bmms8

hi, i have an order for a e500 with parktronic, key-less, go, power rear sunshade, rear blinds,e2, and 6cd. I think the msrp w/o tax will be around 60000, so the car over all hopefully will be less than 66 grand. I just found out the s-class will have a 3.7 litre engine with 245 hp. I am only 15, but this car will be for my family, mostly my mom and dad. I don't think they would ness all that steering ability of the new E. We all want a very good and silent ride. Do you guys think the s350 wil be under 66 grand w/o tax. And do you guys also think it is just better to get a s350. Also my dad doesnt really need a v8, th car is not for power, so i think 245 is enough. Please respond on what you guys think, thank you in advance

Tezta

The S350 is coming to America?

_Pacific_

If you get the car there, S-class is always S-class. If the money is not a problem, I think you should go for the S350.

bmms8

hey thanks, but tezta, i don't know if it will come to the us, can anyone answer if it will?

Tezta

Honestly i am not 100% sure whether the 350 will show up in america, But i am leaning towards no. I think MBUSA would like to keep their models offered in 2 variations, E320/500 or C240/320 etc. They don't even offer a Classic, Elegance or Avantgarde like they do in HK. The smaller engine vehicles are very popular in asia, here in HK i see S320's left and right, and E240's. But if it were a choice between the two, i would go with the E500, better engine, new technology and most important, new style. Sclasses have been around since 99, sure people are impressed with the S, but the new E is such a beatiful car. And a nicely equipped E will cost less than 66K.

bmms8

thanks for the advice tezta, have you driven the new e or s class before, if so, is there abig difference in ride and quietness

Fuzzo

i too don't think that the S350 is coming to the US... i haven't heard anything about it ...yet....

i would definitely go with the new E over the S class because it's a new body style and from the reviews I read.. it's a pretty sweet ride....

Goldeni245

Even if the S350 is coming to America, it would be extremely slow, even the 245 hp V-6 isn't going to help that tank move...unless you get a S430, stick with te E500, power is very important in a car (need lotsa pep!), especially if you find yourself in sticky situations.

bmms8

i think it will be coming to the states just because the ml will have a 37 litre engine. I would go with the s350 flat no options over the e500 with my 6 options....i mean the price for the e500 with tax and everything is 67977 or something!!!! The s-class will have the new taillights and the new e will have the older ones which will prob be replaced by 2005-06. But i dont know yet what we are going to do, more opinions plz, i have never driven a s....only sat in one.....GOD DAMN!!! it is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo nice in there, and 2003 will be better!!

ChuckLane

bmms8 you said this is for your fam right? Take a look at this link about pre-safe in the new 03 S-Class. You will be glad that the car is thinking ahead of you in a crash situation
Pre-Safe

bmms8

yea, thats so cool, i just read about it at germancarfans....it seems very good, but like someone else posted the fact that if the moon-roof closes, it will atleast take 5 seconds....right, no accident has ever taken 5 seconds...it like booom, then its over, so that part i dont really get, closing it wont give enough time

ChuckLane

Yeah that part is confusing too, maybe it close real quick in case of emergancy, but doubt it. Then again i would wrather hit half of the sunroof then all of the pavement under it. Better than nothing right?

bmms8

yea thats true, but the problem with it going to fast can be that if your wife or whatever is having some fun, listening to loud music in the passenger seat, with her hand sticking out of the moonroof, and it all of a sudden closes on her, first all of her hands get crushed, and prob breaks her arms, cuz her hand might be stuck...I know this is to extreme measures, but hey, who knowz right

Accord

According to MBUSA, it is not coming to North America.

cjileong

ChuckLane...you have a S500 4MATIC Sport on order?

I thought the two were incompatible...

ChuckLane

cjileong thats right i talked to the dealer and they said that you can get sport and 4matic in the S500. This was just last weeek. I definitly think he is right too take a look at this link. Its a white S-Class Sport. Judging from the pictue and the weather conditions outside I would assume its 4matic.

cjileong

Wow! Sweet!

VroomVroom

i can't really tell you the difference between the e500 and the S, but between 2000 CL500 and 2003 E500, E500 was much queter on the highway compared to the CL.

KrispyK

You say this because you don't have your license yet and haven't had the misfortune of being in some stupid accidents. I've been unfortunate enough to be a passenger in at least two accidents wherein my buddies who had no business driving rear wheel drive cars took a corner too fast in icy conditions, and in the other instance, tried to avoid a little animal on the road in DRY conditions. Fish-tail, fish-tail, BANG. I suppose ESP is suppose to prevent accidents like these, but the laws of physics, in the end, reign supreme and it *is* possible to overcook it beyond what ESP can do for you. And I'd say there was substantial time between the first fish-tail until we hit the guardrail/Jersey barrier.

I doubt PRE-SAFE can do something about a good percentage of the accidents, but I think the survivability of fish-tail, out-of-control accidents would benefit from PRE-SAFE.

bmms8

lol, what does that mean........who gives a **** if i have my license....does that mean i havent been in a accident??? no thats not true, thats not related at all.....if there are two cars, i doubt any accident has taken over 2-3 seconds..

KrispyK

I can come up with several two-car accident scenarios wherein the entire accident, from beginning to end could take longer than 2-3 seconds. How about slamming on your brakes on an icy surface, and rear ending the car ahead ... you can see the car up front, you know you should stop, you slam on the brakes, but the car just won't slow down! (Came close to, but thankfully didn't, doing this driving a friend's 911 C4 during a snowstorm ... Porsches might handle well in the dry, but don't get caught in a snow storm with one .. even with snow tires! Stepping on the brakes only caused the ABS to make the pedal shake, no change in speed.) Or just last month, my friend was involved in an accident wherein a crazed driver in a Mustang was lane-hopping when he clipped both my friend's 330Ci and a minivan, and all three cars lost control and hit the guardrails. My friend said he fought the loss-of-control as long as he could, but even with his DSC, the rain and his own inexperience conspired to make him end up just slamming on his brakes, making a 400 degree turn before hitting the guardrail. These are all scenarios wherein PRE-SAFE's actions could have benefits ... slamming on the brakes, stability program going nuts, easy for a computer to pick up these circumstances.

In the end, I seriously doubt Mercedes engineers would have developed this system at a cost of millions if there are never accidents that take over 2-3 seconds. I figure the guys that make the finest cars in the world know what they're doing.

Accord

I don't know what planet you're from, but here on earth with a gravitational pull of -9.8 m/s^2 accidents take a lot longer than 2-3 seconds. Unless you're in a small fender bender or if you hit someone at a very slow speed, accidents will be a lot longer than two seconds. It only takes a split second for something to happen, but the result of that split second is multiplied numerous times as a result. Most serious accidents from the point of contact to the end will most likely be between 10 and 15 seconds.

You don't have your license, therefore you do not have enough experience to be able to tell the difference in handling between a car that oversteers or understeers. An unexperienced driver will almost always hit the brake if a situation almost occurs, however most of the time, it is better to quickly accelerate. These things only come with experience, experience which you just don't have and you just do not suddenly acquire this experience the day you get your license.

bmms8

yea, im not talking about a life threatning accidnet, just the usual bumps and stuff

KrispyK

LOL, are you a physics major or something?? I remember from my college days the numerical value of "g" but we tended to approximate it as "-10 m/s^2." Easier to do the calculations. Just like c = 3.0 x 10^8 m/s instead of 2.998 x 10^8 m/s.

Accord

Nope, Aerospace Engineering. Only 3.9 years left, i'm a freshie.