Used 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan Consumer Reviews

Very Happy Indeed

The performance of the car, from my expectations, is spot on. In Eco mode, I find myself driving the car with patience and purpose. If I need a little more, it's there. In Sport mode, it's a completely different car. Dr. Jekyll, meet Mr. Hyde. The response never lets me down. In sport mode, the car begs to be driven differently. So I oblige. My only performance related mark that is not "great" is shifting, and that is really only a concern when I want to use the paddle shifters. If I leave it in full auto, it's as responsive as I want it to be, when I want it to respond. When I use the paddle shifters, it doesn't change gears nearly as quickly as I want it to, which is due to not having a dual clutch. The response time using the paddles has the feel of talking on the phone with an echo. It makes you just a little less sure about when to shift, because you need to account for the delay. As far as comfort is concerned, I commute 3-4 hours a day, and I don't mind doing it in this car. My kids have mentioned that the rear seats are not as comfortable as my previous sedan, however. The interior of the vehicle is simple elegance. I drove the Audi and the BMW, and four main factors pushed Mercedes way above those others. First, the interior; the Audi feels stale inside, plastic and simple. The BMW is cluttered with features, which get in the way of what you want to do with the car (drive it). The Mercedes has what you need, with quality and style. Second, the performance; the Audi felt like it was trying too hard, as if pushing it could break it. Getting close to the red line felt like you were about to break the law. The BMW felt bulky (thank the fact that the 5 series is based off the 7 series), like the fenders were in the way. And under lateral load, the weight shift was dramatic. The Mercedes grabs your attention and keeps it. Getting close to the red line feels like your riding a thoroughbred that is itching for the gate to open as it grabs the next gear with enthusiasm and reaching for that line again. The only negative mark for the performance of the Mercedes is that there is a bit of an under-steer. Now, if I could only bolt on that twin turbo for the 3.0 liter to this 3.5... that would be insane. Third, the style; the Audi felt very small, and the Volkswagen influence is obvious. I couldn't get that relationship out of my way. The Audi looks and feels like an upgraded Volkswagen, because it is, and when you know that, it is like a bad smell in the room. You can't away from it. The BMW looks beautiful, and sleek, for sure. But once you get inside, and you see just how big the fenders are from the drivers seat, when you get back outside, the stance of the car changes. It's bigger than it needs to be. Like someone who is wearing a shirt one size too small. The Mercedes removes all of these issues. There is no outside influence for the Mercedes, so forget about having any Volkswagen influences. And the lines of the vehicle are clean, cut and elegant. There is no bulkiness to the Mercedes at all. It doesn't sit too high, or too low. It's not in your way, it is the way. And finally, the cost of ownership. The Audi is overpriced, and the extending the warranty doesn't come close to the timelines that Mercedes offers for the price. The BMW price is fair, but extending the warranty to match what Mercedes offers costs twice as much. Which tells you a lot. If the extended warranty costs a lot, it's because they get a lot of warranty related issues, plain and simple. If the car didn't need a lot of repairs, on average, the cost of the warranty would not be so high. I paid $3200 to extend my Mercedes warranty to 2022 with unlimited miles. BMW wanted $6800 for the same warranty.

