Courthaven

Hi all,

Well, I am excited to have plunged into the Mercedes World with you all by finally ordering my E300 4matic yesterday. I know that I have a 2-3 month wait until I get to meet it though which will hopefully fly by.

Now what I don't know much about yet is what else I should be preparing for Should I get an extended warranty, prepaid maintenance, Lo Jack or anything else?

​​​​​​I am open to learning from any suggestions that you all may have.

Thanks so much!!
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Bahnstormer

There are some good write-ups about how to inspect your new car once it arrives and things to look out for. Do a Google search.

rbrylaw

If you will keep the car past the 4 year 50,000 mile standard warranty, then buying it up front can save some money as the cost rises as the car ages. I'm a big believer in the wheel and tire insurance and I do purchase the pre-paid maintenance so insure I don't have deal with service costs rising. There are other's who don't believe in buying insurance you may never use (such as wheel and tire), but I've had to replace both before and for me, the cost that time around was worth it. I wouldn't invest in Lo Jack. You get the Mercedes Me App and you can track your car via it.

Congrats on your order. I do hope the time flies, but from personal experience, when waiting for something you're excited about time does not fly by quickly!

ua549

Here is a link to a predelivery inspection checklist.

dtl919

If you are not familiar with changing your own oil or have a trusty mechanic, I'd get the pre-paid maintenance plan. As for the extended warranty, you can get that latter and even shop around to get a better price than what your dealer is offering. Like rbrylaw mentioned, LoJack is probably not necessary unless you live or work in a really sketchy neighborhood. I would also invest in some good floor mats and cargo liners; either the OEM MB rubber ones or the ones from WeatherTech. Add tinting of windows if you live in the south and a clear bra for protection. If your city is infamously known for bad drivers, getting a dash cam may be a good investment.

nas2344

rbrylaw

I have the Mercedes all weather (rubber) floor mats and they too are great. Especially great, since I never pay for them. My dealer provides them along with the trunk liner as part of my deal!

nas2344

rbrylaw

No, they lie flat. But they're thick and well made and have the MB logo on them.

dtl919

Agree - I too, have the MB rubber floor mats and they are very durable. My cargo liner is from WeatherTech which has lips on all sides and made of a harder plastic which I assume would be more sturdy. In terms of fit, it's not as perfect as I had hoped, but still does the job nicely (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch off).

rbrylaw

The Mercedes trunk line DOES have lips all around and is made of hard plastic.

dtl919

Didn't mean to infer that the MB ones doesn't have lips, but I see how it came across after re-reading my post.

After seeing the image you posted, it does appear that the MB cargo liner is made of harder material than the WeatherTech version. WeatherTech's ships with the liner rolled up in a box and it doesn't seem like the MB one can.

rbrylaw

No worries at all! :-)

The MB trunk linker comes in a big box as it can't roll up at all. It's nicely made and a 100% perfect fit.

CaptainE

cetialpha5

MB has been offering the $125 or $130 off $250 service lately for the last couple of years so I wouldn't bother with the maintenance package til you hit something like 40 or 60k. The first couple services aren't really much, A service then B then A. B service tends to be more than A service. The sweet spot is probably a 3 pack starting at 40, then you get the B A B service and there's usually a bit of extra stuff at 40 and 60k that the package would cover but the standard B package would cost extra.

And yes, built in security systems pretty much meant that LoJack hasn't been of much use in the last 10-15 years, haven't heard of anyone buying it lately.

Courthaven

Well, now it looks like my car is in Production. I guess that means they are building it now?
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​​​​​​ I only know because I was contemplating upgrading to the E450 but really the power of the E300 is fine for me. Plus, I am hoping for a little better gas mileage. I hope I won't regret sticking with the 300.

JTK44

Not to bust your bubble as to savings on gas mileage:

Gas mileage for the 2019 450E 4Matic is 20/28 23 combined

Gas mileage for the 2019 300E 4Matic is 21/29 24 combined

The E450 has a 21 gallon vs. 17 gallon fuel tank on the E300.

