luxury1

I traded my E ('04 W211) for the LS. I had the E320 with tons of options (pretty much everything). It was a nice car in many ways but I had a ton of problems. The size of the car was also an issue. It is tiny in the back. My neighbor sold his for the same reasons after only having the car for 7 months.

I thought I would miss the car but I don't. I feel like the LS was a HUGE step up in every way and I could never go back.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i was talking about between the e class and the new ls, there's no comparison between those two. you wanna talk about IS, ES, and RX? might as well throw in the c class

luxury1

When I sold the car it had about 70,000 miles and was 2.5 years old. Reliability clearly belongs to Lexus.

joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

no... E class is still way cheaper in the end.. you can EASILY get $5000 off the MSRP..

Johnny

You're right, but it depends on the market.

Really though, we're talking apples & oranges when comparing the E Class to the LS.

The E Class is overpriced and the LS is underpriced.

KILLERGS4

E-class is a GREAT car! Just make sure to get E550 AMG sports package... to seperate yourself a little bit from the pack! Lexus Lease programs always sucked bigtime, and Mercedes has awesome leases. They are both great, can't go wrong!

LexFather

Thats how the Germans sell cars. Cheap lease deals. They are hard to pass up many times.

LexFather

Considering the E-class is a TAXI CAB in Europe, and with the A and B class, well where is all the prestige? Don't let a few AMG models fool you.

I think the E550 is fabulous, I always loved the design inside and out. THe new engine is a beast. I "think" they have fixed most of the quality issues but not sure.

Now the LS, which is a brand new design with the latest in technology. This car is made to meet and beat the S and 7, not the E class, think about that. These are different class cars though a E 550 can easily get into LS money.

The new LS has won most every award since its debut. Its a piece of automotive art.

The E-class again, is a very fine car but simply outdone by the LS.

KILLERGS4

Europe is just cool like that...

KILLERGS4

don't let anyone tell you e-class is junk...

Home > Articles > 2007 Premium Cars
American households are wealthier than ever before, and premium cars are more popular than ever. In the premium car segments, the Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Audi A8 are the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM award recipients.


Midsize Premium segment: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The E-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s midsize executive sedan. The current generation was introduced in 2003 but has been redesigned and updated for 2007. All E-Class vehicles now come with the Pre-Safe safety system that Mercedes launched with the latest generation of its S-Class, the company’s largest and most luxurious sedan. Pre-Safe sensors take protective measures when a crash is impending by tightening seat belts, properly positioning a reclined front passenger’s seat, and automatically closing the sunroof and side windows. Pre-Safe also reacts to emergency braking, fishtailing, or to a vehicle that’s plowing ahead instead of turning by engaging vehicle stability controls to help the driver maintain safe control.


2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Inside, the E-Class offers a long list of standard equipment, including a new steering wheel and shift lever, a revised layout for the automatic climate control, and four new interior colors. The wagon model now includes a power tailgate. Outside, the E-Class gets a more aggressive look and more aerodynamic mirrors. Among the changes are the use of adaptive brake lights that flash when the driver aggressively steps on the brake pedal, thus alerting those behind of a possible panic stop. Also available are so-called intelligent headlamps that adjust for speed and weather conditions to enhance the driver’s view of the road at night. A no-cost Sport Package includes special wheels, a lowered sport suspension, dual chrome exhaust pipes, and blue-tinted glass as well as black Bird’s-eye maple wood trim and a matte chrome instrument cluster with white gauges.

For 2007, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is available in several versions. They include the E350 sedan, powered by a 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and available with rear- or all-wheel (4-Matic) drive; the E350 4-Matic station wagon with the same V-6 engine but also equipped with all-wheel (4-Matic) drive; and an E550 sedan that draws on a 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8 and comes with either rear-wheel or 4-Matic powertrains. Two high-performance versions from Mercedes’ in-house tuning shop, AMG, also are available: the E63 AMG sedan with its 507-hp, 6.3-liter V-8, and the E63 AMG wagon, which also carries the high-performance 6.3-liter powerplant. Additionally, Mercedes offers the E320 Bluetec sedan propelled by a 208-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 engine that operates on new, clean-burning low-sulfur diesel fuel. Mercedes says its Bluetec system is the world’s cleanest diesel, using 20 to 40 percent less fuel than comparable gasoline engines, and other automakers soon will be adopting the technology—as well as their own diesel technologies—to their luxury models.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Ratings
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Photos
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Prices

Large Premium segment (tie): 2007 Audi A8

Audi's largest car model, known for its lightweight aluminum space-frame construction, is available in both standard (A8) and extended-wheelbase (A8 L) form. For 2007, the A8's standard 4.2-liter V-8 gets Audi’s FSI direct fuel-injection system, which boosts output to 350 hp and increases EPA fuel economy estimates by 1 mpg compared to last year's model. The top-line version of the A8 lineup is the A8 L W12. According to Audi, its 12-cylinder engine, which produces 450 hp and 428 lb.-ft. of torque, propels the A8 to 60 mph in 5 seconds. All engines are backed by a Tiptronic 6-speed automatic with Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system.


