Advice for a possible MB convert

[saxon76]

Hi lads and Lasses,

Right better kick off with my first post!

I have a new arrival which now means i need a car that can carry 4 kids,me and the good lady.

I just can't get excited about a people carrier

But i stumbled across the fact that a E class estate has 7 seats and is a gorgeous looking car to boot.

I'd spend up to £5500 (1996-2000?)

I currently drive an Audi A4 Tdi (2000)and its been spot on.

I've now fell in love with the E class!

But i'd really appreciate it if you could help me on the following points.

1) Is the E class big enough for 6 passengers in comfort?

2)Is this model relible as i've heard reports that MBs suffered on build quality around 2001? And i wouldn't what to be throwing money at the car just to keep it on the road.

3)Ive heard the E320Cdi is a better unit than the E300Td true or false?

4) If the diesels are well maintained what sort of milage can be achieved?

5) Is 5 grand enough for a decent model?

Thank you in advance for your help in converting me to the 3 pointed star!

 

[vijilants]

Id say the e320cdi is the better car. Ive owned both e300td and e320cdi and the e320cdi is much more fun to drive.

When serviced properly, you can get immense mileage on these engines.

Both cars are very comfortable both to drive and passenger but you cannot fit six people in them. Not unless you buy the estate that has the folding seat in the rear, and then its ok for a kid.

However, the W210 is prone to rust and when they go, they go in a big way !!!!

Personally if it was me, i'd stick with the Audi.....galvanized body that doesn't rust can't be that bad.

 

[Stratman]

You may also want to ponder what could happen to the occupants of the rearmost seats in the event you get rear-ended.

 

[BTB 500]

If you need to carry a family of 6 plus luggage I'm not sure an E Class is going to be big enough. For ordinary driving around it would probably be fine.

As mentioned, E Classes of that period can have a serious problem with rust. Run some seaches as this is widely covered here.

 

[verytalldave]

Ypu could get 7 in one of these. However, I dont think its likely you could pick one up for £5K.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

My old boss was in your position, needed a car for 4 kids and his wife and self...

He wanted something quick, but wife reckoned on the fact they needed a 6 seater that was anything quick ticked off the list...

Then he came across the E55 estate with the seats in back....

What a car !!!


Agree with other though, as although it will fit the 6 of you in...where does your luggage go? as the seats are in the boot. SO either a roof box will be needed or something even bigger....

 

[hawk20]

Don't let too many people put you off the old E class (210) on rust grounds. See Jaymanek's postings (53 and 57) on this thread first: -
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=507937#post507937

Lots of them are fine. Just want a good check. And after October 1998 they have a thirty year rust warranty (from inside out etc); strictly need full MBSH but Mercedes have treated many where the service record is good but not perfect.

Six full sized people is a real problem with estates if you want any real luggage space. Even the R class had no room for luggage in the original incarnation. And it is not yet in range on price.

People carrier? ML270cdi (but luggage with 6 up???). Difficult.

 

[BTB 500]

Six full sized people is a real problem with estates if you want any real luggage space.

Only practical M-B option (excluding the Vito ) would be a Viano MPV (Long or Extra Long) ... which is exactly why you see so many of them on airport taxi duty. But that wouldn't be in price range either, and converted vans (even nice ones) aren't to everyone's taste.

 

[recycled]

get the old ml with 7seat option. not too reliable though

 

[PXW]

Have had the 'more than three kids' issue myself, so you have my sympathy. Child Number 4 is the really expensive one - you are suddenly out of reasonable cars, normal houses etc etc...but it's a bit late for you now!

I wouldn't be unduly worried about the rear-end shunt on a W210; I looked into exactly that issue when they brought out the W211 (new style E-class) and the underfloor engineering is designed specifically to divert forces around children in the rear-facing seats; I would be very surprised if the old E class was any different, though of course it's worth asking MB to be sure.

However we found the luggage was an issue. Even if you load up the boot space not being used as a child seat, the luggage can't be properly restrained, so effectively you are forced into using a top box for pretty much every trip, if my memory serves me correctly on the amount of gear you have to carry for a baby. It's worth also considering whether your children are stable enough vomit-wise to cope with facing backwards fro long trips...

Our solution was a bigger style MPV, I'm afraid - we had a Previa and a Grand Voyager, and I guess Grand Espace does the same job. Not briliant drives, but the category below (Sharalaxy, 806/Synergie) gives you seats and no luggage space to speak of. If you still wnat a merc, the V-class is big and in budget, but it is van based and I bought the grand voyager in preference.

Looking forward a few years, with the children mostly now grown up our 7 seater W211 is superb for occasional full loading with grandchildren in the boot.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[saxon76]

Big thanks to all the replies above.

I'm a little gutted to be honest as i had my mind and heart set on the E class estate.


Although it's better to find out now it wouldn't be up to the job.

The only time i would use 6 seats would be at the weekend and holiday times as my 2 boys are with their mother during the week(still trying to talk myself into one now )

Guess the motor hunt goes on and the E class maybe isn't the answer to my situation.

