Mercedes-E Class:What's the Big Deal

fearlessfly

I test drove a 2013 4-Matic E-Class today which was a very beautiful car. It was a very smooth ride which was surprising since it is AWD. However, although it was a good comfortable ride, I was not overly impressed with the car since it did not perform any better than some of my previous domestic luxury vehicles. I guess I expected more simply because it is a Mercedes. I noticed that the hood and trunk were very light weight and seemed to be aluminum just like on other less expensive vehicles. Therefore, the car does not appear to be cost effective based on what you are actually getting with it which isn't that much different than a lesser expensive luxury vehicle would provide. With the excessive maintenance cost connected with this car, I'm not convinced it is worth buying. Other than a prestigious name, what is the real appeal here for this vehicle. Am I missing the boat here,if so could someone please explain it to me? Thanks

ghstudio

As my porsche dealer said...no one needs a porsche, you buy it because you want to drive a porsche. Mercedes is no different....from a practical point of view, you can get the best bang for your buck by driving a sonata or accord, etc....they are really well designed cars. Some will suggest Mercedes is safer, will last longer, is better engineered (whatever that means), but when you cut through all that hype, one buys it because they like the looks of the car, they like the performance, the ride and the ambiance of the brand. It comes down to where you want to spend your money....

valleyguy408

A lot about the e-series has to do with how it is constructed and materials used. Mercedes uses high and ultra-high tinsel strength steel in it's cars. Most of the steel is also virgin steel.

The auto industry measures and works to reduce NHV (Noise, Harshness, Vibration). Mercedes is among the elite in well engineered chassis's and ultra low NHV. I had a buddy who side swiped his late model Ford with a relatively new e-Series. You could barely tell the MB was damaged at $800 in repairs, and yet the Ford needed $2300 in new body panels, a door, new moldings, and the necessary repaint.

That's why I buy a MB over other brands. Smooth, quite, reliable, and built like a tank.