We got the RWD E350, no real need for AWD for us, plus when its used and cheap you cant really pick your options, one of the closest E350's with HID's was 4k more and double the miles!

I dont know if its due to the 7spd auto, but the E350 is faster off the line, hp isnt that much more than the 3.2 but then its being sent to two wheels instead of four, so you have some mechanical and weight savings right there. The A6's I drove seemed to struggle more to reach highway speeds. And yeah, the E350 needs some sportier springs, or I need to get used to it and see how it performs, but it doesnt inspire handling confidence when you first start driving it haha. The A6 sticks to the ground much better.

And yeah, I'm pretty sure this car has the MB-Tex seating, with maybe real leather inserts. Its kinda stunning to see that at a starting price of 54k, it comes with vinyl and leather is extra, and from the MB forums, for leather you almost have to special order the car since 99% of the ones imported over here are MB-Tex. But on the other hand, somehow MB has managed to make vinyll that is higher quality that whatever leather they use, so few people care since the vinyl looks better and lasts longer. I guess those Germans can make the most intricate engines, but tanning hides eludes them haha (Audi has good leather though).

 

Well, if the E350 is RWD, thats a few hundred pounds less right off the bat. I test drove the 08 E-350 4-matic and the 08 A6. The MB is a bit faster off the line, but the A6 is quicker once the highway. Its the gear ratios that makes the differnce, the horse power is about the same.
If you talk to any MB owner with the MB-Tex, they will claim its better than leather. I sat in the MB-Tex model, its close to leather, but you still can tell its fake. Its the same material that Audi use for the back of their seats. Bottom line is that, in a $55K car, I do not want fake leather or fake wood or fake anything

 

Why not get a trailblazer or trailblazer ss if your going to spend that kind of money on the 9-7x? Just get the trailblazer, save some money, and the looks of question as people wonder what type of person buys the Saab Trialblazer.

 

Well, the Saab was lower and had a much better suspension, and good luck tracking down fully loaded Trailblazers, the Saab was nice since they all came fully loaded and your only options were engine, sunroof, nav, and rear dvd. When buying used they're only a few grand over a stripped down Trailblazer, so well worth the extra money. And the SS is nice, but gas mileage on that one is a bitch, not that the rest with the 5.3 V8 are that much better haha

As for the MB-Tex, it feels ok, but then I'm used to the dark gray Buick Regal leather seats installed in my Impala, all the seating surfaces are real, I mean real leather, complete with the usual marks and lines you'd find on a real cow Plus its kinda bumpy so it keeps you better in place. The rest of the trim is regular vinyl though.

And I'm pretty sure the wood trim in the E350 is real wood.

 

Yeah the wood in the E350 is real. Just about every luxury car manufactuer use real wood trim with the exception of Acura, that is if you can even call Acura a luxury car.