Tom in Austin

Curious, I will eventually move up to an E-class, but can't understand why anyone would pay over $60k for a car with a four ... do W213 owners know what engine they're getting or is that why Mercedes covers it up with a big black plastic cover so you can't tell ?

E300-18

It's a personal preference. For me, a larger engine would mean I pay more for the initial purchase, gas, and service. In return, I get more power that isn't particularly important to me.

On the rare occasions that I've needed/wanted to accelerate rapidly, I've felt that the car had plenty of power. There are plenty of purchasing considerations beyond engine power.

DFWdude

First and foremost, E-Classes are made in Germany for a green Europe. You get the benefit of it with a VERY peppy, turbo engine that is more efficient.

I've driven several C-Class and E-Class loaners with turbo 4s, and they offered plenty of zip for normal traffic.

Lanzz

I loved my 4cyl E300 and I love my 6cyl E450 - they are very different cars, but both enjoyable and (I feel) both worth the $$. The E300 was a bit lighter on it's feet and had more than enough power around town - a bit overworked at high speeds, but it was rare to feel like I needed more power. The E450 feels and drives like a heavier and more substantial car - definitely uses more gas and has a lot of power that I will never use. I'd do another 4cyl or another 6 cyl again, just depends on the car and the deal.

rraisley

That was a concern of mine (with a possible purchase well above that $60k), and I mentioned it to the salesman. When people ask about the engine in the car, he just says "It's a 255 hp engine with 9 speed transmission that will take this 4,000 pound luxury vehicle to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds." Not that he lies to them; he'd tell them it was 4 cylinder if they asked, but the question really is, how does it perform, right? That 0-60 time is faster than my 2012 VW GTI (which I always considered quite quick), a '67 Shelby GT500, a 2016 Mercedes E350e AMG, a 1989 Mercedes 500SL, a Mazda Miata, a 2010 Jaguar XF 4.2, many Ferraris between 1959 and 1992, a 1984 Corvette, a 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i, a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2, etc. Yeah, a of those cars are old, but most were considered high performance at the time, and here we have the lowest trim E-Class, with its lowly 4-cylinder engine, pulling a 4,000 pound saloon, and it can beat them.

baadmon

I owned a 2014 E350 prior to purchasing my 2017 E300 and I can definitely tell the difference within the power. Despite this, I believe that the power in the E300 is sufficient.

Germancar1

Who buys a car and doesn't know what engine it has?

M

rraisley

Very few, probably, but I was talking about /driving/ not buying. My point is that if you know ahead of time that the car has a 4-cylinder engine, you're probably going to go in biased against it, like the OP (or like I am about variable speed transmissions, but some have gotten pretty good). Knowing instead the performance of the car, maybe the HP and transmission type, you'll go in much more open, and probably find the performance just fine.

cetialpha5

I suppose one way to make your car faster is to just come up with different numbers. The E300 with the 241 hp engine does 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, but the previous 3.5L 302hp engine did 0-60 in 5.8 seconds. That's why I'd either get a used 2016 E-350 or go with the E450.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...c-test-review/

https://www.zeroto60times.com/vehicl...-60-mph-times/

CarFan1

I think Rraisley is referring to the 255 hp 2020 model. Both the links referenced are for the 241 hp engine with the 4matic (and it's extra weight). As C&D notes Given "that the new turbo-four improved a C300 4Matic sedan's zero-to-60-mph acceleration time by half a second in our testing, we're thinking it will likewise improve the performance of the base E-class sedan (an e300 4matic), which made the zero-to-60-mph run in a lackluster 6.5 seconds in our testing."

That could translate to 6 seconds for the 4matic and perhaps 5.7-5.8 second 0-60 time for the RWD version, the latter comparing quite favorably in the dash with the 302 hp 2016 model.

cetialpha5

Numbers are slightly better, but 255hp still doesn't beat 302hp. 0-60 for RWD is 6.1 and the 4matic is 6.3. I guess they got faster times than C&D.

https://www.kbb.com/car-news/2020-me...50/2100007782/

CarFan1

I read that KBB last month. It isn't a test review at all. The article is essentially a rewrite of a Mercedes press release. The article doesn't claim KBB tested the vehicle. Instead it says Mercedes claims the 0-60 mph change is from 6.2. to 6.1 for the RWD. Mercedes however has yet to actually post a 0-60 time on the MBUSA website for the 2020 e350. MBUSA does have a 0-60 performance number posted for the C300 4matic. Note however that C&D was able to get a lower 0-60 for the c300 4matic that they tested also commenting that the new 2.0 liter is "more personable than before." https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-drive-review/

I'm curious to see what numbers Mercedes eventually posts and also what professional reviewers who independently test a W213 report. If C&D is correct that they anticipate a half-second improvement in their numbers we could actually see a sub 6.0 second 0-60 run with the RWD and near 6.0 seconds for the 4Matic, essentially what Rraisley was told.

cetialpha5

Regardless of the final number it sounds like it's still going to be slower than the V6. I doubt an extra 14hp can drop the time by .7 seconds as that's 4matic vs 4matic. If you do RWD vs RWD, the difference will probably be about the same. Basically the V6 was faster than the 4 cylinder. Only reason it has a 4 cylinder now is because of CAFE. Don't let a salesman try to con you into thinking the 4 cylinder is faster than the v6.

ua549

I'd be very happy with the M133 (375 hp) or preferably the M139 (416 hp) 2 liter 4 banger in my E300. I'd never buy a V6.

mrmotoguzzi00

I know a lotta of us are power junkies on these forums, but we are a small percentage of actual owners.... and most of those owners buy a Benz for the safety, luxury and ride.... power and speed just needs to be smooth and get ya on the highway without mashing the pedal... or feeling strained.. for them the 4 cyl works....

For Us ? we want power!!! and for that they make the AMG versions and 450 etc.....

The 4 cyl E300 I thought went pretty good... for those people just looking for the above

kingscorpian27

Well said, it’s all in the mind

ua549

I don't care about 0-60 times. The practical time that is important is from 50-80 for passing. In that regard the E300 fails miserably.

rraisley

Well, if you're passing someone at fifty, and continuing to 80, it better not be a country road. And if it's on an Interstate, the "normal" way of passing (5-10 mph over the car being passed), the E300 will do that just fine.

But bottom line of the whole discussion is: E300/350 is adequate, even peppy, for many if not most drivers. And those that want more power, have many other options to get it. Do I /need/ an E450? No. Do I /want/ an E450? Yes. Moot point, though, as I ordered a wagon, which, surprisingly, starts with the E450. Some feel the /need/ for an AMG, while others like me certainly don't. Horses for courses, as the Aussies say. ;-)

xrayted

I'm not a gearhead or horsepower junkie. I'm just an average driver who likes cars.
I enjoy a smooth silky ride, elegant exterior, luxurious interior, latest safety features & tech, and reliability.
For folks like us, the E300 4-cylinder engine is perfect. Plenty of power with great gas mileage.
My last car was a 6-cylinder (non Mercedes) and honestly, I haven't noticed any real world difference in the last 3 years/40,000 miles of ownership.

whoover

My problem is it usually turns into 50-100. Damn that downshift.

ua549

You evidently haven't done much driving on curvy 2 lane roads with very limited opportunities for passing. Try passing a couple of cars going 20 mph under the speed limit (50 in a 70 zone). Speed limits still bother me because they do not take into account the training and skill level of the driver. There should be a placard on a vehicle with a maximum speed allowed for a given driver. I've done a lot of driving in states with no speed limits. (Montana recently imposed an 80 mph limit.) During the national 55 mph speed limit Montana looked the other way with an on-the-spot $5 fine for speeding wasting energy. It did not affect one's driving license. I'm not sure when Nevada imposed highway speed limits, but driving there was similar to driving in Montana.

rraisley

I've done quite a bit, actually, especially in rallying, but not with a Mercedes, as I don't own one yet.
70 mph speed limit on curvy 2 lane roads? No, I've never driven on them, nor do I know of any.
They used to do that (may still do) in Europe; the Autobahn had lanes for various speeds, and you weren't allowed in higher speed lanes unless your placard allowed for it. But they were based on speed of the car, not capabilities of the driver. Given that, though, how much help would that be on your curvy 2 lane roads, when most of the other drivers are going 30-40, and your placard says 100? ;-)

ua549

70 mph is the standard speed limit on 2 lane highways w/no divider in Montana. If there is a divider such as on interstate highways the speed limit is 80 mph.
Any driver going 30-40 mph on 70 mph speed limit 2 lane road under good weather conditions would be stopped and ticketed for obstructing traffic in many if not all US jurisdictions that has such a road. Maximum highway speed limits in the US range from 30 mph (American Samoa) to 85 mph (Texas).

jhpmbusa

Another aspect is whether you like the feeling of the 4cyl vs the 6cyl. Speed and power is one thing, but the pull and overall drive is just different.... a v6 is just plain more effortless.. and feels like the car is hovering around..

I have no complaints about my E300 in terms of speed and power, but when you drive a v6 is just a more pleasant and effortless to drive around. It has a certain underlying oomph to it.

You probably wouldn't realize it as much, unless everyone here with an e300 has recently driven a v6 of any kind... you just forget how sweet a v6 was compared to a v4 at the end of the day....

I drove a g70 V6 recently, that car has 365 hp and 376 tq and starts at 45k...... car has extremely good reviews..... really can't believe how much we are missing out with these economy specs.... v4 255hp on a 65k car.... at least give us a standard v6....

Cerave

In stop and go I prefer the turbo 4
but on the highway I prefer a V6

turbo v6 is overkill in most situations