Big Estate - what to buy now?

[HB]

I don't really care what others think; if it meets my needs, it will do me. HOWEVER...

I drove a 60K mile 300C 3.5 estate today. It's a smooth-riding, quiet (but both no better than the E55), (relative) slug, as expected. The seats are big and soft, but unsupportive, and the overall impression was of size and softness.

I was struck by the wasted space inside - long stretch to the base of the windscreen- and by how (relatively again) small the load area is - significantly narrower than the W211, and very high-waistline claustrophobic; narrow windows, small tailgate glass area. The dogs wouldn't like it.

There's no pull-out mesh to use as a dog guard, either, and no easy way to attach an aftermarket dog guard. No satnav, no CD changer, no sunroof... it's the minor details that matter.

All right, I just didn't like it. Nothing at all to enthuse me (except the aftermarket reversing camera). Not the car for me.

Unless I can find an E500 estate that suits (see my other new thread), it looks as though I'm stuck with the E55K. It's just too good...

How to preserve my licence, though? Perhaps a carefully-calculated length of strong bungee cord, with one end tied round my scrotum and the other attached to the loud pedal...

I think you should attach that cord anyway, might feel good.

 

[E55BOF]

That's a different kind of thread...

 

[ShinyF1]

W212 e350 petrol, 300hp loads of space. I'd personally go for a e320/350 cdi but I'm not adverse to diesels, I love the low down torque and not high reving engines, also on the plus side is the mpg as 90% of the time you don't need to use all that power.

Good luck finding a 350 petrol estate...

 

[merc85]

Good luck finding a 350 petrol estate...

Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.5 E350 Sport 7G-Tronic 5dr

Links had it lol, 88k e350 facelift s211 £6,500

 

[Critch]

If you do buy anything Chrysler, avoid ones with sunroofs they have a habit of leaking.

 

[E55BOF]

Links had it lol, 88k e350 facelift s211 £6,500

Thank you. I think I might give the owner of that a ring tomorrow. Couple of small worries, though:

It's a seven-seater, and I don't need a seven-seater. What I would like is a spare wheel, and there's no room on the seven-seaters to carry one under the floor.

What engine will be in that? Is it the V6 with the balancer shaft issues, or indeed any other issues? Hard to beat an M113 for longevity and durability.

Nothing Chrysler is on the list of possibles.

 

[ShinyF1]

Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.5 E350 Sport 7G-Tronic 5dr

Links had it lol, 88k e350 facelift s211 £6,500

An S212 E350 I should have said.. Though I think I have the wrong end of the stick as OP seems to be after a 211

 

[merc85]

Thank you. I think I might give the owner of that a ring tomorrow. Couple of small worries, though:

It's a seven-seater, and I don't need a seven-seater. What I would like is a spare wheel, and there's no room on the seven-seaters to carry one under the floor.

What engine will be in that? Is it the V6 with the balancer shaft issues, or indeed any other issues? Hard to beat an M113 for longevity and durability.

Nothing Chrysler is on the list of possibles.

My cdi had a proper space saver spare wheel, that had 7 seats.

Take the 7 seater out and sell it as a kit?

 

[rockits]

I'm sure both my 270 & E55k S211's had spare wheels & 7 seats. Not a full size spare but a space saver but that is good enough in my book.

 

[Dogbreath]

I'm too looking for a Estate to replace the wife's 2010 Saab 95 wagon, had set our minds on a S212 but having seen Keith's (Corned) Jaaaaaag XF Estate I think that's the way we are going....

 

[ShinyF1]

An S212 E350 I should have said.. Though I think I have the wrong end of the stick as OP seems to be after a 211

S210 7 seater has its spare just aft of the nearside wheel arch - I assume S211 similar?


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[E55BOF]

211s have the spare wheel under the floor. My first S211 was a seven-seater; Istr I measured up, and there was no room for even the collapsible space-saver because of the seven-seat arrangement eating into the space. EDIT: just looked again at the pictures, and there's no load area seat belts, so I think it is only a five-seater. That would be fine by me.

I'm not fixed on a 211, but I prefer the looks to the 212.

 

[E55BOF]

Well, I rang after the one on Autotrader, and if it's okay, I will pick it up on Friday.

Quick before I do: Does anybody know if the engine has any Achilles' heel I should beware of? I'm thinking particularly of the balancer shaft issue on some MB V6 engines.

 

[RSTurbo50]

The 350 engine like the 280 engine had balance shaft problems. 2005-2008 I believe?

 

[BTB 500]

Yup, I already posted a link to the thread here with full details: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/137229-complete-m272-engine-thread.html

 

[E55BOF]

The car was registered in May 2008, so I'm hoping it will not suffer from the balancer shaft issue at all. I'll get the VIN and the engine number this evening, and take it from there. Here's hoping...

And the good news is, the engine number is 272985 30 961064. Phew!

 

[RSTurbo50]

Performance wise is the 350 petrol quicker than the 320 V6 CDI?

 

[ShinyF1]

Probably nothing in it, but a nicer noise and all those revs to play with, and a lighter right foot will keep the consumption under control.


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[merc85]

Performance wise is the 350 petrol quicker than the 320 V6 CDI?

Very much doubt it, as the cdi will have loads more torque, Especially if mapped.

 

[E55BOF]

I'm buying the replacement for the E55K for its (lack of) performance...