mmarshall

Thanks. Agreed. I like it more, for cruising, than a BMW 550i, but the BMW is noticeably more fun on winding roads. Both have excellent brakes and drivetrains.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Good luck in your car-shopping. I'm a big fan of the wagon body style if you regularly carry things. Mercedes won't sell any (estate) wagons here in the U.S., except for its SUVs and the R-class. That, IMO, is a marketing error.

Perhaps. But, like every time I review or drive an I-Drive-equipped BMW or an MMI-equipped Audi, I find the Mercedes system of column-stalks a PITA.


I myself keep a portable air-compressor in my trunk. It is small, plugs into the cigarette lighter and puts air into a low tire. I haven't had to use it for myself much (only once), but have helped out others with it several times.

I disagee that the lack of true spares today is a fuel-economy issue, particularly with today's light-weight alloy wheels. The small difference in weight between a temporary spare tire/wheel and a real one isn't that much...and has only a miniscule effect on gas mileage. It is simply a money issue...as many other production issues are these days. Temporary/donut spares, Fix-a-Flat compressed-air cans, and other spare-tire substitutes can simply be produced and installed more cheaply than a real tire and wheel. Automakers have chosen to use them for budget reasons, even though, in some cases, it can make dealing with a flat tire on an AWD vehicle very difficult, for technical reasons involving tire-rotation speeds and the center differential.

mmarshall

Thanks. I put a lot of time into them.

mmarshall

Not surprising. BMW, like Mercedes and Audi, has some expensive packages and options that can push that sticker price way up. The last 550i I reviewed, a couple of years ago, was somewhere in the 60's.....I don't remember exactly where.

Parker Gen

Good review I enjoyed reading this. Ever since the last gen E class came out, I have loved them, I havn't seen one of these yet, but it looks interesting. First thing I noticed about the interior is the steering wheel, looks smaller with more positions to hold it.

dunnojack

fully loaded lexus GS350 $52,340.00

fully loaded E350 with AMG appearance = $58,135.

TwiBlueG35

The new E is almost four years newer than the current GS.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Yes. Mercedes, unlike BMW and Audi, tends to use 4-spoke steering wheels. I prefer 3-spoke wheels myself, at the classic 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, but there is nothing wrong with the E550's wheel. It is generally well-done, comfortable to hold without the rough-feeling stitches some leather-wrapped wheels have, and the rim is beefy enough to give you a sense of control.

KILLERGS4

GS460 base price: 54,345
E550 base price: 56,300
550i base price: 60,400
who cares about Audi but here it is...
A6 4.2 base price: 60,950

btw, 1sicklex has GS450h not 460...
E550 will scrap the plate with these aging competitors, even more so with price advantage... Really enjoyed your review, but the cruise control and turn signal stalk is non-issue to me, and under-hood layout doesn't look absurd to me either. Your minuses seemed forced to me, even though you had lot of pluses. "Rather pricey" look at the competition. "Rather low ground clearance from the lower-body panels", which I prefer to the jacked-up appearance of my Lexus. "Awkward column-tab transmission lever" sooner or later, Lexus will adopt this feature...
2009 E-550 0-60mph got 4.8 sec, I'm sure the 2010 will match or beat that with improved drag drag coefficient .24 (better than 2010 prius). I love the new 550 engine, and it does rival the AMG in acceleration (2004 E55 AMG: supercharged 5.5-liter V8, 469-hp, 516 lb.-ft., 0-60 mph 4.5 sec) I am hoping Lexus does something really great w/ there next generation GS...

Plus+
Lifetime roadside assistance for all MB's...
Ability to turn on fog lights w/o having to turn on headlights
One tap turn signal that blinks 3x
Amber interior lights vs toyota green lights...
More durable leather in MB compare to Lex (but Lex is softer)

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

Mercedes E is tops in its class right now.. Amazing features available that makes the others seem primitive in comparison. The E63 AMG is going to be bananas..

mmarshall

Depends on what area of comparison. The BMW 550i, at least judging from the last 550i I reviewed, still outdoes it a little as a driver's car. The E550 is a slightly better cruiser. The Audi A6 also has Quattro AWD now; 4Matic AWD on the E550 will not be available until this fall.


