my choice, in fact, I have grown to really like the "hockey stick" driving lights that disappeared after 2011. Ah, so many personal choice decisions (but fun ones).
Hope this helps.

rhoffman000

Extremely helpful, thank you. Is the high maintenance cost on these cars due to expensive required maintenance (which can be somewhat offset by maintenance packs) or due more towards expensive unexpected maintenance. I feel like research on the web indicates that these cars should be fairly reliable.

drsaab

These 2 Cents are very good info.

As far as price. A Great price for a CPO 2012 with 25k miles is 35k, a good price is 36k for the average 59-62k msrp when new car. If it has high options, you can add 1-2000 depending on how badly you want the options. In my opinion Keyless go and distronic are a must, like a smart phone.. can not go back to the basic flip phone again.

A non CPO should be about 1500-2k less.

Those P2 prem pk and distronic are rare though.

the 2012 also had a slightly newer navi version and new graphics in the dash.

I think California has the cheapest used market for these.

The key to a good price is finding one that was a trade in, then the selling dealer cost is usually less cause no auction fees, shipping etc etc. Or a car that has been there 90 days. Carfax will give you that info.

Stay away from the Miami dealers, there is 2-3 big ones there that are always the cheapers, but I see them in the auction lanes buying only the frame damage cars..sometimes with clean carfax's. So "you get what you pay for" there.

It is only the last couple months that lots of 2012 are showing up since the lease terminations are due. Few months ago they were much more expensive for a 2012.

rrayll

drsaab, you and I are on the same page regarding P2, Distronic and your shopping insights. Frankly, I didn't realize how good Distronic was until I bought and drove the car. Will never buy another car without equivalent functions. Unfortunately for shoppers, that combination is very rare. Not sure why but it is.
rhoffman000, as far as maintenance costs, Mercedes has never been a cheap car to maintain (or buy!) and never will be. I haven't had my new toy long enough to comment on reliability but the extra electronics on my car scared me enough to buy the extended warranty for the extra peace of mind.

shak

I work on my cars as much as I can, unless I need a lift I normally do all my repairs. The thing scares me about MB is tons of electronics, but IMO compared to F10 5 series its much simpler and garage repair friendly.


As far as p2 package, I don't know if I want all the electronic gadgets that prone to take a dump on me, especially if I plan to keep the car past warranty stage.

kash2014

Texas Direct Auto cannot sell you a CPO vehicle. Only MB dealerships can sell CPO cars.

I live in Houston and drove to Dallas because Texas Cars Direct about 500 - 1000 dollars cheaper than direct auto and a huge selection usually has over 50 - 80 w212s

Arrie

Ok,


these are great cars but have a serious quality problem that you may not notice first but will drive you nuts over time: rattles inside the car.


Which ever car you buy or think to buy go test drive it and drive it on interstate hwy at speed. While driving change lanes and drive over those reflectors between the lanes. To hear the car rattle turn off the radio and when the dealer sales guy next to you tries to talk over the rattling noises tell him to shut up.


This is the only complaint I have about my car. Everything else is awesome, it just is that every time when I change the lane I hit those stupid reflectors and the car rattles inside. The only thing I should hear is the thumbing noise from the tires going over the reflectors.


If you can live with the noises then fine and perhaps it is better in the newer models (mine is 2010). For me it is a problem because I did not expect to have this issue on a car costing $71000.


If the car you test drive rattles and the sales guy says they will fix it don't believe it. There is no fix for these rattles and MB will not help you. Nor will the dealer.