I know one thing though the answer will not be a Renualt

 

[BTB 500]

If you still wnat a merc, the V-class is big and in budget, but it is van based and I bought the grand voyager in preference.

The V Class (based on the previous generation Vito) has a very poor reputation for quality & reliability and I wouldn't recommend buying one of those for £5k unless you were pretty desperate.

The RHD Voyager got a scary 1.5 stars in Euro NCAP:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=35295

So I would be a bit wary of those as well (current version is probably better but for this budget you'd be looking at old ones).

 

[davidjpowell]

I know one thing though the answer will not be a Renualt

Don't be too quick to write off the idea. We had a Grand Voyager for a week in France and loved the space and the quietness that happy kids gave. But it drove like a pig around corners.

We have now bought an Esapce which is the family car. Did not go the Grande Espace because we don't need that much space and only use the back seats occasoinally, (in fact we only keep one seat in the bootspace to leave more room for shopping). It's not slow (2.0 dci), although not as fast as my C320 cdi obviously. It handles fairly car like. If you try rallying you will notice the bulk, but it does not roll as badly as you might expect.

Having said that I bought a nearly new one so that I had warrenty. I'm not sure that I would risk a Renault without warrenty, and it is wise to expect bad sevice from a dealer, anything else is a pleasant surpirse.

David

 

[mattc]

Big thanks to all the replies above.

I'm a little gutted to be honest as i had my mind and heart set on the E class estate.


Although it's better to find out now it wouldn't be up to the job.

The only time i would use 6 seats would be at the weekend and holiday times as my 2 boys are with their mother during the week(still trying to talk myself into one now )

Guess the motor hunt goes on and the E class maybe isn't the answer to my situation.

I know one thing though the answer will not be a Renualt

Don't be too quick to dismiss a car in preference for a van based solution. A towbar and a small trailer for the luggage on the rare occasions when all of you are in the car may be the answer.

what do others think?

matt

 

[hawk20]

Big thanks to all the replies above.

I'm a little gutted to be honest as i had my mind and heart set on the E class estate.


Although it's better to find out now it wouldn't be up to the job.

The only time i would use 6 seats would be at the weekend and holiday times as my 2 boys are with their mother during the week(still trying to talk myself into one now )

Guess the motor hunt goes on and the E class maybe isn't the answer to my situation.

I know one thing though the answer will not be a Renualt

It is going to be a compromise whatever you do. A comfy 4/5 seater with room for everyone's luggage is an E class estate (or any big estate). To add another row of seats you need a car about 3/4 feet longer (try it with a tape: you need 18 inches to sit on, plus 6 inches for backrest plus at least a foot for feet/legs). More than an S or an R. SO something has to give.

On holiday will you be six people and luggage? A small trailer or roof rack is a possible just for two weeks a year. You see a lot with a small trailer on the Continent. Works well and gives you a car you like for the rest of the year.

Weekends: is that 6 up and not much luggage? If it's luggage again then you probably need a six seater plus luggage space. Previa sort of does it but the front legroom is reduced to get all the seats in. Less legroom than my A class. OK if you are 31 inch inside leg or less, I would guess.

 

[BTB 500]

A towbar and a small trailer for the luggage on the rare occasions when all of you are in the car may be the answer.

Remember a trailer limits you to 60 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, and 50 on single carriageways. Apart from that it's not a bad solution if you've got room to store a trailer.

 

[BTB 500]

It is going to be a compromise whatever you do. A comfy 4/5 seater with room for everyone's luggage is an E class estate (or any big estate). To add another row of seats you need a car about 3/4 feet longer (try it with a tape: you need 18 inches to sit on, plus 6 inches for backrest plus at least a foot for feet/legs). More than an S or an R. SO something has to give.

The other option is 3 seats in the front row as well - so you get 6 with just 2 rows. That's one of the reasons we got a Vito rather than a Viano. I think the (very ugly) Fiat Multipla had 3x3 seating too, for similar reasons.

 

[hawk20]

The other option is 3 seats in the front row as well - so you get 6 with just 2 rows. That's one of the reasons we got a Vito rather than a Viano. I think the (very ugly) Fiat Multipla had 3x3 seating too, for similar reasons.

Forgotten Bangle's Multipla. brick shothouse to look at but solves some problems. Got a friend with one and loves it. Honda do a FRV that is like it, I think????
Try this: -

 

[gbjeppm]

How about one of these?

 

[Ade B]

How did we manage before people carriers....

Trailer and or roof box and e class estate. I see literally hundreds of 210s chugging round south london with varying degrees of visible rust. I have a friend with a 98 E430 estate which he uses for his family runabout, he was thinking of changing it but it was valued so low that he decided to get the wheels and paint touched up and keep it for a few more years.

If you can get a non rusty one, I think they represent great value for money, expect the paint to fall off and you'll be pleasantly surprised when the car doesn't disintegrate in front of your eyes.

I'd add that an independant inspection would be a prudent move before buying one though...


Ade