lexisnexis

Anyone consider MB E class? I realize these are two different classes of cars. Even as such, ignoring reliability concerns, did anyone cross shop a fully loaded E550 vs an LS460 (F sport AWD, specifically). The technology in the E550 is far superior, and it is also faster. With the LS having a higher price tag, I am wondering what makes the LS better. I guess the LS is the flagship and an E class is not, but I'm thinking more from a value standpoint. Thoughts are appreciated.

greg3852

I haven't looked at an E class, but I don't think you can ignore reliability in any comparison. That is the number one thing with many buyers.

Personally I find Mercedes to be too common. I see many of both the E class and S class daily where I may see one or two LS's

Doublebase

Good point! I very very rarely see an ls 460 on the road. There is one other in my town - he bought his first - but when I first saw his I thought...what the hell is that thing?!

I made a 800 mile trip to Niagara Falls this summer, I counted 9 LS 460's I saw in the 1600 round trip commute. I must have seen 100 e classes.

roadfrog

Ahhhh yes....reliability. It's the reason I changed out my E65 BMW for my LS. All the gadgets and gizmos are great if the car isn't in the shop all the time for you to enjoy them.

FastTags

I have looked ar e550, hated the steering, and hated that sunroof cover, its made out of materials and it allows the sun rays thru. The dealer tild me that most Mb owners tint the sunroof bc of that. I felt that if i spend this much money i shouldnt be tinting any sunroofs. The steering was bery loose and not precise also it was missing in torque.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

I seriously looked at late model E550s (up to 2009). I didn't think the technology was any superior to the LS. I preferred the ride/handling balance of the MBs but that was about it.

Johnhw2

These aren't comparable in my view, size and reliability are why I bought the LS not the S class and the E is way too small, more like my Infiniti M now the Infiniti Q70 which I would chose over the unreliable MB

RR601

For me it was just the reliability reason. Also would be the size compared to the E.
And still like the LS interior compared to most.
But even with the sport LS I still like the way the Germans cars drive.

dlbuckls10

I've owned a MB and it stayed in the repair shop and extremely expensive to repair. I wouldn't consider owning another one because I believe the MB was design with too many flaws . My LS460 L is reliable and just a better vehicle. Lexus the pursuit of perfection.

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

Sorry I didn't test drive any of the E-class, I was very into the E-55's for a while as they are getting very affordable now.

If youre going to get into one make sure its an AMG. That way if your in the shop every month at least the ridiculous power will make up for it.

I did test drive a CL600 V12 twin turbo , and ive never felt anything like that in my life, I almost bought it , I backed out last minute, reliability is a major major concern for me as im far from rich.

Johnny Rad

I can compare the '10 LS awd w/ML to a '12 E550 4Matic, which are both priced similarly. Not sure you can make a straightforward new car comparison, since Merc discontinued the E550 after the '14-15 model year and the LS F-Sport would've been $15-25k more (before discounts on both).

The LS is significantly quieter, features higher quality soft touch materials throughout and is ergonomically superior. By design, the LS isolates the driver from the outside world which translates for many to be an unengaging driving characteristic. On the other hand, it is slow by today's standards and can't dance. It would make an excellent long-distance cruiser for just about anyone. Around town, you'd have to be willing to sit back and enjoy it for what it is.

The Merc isn't nearly as quiet inside, it's leather isn't nearly as soft, features questionable button layout on the center stack and has less rear seat room - but, the bar set by the LS for this comparo is incredibly high. If we were comparing the E to a GS, it would be much closer. While the E is more competent in the bends, its std sport susp really should perform better. On the other hand, it goes like stink without a mpg penalty or feature penalty.

Feature-wise, I think both are similar - but, please realize I don't the know LS as well as the E. Both have AWD. Each has swiveling bi-xenon headlights w/adaptive brights. Big audio with loads of inputs available in each, but the ML is prob better than the HK. Navi in both, but the Lexus' functionality is much simpler. Smart key with touch start/stop. Heated / cooled front seats. Auto-dimming mirrors. Tilt down rear side mirror in reverse. Park hold and hill holder assist. Radar cruise are available, but I think rare options on both. Etc.

Both have motorized rear windshield screens, but the E doesn't get rear side screens until '13. And they're manual at that. No separate hvac controls for the rear seaters; no rear heated /vented seats either.

I think the Merc has a few things the LS does not, like lane departure warning and bind spot warning. Sport seat option for the driver with massage. Merc also has a dual pane "pano" roof option versus the single pane in the LS. Merc has multi-function screen inside the speedo that shows much more info than the LS does between its tach and speedo. Merc has a system that determines when the driver is getting sleepy / inattentive. The Merc driver can also open and close its trunk from inside the car.

The LS is the unquestioned cream of the crop for reliability. Few other models rate better, as we well know. However, the E is "recommended" by Consumer Reports, JD Power and Edmunds.

Johnhw2

You can get the blind spot warning and lane keeping options on the LS at $500 for the BSM not sure the coos of lane keeping.,the BSM was an option in 2013 in the LS not sure about the timing of LK system. Does MB offer a rear cross traffic alert system too as does the LS?

Tell me about size too, the E class sedans I've been in a smaller than my LS L a 2014 vintage. I believe the trunk on LS is 18 CF where the S class MB is around 16 CF and I assume the E class is not larger?

Reliability is the 600 pound gorilla to me that makes their no contest between MB products and the LS

Johnny Rad

I think cross traffic alert is a '14 and up option when 360 cameras were added by Merc, but I'm far from expert on their newer model years. Are we comparing the newer more expensive LS or the similarly priced '10 LS?

The trunk on the E is bigger than the '02 GS, but I suspect the "one full size larger" LS dwarfs them both. I'll bet Emunds covers it, but go big if you need loads of room.

The gorilla? The LS might be the pinnacle of reliability, but the E is recommended by multiple sources. You don't even have to squint at their three separate conclusions to see they concur. If one is great and the other is good enough, what's the diff? I honestly don't know, but at some point good enough is truly good enough and no more is required.

Johnhw2

I was comparing the current LS version to a current model E. I did check the trunk size at edmunds before purchasing my LWB LS. When you get to be my age the difference in reliability is a big deal as is the interior size difference, although I considered the S not the E. I've ridden in many E class over the years and found them comparable to my Infiniti M or Q70 as they call it now not my LWB LS 460.

Lexus1998

I am actually thinking of trading my 2010 E350 for a SWB LS460. There is no comparison against the LS, the E rides extremely rougher then the LS. Could be because I have the AMG rims/sport pkg but still I would say its more like the GS then an LS. It was a good car the wife mostly drives it has 40K on it now but the servicing at Mercedes is very expensive makes Lexus prices look good. I am afraid if we keep it any longer major things may start to break. It has been a great car and but its more on the sports side then the LS drive. There is no comparison between interiors vs the LS but again they are total different cars. I think the better comparison would be between S class vs LS.