Gwaneum
Getting familiar with the group...
I don't have any press reviews to post, but I have to start this thread, since my mother took delivery of a brand-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 (chassis code W212), I had this arranged via the European Delivery program, and I ended up doing the European driving on the E-class. Since the E-class is one of those prestigious luxury models that the Genesis is often compared to, I have to make some comparisons.
The E-class is an E550 Luxury with 17" wheels, with only one basic option package (Premium #1) and nothing more. Sticker cost is $63,000 if driving off of a US dealer lot, and $57,000 or so if using the European Delivery option as I did. Certainly a huge premium over the $43,000 price tag of a fully loaded 2010 Genesis. I did leave out many goodies, like parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and more, but the car did come with adjustable AIRMATIC suspension and drowsiness monitor standard. And while a similar E350 with a V6 engine will cost a lot less - as low as $48,000 for US showroom delivery, and $53,000 similarly equipped to my mother's E550 - that E350 will lack some features of the E550, like leather seats and AIRMATIC adjustable suspension.
Interior:
The E-class has orange ambiance lighting, whose brightness can be adjusted (or disabled altogether) via a menu on the instrument cluster. The ambiance lighting does give the E-class a very upscale mood, but on the other hand, the Genesis, due to its prettier interior and leather dash inserts, looks even better, even without the ambiance lighting.
The E550 has standard premium leather, whereas the E350 only gets leatherette. The leather is vastly superior to the leather used in the Genesis 3.8's seats, which still had had me very impressed, since I had been moving up from the crappy leatherette in the BMW 3.
The E-class has the COMAND interface for navigation and audio. Unlike the DIS in my Genesis, it can be completely disabled - the ON switch is the master switch to completely enable/disable it. With disabled COMAND, nothing works, however - even the rear view camera. To turn off the sound but keep other COMAND features working, I need to press the "mute" button on the steering wheel or the center stack, and it works like the OFF button on the Genesis' Lexicon stereo.
Speaking of the audio, the E-class uses Harman/Kardon. Same corporate family as the Lexicon in the Genesis. I personally do like the Lexicon's sound better, but the Harman/Kardon is more than adequate, and with a crummy sound source like satellite radio (the E-class has SIRIUS, I couldn't test it since there is no signal in Europe), either way should sound crummy.
I couldn't use the navigation features since the US-market COMAND is incompatible with European maps (Mercedes-Benz offered me a Garmin StreetPilot C310 for rental). But I did play with the navigation menus, plus the radio and disc features. COMAND is definitely a step above the Hyundai DIS in its features (for example, the navigation system can use traffic data to dynamically reroute, one thing the DIS can't), though the DIS has a much larger screen. The COMAND also has hotkeys on the center stack, making it as easy to use as the DIS, and also has a numeric keypad for direct dialing of telephone numbers or choosing radio presets. These buttons do make the center stack look very busy, however.
Climate control uses rocker switches. Very different from the Genesis system, but just as logical. The one advantage of the Mercedes-Benz system is that the A/C compressor is on ONLY when the A/C light is on; on the Genesis, the A/C light may be off, but if the system is AUTO, the compressor may be working anyway.
Instrumentation:
One extra instrument cluster "gauge" on the Mercedes-Benz is an analog clock, whose time is kept in sync with GPS satellites. I'd rather take the digital clock in the Genesis, even though it is as low-tech as the digital clock in a 1980s Honda Accord.
The center portion of the speedometer is a multifunction screen, allowing me to use steering wheel buttons to choose settings for trip computer units of measure, daytime running lights, and more. The E-class allows the driver to choose between US and metric units for the trip computer, and the setting is also shared with the navigation system; it's a nice touch, a necessity for my drive through Europe, and a nice plus over the Genesis' US unit only trip computer. (On the other hand, unlike the Genesis, the E-class will not switch the A/C temperature units to Celsius.)
The US-market E-class speedometer is in miles per hour only. A km/h reading can be had as a permanent digital readout on the multifunction screen, and I absolutely needed that in Europe.
