[MRM]

My wife and I faced the same question. We have been driving Camrys for the last ten years and love them to death. It's hard not to like a pleasant, reliable car that starts without drama every time you turn the key.

For us it was finally time to step up to a nicer car. We worked with Pelicanite Kaisen, who is local to us and has access to wholesale auctions and considered pretty much every alternative out there. Our requirements were that it had to be a luxury car with some performance, some brand appeal, pretty good reliability, and have AWD. We wouldn't consider an Audi for a variety of reasons. Lexus seems nice but expensive for what you get. It seemed to us like a well equiped Camry or Avalon wasn't much different than a Lexus. She didn't like any of the other Japanese brands, so that pretty much narrowed it down to Mercedes and BMW.

We ended up comparing the 5 Series BMWs with the E350 and E500.

Our immediate impression was that any E Class that was older than 2007 was a complete nonstarter. They were OK cars, but sitting in one felt as outdated as sitting in a grandmother's living room, and not any more comfortable. When I test drove a couple I kept looking around, wondering where the luxury was.

Then we looked at 5 Series BMWs, all 06 or newer. They were much improved on the interior and that made the Mercedes look even more dated. We drove a 535 and almost had to wipe ourselves down afterword. That is one great car. Almost all of the BMWs in the 06 and later range looked and felt updated and luxurious.

Finally, we drove an 07 E350 back to back with the 535 BMW. I had resisted driving the Mercedes because I had been so underwhelmed by the 06 model. But I was as impressed with the 07 as I was underwhelmed with the 06. The 07 refresh really dressed up the interior. It's not that different of a car, but the overall result of the small changes was dramatic. My wife like the tuning set more to luxury than sport, anyway, so we ended up equally impressed with the 535 and E350 with the 535 noticably sportier than the E350 and the fit, finish and interiors being equal. The 535 had lots more power, but driving around town you wouldn't notice the difference. We really ended up liking the E350 and 535 equally.

In the end we went with the E350 because there is a dealer close to our house (the BMW dealer is on the other side of town) and Kaisen got us a great deal on it. If I was all that worried about performance I would have spent the extra to get a E500. They're really cool, too.

As I said, I gave it to my wife for Christmas. She's driven it mostly since then but I've had my chances to drive it, to and I can give you my driving impressions. It has performed flawlessly in the ice and snow we've had constantly since Christmas. It has plenty of power for daily driving. If I was going to the track I would need the 535, but th E350 doesn't leave me wanting. I drove down to Rochester over the weekend, and the more I drive it and the longer the trip is, the more I like the car. It's nice, solid, pleasant to be in, capable, and looks nice from inside or out. It's just a really nice car. It's quiet, smooth, all the things a Mercedes is supposed to be.

With the redesigned 2010s coming out, even 07-09 E350 prices are coming down. I think they're a pretty good deal. I'd recommend PM'ing Eric (Kaisen) and seeing what he can get you wholesale through an auction. The 07s and 08s are coming off lease right now, and there are thousands available. Ours has almost two years worth of warranty left. So far we haven't noticed anything that gives us any cause for concern. We highly recommend it.