***2010 Mercedes E350 CGI Testdrive - and yes, it is OURS now!***

[cawimmer430]

It's done. The E320 has been sold. This is the LAST photo I'll ever take of it. 



We're going to keep the car until Monday and then my dad will bring it to the Mercedes dealership for them to take in and sell as a used car. I'll miss that car. It was so good to us.

A professional evaluator from the DEKRA was on hand to inspect the car. He needed an hour. At the end his report said that this car is in extremely good condition except for the lacquer which has a few small scratches and stone chippings, pretty much all on the hood and the side doors. The good news is that the E320 was valued at 10,000 Euros. A great price for a car from 2002 and with over 130,000 km on the odometer.

So anyway, while the DEKRA technician was inspecting the car, my dad and I proceeded to drive this:

The first picture I snapped of the 2010 Mercedes E350 CGI Avantgarde (AMG) before our testdrive.



All I can say is: WOW! WOW!

My dad was the first to drive it. Munich is a horrible place to test a car since it was all traffic, traffic and more traffic. We did eventually hit some roads where we could test it and I even got to drive it for a good 30 minutes. It was city driving all the way, but it would have to do.

This car has the AMG styling package, the AMG Leichtmetallrad im 6-Doppelspeichen-Design (245/40R Front / 265/35R Rear) 18" rims and also an AMG-tuned suspension. The list of features is pretty long, but among others it has: 7Gtronic 7-speed automatic transmission (with sport paddle shifters), Adaptive Headlights, Attention-Assist, Harman/Kardon stereo sound system, COMAND, Leather seats and steering wheel, Reverse-camera and much more.

I won't bother discussing the design since it's subjective, but I think the car looks good, especially with the extra AMG stuff on it. The inside of the car feels a tad smaller than our ex-W211, but there's still enough space. The seats are very supportive and comfortable. I'm not a fan of the leather seats since your ass tends to slide all over it (I preferred the cloth-MB-Tex combination in our W211 E320) but I guess it'll have to do. The seating position is also awkward at first and it took awhile to find the right positioning. One thing this car doesn't have and what IMO would be a great feature are memory seats. Our E320 has this feature and it's so useful when you have more than one person driving the car. Simply program in your seating position and save it to a number (1,2 or 3). The next time you drive the car after someone else has changed the seat positions, simply press your number and the seat will automatically adjust to your saved input.

The engine is remarkable. This is the direct-injection variant of the outgoing 3.5-l V6 engine that overpriced Toyota fanboys and BMW and Driver just love to piss on (Ooooh 268-hp = crap bla bla bla). Except here it makes 292-horsepower - and it shows. The engine response is instantaneous and the acceleration is quick. Really quick. I think the factory acceleration times are 6.8 seconds but these are probably underrated. The engine is also smooth and very refined.

292-horsepower direct-injection 3.5-l V6 feels responsive, smooth and very powerful.



The 7Gtronic transmission in this car cannot be felt. Shifts are quick and seamless and you just don't feel or hear them. I've got to get to know the car more, but I suspect the transmission is still tuned for luxury and not sporty driving. The transmission features three selection modes: S, C and M. S = Sport, C = Winter and M = Manual. Selecting M allows you to use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which come standard when you order the AMG suspension and package I believe. We left the transmission in Sport mode the whole time and the performance of the car was amazing. Although we didn't get to drive it on the Autobahn, we drove it in a pretty sporty fashion in the city whenever possible.




Speaking of the transmission, it takes awhile to get used to the column shifter. Using it is a piece of cake, but I'm so used to a transmission lever being next to my right hand in the center console.

Transmission lever is well-placed and easy to use, but it takes time to get used to it, especially when you're coming from a car with the shifter in the center console.



One thing I really liked about the car is the sport/comfort combination. Although this car has an AMG sport suspension, it does a great job of filtering out the roughness on certain roads. It's not as smooth or comfortable as the mostly comfort-biased sport suspension of our old E320, but it's comfortable enough. I could tell that this suspension would allow this car to be driven pretty enthusiastically out in the country. Another cool thing was the steering feedback. Can you say DIRECT? The steering response is literally razor sharp and quick. It makes the steering feel of my sisters BMW 118i look like that of a 1970s...oh hell...Plymouth Volare!  Must be that AMG magic.


One thing that takes a lot of getting used to are the side mirrors. Although they look huge on the outside, their reflective surfaces appear small, too small in fact, and I have a hard time seeing blind spots in them. I guess that's what those orange triangles in the mirror glass are for. When there's a car next to you, they change color from orange to red warning you not to pull over. A neat feature, but I like to see most of what goes on in the mirrors.

Orange triangle warning lights warn you if there's a car in your blind spot by turning red.