Gauges are backlit white, while other switches are backlit light yellow. I prefer the electroluminescent gauges on the Genesis, but hate the blue backlighting on other switches, which are pretty but can be illegible when dimmed.
Controls/Driving:
Thick, meaty steering wheel. A bit ungainly at first but works very well, with volume controls and menu buttons easily accessible.
The turn signal stalk is quite low. Where I'd expect to find the turn signal stalk, I found the cruise control lever instead. I'd rather take the pushbutton cruise control of the Genesis, thank you. I often spent the first day on the road activating the cruise control when I wanted to signal a turn instead. And the Mercedes-Benz cruise control has NO master on/off switch - can be very dangerous until I get used to it.
Wiper is activated by twisting the turn signal stalk. Again, I turned on wipers when I wanted headlights.
Where the wiper stalk would normally exist, the E-class sedan instead puts the shift lever, one much like the weird one put in the BMW 7. Push to park, light shift up/down to neutral, firm shift up for reverse, firm shift down for drive. I got used to it quite fast, though. Transmission (7-speed auto) has comfort and sport mode, but I didn't find much use for switching modes. All downshifts still keep automatic mode alive; for example, downshifting to fourth using the paddle shifters only goes to D4, which will still use gears 1 through 3 automatically, rather than 4, which locks the transmission to fourth gear only. I never thought I'd prefer the Genesis' 6-speed Aisin, but I do, since I can prevent downshifts as well as upshifts in manual mode.
The AIRMATIC suspension has comfort and sport mode as well. The comfort mode, on this Luxury model, is as comfortable and soft as a Genesis. The sport mode is more like BMW - uncomfortable after a few hours on the Autobahn. The sport mode also lowers the car by a centimeter, and is also automatically triggered by exceeding 150 km/h (94 mph). I can also raise the car by an inch with another switch, in case I am driving with snow chains or for some other reason, but that raised height automatically cancels at 120 km/h (75 mph), or at sustained 80 km/h (50 mph) speeds for over a few minutes. The E550 has standard AIRMATIC, the E350 does not.
I never pushed the V8 past the 2,500 rpm mark, even on the Autobahn. It has plenty of low-end pull. I never thought I'd find my own Genesis 3.8 lethargic - but after the Mercedes-Benz V8, I now do. Fuel economy was anywhere between 8.5 to 10.2 liters per 100 kilometers, and I estimate overall fuel economy at 24 miles per US gallon during my European drive, but it bears remembering that I did my driving almost exclusively on the motorways in light traffic. The Mercedes-Benz takes less of a fuel economy hit at high speeds, however; my average Autobahn cruising speed was about 85 mph, a speed that normally results in significant fuel economy penalty for the Genesis which prefers to stay near 70-75 mph. (My experiences with other European and Asian cars have been similar - huge speeding penalty on Asian cars, little on European cars.)
I had to keep my speed down to avoid scaring my mother - I did not even crack 150 km/h on the Autobahn. I can only speculate as to the high-speed stability. The US-market E-class tops out at 130 mph like the Genesis. My 3.8 is rock solid at 100 mph, but a bit wobbly at 120 (yes, I went nuts just once).
Overall:
What I vastly prefer about the Mercedes-Benz E-class: COMAND, leather, power, stability, comfort. And let's not forget the dealer experience - the dealership that put in my European Delivery order, which will also redeliver the car to my mother once the car is US customs cleared, has been very professional.
On the other hand, my Genesis hasn't let me down much, even in those areas where the Mercedes is superior. And the Genesis still comes with a better interior and more room, plus lower initial and maintenance costs, while leaving out many of the superfluous features that are in the Mercedes-Benz. Honestly, I don't really see myself ever using that AIRMATIC switch on the E550.
Both my mother and I agree - we honestly need to swap cars. She prefers the better Genesis ergonomics, and I prefer the Mercedes-Benz performance. But I have no intention of swapping our cars. She does need the Mercedes-Benz bragging rights, and I honestly see my Genesis as a keeper more along the lines of the original Lexus LS. I'll probably grab the Mercedes-Benz when my mother is too old to drive it, but not before, and only because I got to speed on the Autobahn in it.
