Bad news for MB Purchase?

[Andy Stanton]

After waiting for what seems like absolutely ages I can finally order my new car w/c 1st December. Halleluyah.

It was a no brainer. E220CDI A/Guard with a list of options for sound and comfort. Sorted.

HOWEVER. On the new company car list are Audi/VW. And best of all the Audi A4 Convertable (2.5tdi). Very different from the E Class obviously but I was originally looking for a CLK convertabile until the price of it's options pushed it too far away from me.

The Audi Convertible is a lot cheaper and although it doesn't have all the toys I want, it is stunning and a fairly rare sight.

So what to do eh? I really don't know. I'm arranging a test drive to make sure I can fit into that thing and see under the windscreen line (I'm 6'7").

The couldn't care less stealerships, servicing problems and build quility from MB are a world apart from Audi and my nearest to work garage (Greenoaks of Slough vs Aston Green of Slough (never sure why green is so popular as slough is anything but green, more of a dirty brown)).

So will the test drive swing it? We whall have to wait until Mid Dec'ish to find out.

Also delivery times of 8 weeks are more favourable than 8 months!

 

[RichardM]

I'm not sure I'd fancy a diesel convertable, with the roof down you'd really hear the engine. Just not the same a posing with a nice V6 under the bonnet.

Would you prefer a two door convertable or a 4 door saloon? They are very different cars.

 

[Steve_Perry]

I'd take both cars on very long test drives and then go from there. As Rich said they are very different beasts, a nice decision to have though Good luck in your choice.

S.

 

[Andy Stanton]

True, the cars are very different and I'm not sure what I really want, apart from something stylish and premium.

For years I've had estate cars that've been a work horses for me while renovating the house. That's all over now so I want something else...

Originally it was the CLK, Convertable preferably but Coupe would be cool too. The only reason I'm interested in the E class is that the demo people cocked up and delivered one instead of the CLK and I've been smitten ever since. The only real alternative is the BMW 330d Sport but every git has one. But now Audi are on the list...

I don't like the A4 on the whole as it's just too reppy. The A6 just looks like a sad dollop of melted metal although I'm told it's a very good car. So by my own narrow-mindedness and badge snobbery I've got a very limited band of cars to choose from.

The 2.5 tdi will be very noisy with hood down and stationary but it's the derv that brings the Co2 down and the tax with it. The alternative is the 1.8T model which I haven't ruled out either but it drinks a 3rd more juice (30mpg vs 45mpg) and I'm getting tighter in my old age.

Finally, not sure how my 8 year old will feel in the back of the rag top when the hood is down. It may be too windy for her. But it is MY car. She can always walk and catch-up later!

 

[Shude]

Originally posted by Andy Stanton
Finally, not sure how my 8 year old will feel in the back of the rag top when the hood is down. It may be too windy for her. But it is MY car. She can always walk and catch-up later!

That is the advice Jeremy Clarkson gave. Anyone sitting in the back of a German 4 seater cabrio is made to look like Hitler

 

[Andy Stanton]

Well if my forehead sticks above the windscreen I'll end up looking like Captain Mannering after a few miles!!

I'm sure there's a joke in that lot somewhere...

 

[clk270]

Don't fancy the diesel fumes in the cabin either when stuck in traffic with the top down. Thats the reason MB don't do a diesel convertible (so they say).

Why not a CLK coupe ??

 

[Big Ed]

If it's of any help, I testdrove a 2.5TDi A4 cab a couple of months back when a friend of mine was looking for a new company car (he ended up getting a new CLK200k Coupe, if that tells you anything......) - personal impressions as follows:

Good points:

Had just about enough room up front for me (although I'm only 6'4", so you might possibly have a problem?)
Lovely interior
Very nicely built all round
Decent turn of speed
Nice and quiet on the motorway

Bad points:

Tiny in the back
Hardly any boot space with the roof down
Handling not that great (nearly managed to put it in a ditch!! )
Almost everything was an extra (interior light pack, decent alloys, etc, etc)
Noisy diesel engine (not the most refined about by any means!)
Most lasting impression - I would NOT buy a diesel convertible!!! All the comments regarding this are VERY true - sitting at traffic lights for just a short while had loads of diesel fumes coming into cabin (and no, I wasn't parked next to a HGV!)