Good experience driving 2016 MB E350 4Matic

Well, this is my first MB and I must say that after almost 6 months of driving my used (2000 miles when bought) 2016 E350 Luxury AWD, I am very happy with my experience so far. The car (color black) looks classy all the time, and feels like I have a business suit on every time I drive it. I must say that the interior is acceptable, but not much to write home about, but performance is great and steering is responsive. I came from a 2011 Lexus ES 350, so much of the time I feel myself comparing my MB experience to the Lexus. I feel that the acceleration is about the same between the two cars (excellent), but the MB seems to clunk into downshifting when I punch the gas (Lexus was just as responsive, but smoother downshift). No biggie, but something I noticed during my need for acceleration where the Lexus was much smoother. Electronics on the Lexus were not as advanced, so it is not fair to compare the two cars in this category, although the MB's command system is a bit confusing to me at times and is not as intuitive as it should be. I've driven in combined highway and city and the gas mileage has been pretty much as advertised (requires premium fuel). The ride is very comfortable (something I value, thus my selection of the luxury model over the sport). I did have problems rotating the tires on this car the first time around. I typically do this type of maintenance myself and I couldn't break the factory torqued lug nuts loose for the life of me, but an investment in a breaker bar quickly solved this problem. I love getting into this car for road trips and cranking up my favorite tunes on the stereo. Very classy looking car, quiet comfortable ride, tight response. It's not a sports car, but when I want to get up and go and take corners aggressively, it delivers a satisfying experience. Looking forward to driving in the snow and ice and challenging the AWD. Hopefully I will experience continued satisfaction and high reliability going forward. I've driven the car for over 4000 miles now and I'm very satisfied with my purchase. UPDATE AFTER 9000 miles - I still enjoy driving this great looking car. A stranger commented to me a few days ago, saying "great looking car" as we exited our cars in a parking lot. Ride is still tight and quiet. The one thing I continue to experience (but very willing to tolerate) is the kind of jerky motion as you press the accelerator from a stop. Again, my Lexus ES350 was smoother in this regard, but it does kind of give you a more sporty feel in my MB, and I'm ok with it. Bottom line I still really like the looks and feel of driving this car. I feel like I'm in that car commercial (not a Mercedes commercial) where I'm always looking for a reason to get in my E350 beauty and drive it somewhere special. My excitement for this car has not faded one bit. I've done an oil change, tire rotation and inspected the brakes. So far tire tread wear is minimal and wear is even across the tires and brake pads all still look great. I would definitely recommend this car for someone who is looking to ride in style, with the sports car response and capability sitting there patiently just waiting for the driver's queue to engage. ENJOY !!! Update in Snow/ice: Well, after almost 9,7000 miles I had my first opportunity to ride in about 3 inches of fresh snow (still snowing at the time). WOW, this car dug into the snow like I was riding a snowmobile. On a couple of occasions, on clear stretch of road I was a little aggressive with the accelerator just to see how the AWD would respond and boy was I impressed. The car kept on the straight and narrow, dug in and just lunged forward. I'm real happy with performance in the snow and I'll have full confidence in traction and safety going forward if (when) the need ever arises to drive in messy weather again. Of course you always need to be careful when stopping (even with the best AWD and anti-lock braking), so leave plenty of room between you and the cars around you in such weather. UPDATE after 12,000 miles: Still enjoying -About a month away from the expiration of my factory warranty (although I did purchase an extended warranty). I'm worried as I enter the extended warranty coverage. During the past year I've had the accessory battery (the one in the trunk) go bad on me and a couple of months ago the main battery showed up with a bad cell during yearly inspection at my local AAA (good catch AAA). Both batteries were replaced by Mercedes under the warranty, but makes me a little nervous about what repairs are to come down stream. I'm sure there will be all kinds of caveats (and added cost) associated with my extended warranty but we'll see. Another item that concerned me was that on a very cold night, I parked on an incline and engaged the emergency brake (I rarely use this brake). Could not disengage. The brake finally disengaged after the interior of the car heated up a little. Dealership looked at it and did some lube, but couldn't determine cause. Update 11/10/24 - My E350 now has 39,000 miles. Still performing perfectly. Almost ready to replace tires. I just replaced rear brakes. Fronts still OK, but front rotors showing some grooving. I bought new rotors to replace the old when front pads are ready for replacement. No visits to repair shop since the emergency brake issue years ago. Still love driving this car. Considered buying a 2025 Camry, but just can’t justify giving up this fun and always good looking ride for a newer car.

So far so good

I have only had the car for a couple of thousand miles, so the final determination is a long ways off. I bought an off lease car with 17K miles as a Mercedes verified (or whatever) used car. The warranty was extended for an extra year with unlimited mileage and the price was almost exactly half off the original list price (factoring in tax). I consider that a great value as I typically keep my cars for at least 10 years and 17K miles is minimal. The car was 99% what I would have expected for a brand new off the showroom car - near perfect. It rides and runs great with far more than adequate power. Great gas mileage. Extremely comfortable. The radio and navigation are both very intuitive. My only complaint so far is that I don't have a back up beeper to tell me when to stop backing up. The monitor has a gauge to help you, but I prefer the beeper. It might just be turned off as I haven't bothered to really look into it yet. I haven't driven in snow or ice yet so I can't report on the 4matic performance. I have 4 other cars/trucks and this is by far my preferred ride. Update: I have had the car for a little over a year now and have driven it around 13K miles. So far no problems and no change at all to my original review. I haven't driven it in any deep snow, but it has done well in the minor events that we have had. It is a great car in every way although I still hate that it doesn't have the back up beeper. The bluetooth phone works perfectly. I no longer enjoy driving any of my other cars as this is far more enjoyable and comfortable. I have not had it in for service yet other than an oil change. Update #2 I have now had my Mercedes for about 5 years and I have 75K miles on it. No major problems. The two biggest issues were that I had to replace the windshield (obviously a factory defect of some sort but it still cost me $1300) and a heated hose for the windshield wiper spray shorted out ($425). The car still runs great and has proven to work well in the snow. Tires and brakes have both lasted far longer than anticipated. It has thus far been a great car for me. I would be happy driving this car for another ten years. Update 2 Extended. I forgot one important event. I was driving on the highway one evening when it was rainy and cold out - going around 60 mph or so. Without warning and virtually instantly, the car started sliding partially sideways. Just as quickly it righted itself automatically. The cars stability control at the minimum saved me from an accident and possibly saved me from serious harm. In the blink of an eye I gained a great appreciation for a feature that I had not prior paid much attention to.

