C350e anyone considering one?

[Driver15]

Picked mine up today. Worth the wait. It had no charge and with very mixed driving over 50 miles it averaged about 40mpg. Now it's charged I'll report back the mpg in representative driving.

Was a bit embarrassed in front of the missus - put the thing on charge (Rolec) at home just to see if everything worked - it did, but I couldn't disconnect it !! After much huffing and cursing I noticed a sticker on the inside of the charging flap - you have to use the unlock button on the key up close to the plug attached to the car !

Nice one !! love how everyone is saying worth the wait..

Looking forward to them photos!

 

[Dan121975]

Makes me envious I couldn't add the ILS, does sound awesome indeed.

Still think my new car will have whistles and bells aplenty, especially as my current 62 plate A4 black edition doesn't even have a glove box light or courtesy light over the sun shades.

It is however very frugal, drove back from Aberdeen in the week, 7 hour drive back to the Midlands at steady 77 MPH in Scotland and on M74 as "safety" camera vans seem to proliferate.

Did 58 MPG according to the on board computer, rather hoping that the C350e is going to be at least as frugal!

It will be, on the basis that when you stop every couple of hours for 20 mins, you are plugging in.

 

[350e]

Picked mine up today. Worth the wait. It had no charge and with very mixed driving over 50 miles it averaged about 40mpg. Now it's charged I'll report back the mpg in representative driving.

Was a bit embarrassed in front of the missus - put the thing on charge (Rolec) at home just to see if everything worked - it did, but I couldn't disconnect it !! After much huffing and cursing I noticed a sticker on the inside of the charging flap - you have to use the unlock button on the key up close to the plug attached to the car !

I am surprised that the car was not charged at the time of handover, why not ?
Did you consider using the satnav / charging technology,i.e the car's ability to anticipate hills and dales to maximise charge. Or have I got all that wrong ?

 

[hybridlover]

The one on Gelderd Rd? Drove past the other day but didn't have time to call in. Wish I had now.

Ok so today I was in central Leeds and thought I would find the Mercedes place on route to the M62 and home. Only added on an extra 1/2 hour. Put that down to congestion when asked by the wife why I was a little longer getting home than usual

But no sign of a 350e I asked one of the reps who said no they didn't have one and in any case there was a 6 month waiting list :fail. Interesting approach to a customer making an enquiry in a kind of "don't bother ordering it as will be a while" way I thought. Not exactly engaging. Had to respond back that yes I was aware if this and I had one on order ACTUALLY.

So I left Leeds very disappointed but did at least sit in an S Class Coupe just for fun.

 

[wivenhoe]

I am surprised that the car was not charged at the time of handover, why not ?
Did you consider using the satnav / charging technology,i.e the car's ability to anticipate hills and dales to maximise charge. Or have I got all that wrong ?

It may be a coincidence (the dealer says he doesn't know why a 'block' had been placed on my car leaving Bremen) but I suspect that they deliberatly run the hybrid battery down as part of the trial before handing the car over - see the problems experienced by a guy on 'another Merc Forum' - his car failed whilst being delivered and it has taken 2 weeks for a hybrid battery specialist to be flown from Germany to hopefully sort this out. As I say, maybe a coincidence but they had prepared the car superbly in every other respects, including an almost full tank.

I didn't try the setting which reserves the electric as I didn't have any ! but I will today and let you know

 

[Driver15]

Need some photos

 

[wivenhoe]

need some photos

 

[Driver15]

Nice one.. and the Rolec too

 

[350e]

View attachment 53304

SHOW OFF!

what do the neighbours think, any comments yet ?

 

[Rapidfire]

Just joined have ordered an estate in silver and a white saloon both ordered June 1st still no delivery date but glad some people are getting answers now

 

[350e]

Just joined have ordered an estate in silver and a white saloon both ordered June 1st still no delivery date but glad some people are getting answers now

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

Now just to be clear, you have ordered two 350e's ?

 

[hybridlover]

Just joined have ordered an estate in silver and a white saloon both ordered June 1st still no delivery date but glad some people are getting answers now

Welcome brother Rapidfire (trying not to be sexist) although there will be nothing rapid here for you sadly.

You will have seen how things will go here:

Order then long lead time - maybe 9 months unless you get a left-field offer and go for a car already in system. But then you have ordered two

Mucho discussion about the availability of the £5k gov grant and criteria. This also brings in the size of your wheels and BIK impact. To tow or not as well is a critical issue and we may have a spin off thread soon about caravans but. I hope not.

Specification changes - see links to latest specification for 2016 cars. It's in the last 5 or so pages I think but we are now running at 70 + pages so it feels abit like my loft - I know stuff is up there just not quite exactly where.

Great discussion about home chargers and access to weblinks for further info. Has helped me immeasurably in thinking about this option. Recent discussion about cost of electricity - personally I will be getting a Dynamo system that my kids operate after school and at night operating a shift system and based on rewards.

