I made the decision to go with the 2003 S as opposed to the 2003 E.....

Today I saw the new E for the first time.....I was not impressed....The front looks ok, but the sides and back are very C class. The interior is not spacious at all....The S is definately where its at!


Sean

 

My wife has had 4 E's in a row now and held over her last lease on her 2000 E until the release of the new '03 E class to decide whether to get yet another or change to an S class. She finally drove the new E on Tuesday and was also not impressed. Said it reminded her very much of the other 4 she had, but looked smaller from the inside and felt smaller from the inside. She has now decided on the S class, something I have been telling her she should do since her lease came up last November. Now I am just trying to persuade her to wait another 2 months for the upgraded, facelifted '03 S instead of settling for an '02, even at a discount. We leased a 2002 C class for one of our employees earlier this year, and I believe the current S & C class look very, very similar, just in different dimensions.
I believe the reason for the '03 face lift, at least in part, is to more clearly define the S from the C for 2003. IMO, There is no comparing the new '03 E class & the current '02 S class, let alone the '03 S class. You are correct. The S is definitely where it's at!

 

Thank you for your comments.

The funny part is that for me to get an E500 (I love the sound and smoothness of a V8) with all the options the S class has means the the price difference is only around $4000.00 For that, the S is definately a better deal...For $4000.00 more you get a better resale value, safety, space, etc...


Sean

 

It's a no brainer based on price alone. However my wife didn't even stop to evaluate based on price, she just based her conclusion on driving the two cars. But as you point out, based on the price of an E with comparable options, the S looks (almost) like a bargain by comparison.

 

Your wife should definately go for the S...especially with the new pre-safe option.

What are you currently driving...you should be in a 2003 S!

Sean

 

Our dealer says the '03 S will not be available for delivery until early Dec. and that will be my wife's. I sold my Boxster in May (which I suffered through 3 years with) and was patiently (past tense) awaiting an '03 SL500. I am still waiting. At this point, the longer I wait (and read about the current ownership experience), the less I find myself desiring one. I have an order in on an '03 Obsidian Black/Black G500 but am also still considering the '03 Range Rover. If I get the G or RR instead of the 500SL, I have though about getting a vintage 190SL convertible 190SL for fun. Do you know anything about them?

 

Of course, in one sense one cannot get an S class comparably equipped with the new E. The new brake by wire is not available on the S and neither is the panorama roof. Curious if your sample E was fully equipped. I sat in an E with the panorama roof and one without and there was a world of difference in terms of the feeling one had as to interior size and roominess.

Let's face it, the E (fully equipped) is technologically superior to the current S. The S's only advantage over the E is that adult passengers riding in the back of the S do have more leg room. If you have kids who ride in the back or do not use the back seats for adult passengers on a frequent basis then the E is the way to go at least until the new generation S comes out.

 

Having had a Porsche Targa and hearing about the E class with Panaromic roof top, I will let you know that the rain and general wind noise increase while saftey for break & enters, roll overs, accidents...decrease...futhermore the brake by wire system does not make such huge difference...the s class has much bigger brakes, and cross-drilled front rotors....the e does not....in terms of technologically advanced electronics the S class has pre-safe and a standard command that is more intertwined with the vehicles electronics as opposed to the E Class.

I ordered the E and hated the S....but these few reasons made me change my mind.


Sean

 

Forgot...The S feels much roomier in the front than the E....The new E class actually feels less roomie than the old e class...seriously!

 

Brake by wire really sounds great. But I believe that the S class stops pretty good when you want it to stop even w/o this system. At least I have not seen complaints from any owners who say they have attempted to stop and been unable to do so. On the other hand, I have seen complaints by '03 SL500 owners who dislike the feel of this braking system immensely. IMO, the fact that a technology is"new" does not automatically make it better. It certainly does not appear that BMW's iDrive system at this point would qualify as an "advancement in technology" although it is a newer technology.

To me, it seems that the real purpose of much (but not all) of this new "technology" (some might call it gimmickry) such as Drive by wire, Keyless Go, iDrive, etc. is more about the car companies attempt to oneup the competition in order to attract a customer to purchase their product over another than it is about providing that customer with a truly satisfying driving and ownership experience. What I believe MB and many of these auto makers are neglecting to understand in their game of technology one upmanship is the fact that to most buyers, comfort and driveability, safety, product quality and customer service, (and, as technology advances, user friendliness) are much more important than bells & whistles & six inch thick owners manuals..