Hey guys just a question for anyone whos driven or owned a benz in comparison to the stock TL. Ive drivin a E350 before and gotta say its a great ride. Definitely more power than the TL and more luxurious but also german so its gonna have its headaches.

A relative of mine has a loaded(push start, keyless entry,nav ect) black 08 e350 with 60k hes going to sell.. My WDP tl (stock, no nav)is 08 also with 60..Is it worth upgrading to the benz or stick to the TL? Dont get me wrong, I love the TL but what i would be paying to pretty much upgrade to an E350 isnt going to be much.

Id then have to go through selling my WDP TL and all its headaches..would it be worth switching to a benz in the end? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Ziners!!

 

What's on your priority list... it's hard to answer with the given info. Looks like you're just considering the change for more for the emblem.

Keep in mind this '08 Mercedes is now worth $~25k and has already lost half of it's original value (assuming $50k). Cars are bad investments in general, but this one is a extremely bad investment, imo.

If what the E350 has satisfies your needs and wants, go for it.

 

Its not to say i drive a benz or anything like that. I guess my main question is the quality of the drive and what else makes one better than the other.

 

I actually went through this about 6 months ago. Long story short I still have my TL.

 

with 60k on the benz it may have more problems on the horizon ... i would just keep the tl if i were in ur shoes

 

What power increase? According online specifications, the stats are almost virtually identical between a 2008 base tl vs. 2008 e350. I dunno about you, but the push-to-start button and the nav wouldn't be enough for me to switch, :-D.


'08 E350 - http://www.edmunds.com/mercedes-benz...tyle=100931590
'08 Base TL - http://www.edmunds.com/acura/tl/2008...tyle=100902909

 

Exactly! I have a little rich cousin that was just given an e350 and that thing is super slow! he had an e320 before that and it gave him a myriad of problems! PLUS for what a used 08 e350 would go for your better off comparing it to a TL-S which is more powerful and has more options. I would choose the reliability of a Honda over a problematic German car any day! just my

 

If it's only a few grand to upgrade then I'd do it. Over 5k then probably not.

 

I would personally go with the TL. My best friend has a 2009 E-350 AMG package, looks gorgeous but way to many problems. The A/C has needed to be replaced twice, the power steering pump went, 6 CD changer has gotten stuck, the list goes on. And he's only got 38,000 miles on the thing

 

I wouldn't touch a used Mercedes...while the cars themselves depreciate severely, the repairs and maintenance remain expensive...

 

I would prefer a 07-08 TL-S over a 08 M-Benz E350

Now if you throw a 2010 M-Benz E350 into the picture.... I would choose that HANDS DOWN over the TL.

Something about the 2010-current E350 that I see on the road.... I find myself admiring them so much when I see them parked or driving on the roads. Freakin baller. Looks sporty and very elegant and much more luxury than the TL.

 

nahhh screw the merc. You would be better off with the tl

My uncle has it and he is crying. Baterry went out and cost him 800+ dollars at the stealership. In the last 2-3 year it has broken down more than anything. My tl 3 years and nothing.
GO FOR THE TL trust me

 

$800 battery at the dealer? Maybe your uncle is one of those guys that also believes in blinker fluid.....no way does a battery cost that much.

Back to the OP. I would not do it. The car looks nice on the outside but the inside is very dated. If you had a 04-06 TL I would do it but you have a 08 TL. No point. I would keep it.

 

i'd prefer an acura over benz just for reliability and maintenance sake

 

I have an 06 TL and my dad has a 06 E350 4matic. The TL's ride quality can't match the MB's.

The maintenance on the Benz is really expenive. As mentioned before the battery for it isn't cheap. There is 2 of them, the big main one in the trunk and there is also another aux one up front. My dad had to pay a few hundred dollars for the main battery. Those cars are not easy to work with eitiher.

 

My Dad has an R107 (86 560 SL) that's nearly concurs condition. That car is fairly simple and doesn't have a lot of issues, but its not a DD either. German cars are notoriously known for electrical issues. An 08 is going to have that much more than earlier cars.

Go poke around on bezworld.org. I'm not sure how they are for this particular car, but I find it to be an extremely useful resource for my Dad's car. Asking the same question will get you the obvious results, but you could probably get a good idea of what types of issues to expect.