2007 Audi A8

All A8s feature an adaptive air suspension, a full complement of safety equipment (including electronic stability control and side air bags), leather seats, rain-sensing wipers, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, and Bose audio. The latter three utilize a 7-inch, color LCD screen that drops out of view when not needed, and most functions are controlled through the Multi-Media Interface (MMI). An optional Bang & Olufsen stereo cranks out over 1,000 watts via 14 speakers. Interestingly, even at full volume, the B&O stereo can barely be heard outside the car. W12 models have power-closing rear doors and trunk lid and a rear-seat entertainment system with a trunk-mounted 6-DVD changer, as well as twin LCD monitors in the back of the front-seat headrests. W12 options include power-adjustable rear seats and a trunk-mounted refrigerator that is accessible from inside the car.

The new performance-oriented S8 rides on the shorter wheelbase of the A8. According to Audi, its powertrain—5.2-liter V-10 (450 hp, 398 lb.-ft. of torque), 6-speed Tiptronic, and quattro all-wheel drive—accelerates the S8 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

Audi A8 Ratings
Audi A8 Photos
Audi A8 Prices

Large Premium segment (tie): 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes is the world’s oldest automaker. For much of its 120-year history, the S-Class has been its flagship, showcasing technology, performance, and luxury. Mercedes says the S-Class was the first car with anti-lock brakes (in 1978), with a supplemental restraint system that included air bags (1982), with Electronic Stability technology (vehicle dynamics control, 1996), and with Pre-Safe, a system that automatically prepares vehicle safety features when an accident is imminent (2002). While the various electronic systems may have distinctive technical names such as Distronic, they use advanced sensors, including radar, to warn of dangerous situations, to maintain the distance between your car and the one ahead on the highway, and even to help the driver back into a parallel parking space.


2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Inside, the S-Class offers a full array of luxury amenities, including front seats with 14-way adjustment and inflatable bolsters that can provide a massage or compensate for cornering forces by inflating the side bolsters. Even the rear seats recline, and the longer wheelbase provides limousine-style legroom for those seated in the second row. A push-and-turn “mouse” style controller provides access to audio, climate, seat, and navigation controls. There’s also a 600-watt, 14-speaker Harmon/Kardon Logic7 audio system with 5.1 surround sound. This system plays music from CD or DVD sources and has a memory card slot for easy playback of digitally recorded music. Many of the audio, climate, seat, and navigation functions in the central controller also have redundant switches on the dash. Voice control also can be used for audio, telephone, and navigation systems.

The S-Class literally rides on air with a standard air suspension system instead of steel coil springs. It rides both smoothly and quickly. The S550 has a 382-hp V-8 engine; the S600 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V-12; and the S65 AMG offers more than 600 hp, more than enough to satisfy even hardcore performance enthusiasts.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Ratings
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Photos

Learn more about the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM award recipients by watching a video, reviewing the quality ratings or choosing a vehicle segment below:

Multi-activity Vehicles (MAV)
Premium MAVs
Pickups and Vans
Subcompact and Compact Cars
Midsize and Large Cars
Sporty Cars

massshelti

My problem is that I think that I need a touring package. That takes a $70k MSRP car and makes it $80k. $10k is a lot of money for a touring package. I personally hated the ride in a SWB LS.

Chris

pierre

I just traded my 2005 E500 (loaded w/everything) for the LS460. When Mercedes works, it's the best car on the planet. The problem is it rarely works.

I would NOT buy Mercedes right now. Mercedes is at rock bottom on reliability. I will check in on them again in about 6 or 7 years. They've just recently unloaded Chrysler, which brought them down to their knees.

Anybody who buys Mercedes right now is either an uninformed buyer or someone who has money to throw away.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

welcome to clublexus. if you don't mind, can you tell us more about the problems you encounter? is it mostly on the e class or in general?

btw, congrats on your new ls460!!

pierre

I can only speak for the E class. This is based on my own experience and those of many on the MBWorld forums.

The problem is mostly with the computer/electronics. It just does crazy things. It has contributed towards problems with my transmission, air conditioning, radio presets, mirrors, and engine. A couple of times the engine just shut off. Good for me, I was only coming out of my garage, but a friend of mine had the engine shut off while she was driving on the highway at night -- no *****!

My car was in the shop on average of once per month. It was a terrible inconvenience to my time to have to deal with that. I really like the car a lot between the problems. But, the problems were just too much for me to keep that car past its warranty period.

As I said, I would give MB a few years to get past the Chrysler disaster. In the meantime, if you want a fine German car, consider BMW.

luxury1

I also had an E (2004) and traded for the LS. I had a lot of issues also and it was in the shop all the time (usually for at least 2 days at a time).

Problems:
Ticking in the seats (considered "Normal")
Vibration in steering that could never be corrected
Creaking Trunk (spring issue)
CD Player issues
Electronic issues galore
and about a dozen other things...

It is also VERY small in the back seat. I thought I would miss it but I don't miss it a bit. The LS is a HUGE step up.