The E-class is an E550 Luxury with 17" wheels, with only one basic option package (Premium #1) and nothing more. Sticker cost is $63,000 if driving off of a US dealer lot, and $57,000 or so if using the European Delivery option as I did. Certainly a huge premium over the $43,000 price tag of a fully loaded 2010 Genesis. I did leave out many goodies, like parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and more, but the car did come with adjustable AIRMATIC suspension and drowsiness monitor standard. And while a similar E350 with a V6 engine will cost a lot less - as low as $48,000 for US showroom delivery, and $53,000 similarly equipped to my mother's E550 - that E350 will lack some features of the E550, like leather seats and AIRMATIC adjustable suspension.
Interior:
The E-class has orange ambiance lighting, whose brightness can be adjusted (or disabled altogether) via a menu on the instrument cluster. The ambiance lighting does give the E-class a very upscale mood, but on the other hand, the Genesis, due to its prettier interior and leather dash inserts, looks even better, even without the ambiance lighting.
The E550 has standard premium leather, whereas the E350 only gets leatherette. The leather is vastly superior to the leather used in the Genesis 3.8's seats, which still had had me very impressed, since I had been moving up from the crappy leatherette in the BMW 3.
The E-class has the COMAND interface for navigation and audio. Unlike the DIS in my Genesis, it can be completely disabled - the ON switch is the master switch to completely enable/disable it. With disabled COMAND, nothing works, however - even the rear view camera. To turn off the sound but keep other COMAND features working, I need to press the "mute" button on the steering wheel or the center stack, and it works like the OFF button on the Genesis' Lexicon stereo.
Speaking of the audio, the E-class uses Harman/Kardon. Same corporate family as the Lexicon in the Genesis. I personally do like the Lexicon's sound better, but the Harman/Kardon is more than adequate, and with a crummy sound source like satellite radio (the E-class has SIRIUS, I couldn't test it since there is no signal in Europe), either way should sound crummy.
I couldn't use the navigation features since the US-market COMAND is incompatible with European maps (Mercedes-Benz offered me a Garmin StreetPilot C310 for rental). But I did play with the navigation menus, plus the radio and disc features. COMAND is definitely a step above the Hyundai DIS in its features (for example, the navigation system can use traffic data to dynamically reroute, one thing the DIS can't), though the DIS has a much larger screen. The COMAND also has hotkeys on the center stack, making it as easy to use as the DIS, and also has a numeric keypad for direct dialing of telephone numbers or choosing radio presets. These buttons do make the center stack look very busy, however.
Climate control uses rocker switches. Very different from the Genesis system, but just as logical. The one advantage of the Mercedes-Benz system is that the A/C compressor is on ONLY when the A/C light is on; on the Genesis, the A/C light may be off, but if the system is AUTO, the compressor may be working anyway.
Instrumentation:
One extra instrument cluster "gauge" on the Mercedes-Benz is an analog clock, whose time is kept in sync with GPS satellites. I'd rather take the digital clock in the Genesis, even though it is as low-tech as the digital clock in a 1980s Honda Accord.
The center portion of the speedometer is a multifunction screen, allowing me to use steering wheel buttons to choose settings for trip computer units of measure, daytime running lights, and more. The E-class allows the driver to choose between US and metric units for the trip computer, and the setting is also shared with the navigation system; it's a nice touch, a necessity for my drive through Europe, and a nice plus over the Genesis' US unit only trip computer. (On the other hand, unlike the Genesis, the E-class will not switch the A/C temperature units to Celsius.)
The US-market E-class speedometer is in miles per hour only. A km/h reading can be had as a permanent digital readout on the multifunction screen, and I absolutely needed that in Europe.
Gauges are backlit white, while other switches are backlit light yellow. I prefer the electroluminescent gauges on the Genesis, but hate the blue backlighting on other switches, which are pretty but can be illegible when dimmed.