Personally, I've found these Acuras to be nearly bullet proof which for me is what's really important in a DD. Yes, I'd love to have RWD and more power, but how often to I really get to the "limit" on a daily basis.... never.

 

get the benz

 

for more power both cars are almost even just the benz has more torque but i think it also weighs heavier. maybe its the low end torque your feeling. when you buy a benz to take care of it properly cost alot of money the tl on the other hand is cheaper to maintain and depending on where you live (if this a rear wheel drive version) will be bad in snow compared to the tl which is front drive. i would go for tl my personal opinion, hate having a car thats a headache.

 

08 TL Type-S IMO

 

surprised in this day and age with so much technological advancements, they seem to still have shit going out that should not be? damn

 

A car is a liability, try to buy something that will minimize your losses. Most German vehicles do not fall into that category.

 

Loving the feedback guys. I decided against the benz because the 60K and over idea began to scare me a bit. I just put HFP rims that everyone told me not to put on. they look GREAT. ill put pics up and continue to enjoy the TL !!

 

Missed this thread before. Between and 08 TL and 08 350? E350 all day.

 

This is my feeling on this. If you have the money to get a new Mercedes, I would say go for it. But not only do the seriously depreciate, the older it gets, or any car for that matter, the more chance there is that something could go wrong. Not to mention even if it is a simple repair you could end up paying some serious $$$.

IMO, stick with the TL.

 

This is an Acura forum what do you expect. The Mercedes is a better auto if there is no difference in cost as you have said. Go for the star car and don't look back. Cost of ownership may be a bit higher, bit dont listen to the jealous ones.

 

The E class still looks like an old man's car. If you're pushing 40-50, sure go for it, but if you're any younger than that I'd say stick with the TL.

 

Ill stick to this beautiful looking thing.

 

I've had experiences with MB. My mom had one. My sister has one and my brother in law has one. Too many maintenance costs and reliability issues for me. The 2010 TL SH-AWD is the first Acura product I've owned and am confident I made the right decision.

 

If you knew what goes into making these batteries for Mercedes you'd be saying something different, I happen to work for the company who makes them and 800 is about right including the dealer mark up

 

^^^ I dont want to thread jack, but I am curious what makes a battery an $800 battery?

 

With a TL that clean you made the right choice.

 

It's a Mercedes Benz... they will charge you an arm and a leg for just about anything. That's why I love Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, ect over BMW and MB. You can take your cars to their generic brand dealerships such as Honda, Toyota, and Nissan and get the same parts and services at a fraction of the cost.

 

It's AGM, Plus it's just a much different process than any other battery we make, more standards and specifications than other batteries, BMW is the same way

 

So? its a different process, thats fine. But what allows the manufacturer to charge $800? longevity? cranking amps vs the size/weight? deep cycle capability? I mean its literally 10x the cost of a good battery. There must be some benefit to the consumer other than it has to meet a higher specification? lithium ion? whats the story.

 

Sorry, couldn't tell ya, I'm not privy to that type of information, ask yourself this...what's not expensive when it comes to German cars?

BTW.. Sorry JJM not threadjacking just trying to answer the questions

 

^^ No worries! Just looking for a little education. AGM looks like it could be worth a small premium, but nothing like that!. Moral of the story is German car parts are a rape! I used to have a 72 Alfa Spider and I would order parts for it and I would get these parts that were just beautifully machined pieces that were so damn inexpensive I was so thankfull. Lets get the thread back on track!

 

If you are into M-B, the new C series (08+; W204), such as C350 Sport (~$20k used), has vastly superior driving dynamics than the E series.

Of course, most Germans cars are not reliable due to their philosophy to built "innovative" vehicles. It is expected that a used M-B will break all the time. If you can't take that like us, stick to Infiniti/Acura/Lexus, period.

 

This Emblem Changes everything. Allows for any car related fees/costs to be multiplied endlessly. Benz brand new/ under warranty > TL. Benz 60k, no warranty < TL


Keep the TL it is.

 

You must drive both and make a choice.

IF you dont have ALOT $$$$$$ I would stay away from the MB.

Acura is Very relaible and not TOO MUCH $$$ to fix.

MB is High $$$ to repair, and not nearly as reliable