2014 Mercedes-Benz E550 4Matic Review - TEST/DRIVE

[@StormAutoAdventures]

I didn't care for the styling when I first saw pictures of it, but my father just bought a fully loaded '14 E550 4matic Sport, and after seeing it in person and then driving it myself, I could really appreciate what a fantastic car this really is. It looks so much better in person too! I am very impressed with this new E Class. Well done Mercedes!

[@1stGenStunter]

I've found that the most people who talk trash about Mercedes really don't have any firsthand knowledge or experience with them. I never gave them ANY thought until I test drove an E550 and I was SOLD.

[@StormAutoAdventures]

1stGenStunter Exactly! Well said.

[@productfeedback]

This rating system is a bit silly imo. Doesn't really provide a justification or sense of comparison to other vehicles. Like what is the massive difference between 3, 4, 5 out of 5? Better just a verbal explanation.

[@megamax888]

honestly i think they're just there to make the video longer. just like the minute of outro.

[@MultiSaffran]

Yea i dont really get that either. What, a Panamera GTS is a 4 on agility, grip and steering, not to mention the 5 on speed, the same as this E550? Ehmm.. doesn't make any sense at all since there's a big difference between them.

[@xBris]

MultiSaffran It's supposed to be an in-class rating, and I suppose the Panamera and the E-Class don't share the same class.

[@DeViceCrimsin_]

It"s subjective so you need to you decide. Also If you"ve watched enough of /drive you should have a general feel for their opinions.

[@DimZ_F1]

MultiSaffran Those numbers are there to compare cars of the same category. You can have a Golf with a 5 for speed and a Panamera with 5 for speed. That doesn't mean they are equally fast, but rather, they are the fastest in their respective class. Personally, i like to see numbers along with the presentation and i think that the new format is better than the old. The only thing i don't like, is all the BMWs, Mercs and Audis we get to see all the time. 9 out of 10 videos are about those 3 and there are other manufacturers in the market...

[@Gewehr_3]

My parents had an older E500, it was a really nice car. Timeless in my opinion.

[@sleeepy9164]

​ @Gewehr3 You responded to your own opinion 💀

[@jhonnytuffister2347]

Why did the gearbox get such a low rating? MB engineers and builds their own gearboxes not for fast shifting, and performance, but for durability and comfort. It does this better than dual clutches and the ZF 8 speed.

[@butt5810]

this gearbox is built for long term reliability for sure. chris is rating it based on performance.

[@jetstream454]

7 speed is a little bit less refined than the ZF-8. As for durability I wouldn't really say either, although if I had to guess the ZF-8 would win. I'm a Mercedes guy to an extent.

[@Gemini_0815]

@@jetstream454 it depends on the application and the user, as will as which components you are looking at, as well as the servicing. MB recommends oil changes more frequently because the ZF has less wear at the lockup clutch, therefore the oil lasts a bit longer. Both are brilliant peaces of engineering

[@trefod]

I still think there is something fundamentally wrong with a Chris Harris video where the car is not abused to within an inch of its life. It has to be said though that Harris still manages to be more eloquent than all the other "journalists" on the channel.

[@KDUBIN90]

I'll say it once again, WELL DONE! Thanks to everyone @Drive, for the great work and the effort you all put into this channel. It's greatly appreciated by many.

[@sjd009]

The new e-class is a great design, best of the bunch imo

[@TheRealStenn]

Wow. Best thing about these reviews are the soundtracks. The music gives a review an atmosphere that seems so welcoming and elegant, coupled with the intelligence the reviewers bring to the table and you get a solid piece of automotive journalism in motion. Bravo.

[@1barak1]

i drove this car at work yesterday and i was amazed by how quick it is. insane acceleration

[@neddy781]

Did they move ya out to the states Mr.Harris? ;)

[@derbigpr500]

75k dollar for a E550. Awful lot of money? Damn standards are different in USA. For that much I can't buy a decently equipped E220 CDI in my country.

[@ScottZ370]

what country?

[@ScottZ370]

UK its about that if not less

[@kenmastersmaster]

What poor ass socialist country do you live in? stick to unboxing your shitty headphones instead of discussing cars LOL

[@kenmastersmaster]

i am talking to someone who keeps harassing me and discussing cars he will never afford or buy.

