C350 CDI v E350 CDI - confessions of a loan car pilot

[ace571]

Not driven a BMW F10 but currently in a 530i SE and that does not wallow IMO even when driven briskly.

Is that the E60? Much sharper drive if so.

F10/F11 - needs the dynamic chassis option ticked. I had a F10 and F11 demo, both M-Sport with standard chassis - very un-BMW like road manners IMO.

 

[HB]

I posted this re my loan of a 212. I'm glad someone else has posted the same experience I had and the sports seats are no better. Set too high, bases too short and the squab doesn't tilt enough to give good thigh support. Not an issue on the 204 which seats you nice, low and in support.

Your expanding belly will eventually prevent you driving anything other than an S Class....

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Cheers.

The E Cabrio is a different set up on seats/leather than the saloon. The footnotes I refer to above apply to the current E saloon.

Makes it even more puzzling why MB offer all options on the C and E coupe/cabrio but not saloon

I also really hate black leather. So it is frustrating that they restrict the sport seats to black only. Perhaps it's a ploy to get people to spend even more £££'s on designo?

The E Cabrio is more closely related to the W204 than the W212 hence why the seat options also differ.

 

[st13phil]

The seats for example are horrendous. I simply could not get them into a position that felt right. I always felt like I was sat "on" the car, not "in" it. They were neither supportive nor comfortable. The seat base in particular is way too short and does not support legs/thighs enough. And I'm a short g!t, so how anyone closer to 6ft copes is a wonder.

Good job we're all different!

The seating position in the W212 is definitely different to that in the W211 (or W204, for that matter) and I did find it took a while to get used to it, but after many, many, adjustments over the first few weeks of ownership I found the sweetspot and now rate it as amongst the most comfortable cars I've ever owned. Why it should be so sensitive to getting the position just right I don't know (I'm not an ergonomics expert!), but I would counsel that the Avantgarde seats shouldn't be dismissed if you can't find an ideal setting in the first few minutes.

The primary difference that most seem to notice is that the seat squab can't be set so low as in the W204 or W211 (for example). For someone used to those cars the W212 seems quite an alien place at first but, if you can get past the stage of thinking that you'd be more comfortable if only the seat could be lowered further and tweak the squab and backrest angles to suit the higher seat position, it can be supremely comfy. And, as This is Pete's Mum observed, it makes access / egress much easier too.

 

[This is Pete]

I also found that adjusting the position of the wheel is fairly key to the whole comfort thing as well. I basically moved the seat to a comfortable place and then moved the wheel to suit.

I just took a drive out to the shops to get lunch, paying special attention to the seat and it's almost totally perfect and the backs of my thighs are very well supported.

The sports seats feel quite firm right now (a little over 10K on the clock), but I expect they'll get a little softer and squidgier over time.

 

[ace571]

I also really hate black leather. So it is frustrating that they restrict the sport seats to black only. Perhaps it's a ploy to get people to spend even more £££'s on designo?

The E Cabrio is more closely related to the W204 than the W212 hence why the seat options also differ.

Thing is the E is a bulk seller of the range worldwide - why should the seat options be restricted on this model yet other models, C class related or not, have all options open. Doesn't make sense.

The primary difference that most seem to notice is that the seat squab can't be set so low as in the W204 or W211 (for example). For someone used to those cars the W212 seems quite an alien place at first but, if you can get past the stage of thinking that you'd be more comfortable if only the seat could be lowered further and tweak the squab and backrest angles to suit the higher seat position, it can be supremely comfy. And, as This is Pete's Mum observed, it makes access / egress much easier too.

It's a fair point. My favoured position tends to be seat quite low with the base angle raised at the front. I simply couldn't get the seat angle steep enough to support my thighs. Now this could be due to the seat height being set low, so restricting the angle of the cushion - perhaps if the seat is higher, the angle would be enough to create the thigh support? Not sure if that makes any sense?
While I understand the seat may need adjustments over time, I'm not convinced it should actually need to be this way, especially in a car that is consummate mile muncher - it's just at odds with the rest of the car. You should be able to get in it and put the seat into exactly the position required and feel comfortable. Like you can in the W204!