Great overall safety, comfort and reliability.

Purchased new 2016 E350 sport sedan in December 2015. Vehicle was purchased to replace prior Lexus LS. I was skeptical leaving my Japanese vehicle for a German vehicle due to service costs and possible reliability shortcomings, was I wrong. This E class was a flawless vehicle for us. The seating in the front was considerably more supportive and comfortable for long trips than the Lexus. It also had some great safety technology options that I felt worked well together, especially on longer trips. The trunk size was as big as the Lexus and this was a different class category than the Lexus. This vehicle also was better on MPG. I personally felt like the vehicle had an overall body solidness that was superior to the Lexus. I will say that while I truly loved the vehicle safety, comfort and solid feel, I did not like the lack of the vehicle tech when it came to intergraded cell phone usability. Cell phone features were basic and lacked CarPlay, something the same year competitor vehicles had in use already. Still, this lack of technology was not enough to keep me from being very satisfied in the vehicle and it’s performance and safety. I would buy one again and I also think this is a great value as a pre-owned vehicle that has been dealer certified.

Air Conditioning Issue Driving Me Crazy!

I bought my 2016 E350 after looking at several luxury makes. The ride, comfort, and features of the car were far superior to any others in its price class. However, an issue with the air conditioning has made owning this vehicle extremely frustrating, and unhappy about my decision to purchase a Mercedes, along with frustration and anger at their response. Here's the issue I'm having -- with no pattern, rhyme or reason, and with no warning, the two air vents on either side of the steering wheel stop blowing cold air, and bring in hot, recirculated air, for about 5-10 seconds. It's a noticeable sensation, and very unpleasant, especially when driving in 98-degree heat! I've brought the car to the dealership three times, leaving it there for a week at a time, and they say they have been "unable to duplicate" the issue. Since this occurs on a non-regular basis, obviously they're not driving it enough to have it occur when they're driving it! I finally contacted Mercedes-Benz USA, and got this explanation from the rep -- "if the dealership can't find a problem, then your vehicle is operating the way it was engineered to do." Please don't insult my intelligence and tell me that a $56,000 vehicle is supposed to have the air conditioning blow hot air through the driver's side vents whenever it chooses! I am going to give them one more chance this week -- supposedly a "technical specialist" is coming to look at it -- and then I'm going to file a claim under the Florida "Lemon Law." This may be an unusual issue, but there needs to be a resolution -- which, in my opinion, is either fix my vehicle correctly, or give me a purchase credit, minus the miles I've driven it, for a new vehicle. What was supposed to be a pleasurable experience in my Mercedes has turned into a big problem. If anyone else out there has had this issue, please post about it! Thank you!

2016 E400

Lease end on 2014 E350, like the car and decided to purchase the 2016 E400. Love the E400 for the speed and all the options, love the massage seat. Solid car and no problem. Go for the E400, the price difference to E350 is not much.

After 6 Years Still an Outstanding Value

It takes a couple of hours to become acquainted with all the technology features but after the dealer familiarization coupled with the online videos at MBUSA.COM..it really a snap! Very impressive car; looked at several luxury sedans by various high end OEMs but came back to MB.

A sturdy German Car, but overcomplicated controls

Everything you always wanted in a great driving machine, but riddled with confusing controls. Navigation system overly complicated and difficult to use. Sound system has not on/off button. You can silence it, but it's not easy. MBrace is supposed to work for in car WiFi. Had the car for 6 months and still doesn't work. Trial period now run out. I live far from a dealer and they say I have to go there to fix it. Meanwhile no more trial period. So that's out. But, of course, MBrace keeps calling and sending emails trying to sell me subscription services. NOT.... until they show me it can actually work. Passenger seats sit low in the chassis and make it a bit clumsy to get in and out.... and I'm not a weakling. Final negative is the "eco" fuel saving mode. It turns the motor off every time you stop and keep your foot on the brake. Then it automatically starts the car again when you hit the accelerator. Supposed to save fuel and put the car in a better "mileage" category. The system can not be permanently shut off, and it comes on automatically every time you start the car. Giant pain. Having said all this it's a nice driving and handling touring vehicle with all the blood and guts of a tough German luxury vehicle.... and it's quite comfortable. Don't think I would buy another one of this exact year and model.