The COMAND system is pretty neat. What I really liked about the navigation system is the way it detailed some of the places of interest. For example, when you pass by the Deutsches Museum or the Maximilianeum, a nice graphic of that building will appear on the map as  a "place of interest". Using this system is also a piece of cake. My dad couldn't figure it out, but me, being from the computer generation, had no problems figuring out how to select this and that etc. All of it is done through the round dial in the center console behind the area where the transmission lever would naturally be (and in front of the armrests).

Mercedes COMAND: one word - AWESOME.




Attention Assist (coffee cup graphic) - based on your driving style, gas pedal and steering wheel movements (and the numbers of hours you've driven the car), the computer will recommend a break.



We're not big on sound systems but with a name that stands for quality like Harman/Kardon, we had to try the speakers and liked what we heard. We're no experts, but they sounded much better than the speakers in our E320.

Harman/Kardon speakers



Reverse camera. I've never needed any parking aids with any car I've driven I certainly won't need it with this one. A gimmicky feature? Perhaps...



W211 ancestor in taxi trim in front of us.



At the end of the drive, my dad and I were impressed. Actually, we were impressed the moment we drove off the dealer lot. The car feels more comfortable and far more sportier than our old E320. In fact, when we drove the E320 home we could feel how far technology had come and how, well, outdated, the E320 felt. I almost felt bad for the E320 because it's still a great machine (hell, more economical on fuel than the BMW 118i - literally!) and there's nothing wrong with it at all. At the same time, the prospect of owning a new W212 E-Class is pretty exciting.

I drove the E350 CGI back to the dealership with my dad who haggled out the deal with the salesman. We also bought a set of winter tires for the car for only 1,000 Euros extra (a special deal). These rims are brand new and "nobody" has seen them yet - literally. They're so new that they don't even have pictures of them online or in brochures! They had a set of them at the dealership (I should have photographed them there!) and I selected these rims based on their price and also because I felt that they would look good on the car given its AMG exterior appearance.

The dealership is now checking over the car again making sure everything works. That and the registration process mean that the car will be ours this Wednesday!  I'm so excited and sad at the same time. I'm happy we're having a new car (who wouldn't be happy!?), but at the same time I'm gonna miss the E320. 

Exterior shots









Random shots

[CALL_911]

Very nice!

Too bad you guys didn't get the 535i.

[68_427]

Very nice!

Too bad you guys didn't get the 535i A6.

FIFY

[cawimmer430]

Very nice!

Too bad you guys didn't get the 535i.

My dad doesn't like the 5er. Never has. He's always had friends who had them and he's never liked the ride claiming they were to hard and sporty for him. 

And he doesn't like the new 5er because he thinks the front isn't as dynamic looking as the new E-Class. Different tastes etc. I wouldn't have a problem if he went for the 5er, A6 etc.

Where I would have a problem is if he went for a Toyota Aristo, eh Lexus GS. 

^But that won't happen since he doesn't like Lexus - like most people here.^ 

[Mustangfan2003]

What's that pink car in the background?

[cawimmer430]

What's that pink car in the background?

W169 Mercedes A-Class belonging to one of the biggest cosmetic chains in Germany. The owner drives a pink R230 SL and her fleet according to the salesman consists of about 50 of these W169 A-Classes with which her employees do house visits etc.

Maybe you can find the cars on her site:

http://www.marykay.de/

[Mustangfan2003]

Ah I knew a woman that sold Mary Kay and ended up with one of these

[sportyaccordy]

For all the shit I gave you, honestly, that car is fcking awesome. Good buy. I am sure you guys will enjoy it

[cawimmer430]

Ah I knew a woman that sold Mary Kay and ended up with one of these

She even ruined a Corvette C6 by making it pink! 

[cawimmer430]

For all the shit I gave you, honestly, that car is fcking awesome. Good buy. I am sure you guys will enjoy it

Relax, it's a car forum - arguments happen all the time. This won't be the last time we're going to cut each others throats.   

It's going to arrive on Wednesday. I hope to take it out for a photoshoot before the winter rims and tires are added on. But those winter rims look great. I mean really great! They're brand new Mercedes' rims that aren't even out on the Internet yet and we got a great deal on them as well due to a promotion.

[Atomic]

super sweet! in time, i doubt you will ever think twice about the old car. i loved the new design from day 1. i am amazed to see in the u.s. a number of e-class sedans without navigation. for the money and image, i would go all the way. the one option i see your dad did not get is the panorama roof. i am obsessed with them after since i drove a friend's volvo xc60 and test drove a new one for myself. the audi q5 i took for a spin also had a panoramic sunroof. still, your 'benz is awesome! like the bimmer in the garage, too! nice car and color - both very fitting  !

[Mustangfan2003]

She even ruined a Corvette C6 by making it pink! 

Does she game out to this song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A&ob=av3n

[cawimmer430]

super sweet! in time, i doubt you will ever think twice about the old car. i loved the new design from day 1. i am amazed to see in the u.s. a number of e-class sedans without navigation. for the money and image, i would go all the way. the one option i see your dad did not get is the panorama roof. i am obsessed with them after since i drove a friend's volvo xc60 and test drove a new one for myself. the audi q5 i took for a spin also had a panoramic sunroof. still, your 'benz is awesome! like the bimmer in the garage, too! nice car and color - both very fitting  !

