Hi all,
I'm in the market for a new (used) motor and have been looking at the E250 and E350 CDi Sport estates which came out about 2010 I think.
Car will mostly be used for weekends away, family holidays etc so comfort, space and long distance cruising ability is the focus.
Probably looking at something which is 3-4 years old with under 50k miles.
Are there any notable things to look out for?
Does anyone have one of these and can comment on what its like to live with, real world running, service costs, mpg etc?
Thanks
Ant
I had the coupe until 4 months back. Excellent car mine had 81,000 and it still looked and drove brand new.
Go for the e350 it's the more reliable of the two engines. You still get 40+ mpg on the motorway. Harman Kardon sounds is a great option.
Miss the car now but I need a 4 door car . Servicing with Mercedes was really cheap too.
We had an E350 CDi Estate whilst living in Budapest from 2010 to late last year, and only sold it due to relocating to South America. It was a fantastic family car and we really miss it. We had it from new and it held value well as it was quite a sought after vehicle on the local market.
It was used for numerous trips across Europe and really ate up the miles, it was amazing how you could emerge from the best part of 17 hours behind the wheel and not feel a twinge. Despite being the 7-seat version with two extra pop-up seats in the rear (suitable for kids up to about 12 years old), it had a cavernous boot and we had no problem putting two fully assembled children's bicycles in there on days out.
I can't really comment on running costs as it was always serviced in Hungary and fuel was considerably cheaper than in the UK but I echo the previous comment of 40mpg+ on a motorway run, driving sensibly (but I cannot say I did that too often, it was too much fun to open it up once reaching an autobahn). The 80 litre tank gave it an impressive range and the 7 speed gearbox very smooth.
The early E350 CDi sport was pretty highly specified but still might lack a media interface unless added on. The E250 didn't come with much as standard, and by the time all the options were added came close to the price of the E350.
Cheers, Matthew
I have an E350CDI sport saloon and it's been excellent. I've done 30,000 miles in the last two years and it hasn't missed a beat. Mine is quite highly specced and it's everything I need in a car. Very quick (particularly to overtake), roomy, comfortable, frugal (I've averaged 38mpg in my ownership including a fair amount of town driving and I don't hang about) and relatively understated. Servicing is not horribly expensive and my local dealer is good.
This car replaced an Audi A8 and I prefer the E-Class. Before the A8 I had a previous shape E320CDI estate (S211) and I did 120,000 largely trouble-free miles in it. As long as they are looked after they are excellent cars. I'm a big fan.
Mine is an E63 Estate and reliability has been good in the 8,000 miles I have had it (so it should be)
A few interior trim rattles which seem to be well documented afflict the W212. Running costs I can't comment too much on as not had a service, but also probably irrelevant for your engine choice.
My wife has an E' Coupe in 250CDi guise and it has been pretty good with late 30's fuel economy on mixed driving with fairly common static traffic at either end of motorway runs.
Fantastic stuff, many thanks for the feedback received so far, exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.
We take delivery of our fully loaded 61 plate E350 estate in about a week. Then I'll let you know!
That sounds great! Look forward to the feedback.
Spoke too soon. The delightful lady at the dealership decided to sell it someone else on the day our deposit was being transferred.Originally Posted by Corporalsparrow
You want a 60 plate onwards with the 265 BHP engine as the economy is a lot better than the 231 BHP engine if you go for a 350 CDI! As with all modern cars built to a price... But drive very well!
I have an E350 diesel convertible and my first Merc (my previous 5 cars were all Beemers).
In summary
1) although an AMG spec, it does not handle as well as the Beemers at the limit - solution = don't drive on the limit.
2) fuel consumption is not as good - the 325d returned 47mpg - the Merc 43mpg
other than that, the Merc wins hands down - finish, options, the command control system even the lights and automatic dip/main beam.
On yes it's also much quicker 0-60 and top end.
If you go for the diesel (and I would) spend some money and get it chipped - it really makes a difference.
Conclusion - driving the Merc is an event rather than just transport. Do it, you will not be disappointed.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Argh, that sounds very annoying, hope you find another one.
Thanks for the update, sounds good. To be honest I'm also coming from a long line of M-Sport BMW's and S-Line Audi's and now only doing long journeys am getting a bit tired of being bounced around and crashing over our terrible roads!
In terms of the "command" option, would you say this is a nice to have or essential in terms of resale. Personally I think £99 Garmins are 100 times better than most inbuilt sat navs but having not owned a Merc before would be interested in how essential this option is?
I'm also quite surprised at how many of cars I've seen for sale have this fake/plastic leather stuff?
Comand is very good - not just Sat Nav (which it does very well, including real-time traffic updates and re-routes), it operates the audio/phone/car systems too. Mine has the media interface and came with CD/DVD drive, SD slot, inbuilt hard drive, iPod connector in the centre console and will connect to a phone via bluetooth for both voice and music (in fact, it will connect to one phone for voice and another for music). I'd definitely look for one with it fitted.