Courthaven

Ah well, there goes that. Well at least there's imagination and the $4000, haha.

Mbracer26

the 17 gallon tank and the i4 engine is the biggest bs this car has. That just proves the i4 engine is not placed for efficiency and just for profits.

petee1997

I'm surprised there is so little difference in fuel efficiency.

JTK44

Again my opinion only:

This is not only a question of efficiency. Each engine is designed to carry a certain work load.

For example the same i4 engine in a C300 4Matic gets EPA 22/33 26 overall. Smaller, lighter car.

see: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymo..._C-Class.shtml

The i4 is barely adequate for the E300. It needs to work much, much harder than the V6, and working harder burns more fuel.

The V6 is working much less and hence burns less fuel.

When you overtax a small engine efficiency is lost.

Courthaven

Jeez, , now I am starting to have second thoughts that are killing me. My current car has 270 hp and I believe 270 lbs per ft of torque whereas offhand this E300 I believe is 241 hp with 273 lbs per ft of torque. Do you all think with the turbo that it will feel like a similar amount of power? I am pleased with the current amount in my Infiniti M35.

From the test drives I thought I was pleased, but granted those have only been like 10 minutes. After reading on here I am starting to wonder if the 300 is going to feel adequate. Help please....

West_Coaster

I just bought an E300 and am very happy with the turbo 4. The E class is not a race car, it's a luxury car and to me the engine is just fine. I am getting 35-40 mpg on the highway and 27-28 in a mix of city/highway driving, that far exceeds what I expected. I have plenty of power to do whatever I need.
If I was choosing from new cars and both got the same gas mileage, I'd obviously go for the bigger engine, but I suspect the 6 cylinder won't do as well on gas as the 4 in the real world.

JTK44

Dear Courthaven:

As has been said many times (before Turbos) "There is no replacement for displacement"

Turbos attempt to address too conflicting objects: power and gas consumption.

All things being equal a non turbo engine (naturally aspirated) producing the same HP and torque as a turbo engine will be more powerful: There is no turbo lag. And conversely a turbo engine producing more HP and torque than a non turbo engine will be more powerful.

So do not expect a MB turbo engine that produces less torque than your non turbo engine to be more powerful.

But this is "all academic": Your Infiniti M35 has fewer gears, the gear ration may be different, the throttle response may be different, the weight and weight distribution may be different.

There is only one way to get an answer to your question. Get behind the wheel an E300 for more than 10 minutes and see how it drives.

Call up your dealer and ask (demand if necessary) that they give you an E300 (loaner for example) so that you can spend a morning with the car.

After you done that, come back to this board and let us know what you have decided.

BTW, this is exactly what I did: Had a E300 loaner for a day and put 100 miles on it. Everyone is different, but for me I did not like the E300 and have ordered the E450. But then again you might find the E300 perfectly fine and save nearly $4000 as compared to an E450! (E300 4matic vs. E450 4Matic)

rbrylaw

Internet forums are like going to a hospital and coming away with the impression everyone in the world is sick. If you want push you back in the seat acceleration, the E300 isn't that car. If you want a perfectly fine, refined ride that accelerates a lot faster than your neighbors Honda Accord, the E300 is more than fine. There is NOTHING wrong with the 4 cylinder turbo in the E300. It's a tried and true engine that has shown to be very reliable in the real world. Why not ask your dealer to let you have an extended time (like an overnighter) with an E300. Use that time to drive it the way you drive in the types of situations you typically drive. If after that you feel it doesn't do what you need it to do, go for the E450. We're really talking about a $6,400 difference (less if you price the E300 4Matic). Also, your dealer might be able to find a new E400 that hasn't been sold yet, which would likely come with a major discount off MSRP since the lots are now filled with the 2019's.