He decided after we did some sums based on the comparitive list prices, Co2 values, real world economy (45mpg?? - not with the CVT box, more like 33mpg in my experience, even without being a hooligan!), lease costs, etc. that the 1.8T would be a much better buy (although he eventually decided that a CLK would be better still )

By the way, as other people have mentioned recently, all the bad press regarding Mercedes cars and dealers isn't a brand specific problem - all brands have dodgy dealers (I recently tried to buy an A6 Avant, and then a VW Touareg, and ended up giving up due to dealers not wanting to know - turning up in a new M3 obviously didn't qualify me as a customer!!). There are plenty of Audi problems causing upset to owners - coils, RS4 wheels, B5 S4 turbos giving up early, etc, etc. Personally, I'd still have a Merc, but enjoy your test drives anyway!!

 

[Andy Stanton]

Thanks Ed,

The options list is something I noticed too. Interior lights, heated wing mirrors - all extras. Unbelievable on a car like this and frustrating when I'm limited to only 8 extras on my order form.

Excellent point re diesel fumes, not something I'd considered at all. That makes the 1.8T a far better prospect.

The car ordering/test drive booking system goes live 1st December and I can request 3 test drives in total.

I'm thinking:

A4 Convertable 1.8T
BMW 318Ci Sport
BMW320d Sport Saloon (even though every bugger has got the sport spec now)

I'm not re-testing the E220 CDI A.Grd as I've already done that and know it's damned good and I'm not going to test drive the CLK as it's just too expensive on our car list.

Variety is nice but it makes like sooo complicated...

Andy.

 

[Aswall]

BMW have just brought out the Coupe version of the 320d which is much nicer than the 4 door and would be worth considering if it goes on your list. I know every bugger has a got a 3300d as you say but have you driven one? The performance and handling is staggering. A mate of mine has one which is chipped and the acceleration when overtaking has to be felt to be believed. He tested an E320cdi the other day and says it felt much too slow after his so has ordered a coupe 330d for delivery about Feb.

I did test drive the Audi cab before buying mine and dismissed it immediately as the handling and ride was appalling, it just didn't feel like a modern car and managed the feat of both crashing over every small bump in the road and rolling appallingly in bends. Tried the sport spec one after but that rolled just as bad and crashed even harder over bumps.

The CLK ride and handling is somewhere in between the 3 series cab and the Audi. Don't buy a 318Ci though unless you are convinced the performance would be enough, it's dreadfully slow. Good luck choosing, it's great when you get to choose between such great cars

Cheers
Andy

 

[Andy Stanton]

I have driven the 330d beemer, albeit in auto guise, and it was fantastic. Better than I thought it would be. After a very swift drive through some dark and leafy backroads I came away with an intense grin, sweaty palms and an adrenalin rush so severe I was feeling shaky. Last time that happened was a similar drive in an Integra Type R which just loved to be thrashed to an inch of it's life. So yes it's a damned fine car and still near the top of my list.

At the end of the day I can't really lose as all the cars are good'uns. It will boil down to 3 things (most of which I can't verify until next week). 1) Lease Price, 2) CO2/Tax liability and 3) whether they're big enough for both me personally and my family.

The beemer was a fantastic drive and I loved it. The E class was an unexpected pleasure and the size of it and list of toys in it for me to play with blew me away (hence it's still my 1st choice). The Audi is an outside maybe but it looks so good and is a rare sight so I have to check it out.

The dliemma has always been smiles/performance of 330d vs size/toys/badge of E220CDI. Very different cars and I'd bve happy with either right now. Especially as my currect car (2.0 vectra SRI estate) is literally falling apart at 32k miles.

 

[fuzzer]

Originally posted by Andy Stanton
Thanks Ed,

The options list is something I noticed too. Interior lights, heated wing mirrors - all extras. Unbelievable on a car like this and frustrating when I'm limited to only 8 extras on my order form.

Erm , the worst is Cruise control at £400