Issues about lease cars and Mercedes Connect Me operability i.e there isn't any for those of us on lease deals but maybe there is

Early adopters are now getting cars and thank god we have some cars to finally look at and read reviews about. Tantalising insight into ownership that for many of us is yet but a dream. Great that we have this information from "colleagues". Envy and jealousy are alive and well.

Oh and a very interesting insight into electric vehicles/issues/naval gazing where a few of us have dipped our toes into the world of engineers and techies - I am neither but love a good toy like the rest. Whole world opens up before you if you go here - you may have already of course.

There are others of course.

My future concern will not be if a motorway service area has a Waitrose food hall but where the chargers are and are they free of people hogging them when they shouldn't be - that's a nice conversational crossroads to approach if you so wish.

Oh and you will get a sense that most us of have exhausted all possible places for any review of any kind concerning the 350e. We have even started taking German/Dutch/Flemish lessons so as to not be reliant on Google translate.

So come on in Rapidfire the water is lovely.

Very friendly people all slightly "wired" as they wait for the undoubted great car that is the 350e - referring to it specifically like this was advised by my therapist.

I return to normality in mid December.

Welcome.

 

[Rapidfire]

Thanks for the info yes have two on order saloon for me and estate for my co director as for home chargers have a word with your local electrician I have had one installed at work already purchased by him from I think yess electrical. Both of the invoices have already had the grant taken off so I guess we are good to go on that front.
I'm keeping to the 17" wheels on the saloon because of the tax but he has had to go 18" because of the prem plus on the estate.
Full Spec for mine as follows
C350e saloon sport premium plus
Designo diamond white
Privacy Glass
Driver assist package
Intelligent light system led
360 degree camera
Just need it delivered now

 

[quonker]

Thanks for the info yes have two on order saloon for me and estate for my co director as for home chargers have a word with your local electrician I have had one installed at work already purchased by him from I think yess electrical. Both of the invoices have already had the grant taken off so I guess we are good to go on that front.
I'm keeping to the 17" wheels on the saloon because of the tax but he has had to go 18" because of the prem plus on the estate.
Full Spec for mine as follows
C350e saloon sport premium plus
Designo diamond white
Privacy Glass
Driver assist package
Intelligent light system led
360 degree camera
Just need it delivered now

Really nice spec, welcome to the waiting game

 

[350e]

Thanks for the info yes have two on order saloon for me and estate for my co director as for home chargers have a word with your local electrician I have had one installed at work already purchased by him from I think yess electrical. Both of the invoices have already had the grant taken off so I guess we are good to go on that front.
I'm keeping to the 17" wheels on the saloon because of the tax but he has had to go 18" because of the prem plus on the estate.
Full Spec for mine as follows
C350e saloon sport premium plus
Designo diamond white
Privacy Glass
Driver assist package
Intelligent light system led
360 degree camera
Just need it delivered now

Can you say a little more about the charger installation please. Was it simply a case of asking the electrician to install a charger and then him doing all the research and sourcing the equipment. Do you think the cost, without the grant, would have been the same or lower perhaps than the government approved installation companies.

 

[wivenhoe]

Thanks for the info yes have two on order saloon for me and estate for my co director as for home chargers have a word with your local electrician I have had one installed at work already purchased by him from I think yess electrical. Both of the invoices have already had the grant taken off so I guess we are good to go on that front.
I'm keeping to the 17" wheels on the saloon because of the tax but he has had to go 18" because of the prem plus on the estate.
Full Spec for mine as follows
C350e saloon sport premium plus
Designo diamond white
Privacy Glass
Driver assist package
Intelligent light system led
360 degree camera
Just need it delivered now

Rapidfire - if you haven't had a car with Driver Assist then you are in for a very pleasant surprise. The descriptions just doesn't do it justice. It makes a very good car a great one when you are in traffic - so much less tiresome in stop go traffic. The rest of the car isn't bad either !

 

[wivenhoe]

Electric Cost & Consumption

Thought some may be interested to know what the initial consumption costs have been.

Engine probably still tight - only 200 miles on the clock. I have had a couple of runs in the car of varying driving.

Day 1 mixed dual carriageway and bit of town driving but the car had no charge - about 40mpg

Day 2 mixed driving including town with full charge at the start - about 45mpg

Day 3 - tour around country lanes and some high speed dual carriageway with full charge - 55mpg

I have charged the car three times and according to the consumption unit I had to have fitted for the grant, I have consumed 18kw which at my tariff of 11p means say £ 2 for say 3 x 15 miles = 4p / mile

 

[Rapidfire]

I will find out definite costs from him tomorrow and report back for you guys.

 

[350e]

Thank you so much because I will need a private installation and will need to instruct an electician to undertake the work outside of the government scheme.

 

[hybridlover]

Sorry just testing out my new signature picture. Been fiddling.