[@najibrulezzz]

derbigpr500 in my country, I can only get a C250 for 75k US.

[@stevenwellesley]

Oh come on....you can show much more of the car. Most of us watch these videos because we can't afford these cars, we are not rushing to go to the nearest showroom.

[@opulan]

Steven Jusuf I have one of these, what did you want to see? I could probably take some more pics or vids for people interested

[@DreamCarGarage1]

OK for all you car loving fans out there which is your favourite Chris Harris video? Mine is the RS6 vs CLS Shooting Brake. 2 stunning yet practical supercars in disguise. Beautifully shot video with interesting and informative commentary. List your favourite below:

[@OneOfOne]

learn how to spell brake. idiot

[@BadgerVito]

OneOfOne ""Break" is a valid alternative spelling, and in fact that is what Merc called the CLS wagon concept. www.caranddriver.com/news/mercedes-benz-shooting-break-concept-auto-shows

[@pabzy2]

BadgerVito As much as I don't want to agree with the Grammar Nazi. He's right. Check out the Mercedes website (I'm guessing they know how to spell the name of their own car).

[@BadgerVito]

pabzy2 I will say it again - "break" is a valid alternative spelling, and was the spelling Merc used for the CLS concept car. From www.luxist.com/tag/cls+shooting+break/ - "First things first: While the moniker is more often spelled 'shooting brake,' Mercedes tells us that the correct spelling is actually 'break,' as in breaking a horse that draws a carriage."

[@smilesic]

shooting brake or shooting break is a term for a car body style that has evolved through several distinct meanings over its history.

[@schizo0223]

My wife's car. It's nice and solidly built. Not so many things to tinker with and fool around with compared to a BMW 5 Series or an Audi A6...(no little picture of the car saying SPORTS PLUS in the screen or anything "cute" like that) but it's nicely set up when you just leave the suspension in SPORT mode and keep the Airmatic set LOW. Steering is light, but it's a saloon that you want to drive around in a relaxed mode. Get a sports car if you want to clip the apex around 5th Street. A saloon is a saloon, the laws of physics restrict it from performing and feeling like a sportscar. That's why I never buy an AMG again. People always ask why the 550 over a 350. Drive it and you'll know. Just subdued effortless performance and none of that MB Tex stuff as standard! I actually drive SLOWER in it compared to the other cars at home. It is so relaxing to cruise on the highways in it...but it can also get you to the next stoplight REALLY fast if you have nothing better to do and you don't mind having to clean tire debris off the rear bumper. Don't buy it if you need to satisfy your hunger for a V8 soundtrack...our E350 Cabrio sounds better...

[@jazzarito]

I'm really tired of people criticizing the Mercedes transmissions. They are really not bad at all especially for the purpose of driving around town. Definitely not bad enough for 2/5.

[@kirbyswarp]

And you're the one who says "Cadillac sucks" just because of its badge.

[@J0lker]

that's just so amazing how cheap cars are in the USA... and they still call it expensive ones :D Guys, appreciate it! they are really cheap! :D

[@GADGETMIX]

In India, base model starts at 85000 dollars

[@vjetarukosi123]

In Croatia, this car starts at 142 thousand dollars and a gallon of petrol costs 7 dollars.

[@J0lker]

James May haha you sound totally like James May, well done sir :D

[@GADGETMIX]

James May And it is still selling like hotcakes. So much for a 3rd world country that is paying 2x for the same car. Still people of first world country mourn over car and gasoline prices.

[@DoughBoy45]

HAHAHA 24,000 all of you!!!!

[@roosri]

Love these TEST/DRIVE segments. Really fantastic.

[@mattilinan]

these can now be had for between $25-30k nowadays. and an over 400 hp, twin turbo V8, all wheel drive Mercedes sedan at that price is quite the bargain actually.

[@skyfaze]

Question,when you guys give the evaluation points, is it based on RELATIVE or ABSOLUTE criteria?

[@WildChildXL]

So, Chris Harris stops talking at about 2:37, after which you have one minute dedicated to the ratings and over one minute to the end credits that nobody watches. Please, bring back Chris Harris on Cars, this is a waste of bandwidth.