Great on handling, but lacks comfort

This is my 3rd Mercedes, 2nd E series. No disappointment in quality, style, handling, features, but the lack of padding and poor quality leatherette seating makes a long road trip exceptionally unpleasant. Compared to the interior of BMW, Audi, and Jaguar, Mercedes needs to upgrade their standards. Otherwise, this is a great car with decent acceleration, fuel consumption, and overall standard features. My car has all the premium packages including, keyless go, blind spot monitoring, etc. and is a joy to drive. I feel especially protected driving with the enhanced safety features. The upgraded sound system is awesome, but the navigation system is very complicated and I generally resort to using my internet gps! Would I buy it again? Only if the comfort and interior quality was improved. The very best feature for me is a brand new, top of the line dealership is less than 1mile from my home and their service dept is AWESOME!! Thank you Mercedes Benz of The Woodlands! I purchase my 2016 E350 new in Dec, 2016 (drop down box below would not accept the year!)

One of the best cars I have ever had

This is an excellent vehicle. I had NO problems with it over the 3 years . Excellent quality and good service. Very comfortable. Fine finishes and outstanding safe feeling when driving

Have arrived

I really like driving this car. Thank you, Edmunds, for helping me to decide to buy it. Bought a 2 year old E350 as a CPO.

Beyond Satisfaction

Great car. Everything and every reason I wanted an S class is in the E class. the car has been beyond my exceptions

2016 E350 4MATIC

Decent car and works great for what it's required for.. would have appreciated if MB had paid more attention to sound insulation . esp. after driving a V8 GL 450 gor the past few years, this seems to have a lot more road noise. The heatinga nd cooling seem to take a lot of time to kick in when compared to other luxury brands

2016 E350 4-Matic Sedan

Prior to buying my 2016 Mercedes E350, my last Mercedes was the W210 version, that being a 2000 E320 4-Matic wagon. That was a beautiful car, and it did everything well. Once I had my car shopping narrowed down to a W212, 2016 E350 4-Matic sedan, I needed to take three test drives in it because it was so different from my W210 Mercedes. Mostly I was bothered by the ride. It wasn't a nice soft ride like my former Mercedes that absorbed bumps and bad road surfaces yet handled well. The 2016 E350 has a stiff ride, and I was put off by it. It was OK enough during expressway driving, so I bought it. Not long after I realized that Mercedes-Benz had made many changes to the E-Class that by-and-large weren't OK with me. For one, the 3.5 V-6 had a lot more power than the 3.2 V-6 and it used more gas and is far more powerful than I needed. Between that and the stiff ride, I started referring to it as a Camaro sedan. Or a 4-door Camaro. On a service visit my salesman had seen me and asked how I liked the new car. I said it's a 4-door Camaro, and he was aghast. This 2016 is my fifth MB and one thing I can say about Mercedes-Benz is that I can choose any given model having the smallest engine they offer in it, and they always have more power than I need. Other changes I noticed that Mercedes had done in the transition from the W210 E Class to the W212 E Class, was a general cheapening of the interior. The materials, though nice, weren't as luxurious or at a high-grade as the earlier model. Examples being, the fabric used to trim off the door opening, the carpeting, and a lack of seat cushioning. So too, more plastics implemented in the dash panel and the interior door trim. They don't rattle, in fact the car doesn't have any rattles, but the excess of plastics when pushed upon, make plasticky creaking sounds, such as when pushing the door open to exit. And there has been a cheapening of the switch gear, the signal light lever, the cruise control lever, and the lever to operate the power tilt and telescoping steering wheel. All have been replaced with fully plastic levers/knobs and they just don't work as nicely as they had for years in the MBs I've had. That's going back to my first MB, a 1982 300D Turbo Diesel. The worst part about this change has been that the levers on the left side of the steering wheel are now crowded-in and it's easy to operate the wrong lever. An example of that is even having owned this car now and then I'll signal a left turn when I wanted to increase the speed of the cruise control. I'm sure the switch gear changes were due to lowering costs, but in that they lost the perfection that was had for years. While this W212 car is a nice car I'm still finding things that have cheapened. One holiday season, I set off with two relatives for a Christmas lights drive. A few days later I was talking to my cousin who had occupied the back seat that night, and she said that while she likes my car that back seat was hard as a stadium bench. And that she had been in pain from it being so hard, grateful to get out when we had reached her home. I had no idea, I thought that was awful and very un-Mercedes-Benz like. I'm saddened that Mercedes has made changes for the worse to the E-Class and I think there are a lot of disappointed people as I have been, because the E-Class is their biggest seller worldwide. It doesn't make sense to me when they had that series perfect. Perhaps MB wants all of their customers to move up. The next time I'm car shopping I'll test drive the E-Class again. And if Mercedes hasn't changed it back to being a nicely made and comfortable car again, I'll reluctantly try an S-Class. And if I become angry enough, such as if the S-Class has been ruined too, or the cost for an S-Class has become ridiculously high, I'm going over to Genesis and see about their G90 model. That's supposed to be a comfortable and well-made car. I'd have never thought that the South Koreans would know comfort but after reasonably comfortable ride in one of their inexpensive Hyundai Sonata's I'm sure that their Genesis G90 is truly comfortable luxury car. I'm not saying that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a bad car, but for any of us used to MBs legacy of wonderful mid-sized cars, I am saying to be sure to look over their new or newer cars, and if need be, take three test drives.