Thanks! 

My dad couldn't get the Panoramic roof since this is a used car that was already optioned out (including a larger gas tank from the standard 65 liters to 80 liters) by the first owner who was some big shot at Mercedes. There's so much stuff in here that we'll never use though. During the testdrive I tried the reverse camera and found it to be gimmicky for the sole purpose that it feels so unnatural. I'd prefer to twist my upper body around and turn my head and reverse park the old-fashioned way using my head the side and central mirrors.

Many people here don't order navigation systems for their luxury cars. There's a trend here that people will buy a luxury car, fill it up with features and go to a local electronic shop to buy a cheaper navigation system. That's what my sister did with her BMW 118i. The BMW salesman (!!!) advised her to forget the overpriced BMW navigation system and just go to a local Media Markt and get a cheaper system. Many people here do that. 


Car is going to come on Wednesday! I hope I can do a photoshoot with it before the winter tires are slapped on!

[cawimmer430]

Does she game out to this song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A&ob=av3n

Everyone in the whole wide world can watch this video except you, the sucker who lives in the Ordnungsstaat Germany! 

That's the message I am literally getting. Bullshit German Youtube regulations. The only fucking country in the world with such bullshit regulations. Do the French or Italians or other EU states do this? FUCK NO! Just the bullshit German government and their "Ordnungsstaat" mentality. WHAT BULLSHIT! 

[Mustangfan2003]

LOL they don't want ze Germans to listen to ze Barbie Girl song 

[GoCougs]

Wow - nice. But column shift? It's like being back in the '70s with Detroit iron!

[cawimmer430]

LOL they don't want ze Germans to listen to ze Barbie Girl song 

From Aqua? Heard it way to often when it was new. Radio stations here have a knack of playing the same shit over and over again. They're still playing songs from the last World Cup on the radio today! 

[cawimmer430]

Wow - nice. But column shift? It's like being back in the '70s with Detroit iron!

Thanks. 

The column shifter will take some getting used to. It is easy and logical to use, but it will still get some getting used to for the sole reason that I'm used to cars with the shifter in the center console.

[Colonel Cadillac]

God I love the new E-class. I still turn my head every time one passes. Didn't like it at first, but it was definitely one of the fastest "growing on me" designs I've seen.

[Cookie Monster]

Wow - nice. But column shift? It's like being back in the '70s with Detroit iron!

Yeah, all the luxury cars seem to have it now. It's infuriating.

[the Teuton]

What is this Avantgarde bull?

[cawimmer430]

What is this Avantgarde bull?

It's the top-of-the-line trim for the C-Class and E-Class.

Classic - base trim
Elegance - luxury trim
Avantgarde - sport trim

[the Teuton]

So it's pretty much the closest thing you guys get to the loaded things we get here? And then come the options...

[Raza]

It actually looks pretty good in those photos, but I can't forgive the column shift. 

[Madman]

Is that a telephone box or a portable toilet?  Dare I ask what "Dixi" is?

[AltinD]

^^ Looks like the later

[cawimmer430]

So it's pretty much the closest thing you guys get to the loaded things we get here? And then come the options...

This car is pretty fully loaded for a European version. Already I can see that we won't use all the features. The reverse parking camera for example feels so unnatural. I'd rather turn my head and body around to see where and how I have to park. Looking into that camera while reversing just feels so...weird. I don't think I can get used to that and I personally wouldn't want such a gimmick in my car.

This car also has Linguatronic, COMAND, a free iPod was thrown in from MB (given their current gadget alliance with Apple) and much more. Sure, it's loaded with features, but even if it was a stripper car I'd still like it. My sisters 118i is a stripper car basically (except for the sunroof, automatic transmission, A/C and radio - which all had to be ordered extra) and I'm happy with all the "features" it has (except for the crappy seats). I don't need anything else in that car for example.

[cawimmer430]

It actually looks pretty good in those photos, but I can't forgive the column shift. 

What about the paddle shifts on the steering wheel? 

[cawimmer430]

Is that a telephone box or a portable toilet?  Dare I ask what "Dixi" is?

Dixi = BMW

This Dixi = Portable Toilet

Same thing.    j/k

[cawimmer430]

HERE SHE IS! 

Shitty pictures I just took right now. I didn't want to drive it out into the friggin rain and late afternoon Munich traffic. I also didn't want to start the engine, back it out and photograph it down here in the underground garage. Seems like a great way to harm the motor if I won't even let it reach its optimal operating temperature.







These are the new winter tires and winter rims. These rims are brand new and are not even out in brochures yet. They look good on the car. The AMG rims are inside the car. My dad is bringing them back with him to M?hldorf tomorrow.