C350e owners club

[mardeman]

That figure is based on my tracking within Fuelly - C350e (Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-In Hybrid) | Fuelly

Do you mean a range figure like this? http://i.imgur.com/9wq4lCA.jpg I just take the electric figure off to see how far I can really go, but it varies on how you're driving.

I've also noticed below around 50 miles the range doesn't display a figure, but within the Mercedes Me app you can see the actual level still!

Yes, I have the same range display.
On a Monday, the range might show 250, but I know that I will be doing at least 50 miles on electric and 50 on fuel, so at the end of the week it should be at 200 having travelled 100 miles.

I only got ConnectMe app last week so haven't needed to fill up since I got it, but I will have a look next time.

I am currently on 60.1mpg based on a mix of petrol and charging. My Octavia would have been on about 42 for the same.

 

[mardeman]

You've hit the nail on the head there.

1. Pay a ridiculous premium for car
2. Lose performance over a decent size normal petrol
3. Economy isn't really all it's cracked up to be
4. