RandyMarsh25

2017 E400 32k mile w. preminum package: $33k USD in a rural area. Update: Had 2 accidents: $7300 (front left) and $750 (back) - I guess this car is not worthy it.
2018 E300 61k mile w. preminum and auto-intelligent package: $29k USD + 2 year warranty in a city. The warranty might expire sooner if it reaches mileage limit first.

My family drives about 9,320 miles per year and we are thinking of driving a car for 15 years or longer if we can. We drive in a city as well.

Can someone help me make my decision?
Am I putting too much emphasis on mileage and better engine?

ygmn

HOw does 2018 have 2 years warranty? it is over 50k miles.

chassis

E400. The engine in the E300 has a history of piston cracking.

The E400 engine is one of the most reliable from MB in decades.

RandyMarsh25

2018 bought extended warranty

W205C43PFL

I second this. However, OP, given your update to the OP, I guess you should continue searching.

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The G Man

The E400 had two accidents, too many unknowns. The E300’s mileage is too high, I would pass on both and keep looking.

ygmn

or with E400 accidents a way to have them reduce the price.

Check the repair - $750 to rear could just be the diffuser and a light... MB parts expensive.
$7500 front leftcould have been Fender, light or?

Get details on these like what parts were replaced and repainted... when they happend if long time ago and repair is holding up.

OR go find another E400 - I have older one and love it. more options then plain E300

chassis

E400 = more reliable, comparable fuel economy, more options and more performance.

The G Man

just out of curiosity, if you like the v6 engine so much, why in the world would you buy a 4 cylinder in a big truck like the gle? the E is fine with a I4 but a big truck like the gle will weigh down the i4. Your gle has a 0-60 time of almost 8 seconds, which is slow by most standards. Most of the options on the e400 is also available in the e300. The e300 has more than enough highway passing power for the average. Unless money is no object or you like to street race, the e400 is not necessary.

chassis

I agree, why would anyone buy the 4-cylinder GLE model?

JTK44

[QUOTE=The G Man;8648674 The e300 has more than enough highway passing power for the average. Unless money is no object or you like to street race, the e400 is not necessary.[/QUOTE]

I do not race but have the E450:

• Much smoother
• Much quieter at highway speed and at idle
• Doesn't sound like a sewing machine at idle
• About the same gas mileage at highway speed as the 4 cylinder

Necessary no - but neither is an EClass: The 4 is a perfect engine for the C class, as is the 4 in the BMW 3 class and Audi 4 series. But I think the 6 is more appropriate for the E Class, 5 series BMX and A6 Audi.

W205C43PFL

If you mean his 2017 GLE 350, that has a V6 not a 4 cylinder, unless I understood you wrong. If so I am sorry about that.

The G Man

Thanks for correcting my mistake, never the less, 0 to 60 in almost 8 seconds is under power.

The G Man

Like I said earlier, if you have the money and want to buy more engine than you need, by all means.
I have owned many I4, I6, V6 and V8. 15 years ago, I would never buy a 6 cylinder, never mine a 4. Today, the 4 is the new 6 and 6 is the new 8 and so forth. This 4 cylinder engine is pretty smooth and sounds very good. On the highway, there is no engine noise at all and has all the passing power I need. The 4 gets about 1 or 2 mpg better milage but both engine gets great mileage.

The G Man

my mistake, I cannot believe Mercedes is still using that old 3.5 NA engine in the 2017 GLE, my wife had a 2014 ML350 and it was way lacking in power. Highway passing was hit or miss, makes my E300 feel like a speedster.

JTK44

To each's own: at idle the 4 is gasping for air and sounds like a sewing machine. The 6 you can hardly hear. Under acceleration even light acceleration the 6 purrs along - never being taxed.

When you pay $70,000 for a car it is a luxury item not a necessity. The engine designed for the E Class is the 6. If rough sounding is unimportant and 1 mpg is important, then by all means save money and get the 4 rather than the 6.

As to weight:

• E350 4matic 3900 lbs
• E450 4matic 4100 lbs

Keep in mind that the E450 has a 21 gallon fuel tank vs. 17 for the E350 so the cruising range of the E450 is over a 100 miles greater. That is another example of luxury.

W205C43PFL

Hmmm I mean I think the 3.5 NA had potential once it was tuned properly MB just made it underpowered so they can sell the 2017 GLE 450 in select markets, which as you know has the same engine as the GLE 43 and E 43 as well but tuned differently and as you already know it started to have turbos and went from 3.5L down to 3.0L.

W205C43PFL

Agree with it being underpowered but it has tuning potential that can rival many MB engines, with decent reliability to boot.

The G Man

A bit less tuning potential since its not a turbo, but I have never been a big fan of tuning due to warranty and reliability issues. As an engineer, I believe one should never push any mechanical system to its limits. One thing good about the ML350 or the GLE350 is that the body is build like a tank. One of the best current Mercedes built wise besides the G wagon.

W205C43PFL

I and and many others I came across used to think of tuning like overclocking CPUs (which engine tuning is way more than that of course) which some chipset manufacturers actually provide instructions to do so with warranty intact, not every CPU can be overclocked though, although from the same batch, no CPU is identical to another one despite following the same manufacturing process.

Thanks for bringing it up, I agree tuning isn't always the answer even for those out of warranty and certainly isn't for everyone. I was trying to say the engine did have more potential, it is just that MB detuned it so they can sell the 450 at that time which I guess makes sense if they want the 350 and 450 to coexist. Not everyone needs a 450 after all. Which continues to be true with the V167, still 350 and 450 offered although as you know the former is a four cylinder.

W205C43PFL

all good, I mean anyone would be surprised that, that engine was still used in 2017 when everyone has been turbocharging for a while now.

chassis

Nice, just as long as the #1 piston doesn't crack, it will be all good.

chassis

Agree. The W166 GLE is the best-sorted MB chassis in a long while. No defects that I can think of from the W164 platform (e.g. water intrusion into electric system and hydraulic liftgate problems), and does not have the failed 48V system of current powertrains. Nice choice of powertrains from the robust and reliable 3.5 NA to the sporty and reliable 3.0 TT to the powerful but problem-ridden M157 and M278.

The G Man

Thanks for your well wishes. Did some research before purchasing my E300, the cylinder cracking issue is pretty rare, most of the cylinder cracking were in earlier C class. I would not own any German cars without warranty but now a days, even with warranty, parts are hard to come by.