I see you have a GX so you have experience with Lexus already.

Since it's for your wife, the best thing to do is have her test drive both cars back to back. Familiarize her with all the functions, buttons, radio, navigations........
See what SHElikes.
No sense in forcing what she likes to drive everyday.

See if you like the lexus and the mercedes dealer in your area when bringing in for service. Are you going to be the one taking the car for service or her? Who knows, you might like the lexus but the dealer might be a pita (like some members here who have bad experience) and vice versa.

It's like a neighbor of mine who's wife wanted to put hardwood floor......in the bathroom! And he says to her "If anything goes wrong, you're taking care of it, not me."

Go to mbworld.org and look at the tsb for the e-class. Not saying that every E will be a nightmare but that lists is

A friend of mine just bought an 06 E350, the basics...no nav, no frills. Let me be crude and call me whatever, but I think it's just an overprice and a bigger c class. My gosh, just look at the headrest and tell me that they didn't recycle that from a c class.
E55 amg on the other hand is just a little bit different

Let's just say I'm happy that I'm not driving the 01 S500 anymore, but it's still in the family.....and I still have to take care of it

Good luck, let us know what she likes either way. We're here to help

Edit: The tsb is for e55 amg in that section, not the 210/211 E320/350/500.

 

Its not that much, but I was slowly gaining on him till we shut down usually around 90Mph. However, I had 2 other passengers in the car, while he only had one other guy.

 

Here's my two cents since I have owned both. I had an '03 E500 fully optioned but no nav. I now have an '04 LS430 UL.

The E500 is hands down a better handling car than most any Lexus. I do miss that part. The interior layout and design is more asthetically pleasing than the LS. Sad to say but the LS dash is really just a glorified Toyota dash with better wood. Exterior design goes to the E500 as well - I always got looks when the E500 was new - no one notices the LS. Not a big deal.

The E500's implementation of things like Keyless Go and manumatic shifting are much better than the LS, but again the LS is not trying to be a sports sedan. Plus my E500 had that cool panoramic roof, which no one really offers in a sedan. The LS wins in it's implementation of nav, Bluetooth, and overall electronics reliability. Levinson sound slightly better than the Harmon-Kardon in the E500. But the disappearing CD changer in the dash of the E500 was cool to watch!

Now if the E500 had the reliablity of the LS430, I would have kept it. But 6 unscheduled trips to the dealer in 24 months was too much for me. And the dealer experience is better at Lexus, but only by a small margin. I guess I lucked out in terms of dealer choice.

My suggestion to the original poster would be to get your wife the LS and you go get an E55! I drove one of those and I could overlook a few problems to have that HP and torque underfoot. Good luck with your decision!

Bruce

 

bruce, interesting and nice review you got there

on the countary i drove both the ls430 and the e500 during the taste of luxury event, i somehow feel that the ls430 is easier to drive and it hands better. seems like it's a smaller car or so. the e500 response is slower and i couldn't handle the car as good. and turning seems to be harder for me in the e500 as well.

it could be me, the e500 just felt to be harder to drive somehow @_@

 

Rominl - Was this one of those events in a big parking lot and they have you drive a few different cars? I would agree that the LS "feels" easier to drive since they overboost the power steering on the Lexus. The E500 does feel "heavier" but that is true of many of the German cars. Once out on the highway the E500 feels more buttoned-down than the LS430. And fling them both into a fast curve and the E500 will show the LS home. Damn ESP killjoy! Setting the LS to SPORT on the suspension helps a bit. This wasn't an E500 4-Matic was it? The all wheel drive versions do feel a bit more ponderous. One other note - the adaptive trans in the E500 can change within a few minutes of driving - you could have had it after someone was babying the thing and it adapted to a more sedate style. Just a thought!

As for the other comments in the earlier posts about racing an E500 or a CLS500 - good luck. My 03 was faster than my LS and the 04+ with the 7 speed tranny was even a few tenths faster to 60. The CLS has the same mechanicals as the E500. And watch out if there is a "55" designation on the back!

 

everyone here knows that the ls would have to be modded to even mess with the e500 let alone a cls

 

Thank you for your support. I got the typical uncultured response that I expected from some of the others who don't even understand cars. Own a W140 and you'll understand.

 

why are you on this board if you beloieve everyone is uncultured unless they agree with you? are you a head of state or someone whos better than all of us? i also see presidents riding in cadillacs and suburbans. you seem like you might be stuck in the past

 

I am here as a lover of Lexus and to contribute to the club.

 

thats what i thought so lets stick to the points and not make generalizations please

 

I grew up riding in previous generations Mercedes S class sedans over 2 decades, so does that make me uncultured ?
If & when I get to become a royalty or president, I'd opt for a Rolls Royce

 

The CLS is built on the E class platform. Yes they have the same engine, transmission, suspension and final drive ratio of 2.65:1.. The CLS is 238 pounds heavier.

 

the cl55 and new 65?

 

cls and cl are two different cars from mb...

 

i meant the cls55 that we were talking about in the other forum a little while back rom