Merc E350/C350 Advice
Discussion
Hi all, looking for some advice/opinions on a potential Merc purchase. Never owned a Merc before.
Looking for an estate, and primary purchase reasons are comfort, ride quality (my wife has a back problem) with a frisson of driver interest if possible for when I'm alone in the car. Currently looking at an E350, maybe 2010/2011MY. Main questions:
1. What are peoples' opinions of AirMatic? Finding a car with it might be a long search but it might give me the comfort I need but with the ability to switch to sport mode to make it more interesting to drive. Is it unreliable? (difficult to know if the reports of problems are just because people with no issues probably don't post on forums...).
2. Should I consider the C350? I don't *need* the huge space the E350 offers (although not sure how much difference there is - and I'm sure it would be useful occasionally), but everything I've read indicates that the C is a bit more lumpy and crashy than the legendary smooth ride quality of the E. How much difference is there? I've yet to test-drive both, but interested to know others' experience.
Any feedback, advice and opinions gladly accepted. FYI, I've looked at the Allroad, XF Estate and some others, but it seems MB ride quality is so legendary that it's the only real choice where that's concerned. That said, if anyone knows both and can give me a comparison with the A6 Allroad, I'd love to hear it.
Looking for an estate, and primary purchase reasons are comfort, ride quality (my wife has a back problem) with a frisson of driver interest if possible for when I'm alone in the car. Currently looking at an E350, maybe 2010/2011MY. Main questions:
1. What are peoples' opinions of AirMatic? Finding a car with it might be a long search but it might give me the comfort I need but with the ability to switch to sport mode to make it more interesting to drive. Is it unreliable? (difficult to know if the reports of problems are just because people with no issues probably don't post on forums...).
2. Should I consider the C350? I don't *need* the huge space the E350 offers (although not sure how much difference there is - and I'm sure it would be useful occasionally), but everything I've read indicates that the C is a bit more lumpy and crashy than the legendary smooth ride quality of the E. How much difference is there? I've yet to test-drive both, but interested to know others' experience.
Any feedback, advice and opinions gladly accepted. FYI, I've looked at the Allroad, XF Estate and some others, but it seems MB ride quality is so legendary that it's the only real choice where that's concerned. That said, if anyone knows both and can give me a comparison with the A6 Allroad, I'd love to hear it.
Edited by AllotmentChap on Saturday 26th July 17:51
Edited by AllotmentChap on Monday 28th July 10:48
Thanks, appreciate the insight. I think the difficulty will be that I'll want a sport but realistically the AvantGarde is going to give the ride comfort I want.
It sounds like I need to drive all of them, including the Allroad, and see what's best. The Allroad did seem a good option because of the standard air suspension - finding a used A4 or an E/C350 with the air suspension seems almost impossible....
It sounds like I need to drive all of them, including the Allroad, and see what's best. The Allroad did seem a good option because of the standard air suspension - finding a used A4 or an E/C350 with the air suspension seems almost impossible....
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