Thanks for the input all, I have decided to stay with the 400e for now. I love the 500e, and will have one some day, but don't feel comfortable making that leap right now. "Some day soon though..." he said hauntingly. I will have to console myself with AMG wheels and euro lamps for the 400. Pity me.

I love the 400e, Big. It is a great car, I have owned it for 2.5 years, and have never had any problems with it. It glides down the highway and really comes to life at higher speeds. The stoplight performance is somewhat marginal because of the .224 rear gear and costs $3000 to upgrade to a .282/.307. Other than that, the car is absolutely great. Great brakes, good handling, timeless styling, great build quality, pretty easy to work on. I am convinced that it is one of the best cars ever built.

The problem is that I love the 400e, but it does not inspire me. I have a hankering for a heroic car, and the 400 is nothing more than a stock 300e with a few performance tweaks and a bigger motor. The 500e is a Mercedes/Porsche hybrid supercar in a 4dr body.

It is easy to have the utmost respect for the 400, but it is difficult to be passionate about it. That is the difference.


Jack