MB E500 vs BMW 550 vs Jaguar XFP
07-11-2009, 05:31 AM
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Another Edmunds InsideLine comparison. It's a fair assessment, but probably not the fairest test to pit an aging model against two brand new ones.
Bottom line on the BMW 550i: Problem is, it's gotten old and harsh, being outpaced everywhere but where the roads start to twist and turn. Its asking price is too dear and its electronics are due for replacement.
Funny thing ... look which one they would buy:
Senior Editor Erin Riches says:
You've seen the finishing order for this comparison test, but if I'm spending my own money, I'm taking the BMW 550i. It's not a rational choice. I like the way this sedan feels. The driving position, seats and (firm) suspension damping all feel right to me every time I get behind the wheel. I also enjoy the 550i's normally aspirated 4.8-liter V8, even if it has been made obsolete by BMW's twin-turbo inline-6. Low-end torque is in short supply, but like the company's inline-6, the 4.8-liter is free-revving and has a more interesting power band than the Mercedes-Benz E550's torque-rich 5.5-liter V8.
But siding with the 5 Series forces me to put up with a slow-shifting six-speed automatic (because no one in the real world is buying this car with a six-speed manual and you know it), plus there's the rarely straightforward iDrive version 1.5 interface to contend with, and in these moments of annoyance, I can't deny that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 is the better overall luxury sedan. The E-Class is never going to pretend it's a sport sedan (certainly not with these all-season tires), but it's a pleasant and refined car to drive in any other context. It also has a better transmission, with noticeably quickened shifts in Sport mode. Inside, the latest version of COMAND lords over audio, navigation and Bluetooth functions with all the same authority as iDrive, but I don't mind. COMAND works well, you see, and I genuinely believe it's making my life easier.
Why, then, wouldn't I just buy a 2010 E550 and save a few grand? Ah, because I can't accept that a midsize luxury sedan is just a luxury sedan. I want the one that plays like it's all sporty on a back road, even if I never drive it on one. So I'll take the Bimmer. You take the Benz.
Bottom line on the BMW 550i: Problem is, it's gotten old and harsh, being outpaced everywhere but where the roads start to twist and turn. Its asking price is too dear and its electronics are due for replacement.
Funny thing ... look which one they would buy:
Senior Editor Erin Riches says:
You've seen the finishing order for this comparison test, but if I'm spending my own money, I'm taking the BMW 550i. It's not a rational choice. I like the way this sedan feels. The driving position, seats and (firm) suspension damping all feel right to me every time I get behind the wheel. I also enjoy the 550i's normally aspirated 4.8-liter V8, even if it has been made obsolete by BMW's twin-turbo inline-6. Low-end torque is in short supply, but like the company's inline-6, the 4.8-liter is free-revving and has a more interesting power band than the Mercedes-Benz E550's torque-rich 5.5-liter V8.
But siding with the 5 Series forces me to put up with a slow-shifting six-speed automatic (because no one in the real world is buying this car with a six-speed manual and you know it), plus there's the rarely straightforward iDrive version 1.5 interface to contend with, and in these moments of annoyance, I can't deny that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 is the better overall luxury sedan. The E-Class is never going to pretend it's a sport sedan (certainly not with these all-season tires), but it's a pleasant and refined car to drive in any other context. It also has a better transmission, with noticeably quickened shifts in Sport mode. Inside, the latest version of COMAND lords over audio, navigation and Bluetooth functions with all the same authority as iDrive, but I don't mind. COMAND works well, you see, and I genuinely believe it's making my life easier.
Why, then, wouldn't I just buy a 2010 E550 and save a few grand? Ah, because I can't accept that a midsize luxury sedan is just a luxury sedan. I want the one that plays like it's all sporty on a back road, even if I never drive it on one. So I'll take the Bimmer. You take the Benz.
07-17-2009, 10:26 PM
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My Ride: 2008 Alpine White 550i Sport, Cream Beige Interior, 6-Sp Manual - retired 9/2011
Originally Posted by tachyon' post='939370' date='Jul 11 2009, 09:31 AM
....because no one in the real world is buying this car with a six-speed manual and you know it...
07-18-2009, 02:22 AM
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Given the E60's age compared to the XF and new E Class, the third place finish is not surprising. But the reviews do not deny that the 550i Sport is the driver's car of the bunch, the best one on the twisties and the car that they would want to buy.
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