[@mmmboobs]

What are you talking about? Chris Harris on cars still is around and is showing again this week as it did last week. This is a new series about reviewing NORMAL cars, it isn't for the oversteer junkie.

[@Zenpalmelao]

Chris, nice, helpful and precise test ride, but too short. We want more :)

[@Who_he_0]

I really like the background music score. Sounds a lot like a remix of the "Intro" by The XX. Any clues ?

[@ogadjim6191]

Did you figure out what it is? Can't find it anywhere. Shazam isn't helpful either LOL

[@hsvr]

If have this over BMW and Audi

[@sambotezatu]

I just love these short reviews! Just great.

[@SergeantMoetz]

Whats the song playing in the background called?

[@OneOfOne]

why do you care?

[@SergeantMoetz]

OneOfOne Because i like it?!

[@tintdeejay]

SergeantMoetz no idea. AND for the record: I like it too. Great video. And a great car. :)

[@darthdaddy6983]

Its called “ Lonely Masturbo ”

[@Yamtz250]

Was in the market for a mid-size luxury sedan and test drove the Mercedes E550, BMW 550i, Cadillac CTS Vsport and Audi A6. For me, The Cadillac CTS Vsport had superior looks and overall performance was miles ahead of the others. It's a shame that it's not mentioned in this video, to me it leads the class on its performance alone.

[@Yamtz250]

Hello Richard Leston - yes, I picked one up and love mostly everything about it. The performance and handling is incredible for a sedan this size. The Pirelli P-Zero's are a bit noisy and offer a firm ride. The tread life is only rated at 220 so I imagine I'll be replacing them with a set of high performance all-season tires. I love everything about this car and I'm sure I would have felt the same way had I chosen the Mercedes or the BMW.

[@MitchL85]

From most of what I have read the CTS V sport out BMW's the BMW. It is a remarkable car.

[@alabaa926]

Chris and rosenthal are the best car reviewers on youtube.

[@sherman3211]

Chris, the main difference between the Mercedes 722.9 and whatever the ZF equivalent is... The MB box won't break. I have yet to run into a ZF tranny that didn't fail. Just did a PDK (ZF) on a 991 the other day that was mixing gear oil and pdk fluid. ZF strikes again. I think the ZF 6 speed is their best unit.

[@darwin123]

great job on these new short test drives! Love it =)

[@DecoyEx]

I wonder if Chris Harris will ever launch his Track List album... i'd buy all of them. Is there a list of music used on /DRIVE ? Can't detect any with automatic stuff =( all unknown... HELP !

[@l-n-s356]

For me the only bad thing about this car is the hand brake. The BMW and Audis hand brakes are so much easier to activate. Plus when your on a hill with this car when u release the handbrake and put the gear it makes a noise like its about to break.

[@sammysays1570]

What is Chris Harris doing in the States??

[@TronicGames]

Nice graph work at the end. Very slick and smooth.

[@LoveMyZJ]

Can one of you review the new Mistubishi Mirage?

[@rohankhurd784]

why isnt the jag xf in the comparison? Is it not good enough?

[@DreamCarGarage1]

...and for crying out loud why do the graphs and the end credits take up over 'HALF' the overall video!!!!!!!! Someone (or something's) body snatched our favourite auto journalists and replaced them with boring clones! Bring back the real Chris Harris, O and while your at it bring back the real Matt Fara too.

[@Schaltza]

I agree completely. Why are we looking at boring car tests that you can get from every other car show, magazine, you name it. Chris Harris On Cars, was just beginning to become a legendary show to watch, he told you things about a car, that a piston head wanted to know. Personally it was the only videos on DRIVE channel I watched. Now he's on about which big limousine to choose from MB, BMW & A&? Really? I guess Jeremy Clarkson put it nicely once when he said aforementioned companies are so obsessed with what the other is doing that they end up making the same car, at the end it's completely irrelevant which one you choose. My favorite video of Chris Harris was the one where he took his RS 4.0 for the last drive before winter. Now that is a good example of why I loved watching his videos.

