comparing Genesis to MB E350

[nextcar]

I just bought a new 2014 mercedes benz E350 for my wife, and I've put a few hundred miles on it already.
My daily driver is still the Genesis 4.6, so now I can compare these 2 rides.

In terms of how quiet these 2 are, the Genesis is at least as quiet as the E350. They are basically equivalent in terms of road noise and wind noise. The 4.6 engine is more quiet and doesn't have to work as hard as the 3.5 V6 in the E350.

For ride comfort, the E350 absorbs bumps better than the Genesis, so that's the main advantage. On good pavement, they are equally serene and comfortable.

Styling is where the E350 really shines, which is expected in a new car that's just been refreshed. Both the exterior and interior are better looking in the Benz.

The audio system in my Genesis tech is better compared to the mid range system in the Premium 1 package. I don't think you can find a system that sounds significantly better than the Genesis tech system, no matter what price you pay.

So, in summary, I hope the new 2015 Genesis can improve on 2 things:
1. better ride quality on less than ideal road surfaces.
2. styling

If Hyundai can accomplish these 2 things, the Genesis will be every bit as good as the E class, 5 series, and A6.

BTW, the price I paid for the E350 was $10,000 below MSRP, so I paid $49,000 which included Premium/nav, blind spot, lane tracking assist, keyless Go package including self opening/closing trunk by waving your foot.
The price is $6000 below invoice, which I was surprised at because I had never bought a car for such a discount.

It just shows how much of a profit margin there is for the German carmakers.

 

[Mark_888]

If see you have a 2011 Genesis 4.6. Hyundai made some suspension improvements in 2012 to make the ride more comfortable, although still probably not as good as the E350.

I wonder if MB has a pretty large profit margin in case of currency exchange rate fluctuation. The don't like to change the MSRP every time the currency rates change so they probably come up with the MSRP based on worse case exchange rate scenario. Also, I think all auto makers have unusually high inventory levels after the harsh winter this year, so a good time to buy a car if you need one.

 

[nextcar]

Interestingly, I talked to a coworker who bought a E350 over a year ago, and he also paid 10,000 below sticker, so this level of discounting has been going on for at least a year. MBworld forums also confirm this.
So the factory to dealer incentive is at least $6000 per E class sold!

My purchase did not include a trade in, so the dealer did not profit that way. The finance guy tried to sell me paint protection, but I also declined that. The dealer really did make very little money from me.

 

[ksoze]

Some of the aggressive discounting can be tied to their goal of beating BMW in sales, which they did for 2013. The discounting continues however, where almost $10K off is almost the norm. This will also effect their CPO market, where a 2013 used could list for more thna a discounted new.

As far as a comparison (which was helpful), the one elephant in the room is depreciation where the Benz will hold its' value longer. I am looking at an E350 and find the 2014's pretty nice (will wait to drive the 2015 Genesis). When MB E Classes can now be had pretty loaded for under $50K, it will put more pressure on Hyundai to keep the Genesis prices low - if they get too close, the Benz will win, regardless of how they fare to Hyundai owners head to head.

As a side note, I did not find the E350 engine having to work hard at all - I have not driven a V6 Genesis, but the 2014 E350 V6 I drove recently was pretty peppy and never left me feeling it was under pressure.

 

[bmbutler]

One other HUGE thing that Mercedes has over Hyundai is more ability to hold its value. Hyundai's cars keep sinking like a cruise ship anchor.

 

[scottdk]

One other HUGE thing that Mercedes has over Hyundai is more ability to hold its value. Hyundai's cars keep sinking like a cruise ship anchor.

The Merc has better resale then the Genesis, but paying more money will help that out Then, when you add in the cost of ownership for the Merc or any German carthe viewpoints may be changed.

 

[bmbutler]

Nope. Not for me. Mercedes will hold more equity in the car and this comes in to play when selling or doing a trade in. Check values of comparable Hyundai's.

 

[nextcar]

Some of the aggressive discounting can be tied to their goal of beating BMW in sales, which they did for 2013. The discounting continues however, where almost $10K off is almost the norm. This will also effect their CPO market, where a 2013 used could list for more thna a discounted new.

As far as a comparison (which was helpful), the one elephant in the room is depreciation where the Benz will hold its' value longer. I am looking at an E350 and find the 2014's pretty nice (will wait to drive the 2015 Genesis). When MB E Classes can now be had pretty loaded for under $50K, it will put more pressure on Hyundai to keep the Genesis prices low - if they get too close, the Benz will win, regardless of how they fare to Hyundai owners head to head.

As a side note, I did not find the E350 engine having to work hard at all - I have not driven a V6 Genesis, but the 2014 E350 V6 I drove recently was pretty peppy and never left me feeling it was under pressure.

yes, i agree the E350 was peppy enough.
however, the genesis 4.6 V8 has more torque and doesn't have to rev very much, whereas the E350 had to rev faster for the same kind of acceleration, so it felt like the V6 had to work harder.

in terms of 0-60, i think these are all very similar:
4.6 genesis
3.8 genesis
3.5 E350

 

[nextcar]

The Merc has better resale then the Genesis, but paying more money will help that out Then, when you add in the cost of ownership for the Merc or any German carthe viewpoints may be changed.

i think as a percentage of purchase price, Benz should fare better than the Genesis.

 

[landtuna]

Nope. Not for me. Mercedes will hold more equity in the car and this comes in to play when selling or doing a trade in. Check values of comparable Hyundai's.

