Hey everyone, first post here! I currently own a 2011 B8 Audi S4 and looking to get into something more comfortable that is fun to drive and has some decent oomph behind it. I'm currently cross shopping the 2012+ Mercedes E550 4Matic, 2013+ Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design, and 2012+ Acura TL SH-AWD. I'm posting here first since the W212 E550 is at the top of my want list. I test drove one yesterday which was a 2012 with Premium 1 and sport packages (no Airmatic and no pano roof which I've heard can be costly repair options). It is 1 owner, no accidents, and has had all scheduled maintenance performed at the same dealership. Even though it is currently sitting at just under the 100K mile mark, everything felt smooth, quiet, tight, and responsive during my test drive.

My used car price range is currently under $17,000 since I'm factoring in having funds set aside for maintenance and repairs. My only requirements are AWD, 4 door sedan, paddle shifters, and not a slouch in the power department. I haven't test driven the Volvo S60 T6 or Acura TL SH-AWD since they are hard to come by in my area, but I'm guessing they won't have the same level of luxury, ride quality, and speed as the Mercedes. However, they will most likely come with reduced maintenance costs (the Acura especially). It is also concerning that the 3.7L engines in the Acura are known to have really bad issues with oil consumption so that makes me hesitant since there's no way to really test it before buying one. While the Acura and Volvo can be had at the same or cheaper price with all the bells/whistles (blind spot monitoring, advanced key option, push-button start, etc.), I feel like the driving experience of the E550 trumps the added bonus features (and it leaves less things to break).

My heart says yes on the E550 while my head says stay away from any high mileage out of warranty German luxury vehicle. I don't mind putting in some extra time and money for a car that I'll enjoy driving more as long as it's not ridiculously excessive. I just wanted to see what ya'll think to help steer me in one direction or another. Thanks!

 

I'm not sure what you heard about the pano roof. The main problem with it is the noise it makes, but there's a video on how to drop the back half of the headliner and tighten up the 6 bolts with loctite. I have pano roofs on both my W211 and W212 and I wouldn't have it any other way. Other problems like the motor or track breaking isn't that common. The other thing is that I don't use mine that often so maybe that's why it's also lasted pretty long with no issues. I never use the paddle shifters. On those other cars, I'm not sure if they have the same level of options available like the active curve illumination or massage seats.

 

Ah gotcha, I might just be worried since I was originally researching the W205 C-class and saw several complaints about the panoramic sunroof on that generation. And true, no fancy massage seats or active curve illumination on the other cars but the E550 I'm looking at (which is the only one in the country in my price range) isn't equipped with those features. I find them nice added bonuses but not a must-have. On the plus side, it's a few less things that can wear out over time but I have to admit, they are super cool. And after driving the E550, I don't think I could be content with the E350 even though that engine is rock solid.

 

Are you in the US? Can't see your location.
There are no issues with the Pano roof, other than noise complaints. I have had many Pano roofs and never had one issue.
$17K budget will be difficult to find a good , reliable E550 4M without a lot of miles in this inflated used car market.
Other than that, the TTV8 can be tuned to 550 HP and 700 ft.lb of torque from Renntech with an OBDII cartridge for a couple grand.
I have had 4 Acuras including a TL when they were first introduced. Absolutely the most boring cars I ever owned, but I had them for business.
Volvo service can be spotty depending on where you live. MB announced that there will be no V8 motors next year. I would buy one of these before they are all gone.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/luxury...-v8s-for-2022/

 

Yup I'm in the US and thanks for the heads up! V8s are all but diminishing which is sad so I'm hoping to get into one soon. The tune is tempting but I think stock power is enough (or at least I say that now haha). I'm scheduling a PPI on the one I'm looking at and negotiated a price which I think is fair to both parties. The car is clean overall with some normal wear/tear on the exterior and interior, single owner, all maintenance records, local to me, dealer serviced, and adult owned. It is a little bare on options but driving it made me forget about all that. Plus my current Audi S4 doesn't even have memory seats so just having that is an upgrade. The Volvos and Acuras I'm looking at are all dispersed throughout the country and after looking at several cars locally, I feel like I would have to see and drive them in person to get a feel for how well they were taken care of and their overall condition.

 

Up the budget and get the E550. You won’t regret it. I would search for one with as low miles as possible.

 

That all depends on how you drive and your willpower. I drove my brother-in-law's 2014 SL550 for 15 min (@2017), and I knew then I made a "good compromise" sticking with the E350. I will need a special fund to cover the tickets, and associated insurance increases.
With the E350 on 7th @3500 RPM on a leveled road , you are already ticket bound anywhere in the USA, perhaps enough to impound your car and a visit to the judge .

Good luck finding one in good condition, and enjoy it.

 

S60 T6 will be a downgrade from your S4 in terms of power or fun to drive department, and it is also significantly smaller than E550 and TL and your current S4. The B8 S4 was dynamically superior due to its longitude engine to the Volvo transverse setup; and the S4's superb 3.0 supercharged V6 with its linear power delivery will make you question the trade into a transversely mounted I6 with torque steer and turbo lag.

2009-14 Acura TL was a huge downgrade in both fun to drive and look from the previous 2004-2008 generation. The "beak" TL as it is known (due to the huge beak of a grille) is generally considered the low watermark for Acura midsize sedan. It is a comfy cruiser not something I would describe as fun to drive, despite having torque vectoring SH-AWD. The contemporary FWD TSX was much better car overall if you are looking for a fun to drive Acura.

The W212 generation E-Class was quite sporty by historically Mercedes standards. The E550 will have plenty of power and there is something to be said about a traditional V8 power. It is also much more luxurious car than S60 and TL. Not even the same league to be honest.

The one other vehicle I would suggest checking out is C7 (2013-18) Audi S6. It is a competitor to the E550 and also features similar V8 power and higher level of luxury (especially when optioned correctly).

 

Thanks for the great info and details. I’ve diverted my attention toward the Audi A6 as a nice compromise since the S6 is definitely out of my budget in terms of price and maintenance costs. I’ve pretty much eliminated the Acura TL but the Volvo S60 is still on my radar even if it is most likely inferior to my S4 in all driving aspects. I just want to replace the S4 with a car that is a little sporty with some pep and comfortable for all around cruising.

I had a PPI done on the 2012 E550 I was planning on buying but unfortunately it had a few wear/tear items that would be costly to fix and the seller wasn’t really willing to budge on price to account for them. The transmission and engine mounts were toast, rear brakes were low, rear tire nearing replacement, and a coolant leak. The search continues!

 

A6 is probably a good choice for you. Has the same 3.0 supercharged V6 as your S4, just in a slightly bigger car. I had a Q5 with the same V6... very robust motor.

Too bad about that E550. Sounds like it has quite a bit of deferred maintenance. There are plenty others so keep looking.