Controls/Driving:
Thick, meaty steering wheel. A bit ungainly at first but works very well, with volume controls and menu buttons easily accessible.
The turn signal stalk is quite low. Where I'd expect to find the turn signal stalk, I found the cruise control lever instead. I'd rather take the pushbutton cruise control of the Genesis, thank you. I often spent the first day on the road activating the cruise control when I wanted to signal a turn instead. And the Mercedes-Benz cruise control has NO master on/off switch - can be very dangerous until I get used to it.
Wiper is activated by twisting the turn signal stalk. Again, I turned on wipers when I wanted headlights.
Where the wiper stalk would normally exist, the E-class sedan instead puts the shift lever, one much like the weird one put in the BMW 7. Push to park, light shift up/down to neutral, firm shift up for reverse, firm shift down for drive. I got used to it quite fast, though. Transmission (7-speed auto) has comfort and sport mode, but I didn't find much use for switching modes. All downshifts still keep automatic mode alive; for example, downshifting to fourth using the paddle shifters only goes to D4, which will still use gears 1 through 3 automatically, rather than 4, which locks the transmission to fourth gear only. I never thought I'd prefer the Genesis' 6-speed Aisin, but I do, since I can prevent downshifts as well as upshifts in manual mode.
The AIRMATIC suspension has comfort and sport mode as well. The comfort mode, on this Luxury model, is as comfortable and soft as a Genesis. The sport mode is more like BMW - uncomfortable after a few hours on the Autobahn. The sport mode also lowers the car by a centimeter, and is also automatically triggered by exceeding 150 km/h (94 mph). I can also raise the car by an inch with another switch, in case I am driving with snow chains or for some other reason, but that raised height automatically cancels at 120 km/h (75 mph), or at sustained 80 km/h (50 mph) speeds for over a few minutes. The E550 has standard AIRMATIC, the E350 does not.
I never pushed the V8 past the 2,500 rpm mark, even on the Autobahn. It has plenty of low-end pull. I never thought I'd find my own Genesis 3.8 lethargic - but after the Mercedes-Benz V8, I now do. Fuel economy was anywhere between 8.5 to 10.2 liters per 100 kilometers, and I estimate overall fuel economy at 24 miles per US gallon during my European drive, but it bears remembering that I did my driving almost exclusively on the motorways in light traffic. The Mercedes-Benz takes less of a fuel economy hit at high speeds, however; my average Autobahn cruising speed was about 85 mph, a speed that normally results in significant fuel economy penalty for the Genesis which prefers to stay near 70-75 mph. (My experiences with other European and Asian cars have been similar - huge speeding penalty on Asian cars, little on European cars.)
I had to keep my speed down to avoid scaring my mother - I did not even crack 150 km/h on the Autobahn. I can only speculate as to the high-speed stability. The US-market E-class tops out at 130 mph like the Genesis. My 3.8 is rock solid at 100 mph, but a bit wobbly at 120 (yes, I went nuts just once).
Overall:
What I vastly prefer about the Mercedes-Benz E-class: COMAND, leather, power, stability, comfort. And let's not forget the dealer experience - the dealership that put in my European Delivery order, which will also redeliver the car to my mother once the car is US customs cleared, has been very professional.
On the other hand, my Genesis hasn't let me down much, even in those areas where the Mercedes is superior. And the Genesis still comes with a better interior and more room, plus lower initial and maintenance costs, while leaving out many of the superfluous features that are in the Mercedes-Benz. Honestly, I don't really see myself ever using that AIRMATIC switch on the E550.
Both my mother and I agree - we honestly need to swap cars. She prefers the better Genesis ergonomics, and I prefer the Mercedes-Benz performance. But I have no intention of swapping our cars. She does need the Mercedes-Benz bragging rights, and I honestly see my Genesis as a keeper more along the lines of the original Lexus LS. I'll probably grab the Mercedes-Benz when my mother is too old to drive it, but not before, and only because I got to speed on the Autobahn in it.
