Just drove a E43...
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E500 4matic, 2014 GL320, 2013 C300, 2015 Stingray
Just drove a E43...
I don't know - I liked the interior but the car just didn't do it for me. The exterior styling (for me) is just to rounded for my tastes. Funny thing is I took my daughter with me, and after going in the showroom at the end of our drive, she stopped and asked what the white used car was in the showroom to which i told her it was a used E550 in white (same color as the E43).
With regards to the test drive - honestly, little louder than i thought it would be. I drive a BMW 550 and its just surges when you step on it, car feels solid/tank like. I didn't get that feel from the E43, as there was more noise and the car just feels lighter. The car had 20" AMG's which i'm sure affected the ride/noise, I'd never get that for the NJ roads on a daily driver anyway.
If anyone has any questions lmk, sticker was 81K, car had P2 so was fairly loaded.
Aceman
With regards to the test drive - honestly, little louder than i thought it would be. I drive a BMW 550 and its just surges when you step on it, car feels solid/tank like. I didn't get that feel from the E43, as there was more noise and the car just feels lighter. The car had 20" AMG's which i'm sure affected the ride/noise, I'd never get that for the NJ roads on a daily driver anyway.
If anyone has any questions lmk, sticker was 81K, car had P2 so was fairly loaded.
Aceman
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2024 EQE 500
I get what you mean about "rounded." To me W213 looks like a slightly larger C Class (not a bad thing, but noticeable) where as your previous W211 looks wonderful and rounded, more dramatically its own I guess. I was hoping W213 would look more like W222, It just does not. That's ok though, to each their own.
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E500 4matic, 2014 GL320, 2013 C300, 2015 Stingray
So some additional info/comments -
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500
). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.
The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500
). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 908
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From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
So some additional info/comments -
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.
The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500
). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
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I also had the chance to drive the E43 and it's funny how each person perceives things differently or based on their expectations. First impression...I actually thought the car could be a little louder but again, I'm coming from a GLE450 coupe which has lot's of sound going on. After spending a bit more time in the car, I began to notice the subtle nature of the sound and thought it was pretty good. It's there when you want it and not when you don't based on the position of the switch (E/C/S/S+). Suspension was very much to my liking and it uses the air setup which has a nice variance. Im down South so the roads are pretty good. Steering was decidedly sharper than the E300 which I also drove...makes sense. Acceleration was about what I expected. The car is definitely quick and likes to rev which is my personal preference with these 6cyl engines. Will be interesting to see how these lease out.
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From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
I also had the chance to drive the E43 and it's funny how each person perceives things differently or based on their expectations. First impression...I actually thought the car could be a little louder but again, I'm coming from a GLE450 coupe which has lot's of sound going on. After spending a bit more time in the car, I began to notice the subtle nature of the sound and thought it was pretty good. It's there when you want it and not when you don't based on the position of the switch (E/C/S/S+). Suspension was very much to my liking and it uses the air setup which has a nice variance. Im down South so the roads are pretty good. Steering was decidedly sharper than the E300 which I also drove...makes sense. Acceleration was about what I expected. The car is definitely quick and likes to rev which is my personal preference with these 6cyl engines. Will be interesting to see how these lease out.
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2024 AMG EQE SUV , 2021 E63S Wagon - gone, 2018 E63S Sedan - gone
I drove the E43 today for a test. Lots of power at highway speeds (if you want to go more than 80 mph!). However, the car was noisy compared to my E300 and the ride was harsh (20" wheels). The seats had a suede-like trim with the leather. However, the price on this unit was more than 86,000 or 10,000 more than my P3 equipped car. Not worth it for a pseudo AMG car. I have my E300 on a 30 month lease with the intention of purchasing a 2019 E63 with the V8 and globs of HP!!
I truly love my current machine and don't really miss the V8 of my 2013 E550. My guess is that the E63 will run about $110000 with everything that I would think to put on it.
Last edited by HBerman; Nov 19, 2016 at 07:19 PM.
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E500 4matic, 2014 GL320, 2013 C300, 2015 Stingray
I drove the car in Flemington NJ for the person that asked. Supposedly the dealers are getting pretty much the same car (white / black / 20amg wheels / p3).
I also agree with a 80K price tag for a "psuedo" AMG, but lest not forget BMW does this routinely with M-Sport package. You guys will laugh, but there was a 2014 S550 sport package car on the floor of another dealer with a tag of 77K, which i'm sure is negotiable. Just a lot more car for the $$$ - I think I'm going to go that route.
Aceman
I also agree with a 80K price tag for a "psuedo" AMG, but lest not forget BMW does this routinely with M-Sport package. You guys will laugh, but there was a 2014 S550 sport package car on the floor of another dealer with a tag of 77K, which i'm sure is negotiable. Just a lot more car for the $$$ - I think I'm going to go that route.
Aceman
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From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
I may be going in a different direction as well. Considering some cpo Audi options, a6, s6, s8 to hold me over for two years till more newer product comes out and the dust settles. I like Audi interiors and their infotainment much more user friendly. Regards. Ned.
