[carl_d]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/247298/

[keanu1]

Please tell Autocar to to send Frank to hell!!

[RichReg]

Originally Posted by keanu1

Please tell Autocar to to send Frank to hell!!

C'mon keanu....tell us how you really feel.

[bmr760]

Originally Posted by RichReg

C'mon keanu....tell us how you really feel.

lol

[keanu1]

If i speak my mind than iam afraid something bad will really happen to Frank and company!!

[carl_d]

http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/02/06/au...-bmw-5-series/

Edit: fixed link

[W-S Tiger]

Link does not work

[RichReg]

The link is missing the 'l' in 'blog'.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/02/06/au...-bmw-5-series/

[NewM3driver]

After owning a long string of BMW's, my brother and his wife made the mistake of buying a very nice looking E350 sport.

That car is just plain lethargic. It handles like shit, and they both can't wait to get rid of it and get back into a 5 series.

My daily driver is an M3. On the few occasions I end up driving his merc I absolutely hate the thing.

[bdardashti]

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

After owning a long string of BMW's, my brother and his wife made the mistake of buying a very nice looking E350 sport.

That car is just plain lethargic. It handles like shit, and they both can't wait to get rid of it and get back into a 5 series.

My daily driver is an M3. On the few occasions I end up driving his merc I absolutely hate the thing.

My dad has one. I know exactly what you mean. Used to drive a 330 sport and a X3 for a while, and the X3 can take corners 10x the speed of the Merc. You can't even dodge potholes with that thing!

[tyler durden]

currently on my 4th BM.

Looking at family saloon.
New 530d vs Merc 350CDI sport.
The merc is coming up surprisingly cheaper by quite a long way when speccing prof sat nav, heated seats, nice sound, metallic.

[stickypaws]

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

After owning a long string of BMW's, my brother and his wife made the mistake of buying a very nice looking E350 sport.

That car is just plain lethargic. It handles like shit, and they both can't wait to get rid of it and get back into a 5 series.

My daily driver is an M3. On the few occasions I end up driving his merc I absolutely hate the thing.

Is it a W211 or a W212? The W212 chassis dynamics has changed dramatically (esp in the E63 AMG.) The W211/212 E350 is a grandma's car anyway. The W212 550, and esp the E63, are a different story. But MBs have always been about comfort and not a stiff chassis, so it's a fine line for them in which way to engineer the ride.

The E Class (W211) is a lot safer on the road however. The E60 5ers have the worst safety ratings in their class. Hopefully the new F10 is better built for side and frontal impacts. That kept me from getting a new 2009 550i a while back. I'm now looking towards maybe getting a F10 M5 or 550i.

Anyway, MB is going TT now and so the hp war is still on. The E350 V6 motor needs an upgrade will now finally be replaced. The E63 AMG will be going TT, too.

Also in this review, the BMW had the active steering option which overboosts and dulls down the tiller, imho. Hopefully active steering will still be a stand alone option and not standard.

[CarlosN]

I don´t like the MB. Poor interior, low quality of materials, and ugly rear. I haven´t seen the new BMW 5 but for me looks like better than MB. I hope see it soon. Cheersssssssss

[stickypaws]

Originally Posted by CarlosN

I don´t like the MB. Poor interior, low quality of materials, and ugly rear. I haven´t seen the new BMW 5 but for me looks like better than MB. I hope see it soon. Cheersssssssss

+1

The W211 was a classic and designed very well. The new W212 is ugly as sin, imho.

Here's Dan Neil's take on the new W212 design (he's the LA Times Pulitzer Prize winning automotive writer):

"The E Sedan is beastly looking.

In my review of June 12, I said the sedan was "very proper and Swabian and gloriously unartistic." In the months since, my opinion has only soured. I hate the way the car slumps at the head like a pole-axed buffalo. I loathe the over-shaved, winnowed taper around the grille. I detest the graceless quadrangle of windows on the sides. I gag on the exaggerated accent lines on the fuselage that don't visually intersect with anything in particular.

It's a terrific machine, but really, the E Sedan's homeliness has a kind of malign ambition about it."

[tyler durden]

I am a hard BM nut but like to be fair.

Don't agree with the comments about the merc. I actually really like the look and love the fact that it comes in a sport version from go.

I'm not too fond of the rear light cluster but would be happy to live with it.

I'm in e93 at the moment and hating run flats when driving around London's numerous pot holes which are not being filled in properly.

Am thinking of a 5 seater cruiser and it boils down to the new 5 or a 350 CDI sport.

Love the bm sportiness but at the end of the day the cost is going to be a major factor. I cannot spec a decent 530d at less than 45k while an equiv 350 sport is coming in at 41-42.

That is making me think long and hard

[enigma01]

Originally Posted by bdardashti

My dad has one. I know exactly what you mean. Used to drive a 330 sport and a X3 for a while, and the X3 can take corners 10x the speed of the Merc. You can't even dodge potholes with that thing!

If you can't dodge a pothole with the new MB E, then that's your driving skill, not the car.

It's interesting how we all love to criticize cars that are very competent without looking into driver's skill.

[tyler durden]

TBH on the streets on london at the moment its almost impossible to dodge potholes.

1 bad winter and its a mess. Councils dont have the money to repair due to recession. They are all over the place. You could ride a cycle and still get into trouble.

[bdardashti]

Originally Posted by enigma01

If you can't dodge a pothole with the new MB E, then that's your driving skill, not the car.

It's interesting how we all love to criticize cars that are very competent without looking into driver's skill.

First off, it's the W211, the previous generation.

Secondly, my fault; I exaggerated the comment, sorry. I didn't mean it cannot be done, it just doesn't feel sharp doing it. The car won't sharply/quickly maneuver around it; it feels like a boat (very literally and not exaggerated this time), almost feels like the whole car tilts left and right when it goes around the potholes. Too soft and too much of a heavy feeling.

[KateSimon]

Hmmm......
Good to know the difference in between, but i really go for E- class....!