[@DreamCarGarage1]

One of my favorite Chris Harris videos is the RS6 v CLS shooting break. Beautifully shot, informative and interesting to watch.

[@zareff]

I disagree. This is real world cars people actully buy. I love the f12 drift vidoes and all, but they really don't help anyone. I'm sure their rating and shooting system can be refined.

[@Schaltza]

Exactly that's why you can read and watch videos about them basically everywhere, I don't think the world need yet another car testing show especially in this format and it's a shame Chris Harris is wasting his talents on it. And if you are in the market for a premium sedan/SUV/"real world car", you get to test drive it anytime yourself.

[@independentwith1]

please tell me the name of the song, shazam doesn't find it

[@asteen75]

The E550 4Matic is not for sale here in Denmark.- only the 500 is listed by the dealer. Price here is a mindblowing 288.981 usd!

[@Krille3]

Den heter E550 i USA, men i Europa heter den E500 ;) så det är samma bil!

[@alfonsopallan8208]

I would like to know which e class is the most luxurious and most comfortable ?

[@saibalchak1]

All the e classes are incredibly comfortable doesn't matter which trim

[@TinkoMollov]

nice new type of videos! alot more usefull than the old vids where you (and we!) had more fun! but this gets us all the buyers info we wannt .. but than again.. please dont stop doing those crazy videos lake last year!!!

[@1300l]

only barly 5 mins of Chris Harris :(

[@Maxximtl]

Try less than 3 mins. The last 2 mins of this video are just bar graphs and credits. It's a damn shame. This new format for /drive pretty much sucks.

[@vishalquake3]

What a beautiful looking vehicle ^_^ Great review Chris ! : )

[@TheBRUM100]

I love background music, perfect for touring :)

[@allentownsown]

Imo I'd go with an A7 over the e550, its body style just has such great presence on the road.

[@lungulet]

The song is very nice! What is the name?

[@ImTheSlyDevil]

one day chris will pull a nasty drift in one of these videos and none of us will be ready for it.

[@bottomlayer]

Whole numbers aren't necessary for the individual scores. Maybe it might be better to use half- or even thenth-point increments? It might capture the nuances better. Also, there is a lot of line space between, say, 4 and 5 for example. That huge gap could be better utilized with the smaller intervals described above.

[@JetBlackThreat]

can you put a supercharger or turbo on W212 E350's ? how fast would that be?

[@GodfatherBenz]

I havent seen any turbos or sc for the 3.5 v6

[@darvelllarickpowell]

actually... you can just as any other engine; I had a 2010 E350 & wanted the same things. The most you're going to get from an ECU tune is about 20hp/15tq. The dilemma when deciding that is at the cost it'll be to add that kind of aspiration, you might as well trade up to a new one/CPO w/ all you want on it. That's what I did... I've got a 2012 E550 4matic. This car.

[@JasonWMorningwood]

Who handles the social networking in /DRIVE ?

[@Stintup]

song name?

[@mundaserious2]

So which Audi car you could compare with this one?

[@babazadeh93]

kcuf foo A6

[@joshuahuang07]

the audi rs7

[@stivistivi652]

rs7?? fuck you rs7 compare with cls63 amg and a7 with cls500 4matic

[@joshuahuang07]

Haha tesla. Enough said

[@Dozelife]

Anyone know tha name of the song?

[@IdFightMyDad]

This short format test drive is really not appealing to me. Really, if I wanted to watch this, I could get it from consumer reports or Cnet. This is car reporting for those who really aren't interested in cars. Two minutes worth of actual content is not cutting it.

[@001razz]

Make the old style reviews ! smoking tyres round bends ect ect

[@n7eet]

Chris, Advise me to what cars i should avoid like the plague... ?

[@Itochan60]

Anyone know what the song in this video is?

[@cattleman6420012000]

Absolutely my dream car. I would definitely like the E Class best. The rivals are also magnificent cars; but I would go for the Mercedes. Excellently done review!!!

[@mx1000100]

why is Chris reviewing cars in the States?

[@varigdc10]

I bought this car, I mean same model, same color, I think same everything back in March, now have about 6K miles, just love it, recommend it to anyone.

[@TheMisterTroll02]

have you tried bmw lexus audi infiniti acura or cadillac?