Thanks.



You opinion noted (and respected ), but here I'm going to have to disagree a little. The stalks, at least until maybe (?) you get used to them (which I haven't yet, despite reviewed a number of recent M-B products), are indeed an issue. The cruise-control stalk is EXACTLY where you find the turn-signal lever in most cars. Flip it up, as you would normally signal for a right turn, and, if the system is turned on, you accelerate the car. Flip it down, and you slow the car. The actual turn-signal lever itself is too low (by about 2 inches or so), and is awkward to reach with your fingertips when you have them at the normal 9-3 or 10-2 position on the wheel. I've b**ched about this design before in M-B products, and will continue to do so until it is changed..

On the "rather pricey" issue.....OK, you have a point; none of the E550's competitor's are exactly cheap either. But, as I see it, part of the whole reason for doing reviews is to try and determine if a vehicle is worth what it costs. No doubt the E550 is an impressive vehicle, but, is it worth 60K when you have some good (even excellent) vehicles out these at half the price (such as the Subaru Legacy and Hyundai Genesis 3.8 track coupe). Perhaps your bank account could handle a new E550: not everyone's these days can.

The ground clearance issue, as I see it, comes up because auto manufacturers often add unnecessary lower-body dams and flares when they don't need to, simply for styling reasons. Supposedly, at some extremely high speeds, they might (?) cut down on underbody lift a little and help the tires stick to the road better, but this is more of an effect in racing and exotic sports cars than street-legal sedans and coupes. I see little need for this kind of stuff on regular street cars unless you are just trying to show off. It just makes the car more prone to scrapes and lower-body damage on speed bumps, ramps, driveways, etc....


And, on the transmission stub-lever, two issues. First, I see little reason to have a spring-tab motion that snaps it back to the neutral position, which doesn't show you what gear you are in. The small, digital gear-display on the dash is mounted with several similar displays. Second, if the shift lever was back on the console where, IMO it should be, then the cruise-control lever could go on the right side of the column in its place and not be messing up the turn-signal functions like it does now.



Many M-B cars don't have leather at all, but a cheap-looking/feeling synthetic material called M-B Tex. Even the "leather" in most leather-equipped Mercedes products (like my test E550) is not smooth, soft, and even UNLESS you go to the top-of-the-line AMG versions. It's pretty much the same now with with Audi and BMW. This especially annoying because the nice smooth leather you can NOW only get in the top-line German cars USED to be pretty much standard across their model lines......and is an example of classic cost-cutting.

Now.....can you just imagine a new Lexus with something in it like the M-B Tex seats? You would have a customer revolt on your hands. Lexus, on some of its new models (the ES350 is the best example) has already cheapened their interiors as it is, with more plastic and less wood. That would only compound an existing error.

The Mercedes people say that the synthetic M-B Tex stuff was done in response to the complaints of animal-rights activists. If so, that is a subjective, moral and political issue that goes beyond simple car talk in a thread like this. But, if that is the case, then customers, IMO, should be offered a choice of true leather or M-B Tex. They're not....except in expensive option packages or on AMG models.


So, I respect your opinions, as I do those of anyone who disagrees with me, but there are reasons why I made the statements I did....and I want to make those clear.

DrDrilZ

I test drove a 2009 (previous body style) E550 yesterday. During the drive I kept hitting the cruise control stalk also instead of the blinkers! But I think you would eventually get used to it. What do you guys think about picking up one of the last W211 E550's for about $48k (MSRP $67k)? Good value?

KILLERGS4

I don't know if the 2010 will go for sticker or not, but I rather get the 2010 if you can fit it in your budget... 2010 looks so FRESH!!!

KILLERGS4

this has always been the case, If I recall... doesn't mean BMW is better

dunnojack

i like the mbtex better than the regular mb leather.

plus, they never crack.