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Admittedly, I'm late to this party, and I respect everyone else's opionion but just to add my $.02...my wife and daughter may be driving the car, and although I live in Atlanta, we sometimes get heavy rains, slick roads and even the tiniest bit of snow and ice. I agree that 4Matic is probably overkill, but for me it is a safety feature and on the chance that it might actually be necessary, I wouldn't buy an E series without it.
I'm in the same boat. Live in Atlanta and had a difficult time finding a vehicle with 4Matic. My desire for AWD wasn't so I could make it to work in the snow. It was an extra level of safety for not losing control on a slippery road or when I visit the family in the winter.
Are there any negatives to having it beyond a little less fuel efficiency and little extra cost for maintenance? I don't think there is.
Wish Mercedes had come up with a different name for this option rather than "4Matic."
It's not the coolest sounding term to describe four wheel drive IMHO.
"Quattro" and "AWD" seem to work better in terms of marketing.
Actually, it's quite the contrary---in that the unique name is a good marketing scheme. It's a "special" naming convention that all luxury makes use to make them stand out from the rest (i.e. xDrive for BMW, 4 for Porsche, Quattro for Audi). I actually like their quirky names (albeit they sometimes can get a tiny bit "out there"...lol). How generic does AWD sound? All the other manufacturers us it and look how generic it sounds (i.e. Infiniti Q50 AWD, Honda CR-V 4WD/AWD, Toyota Matrix AWD).
Same reason that Apple uses "Magsafe" for their chargers, instead of saying "magnetic connection"...or Nike saying "Dri-fit" instead of simply saying "sweat wicker"...or Porsche saying "Targa" and Mercedes saying "Cabriolet" instead of "convertible".
The fuel efficiency difference is minimal and anyone buying an MB product to begin with and complaining about fuel efficiency should be on the Honda site. I prefer 4Matic over RWD for many reasons. Subaru seems to sell a fair amount of cars and they are all 4WD. You see Jeeps throughout the south. Why do people buy a Jeep if they don't go off road?
Status? LOL
Unless you're racing from a roll often (track or not) or like to be a little more on the fun side of driving with less systems etc. aiding you. There really is no reason not to get 4 Matic. My E is RWD in North Jersey and let's just say I have tons of white knuckle moments during the snowing seasons. Regardless it's do-able but definitely not for the faint of heart. Especially with all the power the 550 provides.
I do like the staggered look but it's not that noticeable to the average eye. So go and get the 4Matic if all other things check out ok with the accident item etc.
The last time I check, not too many E350 owners drift their car Ever drive thru a large puddle on the side of the road, with and without AWD, its makes quite a bit of difference. AWD reliability has come a long way, for the most part, the 4matic system is very reliable.
I'm at the dealership right now checking out the car. The car has a very small dent on the top roof driver side door part. Aside from this, everything else is good and I like the car. What do you guys think about that dent? Is it small enough to be pulled out?
I'm at the dealership right now checking out the car. The car has a very small dent on the top roof driver side door part. Aside from this, everything else is good and I like the car. What do you guys think about that dent? Is it small enough to be pulled out?
I guess the bigger question that I would be asking is how on Earth did the dent get THERE?
Yeah that dent is a real deal breaker. Now i dont know if i should go through with this or back out, all the paper work is ready and just needs my signature. Its really not that noticeable in person but its still there. and knowing that its there, its gonna be in the back of my head. even though im not super picky.
Honestly, i dont mind it at all, i think i can have it pulled out and even though the paint will not be 100%, its still better than having a dent there. I rather have a small spot of paint missing than to have a small dent there.
I was able to get a very good deal on it. Original price was $25k+, i was able to have them drop it down to $23k after taxes. I dont think im gonna find another 2014 e350 for this price, and even though this e350 is not perfect, i think the price is just too good to pass up on. Need some opinion on this though. What would you guys do if you're in my situation? And remember im not super picky, but i also dont wanna buy a car such as a mercedes only to feel like its not a mercedes because of all the dents and dings on it.
That will have to be repaired and repainted. The paint is ruptured so no paintless dent repair option.
You dont think it can be pulled? I know the paint will be scratched off on that area, but my main concern is fixing that dent, if there's gonna be a small spot of paint missing on there, i can live with that as long as the dent can be pulled out.