I agree about the "Artico" fake leather too - I think it's a poor substitute for the real thing. There are plenty out there with a good spec though, you'll find one.
^^^^^ This + plus it helps with the resale value. The plastic stuff is best for mini cabs though.
On the topic of 5 and 3 MSports, I totally agree - especially given that state of the roads in the UK. But to be honest I blame the Runflats myself. Expensive and wreck the driving experience.
I was very anti Merc for 20 old years but have been converted.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Sorry to dwell on this point but I've never bought a Merc before and always like to consider the best options for resale when I buy. I have a very good idea about what BMW and Audi options are good for resale but not a clue with MB.
Is a lack of "command" to be avoided at all costs with an E Class or, if bought at the right price ok? Would it then be a significant hindrance to resale when I move it on or again if the price is right it would sell ok?
I've been looking at a car and the rest of the spec, age, condition, mileage etc is all spot on, just no "command"?
Last edited by warns74; 7th April 2015 at 20:47.
No straight answer. The higher the spec, then Command becomes more required. The lower the spec, no leather, smaller engine, etc then not so.
At the end of the day it comes down to personal choice, how much you want to pay and what you expect when you come to sell it. However command is a nice option, but then so are memory seats, folding mirrors, air scarf and rear camera.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thanks Andy, definitely some food for thought there, priority really is space, comfort and long distance mile eating ability! [God I sound old!]
My E class doesn't have command but my wife's ML does and TBH it can be a pain at times.
I'd certainly be equally happy to buy without as I would with.
I am sure as a used car an E Class without Command will get less money and take longer to sell than an otherwise identical car with Command. And it's nice to have while you own the car too.
I agree about the Beemer's run flats. They rattle your brain so much they completely ruin the driving experience.
Bit late in posting a reply, and perhaps too late, but I've enjoyed my E250cdi for the last 8 months and 16,000 miles. Prior to this I have a had a W211 E320 cdi and then a CLS 320cdi, and some years ago a W124 300ce-24. The later and current model reminds me of the W124 in some respects, mainly the way it drives down a rutted road and its general feeling of solidity. The CLS in particular didn't feel quite so well screwed together and was certainly not as refined at speed. The gearbox is much smoother than previous versions though I've given up on the paddle change as the gearbox is designed for smoothness not speed - the 8 speed in a BMW is so much more responsive.
Mine has the standard "passive" suspension on 19" alloys which I'd rate better than the airmatic the CLS had (which was particularly wallowing in Comfort and quite sharp in responding to potholes in Sport). It's comfortable on the straights but resists roll on the corners which I think is something to do with the valving in the dampers. A sports car it is not, however. My previous BMWs had a whole different attitude to the twisties but when I spend 8-9 hours driving some days the Merc's so much better for that kind of driving.
I've been pretty blown away by the economy too - considering it's bulk it's the most economical car I've owned returning over 50mpg every time I do a motorway run and the computer shows a 46mpg average which compares well to the times I've checked this manually. Conversely the CLS (3.0 and only 20 more bhp) averaged 32 and the earlier E320 averaged 37 for similar driving! The twin turbo set-up provides loads of lazy torque, but I concur with reviews that the engine's a bit rowdy when pushed to high revs at low speeds. But the whole demeanour of the car doesn't encourage this kind of driving.
The Harmon Kardon is worth having in my view and the degree of connectivity through the Comand System is good - SD card, USB, Bluetooth, DVD player etc which is miles better than the previous E/CLS for which I had to fork out for an aftermarket adapter just for handsfree calling.
In summary, the Merc makes me feel good driving it - it's a supreme cruiser, has plenty of space and it feels so planted no matter what the road or the weather is doing it's that well isolated from the world. For some that's a negative, but having tried to drive lots of miles in more sporting machinery I found it more tiring than worthwhile. I might be tempted back into a 6-cylinder diesel, but really the 2.2 204bhp E250 and its genuine 50+mpg does what I need it to in almost every realistic situation.
Ant
I traded my 2011 C-class (Which I had for a long time) to a newer E-class. I wanted a used one, good example with leather interior. The alternatives were w212 (2014-2016) sedan or 2017-> wagon. From the front I can't even tell them apart but I don't care for the new sedan tail lights and I like the older one sedan version more. The new wagon looks amazing though... but even the sedan has a big trunk and we already have a Volvo V70 so I bought this one.
Turns out I found a nice example with brown designo leather interior and full service history.
W204 C was more dynamic and sporty but this is almost like a S-class (softer, more comfortable cruiser). I love it. The quality is amazing in a 5-year old car. The interior of the new car is superb though but this ain't too shabby, either.
Last edited by JPE; 28th January 2020 at 20:02.
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