Hi all,
We have settled on the E-class estate as our next car. We know that the pre-facelift cars (July 06) suffered some quality control issues, and are looking for a 56-plate or newer. Our budget is limited, so most of the cars are with high miles. Apart from the obvious wear and tear, any issues I need to be aware of? Our current S60 has 43k on it; the Mercs seem to have 80k+. For context, we do about 10k per year.
Many thanks,
Alex.
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For context, we do about 10k per year.
So you will be buying a petrol then not diesel?
So you should find a few most i see are diesel automatics and they say the auto oil is sealed for life which it isn't and at high miles you want it changed to make smoother gear changes.
A dipstick is bought for the auto so you can put the correct amount in.
They seem to eat tyres or my mates C class does or he buys cheap rubber.
FSH and you can't go wrong.
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I went from an S60 to a 57 plate E280cdi, fantastic cars, at 80k it's just run in. And i've done 32k on my rear tyres, changed the fronts at 27k.If its got the 7g autobox you should change the fluid at 37k.
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PS, they are all chain cam engines, and looked after are capable of mega miles. Mines on 51k so loads of miles yet, hopefully
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ISTR that there are issues with a one particular brand of radiator (Valeo I think?) allowing coolant to leak into the auto gearbox, but I don't know if this affected pre or post facelift cars
SBC was removed from facelift cars, and from memory there was also some 'de-contenting' between '04 and the facelift, so if you are looking at these cars earlier ones are better specc'ed. I think that the SBC system was gradually dumbed down, along with some of the Mine was an 'o4, so I don't know what else went, but I imagine it was stuff like auto-folding mirors (which squeak...), the interior 'mood' lighting, full climate control including 'rest' function and other inconsequential things!!
Peter
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>> ISTR that there are issues with a one particular brand of radiator (Valeo I think?)
>> allowing coolant to leak into the auto gearbox, but I don't know if this affected
>> pre or post facelift cars
>>
That was an older issue, up to 2003 and possibly some late registered 2004 cars.
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I wouldn't necessarily avoid the pre-facelift models. My brother has been very happy with his 54-reg E270 CDI estate. Bought nearly new from Mercedes, it's now done about 130k. Recent suspension bushes took away some sloppiness that had set in.
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 17:22
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Thanks all for your helpful comments.
So now we've seen an E350 estate with AMG bodykit and ALL of the toys. It's on an 06 and has 83k, but it is absolutely immaculate. Beautiful car and a peach of an engine, so relaxed to drive but with some real power. Upside is that it's a fantastic car. Downside is the mpg, and that it's a pre-facelift.
I'm reckoning 20-30 mpg or so against the S60 which gets 35-45. Ideally, we'd like a post-facelift 320CDI, but that's beyond our money (it's at £14500, which is our absolute top end). I suspect we will be hit at the pumps, but petrol is cheaper than diesel at the moment, but still expensive and climbing!
As it's late pre-facelift, I'm not so bothered- the electrical gremlins seem to have been sorted by then.
So, it's a heart v head I think. Heart says 'buy it, buy it!'; head says 'get a 220CDI'.
Thoughts?
Ta in advance,
Alex.
PS the dealer we saw the merc at has a 53 plate Cayenne S for £13,995. I was astonished that what must have been a £60k car had depreciated so much!
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My advice. Take a test drive over some speed humps.
Anything with sports suspension = bad for spine...
And plan on petrol being £2 per litre... (it may not get there for years but assume it does,)
And plan on a future \Labour Government doubling VED on all cars over 2 litres.
And check servicing costs. £500? That's cheap.
It you can still afford it, then go for it.
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Nice car, i assume it's got the 7 speed box which isn't without the odd problem, and as already mentioned does need to have had it's oil changes...evidence required.
I'd only buy one of these from a MB dealer with a full MB 12 month warranty and a complete service history, unless cheap enough from elsewhere to make the risk of an odd problem worth taking.
If it's got SBC then a complete and continued MB history might see a goodwill replacement when it's used it's lives up, a £1k+ job i believe.