I guess the bigger question that I would be asking is how on Earth did the dent get THERE?
my guess would be something flew off from another car on the freeway/highway and hit it, or maybe a rock? dealer has no idea on how that dent got there.
It can easily be repaired, but through conventional means. Pulling it with body filler, etc and then a carefull respray and blend. Boom. Good as new.
Paintless dent repair is done in an hour or so and might cost $100. With the paint cracked as it is this is not a candidate. Personally, I would buy it and repair the dent. No biggie. Tree limb probably fell on it is my guess.
Yeah that dent is a real deal breaker. Now i dont know if i should go through with this or back out, all the paper work is ready and just needs my signature. Its really not that noticeable in person but its still there. and knowing that its there, its gonna be in the back of my head. even though im not super picky.
Honestly, i dont mind it at all, i think i can have it pulled out and even though the paint will not be 100%, its still better than having a dent there. I rather have a small spot of paint missing than to have a small dent there.
I was able to get a very good deal on it. Original price was $25k+, i was able to have them drop it down to $23k after taxes. I dont think im gonna find another 2014 e350 for this price, and even though this e350 is not perfect, i think the price is just too good to pass up on. Need some opinion on this though. What would you guys do if you're in my situation? And remember im not super picky, but i also dont wanna buy a car such as a mercedes only to feel like its not a mercedes because of all the dents and dings on it.
Originally Posted by KEY08
Personally, I would buy it and repair the dent. No biggie. Tree limb probably fell on it is my guess.
Yeah, if you have already been able to talk them down from $26k to $25k down to $23k OTD, then you are doing damn good! Don't let that small dent deter you, I would NOT pass this deal up. Take the money you saved, and you can easily get the dent fixed later.
You are saving over $3k off retail, plus it's still under factory warrant---it's a win/win.
4MATIC is good for driving on Texas beaches and preventing you getting bogged down in the sand while driving on the beach. You can drive for tens of miles on the beaches in
Tx, not so much in CA though.
I'm looking to get back into a benz. The car i'm looking at right now is a 2014 E350 4matic. I understand that the 4matic is a AWD as compare to the regular RWD. I live in so cal, so AWD will seem useless except for the fact that this one is in my budget. Can anyone tell me the benefit of a 4matic is there's any? Does this model (4matic) have any known problems? Should i stay away from it and just look for the RWD model? Would like to hear some suggestions. Thanks!
-More road traction off the line and in the corners
-Better traction in the rain and snow if you ever see snow. Ever drive on the beach? 4Matic helps a lot
-4Matic means tires are all the same size.
Look at the rear hatch. Who drives a car with no license plate on the back? Even if it was a stroll on the beach or an accident, the car had to have been registered/titled.
I can understand driving an SUV on the beach but I would never drive a car even if it was AWD/4Matic or whatever. Too much risk and not enough reward. I'll just walk on the sand and enjoy it lol.
I'm looking to get back into a benz. The car i'm looking at right now is a 2014 E350 4matic. I understand that the 4matic is a AWD as compare to the regular RWD. I live in so cal, so AWD will seem useless except for the fact that this one is in my budget. Can anyone tell me the benefit of a 4matic is there's any? Does this model (4matic) have any known problems? Should i stay away from it and just look for the RWD model? Would like to hear some suggestions. Thanks!
sorry, how many miles on the car? I think I read this is a base model car.
If it has more than 65k[1] miles, try autotrader.com>
1. 2012 or above;
2. Mercedes Benz;
3. E-Class> - E 350 or e 550(if you like);
Once the results appear,
4. Choose AWD, let it load;
5. max price: enter budget+ 2k
Now, on the filters, left side, bottom, start "Keyless Go" and/or, "Distronic" and/or "warranty"* or other options you like, and wait for the results.
If you find a car from a non-merc manufacturer/dealer, like Nissan, acura...; they will usually provide 172pt inspection paid and done at Mercedes, and also, might provide 1month platinum coverage, and 1 year power train warranty; which will be really helpful.
* warranty is usually 2014 or above.
[1] Autotrader in Virginia has such base model cars for less than 20k, but mileage is 70k on it.
what is your location? nearby zipcode, so that we can help you find one, tresean1 helped me find one of the best ones.
Good luck.
04-24-2017, 09:17 AM
Ever drive thru a large puddle on the side of the road, with and without AWD, its makes quite a bit of difference. AWD reliability has come a long way, for the most part, the 4matic system is very reliable.
