C32 or E55?
 

well FINALLY my mom decides to get rid of the LS400!! so we're searching for new vehicle, either C class or E class maybe the S calss. haha..bassically covers all the sedans of MB.

But a few questions i want to know are:

What is the main difference between a C and an E?

Are AMG's a very driveable everday car? say my mom drives the car almost everday, will it be unhappy since she's a slow driver? or will the car be too fast for her?

How much difference does Air suspension make?

Can you alter the ride height of the car with Air suspension by a push of the button?(higher for winter, lower for summer?)

How is the back space in the C class?

How is the ride in AMG's?

How does AMG's compare to non-AMG models?

Is there going to be a sure change in engine for S class? 500-550?

What can i tell my parents to convice them to get the E55 AMG?(don't tell me its faster and bigger engine, this isn't that important to my parents):D

thanks, and any imput would be great!!

Juke:D

ps: help me on this one! i really want the E55..haha..

C vs. E
 

Just between the C and E class, the E has a lot more space than the C. Especially for rear passengers. Not to mention a few more amenities (bells and whistles). I looked at a C320 and couldn't live with the "cramped" C class. If you go for any AMG model, you'll get the stiffer suspension/ride which probably won't go well with your mom. She'll probably opt for the standard "cushiony" ride the stock models have. If she already drives the LS400, she'll be happy with an E430 or E320. Dropping down to a C class would be a big difference in passenger room. And if she drives slow, maybe a E430 might be overkill. But an E55 would definitely be too much for a slow driver. Basically a waste of money if she isn't using it to it's full advantage. I say, save the money and get some nice rims for an E430 or E320. Not sure what else to tell you to convince your parents of the E55. If they aren't interested in performance or speed, it will be a tough sell.

I can't add much to what ryson said. The E55 is a pretty harsh ride, especially on rough surfaces. On the best roads it is as smooth and quiet as any luxury car, but on pothole or gravelly roads the road can be downright brittle and noisy.

The E55 is also way more expensive than an E430. I suspect the E55's are pretty much all gone now, and the new one is likely to be out next year at an even larger premium over the E500, maybe around $85k.

I don't have the air suspension, can't comment on that.

Lastly, the gas pedal on the E55 is a wonderful design. The car never lurches forward or feels trigger happy. You can drive it like a limousine with a newborn baby in the back seat, just by being a little gentle on the pedal. Push deeper, and the power spools up in a hurry.

Thanks for the responses!!

the LS400 is not the daily driver of our family, she usually drives the S320...but its just the LS is showing its age(literally). BTW she has no trouble with my E430, so that may be a good sign that she is not too heavy ont he gas.

sorry for the inconvenience, but i was leaning towards the 2003 models, i specifically didn't want to post it in that forum because it has less traffic. Would the 2003 E55 be hella lot faster and not very driver friendly? and does it come with air suspension, if so would it be more "cushy" when needed?

and as for convincing my parents(mostly my mom!haha), we all want the 03' E55, we do not see the value of having 2 E's of the same design(even though there is an E55 on the showroom floor). It just my dad is afraid my mom will not be able to "handle" to awesome power of an AMG. if all comes to worst, they can give me the E55 and i'll gladly hand over my E430:rolleyes: and the E55 would only be a "weekend" or "soccermom minivan" vehicle.

any tips on polishing the shoe of my dad?:D

Juke

Whether with air suspension or not (which I don't know), the E55 still will be a harsher ride than a stock E430. It's just a trade off to get the performance benefits in the E55. You can't have a cushy ride and excellent corning ability. As for if your mom can handle the E55 power, if she doesn't have a lead foot, then it's not even an issue because she'll never floor it. But you would have spent all that extra money for it. Might as well just have your mom test drive the E55 and get her opinion. That's the best way to answer that question. But if you don't want to have 2 E430's, then go for the S class. Even if you get an E55, they still will look fairly identical so any ordinary schmo will still think you have 2 E's. Unless they notice the badging/side skirts, etc. If speed/handling is not a consideration, then the E55 is not the choice in my opinion since those are the major benefits to it. And again, with those benefits, you lose on ride comfort. But if you all want the 2003 E55 (like you said), then I guess the question is answered. Take the test drive, then buy it.... and borrow the car as many times as possible. :)

