C350 BlueEFFICIENCY

[DavidL]

Anyone got one? The post 11 v6 300bhp but only 190 a year to tax.
We are going to want to swap our 63 plate fabia vrs estate as the gearbox is horrid and this looks a likely contender in estate form. Not exactly lots to choose from mind - I can find one estate.
Whoever ordered that in white with tan interior wants their colour vision checking.
Anyway any experiences out there?
Thanks

 

[DavidL]

Looking again there appear to be 2 c350 petrols. One at 275 bhp but 500+ tax bracket and one I've found on 2011 ish cars at 306.
Both would seem to be s/w204 cars with M272 engines but quite a difference.
Can anyone tell me how to telll them apart as the 272 engine with the 306 output seems to come in in 08 yet all the 08 cars I see are not that engine.
Confused here!

 

[geraldrobins]

I would suggest the later engine with 300 bhp came with the 2011 facelift and blue efficiency.
If you know the emissions then that will tell you which engine surely? And if you dont know the emissions you can look it up on the DVLA website if you have the registration number.

 

[SW18]

Both would seem to be s/w204 cars with M272 engines but quite a difference.

I believe there was an engine change in 2011 to the new M276 direct injection V6, which was more powerful and more efficient.

 

[DavidL]

It seems that way. Thanks for the info.
David

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I believe there was an engine change in 2011 to the new M276 direct injection V6, which was more powerful and more efficient.

Yes, that's correct. I'm a lucky owner of the saloon version of one of these having bought it new in 2012. It's a great car, mixing sophisticated performance with good economy for a petrol. On a run it gets into the high 30s. With a relatively low CO2 of 164 (Band G) the VED I recently paid was just £185. The sound of the 306bhp engine is a delight to my ears, not intrusive but when pressing the throttle gives a reassuring roar.

The easiest way to recognise the car physically is that the M276 engine was introduced with the facelift W204 C-class. There were about 2000 changes for the post 2011 model, the easiest to spot from the outside being the DRLs changing from circular to a horizontal strip. The main interior change to spot was that the pop-up sat-nav display was replaced by a permanent built in version similar to the E-class (all too soon replaced by the stuck-on iPad on the W205).

If you can get one, you won't regret it. But unfortunately they're as rare as hens teeth. Let me know if there's anything specific you want to know about the model.

 

[DavidL]

Thanks KE.
They are rather rare. There is just that one white estate in Reading which seems a reasonable price but then it is a god awful colour scheme.
Might keep looking.
David