Depreciation is a consideration when holding the car for a short term. I usually hold on to mine for a minimum of ten years so depreciation is almost moot. I did keep records on the last new car I bought (before the Genny) and the difference in maintenance costs between that car (2000 Avalon) and virtually any Mercedes more than makes up for depreciation over that time period. If the R-spec is only half as good as the Toyota in staying out of the shop it will also exceed that of the MB.

The R-spec is a lot more fun to drive!

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[GenesisCaptain]

Then, when you add in the cost of ownership for the Merc or any German carthe viewpoints may be changed.

I think that all of the German cars include first 3 years of maintenance with the purchase of the car now. So, the cost of ownership of a German car is only depreciation and gas (many would not need tires or brakes in the first 3 years).

Ownership costs for a German car post-maintenance plan are not bad. The first set of brakes are expensive, but tire costs are no different than a Hyundai. However, out-of-warranty cost for a German car is massive; that is where the Genesis will win.

 

[ksoze]

I think that all of the German cars include first 3 years of maintenance with the purchase of the car now. So, the cost of ownership of a German car is only depreciation and gas (many would not need tires or brakes in the first 3 years).

BMW includes it, but MB still does not - they do however sell maintenance plan packages up front for a discount.

 

[Car Fan]

I think that all of the German cars include first 3 years of maintenance with the purchase of the car now. So, the cost of ownership of a German car is only depreciation and gas (many would not need tires or brakes in the first 3 years).

Ownership costs for a German car post-maintenance plan are not bad. The first set of brakes are expensive, but tire costs are no different than a Hyundai. However, out-of-warranty cost for a German car is massive; that is where the Genesis will win.

Actually many German cars do not provide 3 years of free maintenance:

From the Mercedes Benz Website:
Some other luxury vehicle manufacturers include “free” maintenance in the sale of every vehicle. Why does Mercedes-Benz sell its maintenance separately?
Answer: Maintenance is never truly “free.” These manufacturers add the cost of maintenance into the price of their vehicles, so even though it is not called out separately, you are still paying for the service. Mercedes-Benz gives our customers the option to choose, providing transparency in maintenance costs and the convenience of not having to worry about these costs later on. The customer can decide on the best approach to suit their driving habits.

Notably Porsche also does not and neither does Audi.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

Actually many German cars do not provide 3 years of free maintenance.

Good correction... Last I looked a few years ago, I thought that the German premium brands were there or moving in that direction. I had not shopped MB recently. (I have never seriously shopped Porsche.) Audi has a hybrid offering, but it is not as comprehensive as BMW's. At the time I got the Audi spiel, I thought it was the same BMW's.

I meant to add this to my initial post above, since the thread took a minor turn around general ownership cost comparisons. My last two cars were BMWs. My in-warranty costs averaged $1,300/year over 5 years. My average out-of-warranty ownership costs averaged $3,500/year over 8 years. This included everything service and maintenance related (tires, brakes, oil, maintenance-- everything except a few windshield replacements and some insurance repairs). This does not include gas, insurance, and depreciation.

I cannot imagine a universe where my Hyundai Genesis approaches $3,500 for a single year. My worst two years for the BMWs were $5,300 and $7,400-- the last two years that I owned a BMW.

 

[landtuna]

If my two neighbors and a good friend are any indication (two MB's, one Audi) I will never own a German vehicle. Both MB's needed extensive maintenance (factory suggested) and the Audi is on its third auto trans in 6 years (the owner kept it off lease just before the first tranny went out and has said it is a good thing he didn't keep a firearm in the glove box) in addition to several other major repairs.

I've never ridden in the Audi but you can hear that damn thing howl (cooling fan) from a city block away during the summer. The owner keeps saying next time he will leave it on the street with the keys in it - only trouble is someone would bring it back.

Compared to these three cars my Genny would be worth it at twice the price.

 

[ksoze]

If my two neighbors and a good friend are any indication (two MB's, one Audi) I will never own a German vehicle.

For every one of those opinions there are those who do not have problems, as with any car (even here). The German premium cars do cost more for maintenance, but they do rank high in consumer reliability lists and residual value each year. While I believe the Genesis is a great value for the money, it does not diminish the results of great german engineering in BMW, MB and Audi.

 

[landtuna]

For every one of those opinions there are those who do not have problems, as with any car (even here).

Yes, apparently I am one of those (so far).

The German premium cars do cost more for maintenance, but they do rank high in consumer reliability lists and residual value each year.

I know each year is slightly different but 2014 JDPower reliability lists just one, the MB E350, and it isn't even the highest rated. That goes to the Lexus GS.

While I believe the Genesis is a great value for the money, it does not diminish the results of great german engineering in BMW, MB and Audi.

For the money the "great" German marques cost they should deliver more value than they do. That's why I bought a Genny (and before that an Avalon). Just my .02 cents.

 

[Epiphany]

For every one of those opinions there are those who do not have problems, as with any car (even here).

I wish I could say I was one of those people.

 

[nextcar]

According to consumer reports and JD Power 3 year dependability results, the MB E350 is more reliable than the Genesis.

Also factoring in the fact that many Benz owners use independent repair shops rather than dealers, and paying about half as much for repairs, I don't think the E350 maintenance is as high as commonly believed on this forum.

I checked with my local Benz dealer about the first 3 service visits, which are at 10k, 20k, and 30k miles.
Prices quoted are $200, $440, and $200.
Definitely higher than Hyundai, but at least the interval is longer.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

All of this depends on what you value, and it is very personal. I used to value cutting edge technology, class leading handling, and a premium luxury dealership experience. For me, for long time, those attributes were worth the extra cost.

Now I value quiet dependability and a low cost. I miss the technology and performance, but the price premium is not worth it to me right now.