Trying to decide between a 2014 E350 and a 2014 E550. The difference in price is about $3,500.

2014 E350
- 67k miles, 3 owners, carfax shows most of the service was done at Mercedes-Benz dealer
- Palladium Silver metallic paint
- Black MB Tex imitation leather w/ burl walnut trim (faded)
- Memory Package
- Lighting package w/ dynamic LED
- AMG Styling package
- Sport Package
- Sunroof
- Heated Seats
- Premium Sound
- 18" wheels
- Equipment Package for Avantgarde vehicles
- Wood Steering Wheel
- Avantgarde / Standard Suspension

2014 E550
- 61k miles, Single owner, carfax shows all service being done at Mercedes-Benz dealership
- Polar White paint
- Black genuine leather w/ burl walnut trim
- Track Package
- Blind Spot Assist
- Memory Package
- Heated & Ventilated seats
- Pano sunroof
- Dynamic Seats
- Heated Steering Wheel
- Automatic Lane Recognition
- Airmatic Dual Control / Air Suspension semi-active
- Premium Sound
- AMG Styling Package
- 18" AMG double spoke wheels
- Sport Package
- Equipment Package for Avantgarde vehicles
- Keyless Go
- Remote Trunk w/ lock
- Leather Steering Wheel

Obviously the E550 has way more options with the most notable being the 402HP V8, genuine leather seats, pano sunroof, AMG rims and push to start. From the research that I've done, I believe the only significant package that's missing is the Lighting Package which features the dynamic LED headlights vs. the static LED headlights. I do much prefer the look of the dynamic LED lights, however, idk if I like it enough to sway me into choosing the 350. I did test drive the 350 and felt that the 302HP V6 was powerful enough. Still, I'm leaning towards the 550. The only hold up is that the 350 has the Lighting Package which the 550 doesn't. Can't help, but think the dynamic headlights make the car look more modern as well as being "better". I do a decent amount of night time driving as well. Also, all of the research that I've done on them seems to be from users on this forum and others gassing them up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Buy the 550 for the V8 engine and the basic leather seats.

Maintenance cost will be very similar besides the intelligent AirMatic suspensions.

The static LED headlights put out tons of bright light at 78Yards without getting any ILS actuator stuck.

 

Thanks for the reply and your input on the cost of maintenance. I'm going to look at the 550 on Monday. If everything checks out, I'll be leaving with it.

 

100% agree.
The car is heavy and the V6 on the E350 is not strong enough for it. It may feel like that during a short test drive but when you have it every day it becomes fast apparent that more power is needed and you would regret not getting the E550.

 

two different experiences. 350 nice but get the 550.

 

Keep in mind that you should do a PPI. The V6 is for peace of mind, and the V8 is mandatory, or you may get a surprise, a box of chocolates.

The more options you get, the more expensive the maintenance. So the V8 will require twice as deep pockets as the V6.

The intelligent lighting headlamps are $2K+ each. If you experience water intrusion, new headlamps are required because they are not serviceable. The headlamps are just the tip of the iceberg.

Great cars, and of course, the V8 gives you the best ride of the two.

Sample headlamp replacement

 

The E550 gets my vote as well .However, that particular model year engines have had troubles but I would still buy the twin turbo V8 no matter what . Anyway, mileage is very low for it

 

Forget USA version Dynamic healight or even when you hack it to be European Intelligent Dynamic Headlight ( mine is ).
It is still a lame headlight in terms of brightness.

Mine...Right Hand Drive car, is called Code 641


.

 

Surya, your "Avantgarde suspensions" code#677 more than make-up for this, right?

MB standard springs

 

I'd go for the E550 in a hearbeat. The E350 has a torque dip around 35-45mph which makes passing at that speed annoying. Also, the options are so much better on the E550.

 

With or without the oil solenoid modification?

 

I had a E550 years ago, it was a great car with great power

 

That's 40Mph on 6th gear at 1200.Rpm...
that's bad throttle control from unstable VVT positioning on low pressure.

 

I appreciate everyone's input. Test drove the 350 again today. It drives nice. Not sure how to feel about the wood steering wheel. It looks and feels premium, but also feels like it adds about 20 yrs to my age... Excited to check out the 550 tomorrow. Is there anything I should be on the lookout during the initial inspection / test drive before I take it to my mechanic for inspection?

 

You think the Mercedes vinyl seats feel premium, really ?

MB has a factory seat option with basic leather and with active contour ventilated leather.

You have a chance to get the smart AirMatic that's in a luxury class by itself instead of basic coil springs.

 

Def look for ANY oil leaks around sensors, harness....any drips, anything!
Are you having a PPI somewhere?

 

Had a E550 and a E350. Both great cars. However my E350 had nearly as many options as my E550. It comes down to this. Straight forward reliability E350 due to the M276. The E550 is better car and feels more MB like due to that V8. It just feels more special. However, if you drive a lot I would not go for the V8. Upkeep and gas. Also, you can find a E350 in luxury as where E550’s are sports. Airmatic helps smooth out the ride but could be trouble in the future.

All things considered equal and both cars are clean bill of health. Get the E550. Both are used and depreciated so there is not much price difference. It just makes more sense. That is my .02 cents.

 

M278 issues - scored cylinders, leaking solenoids and cps, wire in main engine harness, and a series of other things - research m278 issues (the v8) and make sure the PPI is aware of what to look for

not all PPI are the same

 

No, I found the MB Tex seat in the 350 to be pretty uncomfortable. The 550 has the basic leather with ventilated seats.

 

Ya, I am.

 

I'm actually opposite. The M278 maintenance can be a small nightmare if you're not 100% in tune with your expectations. E350's are relatively problem free theyre just kinda boring if you want something fast.

The water pump, turbo coolant lines, rear coolant coupler by the firewall, and it's an early M278 so those have the rumored cylinder bore scoring issues before they rectified it with coated cylinders.

I have/had M278's, i know them very well. For what they offer in an absurdly nice car with all the bells and whistles it's a very good value these days but theres always that ONE that could bite you. On a good day its 409hp with a meaty torque curve. On a bad day its like airmatic, water pump, turbo coolant lines (these plastic barbs at the water pump that feed into the water hoses to the turbos), random ignition coils going out UPPER TIMING COVER LEAKS ARE ALMOST GUARANTEED, etc. Then you have regular W212 stuff like the brakes needing to be replaced all the time with the stock compounds, the sway bar links go out every couple years, the disposable sway bar that has bushings that melted from oil leaks, and oil cooler/oil filter housing gasket.

As for the crank position sensor and VVT solenoids, theyre kinda common, but theyre easy to spot and easy to DIY. Also many cars have it worse than this, Ferrari being the worst I've experienced where the valve cover comes off for theirs. The upper timing cover has the wrong texture to it so the seal wasn't perfect so they need to be resealed sometimes after scuffing the surface for better adhesion.

If you can afford say, $1500 a year for random maintenance just in case, it's really not that bad of a value. You can drive much worse, much less reliable imports these days.

I don't mind E350's.

 

 

It seems you got it already. Congratulations, now enjoy it.

Do not recall you mentioning 4Matic. Although the vehicle has low mileage, it's essential to monitor the 4Matic front drive shaft, as its U-joint can wear out, become noisy, and catastrophically break, potentially damaging expensive parts like the catalytic converter, transmission housing, and/or inexpensive shields.

 

Nice E550 on a 90° summer day.


coolant venting pressure out of tank

 

Yah, I have the same on my CLS.