E350 vs S350?

[SLRist]

Hi all,

My first post on the forum as I'm a prospective MB owner. Just about to dip my toe in the water...

I have around £20K to spend on a car. I want something for motorway cruising which is going to be comfortable and quiet. Also *reasonable* fuel economy on a long run (35-40mpg ballpark). I'm completely fed up with the horrendous road noise of my old Focus, so I'm looking or a complete change.

I think I've narrowed the choice down to either an E350 or S350. Probably something 3-4 years old.

My question is - is the S350 going to give me a lot quieter, comfortable ride than the E350, or is there not much in it?

Are the running costs (especially in terms of things going wrong - there are a lot of things which *could* go wrong on both of these cars, especially the S350) likely to be horrendous? I don't relish the thought of being landed with £1K repair bills for alternator and starter replacements, £2K to fix the aircon or £4K to fix something with the transmission etc. Is there a clear win for the E class here? I suppose there must be a reason they're popular as cabs...

Planning to keep it for 5-8 years, so depreciation isn't really a big concern, and I'm happy to use an independent Merc specialist for servicing and repairs.

Don't care too much about acceleration and cornering as long as it goes.

Appreciate any advice you have to offer!

Many thanks.

 

[Carabosse]

I recently bought an E350 CDI Coupe. It is an ideal quiet motorway cruiser and gives me over 50mpg on long runs. In mixed driving it rarely drops below 35mpg.

Hope that helps.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

The S-Class was built to plough up and down the motorway in a calm and sedate manner, whereas the E-Class is slightly more driver focused; it's as nimble on B-Roads as it is comfortable on the motorway.

I'm in my early thirties and whenever I contemplate the 'step up' to an S-Class (I've owned eight E-Class's) I just can't do it, they're too soft for me.

The S is more technologically advanced than the E so the chances are it 'should' cost more to maintain.

Both are great cars, have a test drive of both and see what you think.

 

[BigSilverEstate]

Must say my E class is not particularly quiet on the motorway because of wide tyres. Doesn't help that it's an estate of course but I wouldn't take refinement for granted and I imagine the S wins on that front.

 

[Peterr_ibg]

Driving S350 (13 plate) and previous to that, E350 ( 11 plate).

Cant comment on running costs as both were from new and neither needed anything spending on them, apart from servicing

I had E350 Avantgarde which I think is a bit softer than the Sport version, but the interior noise is very good - So much so that my wife commented that she could hear my keys jingling in the ignition whilst doing 70mph - no other noise and little tyre and wind roar

S350 is even smoother and quieter - The Airmatic suspension really smooths the bumps and the interior is even quieter than the E350, noticeably so.

Same engine in both, but the E350 feels much quicker - was getting about 45 mpg out of the E and now about 40 mpg in the S - mainly motorway cruising

 

[SLRist]

Many thanks for the insightful comments.

I think I need to test drive an E class and see how it feels.

 

[HumberMart]

I've just bought a 2010 S350 and would say it is far superior to an E Class in terms of refinement, noise, and ride.

Price for price you will get better tech on the E, as a sub 20K S will likely be a pre facelift 320. Prob 20pc more mpg on the E. not much diff on Indy service costs but air suspension on S could prove a costly repair.

 

[HumberMart]

Interestingly, just driven my S350 into the dealer this morning and been loaned a pre-facelift E250 CDI Sport 7G.

The route to the dealer is about 20 miles, half being a twisty B road, half being fast A road.

Initially getting into the E to drive back it felt like getting into a noticably lower quality car, with a jiggly ride. However after a few miles, I began to appreciate the virtues of the E250. You do feel much more connected to the road, and the driving experience in quite fun, compared to the limo like feel of the S.

The pre-facelift E Sport felt much better than the new facelifted SE I'd borrowed for 2 days before I colected the S.

The steering was better (more direct with less of the central sloppyness that I felt in the new SE), and road noise did not seem as bad, despite being on 18's. The instant brake response was a noticable improvement over the S, as was the initial grunt for the 4 cyl diesel.

Unquestionably the S is far more comfortable, and feels like a car a class or so higher than the E. I also think the S is better looking, inside and out. However the E (certainly in pre-facelift Sport trim) was a very enjoyable drive on the back roads, feeling much smaller and lighetr than the W221. I'm beginning to wonder though about the facelifted W212 , and if it has lost something.

 

[HR17]

Test an E350 in both Sport and non-Sport guises. The Sport can be a little harsh, and tyre noise can be greater.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

The ride of the S350 is in a different league. It's far more limo like, a very refined place to be. In terms of quality I'd also agree that it's a step above. You would probably also find that in terms of spec the S Class has much of what you need as standard.

Is this to be daily car? What's your commute like?

 

[tromppost]

Try the CLS ??

 

[W2--]

Try the CLS ??

Agreed.

IMO if you regards driving is a chore than get the S Class. Luxury, soft ride, requires very little from the driver. I could quite easily fall asleep driving one.

£20k will easily get you a well spec ed w212.

But my choice will be CLS

 

[cp3377]

The S-Class should be quieter and more luxurious, but if you prefer the size of the E see if you can find one with Airmatic suspension as this will close the gap A fair way ride-wise. Road noise on the E seems to depend on the brand of tyres fitted based on reading other posts and my own experiences. Re steering - the facelift has electric steering which can feel a bit odd to begin with but with use starts to feel pretty good - better than a 211 but perhaps not as good as a pre-facelift.

Basically - whether you choose an S350 or E350 you'll have a pretty awesome car... Good luck!