[@varigdc10]

TheMisterTroll02 Yes, picked MB for style, ride, power, tech merits and overall luxury and ride.

[@alfredng6936]

varigdc10 me too. Waiting for bank loan approval. Silver Won't be a wrong choice right? Most of my friends asked me to take black colour. Any advice?

[@varigdc10]

II have the Silver, but since I bought it and as time goes by I notice that most cars on the road are of some shade of either black, white or grey/silver, and I'm sick of all these colors. My next MB will be a candy apple red, no matter what anybody says, I simply can't and will not settle for black, white, or grey/silver again!

[@steinarne79]

I'm not sure if I like this "light-sail" shot you guys use in the most resent of your videos. I can understand this is a very bold and nice statement for other car developers, that you guys have the equipment. Can't say it's very beautiful/tasty though, it takes away the focus from the car.

[@moneycultural102]

One question. Does it come in a manual gearbox?

[@steveaymes194]

yes it does in Europe not usa

[@steveaymes194]

yes it does in Europe not usa

[@MrZillas]

Thats bullshit.

[@roaddict4life]

Was hoping for an E63 hooning video from Chris.. but there's still hope!! Right?! D:

[@av8743]

So what looks better e63 or cls63?

[@WhiteWater505]

how does the engine feel compared to the AMG? is 400hp really feel slow with a car that size?

[@vanhanliiton7232]

Its almost fast as amg when u tune it its same fast

[@DreamCarGarage1]

So once again we have another 'identakit' review. Driving down what looks like the exact same piece of road as in the past few car videos, the exact same studio shot pan around of the cars, and surprise, surprise the phrase that sums up these new reviews for me is Chris saying "they're all great cars". Ok Chris get your tale back to the UK and get back to doing those 'interesting' and 'unique perspective' opinionated car videos that have made you a legend.

[@designerbumpercovers-luxur7673]

We have made a leather wrap around product that covers all of the rear bumper of S and E Class cars and prevents paint scratch and minor dents.

[@robbiehernandez8019]

I never knew 4matics had this much power..I always thought they were slow and if you wanted sheer power you would get the AMG series....same with BMW and Audi's now I know the differences!

[@vanhanliiton7232]

Mercedes been having fast non amg models for ages lol..

[@CadillaccJ]

this is nice and all, but can you guys review the new CTS please.. :)

[@jazzrandhawa228]

Good review as always, Top Gear UK need to hire you in my opinion. Keep up the good work.

[@StingRayINC]

The review is lil to short, r u guys on production budget or is this the new DRIVE's channel trend? i thought most of the previous episode is based on how the car feels like....

[@JnBckr]

The design of the E-class is trying to hard. To many different "modern" lines, the design of the 5 series and A6 is a lot simpler but still sportier. I don't know what happened at Mercedes but they have not managed to design a good looking car in the last years that is not above 100k.

[@cren1676]

To each their own, I for one would disagree. Just a point that style is in the eye of the beholder.

[@zapeks889]

Well, I found this clip to be booring. Maybe there isn't much to say that haven't been said already but I feel that I come here to hear Chris's reviews and not to see a rating system between 1-5. I don't know if he can't be bothered, which would be sad of course, or it's just some test but in any case I want rambling Chris becuase that is what got me subscribed to this channel in the first place! Cheers!

[@conza1989]

Short but sweet, and wow very harsh on the gearbox I thought, I'd say yes, the ZF and DSG are definately 5/5 but I would've thought the 4matic would rate at 3/5, not 2

[@Shockz_BE]

Everybody complaining about that last 1,5 minute outro :) nobody forces you to watch a video from beginning to end you know ?

[@brunoandrade4288]

I trade-in my challenger for a pre-owned C250 Coupe and it was already a huge upgrade in terms of comfort, fuel efficiency, besides all the goodies a Merc offer standard, such as memory seats, AMG sport seats (standard for all coupes), and believe it or not, the 1.8 Turbo is faster 0-60 mph than the 305hp pentastar V6. Must be awesome to drive this+400hp german V8!