Great drive and a dependable and reliable car

Handles really well in all conditions, and with the right tires, even through a Vermont winter. I have a 2012 and have had a very good experience with it and with our great dealership in Vermont. Automaster. 55,000 miles and not a single repair. This 2016 is the last year for this platform and I wanted to get a low mileage, lightly used one to last me the next ten years and keep both of us safe through our Vermont winters.

Feel safe and elegant in this beauty

Drove a 5 series BMW and looked at an A6. The 350 E is much nicer and feels more solid. I am a Benz lover for many years and still feel a sense of loyalty and pride when driving these cars. I once spoke to a Pennsylvania State Trooper and he told me, after seeing horrible car crashes in his career, people walk away from the crash if they are driving a Mercedes. That's good enough for me!!!

1st New Car in 40 Years

Be prepared for high maintenance costs, upsell for many additional services, warranties, etc. Very nice car overall, quite enjoyable to drive, excellent bluetooth phone quality, nice sound system.

smart and sporty car

Everything is fine except for blind spots. even with blind spot assist, it is hard to see on the sides vehicles approaching, as the doors are set higher than usual and mirrors are a bit smaller. The driver seat is set too low, does not raise or tilt backwards far enough to see the road better. Interior room is about the same as new C-class but center console on C-class is set too high limiting the space for the arms. just a few bugs.

Turning heads

With the E-Class Sedan, it's a smooth riding vehicle. There's so many options on the car, until you want be able to use them all. You want be.disappointed if you purchase one.

Disappointed

The navigation system is overly complicated and inaccurate. The voice control doesn't recognize anything properly, you'll find yourself relying on your phone. The acceleration is sluggish and lags horribly unless you engage sport mode. Clumbsy having to reach for sport switch all the time.

Fast yet frugal

This four door Mercedes is quite comfortable for four. It is laden with technology, gets over 30 mpg on the hiway and has a cruising range of 500 miles or more UPDATE: Comfortable, great driving range, good safety features

Mary Beth

It is excellent as far as gas mileage on road trips. The ride is smooth. There could be a bitter defogging system for windshield.

My New Benz

Check package 993 Car was to have this package. Lane tracking package, blind spot assist and lane keeping assist.

Mercedes E350 2016

Goo deal

Buying a car is easy but to get a good deal we have research market and be up to date when it coms to pricing. A lot of dealerships value there cars differently its pretty much above market price so they have room for negotiation . I am not expert but all of us work for money . The things that we have to look for are: manufacturing date, color of the car, tires ,brakes ,wheels,milage ,maintnance records ,certified or not ,warranty or not, options on the car , condition and specially engine and transmission conditions . If you don't have knowledge about those I would recommend to have handy mechanic or friend to help you observe all of this details to make a good deal. Car fax helps to avoid card involved in accidents or that have other issues like frame damage ,floated and also how many owners . I would recommend not to buy cars that had 3-4 owners . Good luck.

FABULOUS

I just graduated up from a C Class. The E Class driving experience is a huge step of "luxury" above the C Class.

Smooth ride

The vehicle handles great and the power is outstanding the interior is very nice just a pleasure to drive all around great car. By far the best car I have owned and I’ve owned quite a few in my days all makes and models.

Best car ever made for the highway

The Mercedes Benz E-350 is one of the few truly enjoyable car that the common man can drive. The 2016 sport model I own over the years a joy to drive. Sadly my wife back issues dictate a SUV . Nothing drives and handles like the E or S class Mercedes Benz.