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I think that is around the AMG C63/C63S price range? If I remember correctly, the C63/C63S have the 4.0L AMG bi-turbo V8 engines (similar to the AMG-GT/AMG-GTS), and that sounds quite exciting when comparing to the 'AMG-Enhanced' V6 in the E43.
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2018 GLC63
The order guide is still full of $TBDs for the E43 (not to mention that the car is still listed under Future Vehicles on MBUSA). 
If anyone else test drives one, please take (and post) a picture of the sticker. I think we would all like to know what some of these options cost (and it will help extrapolate out what some of the E63 options will cost).
If anyone else test drives one, please take (and post) a picture of the sticker. I think we would all like to know what some of these options cost (and it will help extrapolate out what some of the E63 options will cost).
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
2018 GLC63
The order guide is still full of $TBDs for the E43 (not to mention that the car is still listed under Future Vehicles on MBUSA).
If anyone else test drives one, please take (and post) a picture of the sticker. I think we would all like to know what some of these options cost (and it will help extrapolate out what some of the E63 options will cost).
If anyone else test drives one, please take (and post) a picture of the sticker. I think we would all like to know what some of these options cost (and it will help extrapolate out what some of the E63 options will cost).
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 908
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From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
So some additional info/comments -
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.
The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
The interior was really rich. had suede inserts on the borders of the seats, seat belts were black, and instead of wood it had the carbon fiber trim. Compared to my BMW 550 though, got to tell you, i felt like the interior was smaller even though by specs its not. I think its due to the cockpit style wrap around that the driver sits in.
The 9 speed tranny - i did many accelaration runs with the car in comfort, sport, and sport+. I felt the tranny shift, or when the programming was keeping it in gear you heard it. Wasn't silky smooth IMO, frankly i think my 2012 bmw was as smooth if not smoother with its 8 speed. Mind you - this car only had about 15 miles on it.
With regards to the rounded look, i meant compared to the W212 (not my old W211 E500
). To me, the W212 still catches my eye - it has the nose of hte current E, and the side view / lines which catch my eye and make the car seem longer.The car i drove was like a dealer special edition sent to dealers so i'm sure you guys will see pretty much the same car showing up soon (White, pano, P2, 20" amg rims)
Aceman
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Various
It takes time +/-1000 miles for the adaptive trans to smooth out. My new Audi Q7's 8 speed is a much smoother trans comp'd to my S Coupe's 9G (still breaking in) especially under moderate+ acceleration, but the Q7 has an occasional hard shift/thump which is going away (current mileage 1100). If that doesn't do the trick, hopefully MB will issue a software update/re-flash to eliminate this and in short order (noticed the hard shifting when testing a new GLE 450 coupe last year).
Last edited by RJC; Dec 4, 2016 at 02:29 PM.
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The E43 is looking more and more like a marketing ploy. Basically to charge BMW 550 or Audi S6 money for a car whose performance is actually on par with the 540i. Both 550 and S6 are turbo v8 cars and the new 550 will run 4 secs while current S6 is already below 4 sec. I have driven both of those cars of the current gen and don't see how a turbo v6 E43 can compare with them. If I were shopping in this range, I would get the next gen S6 or new 550 (assuming 550 will be out mid next year and new S6 in 2018).
Last edited by white_raven0; Dec 6, 2016 at 12:54 PM.
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.
The E43 is looking more and more like a marketing ploy. Basically to charge BMW 550 or Audi S6 money for a car whose performance is actually on par with the 540i. Both 550 and S6 are turbo v8 cars and the new 550 will run 4 secs while current S6 is already below 4 sec. I have driven both of those cars of the current gen and don't see how a turbo v6 E43 can compare with them. If I were shopping in this range, I would get the next gen S6 or new 550 (assuming 550 will be out mid next year and new S6 in 2018).
Code:
Manufacturer's specs: Audi S6 Prestige $74,100 0-60 4.4 secs BMW 550i xDrive ~$76,800 0-60 4.3 secs MB E43 4matic ~$70,400 0-60 4.5 secs BMW 540i xDrive ~$56,020 0-60 4.9 secs
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2014 E63S; AMS 100 octane ECU dyno tune; EDOK TCU tune; BB intakes; sprintbooster
Bmw still has the brass to put a ttv8 in their mid sized sedan 5 series ... love BMW or hate BMW, you gotta respect THAT
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Mine: 2014 E550 4matic; Hers: 2016 CLS 400 4matic
No doubt and the new 550 is supposed to be way fast too. I am just glad I got the last year of the non-AMG V8. Absolutely no temptation to upgrade!
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From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
So if you were in the market now for a car, you would buy a used e550 over the new e43? Performance versus new look, interior and technology? Interesting decision. Regards. Ned.
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Only MBs - the best or nothing
You could buy a "loaded" (original MSPR of at least $76K, which is all options, except Distronic, Airmatic and Designo interior) '14 CPO E550 with under 20K miles for mid $40Ks +/-. Finding such a car is difficult, but not impossible as long as you're flexible on colors. With the tax savings included, its total price is about half of loaded E43 (assuming no, or very little, initial discount). (You are already driving a "used" E550, even thought it was bought new 5/6 years ago, and 2014 is much improved over 2011 in all regards and is very different from the outside with enough differential and technology on the inside from early W212).