Of course you should get a Diesel but that's not what you want to hear, so the best of luick with it.
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>> As it's late pre-facelift, I'm not so bothered- the electrical gremlins seem to have been
>> sorted by then.
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Pre facelift?
Bargepole motor.
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A bit of an over reaction, surely... I had no problems with my '04 E270 CDI. Mind you we've also had 2 Fiats, 2 Citroens and 3 Renaults, all without any signifcant faults :-)
Peter
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We did some sums, and even on the lowish mileage we do, the mpg of the 350 would cost about £50 per month more than our current car. We are going to hold out for a post-facelift 220 or 270 CDI.
Thanks once again for your help,
Alex.
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I have one of the last W211 220 CDI. I've only done 30k miles so far but it feels very solid and performance is more than adequate for what I want. No doubt the 350 is a good drive but I'm very happy with my 220 and the cost savings.
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I had a 2001 W210 320CDI from new. I sold it in 2008 with 215,000 miles on the clock. It needed a recon auto gearbox at 155,000 and without splitting hairs, that was about all that went wrong.
In 2008 I bought a W211 220CDI and it's going very well, I wish the satnav had seven character postcode search, but that is my most serious complaint.
I suggest you buy one and make it post face lift if you possibly can.
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The last of the W211s did have seven character postcode search - at least mine has. I had a W212 when my car went in for service and as far as I could tell that didn't have it which I thought was odd. Must say though that I haven't been impressed with the sat nav. It does have a habit of taking me to the wrong place and I often find myself using the old TomTom.
The music system that is integrated with the sat nav (COMAND) is IMO well worth having if you can find one. It sounds great and can play mp3s from CD, hard disk and SD memory card which I love. Having said all that, I suspect earlier models will not support some of the options.
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So we have bought (well deposit on) a 56 plate E220 estate. It's at an MB authorised outlet, looks great, lots of kit and a cracking deal (hammered out by Mrs APM). Iridium silver with black leather. Elegance spec so walnut inlays and sensible tyres, not rubber bands.
So, it has all of the kit on our essential list, except parking sensors, which we'd like. The dealer has a guy they use will fit something similar to OEM, but it's £500 per bumper. I've seen a few other suppliers who will fit a system for less (about £300 for both), but any recommendations?
Thanks for all your help,
Alex.
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Well done, that's a better bet, presumably facelift model.
Parking sensors...well i had a competent sparky fit a set of ''Steelmate'' F and R sensors to my pick up, they have audible as well as neat display warnings and so long as kept clean work very well, and are extremely accurate.
The Steelmate are worth the extra money as they are proving to be reliable (over 3 years now) and you are able to buy individual replacement sensors for them at a reasonable cost.
Not sure about colour co-ordination mind, that you'll have to check on....edit...they do silver sensors.
www.steel-mate.co.uk/acatalog/Parking_Sensors.html
The most important thing is to get someone who's switched on to fit them, my sparky spent a long time measuring up for the correct angles to avoid false alarms, the time spent was worth it.
Best of luck with the car...hows about putting a few pics on photobucket or similar and giving us an eyeful.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 5 Feb 11 at 22:30
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My E-class had rear after-market parking sensors fitted by an MB dealer. They worked very well and had both an audible and visual warning in a little box fitted to the (inside!) roof of the car. The sensors need to be low down on the bumper. The whole thing looked very much like the factory-fit Parktronic.
You don't need front sensors - the star on the bonnet helps you judge gaps very well.
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Thanks GB & BB.
The MB dealer we're buying from uses a guy, and he's happy to sort us out privately with the near OEM items he uses. Not sure of the make, but as MB use him officially, likelt to be good I hope!
BB- I'd be happy to forego the fronts, but Mrs APM may not; she thinks the car is a 'bit of a tank', and this will help her be happy in it. We also have a local supermarket with a horribly tight underground car park, and the fronts will be good for negotiating those tight turns & avoiding corner scrapeage.
We pick it up later this week, will put up some pics if I can.
Cheers,
Alex.
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Mercedes Benz E-Class W211 - high miles - Bigtee