[@mfba1000]

I don't get these short reviews. You really don't get much info in 3 minutes or so, so maybe they shouldn't call them reviews. Maybe 'presentation' is a better word. I hope Chris returns to last year's format, his unique inputs about a car's overall performance are being downrated here...

[@LorenTzoLiak]

2003-2008 when the Mercedes-Benz's design really made me love their brand!!! Nowdays, it looks like a Kia or Hyundai, exept some, few, AMG models!

[@5bagsofpopcorn]

you, sir, deserve a cookie!!!!

[@alexlopatenko5497]

Love the E-class!

[@cthis4786]

Older E550 W212 with NA motor is more responsive and transmission shifts faster than the redesigned W212s.

[@solidbravo6873]

i just think that there is no reason to have a centralized rating system where all vehicles are compared. As in, you are not going to compare some two seater sports car to this, because maybe the ride in the sports car is tight and harsh, and that gets it a lower score, and makes it look like a worse car when it isnt.

[@lejink]

Ugh... These videos feel more and more like they've been paid for by the automaker

[@m4rs12]

I don't think so, he wouldn't mention negatively about the gearbox if that's true. However, your statement might be true for this one: /watch?v=ezQQD0sngqs It's so funny/sad to watch him trying very hard to negate all the downsides of that car!

[@Klousoe]

I want to see an "avoid like the plague" review.

[@MuchTooStress]

This car is insanely quick for a stock sedan. 0-60mph 4.6secs

[@KizzleDawg]

Fantastic music on these videos

[@blibbax]

Do you buy a Jaguar?

[@frankenscience3553]

review the e46 m3 csl

[@paulstefan357]

A magnificient car. ...sublime

[@stapler3000344]

I almost got it, instead of my 2011 c class. But then I decided to wait till 2015 c class is our in US. But this is magnificent looking car.

[@shingaingwenya]

that screen reminds me of my grandmothers tv

[@FungedeBagre]

A car like this should have at least a score of 83. Your scoring system makes great cars look just above average witch I think is quite unfair.

[@LOLHICRONO]

these reviews are too short and seem more 'casual' compared to past reviews. i know the cars being reviewed are more normal than previous seasons but eh...

[@CJM44.41]

Just curious as to what gearbox would get this car a 5... Not like these kinds of cars need DSGs at all, they're driven as luxury cars that are supposed to ride well, sound "sporty" as the less educated (about cars) say and but more than anything be smooth. They don't require a hyper-responsive nature like an M5 or E63 need to be and have money wasted upon development of a gearbox that should be in a sports/supercar. The 7-speed 'box in the Merc does its job fine imho. Not many people actually play with the paddles in a car like this very often unless chasing their friend in the 550i M-Sport down the road to office or golf course. I guess if you want the responsiveness you buy the BMW.. I guess what I'm trying to say is that /Drive shouldn't be taking away points for a car that isn't necessarily supposed to drive like or share the same space in the market as a BMW. The Merc does what the Merc is supposed to do best and more!

[@magus2511]

short video and to the point! nice !

[@kiserschaus]

"your out of your element don!...i mean chris" :p

[@OneOfOne]

youre. douche

[@conradclaassen1214]

not liking the charts & rate thing going on at the end. we have web pages for those, wish to watch a video review for verbal video feedback. i can download an adobe file for the rest

[@AlanDevlin]

Normally love Chris Harris pieces and was intrigued by topic, 550 E Class is an odd ball car in Europe but that video was just lazy. Two minute of coverage and then a Top Gear from the 80s style data graph overlay. Surprised that the piece was not shot with Chris standing with one foot on the front bumper.

[@tyablo]

music name please?

[@OneOfOne]

its called music for dopes who dont like cars

[@mixmoxmix]

mario milani - gianluca valvano ( private itunes ) XD

[@tyablo]

OneOfOne you noob sftu it is not necessary to comment everywhere about cars

[@tyablo]

Mounir Zhar thanks man

[@alvaroscandella1555]

User996 can you share music name, please?

[@benchekrounmohamed1306]

please some one tell me what name of the sound

[@jackspencer5676]

There is criticism in these. If they don't need slating, then why slate them for the sake of it?

[@chrisfelkin3049]

Sis traded her '13 ML350 for a 550, very solid car.