Saigon

Hi all,

Looking to purchase an 11' E350 with 23,xxx miles on it at $31,991 and had some questions for you all in regards to the 11 model specifically:

Is the car reliable? My mom doesn't push the car that often, currently has an IS250.

In terms of interior space, will she be more comfortable in a E350 vs. IS250 (2009)

Is it a solid engine? The current 14' engine is the same engine?

Also, what do you think is an appropriate discount to haggle the dealer for the vehicle listed? (According to KBB, the car is listed 2K less than KBB value)

Here is the link:

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...0835/overview/

Any thoughts/ideas/shared knowledge is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced!

hyperion667

doesn't seem like a great deal with those options.......Mom should get something better...


not many people take KBB seriously anymore...

equetefue

^^ agree.

And to answer your question the IS is tiny in the inside compare to the E class

noka

All moms should get a better deal!

1. Japanese brands are 'generally' more reliable than German brands according to most surveys.
2. Any individual car could be highly reliable or failure prone,... that's part luck mixed in with probabilities determined by #1.

ddeliber

I recommend that you look for a 2012 at around that price point. It has the new DI engine with more power and better gas mileage - this is the same engine they put in the current E350s.

VegasE

According to Consumer Reports the E350 has better than average reliability while the Lexus is much better than average.


The E350 is larger than the Lexus inside and outside. However, as far as the driver spot is concerned, space is more than adequate for both. One possible negative for the MB for your mom is that it is almost a foot longer making it more difficult to parallel park. IMO the E350 is a more comfortable ride, having driven both. It also has much more power than the Lexus yet gets about the same gas mileage.


In California it is easy to buy an E350 CPO 2012 or 2013 with about 15K miles for $34K. I bought one there at that price a few months ago.

petee1997

For a little more money she can buy a fairly basic new 2015 C250 four door. The new models have been stretched out an extra 4", making the car roomier than the IS. Actually the interior dimensions are not far off the current E. The trunk and hood are shorter.

She will end up with a very fuel efficient car that carries a four year factory warranty.

thenew3

The OP seems to be in LA. There is no C250 four door in USA for 2015 MY. Only C300 and C400. and a C300 base with no options starts at about 41k.

If his budget is low 30k range, a used E is a much better deal.

For the OP. The engine in the 2011 is different from the one in the 2012 and newer. The 2012 and newer uses the new M276 with more power and about 20% better fuel efficiency.
Like VegasE said, look for a 2012 or newer E350. in the LA area you should be able to find plenty of CPO 2012 or newer for the low to mid $30k range.

Here's a 2013 E350 with 12k miles for under $35k (you can probably negotiate a bit off that as well).
Keyes CPO 2013 E350

Saigon

Thanks for all the feedback all!

Is 2011' a good year to purchase?

She's pretty sold on a black e350 sedan. I don't think the C class is something she's preferred as I consolodated with her. If I decide to go with this car, what is a good price to offer?

If this is not a good car at all based off all of everyone's feedback at the moment, which is the best year/price ratio/bang for buck?

Thanks.

thenew3

Well for about $2k more you can get the 2013 E350 I gave you in the link. You'll have 2 more years of warranty, lower miles, more powerful engine and more fuel efficient.

If you absolutely have to have black, check the mbusa web site, they have CPO inventory listed by zip code. I'm sure you can find a low mile 2013 E350 in the low $30k range in or around the LA area.

MJ50

there are tons of E350s in local dealers...
u really need to go to different dealers and shop around...
350 is a good engine...
my advise, get one with options that ur mom will need the most... i.e. parktronic, etc...

drsaab

Yes in Cali you can get a cpo 2012 with the new engine and same miles for that price pretty easy.

That would be a much better buy.

VegasE

It's just that the drive train of the 2012+ is so much better that it's worth a few $K more for power, mileage, and longer warranty. As I said before, with a little shopping you can get a 2012 or 2013 CPO with under 20K miles in SoCal for about $34K. Black on black seems to be a very popular color

Mud

I agree that you are in the price range of 2012+.
I paid $28K out the door for my 2011 in excellent shape with 27K miles, so yes I think you're paying too much for the 2011 you mention.

aeroconfigs

My wife has the is250 2009. It's a nice car, I like the technology in the console better than the e class, the only thing missing is the direct iPod hookup and bluetooth music. It has bluetooth phone. The nav is much better than the e class.

Also the car has been more reliable than my e class. I probably have to take mine in 3-4 times a year for issues. Hers is just routine maintenance.

That said, whenever we take a trip it's with the e class. It rides much more smoothly, and is a lot more spacious inside, especially the back seat and trunk. With my daughter's car seat in the back, a passenger in the front seat is extremely uncomfortable. The e class is definitely the preferred ride of the two.

Since I drive the e class so much more, that could be why there are more maintenance issues, but I doubt it. The is has just been really dependable and has had very few issues.

I think the cost on that e350 you quoted is probably high. I'd try to get under 30 at least.

MBNUT1

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to buy a 2011 E3504matic with about 35K miles for $27.5k yours has lower miles but I suspect 2wd. So I wouldn't pay any more than that amount

extremetm

I got a 2010 E350 Sport Premium 1 and 2 with 45k miles about a month ago for $23,300 before TTL.

IMO the car you're looking at is too high. Throw them a lowball offer and go from there. Check KBB.com private party to get a good ballpark figure.