Juke-box


Why don't you and your mom have a test drive and feel the differences between the two cars??

no w211 e55 yet
 

there is no '03 e55s yet. only the e320s and e500s arrive here this august. you mom has to wait until the '04 model year for the e55s (and the wagons). plus i personally would not get the first model year (lots of bugs even though it is a benz). i am happy with an '02 e430 (probably with deep discount)

what type of driving?
 

Even the AMG's have a nice ride on highways/smooth suburban streets. If her driving is almost exclusively on good roads, the harshness will be less of an issue. Here in NYC, the stiffness sucks on city streets, so some people would complain.

my two cents -


I can't talk about the E55, but...

a couple of months ago I had my C32 in the shop for regular service and got an E320 "loaner". My wife REALLY liked that car!
It is definitely a bigger car - even in front it feels less cramped.

She doesn't like the C32 because it has "too much power" which I think means she has trouble modulating the throttle in "S" (sport) mode

She thought the E320 had more than enough power. (She is used to our ML320).

Now, one thing, she is not necessarily a wimpy "mom" driver - she drove the h*** out of my 993 in a Drivers Education meet a few years ago!

Women look at things differently ...

I am racking my brains to come up with reasons (that she would accept) why we NEED to trade in the C32 for the new E55!

Juke-box, you will be looking at the 2003 and up W211 E's correct. Because the 2002 E55 and E430's are probably in very short supply. The factory has stopped making all versions of W210 in Feb/March 2002. The W211 E55 will be a 2004 model and the only way to get one at sticker price will be to place an order with a deposit or pay $10k over MSRP for any car sitting on the lot. Sorry, but you will not be able to test drive a W211 E55 when they arrive. The dealers usually do not offer test drive on limited vehicles and any car in their inventory will already have someone's name on it when it hits the docks. Try convincing your parents to order and wait or pay $10k over MSRP will be impossible.

I believe the Air Suspension will be an Option on W211 (E320 & E500).

thanks for all the suggestions!!

if the E55 model doesn't arrive by January or early next year, we will probably skip that car and get a normal E500 sport or C32, what a baumer:( because our LS400 is due to service within 2000km to have a BIG tune up that will cost around 3k!! so we wnat to get rid of it as soon as possible, besides, even my mom thinks the car is underpowered haha..i guess that's why no one likes/drive it.

And my mom has test driven the C class and E class, but not the AMG's because its a limited production model, and b/c Canada is cheap. She thinks the C is small, but cozy, and the E..well its the same as my car so not much of a difference there. We will wait for August and test drive the new E before making any orders though..i thought it just might be a good idea to convince them ahead of time, instead of pressing them later on for an AMG.

Is the C32 really that monstrous?? and if that's ALREADY too powerful, would the new E55 be even worse? if so, i don't think it would suit our situation as nicely as the smaller models.

Since Canada's roads aren't THAT bad at where i live, i don't think the suspension would be a problem after what AJ2 said.

Say the E55 does come in january, what would the cost be like?

and lastly to answer thegeneraltso, we are forced to buy the first year production model b/c we don't want to wait(since our lexus is dying) and because we dont' want to choose BMW or Audi or Lexus, lets make our weekend car a fun one without the snob of a bimmer. and if we dont' get the E, we will get the 03' model of the C, which has all the kinks worked out i hope.

thanks!
Juke

The W211 E55 AMG will be a 2004 model and no way that car will be here in January 2003. Think Fall of 2003. Remember, place order and wait a year or buy one off lot for $10k over MSRP.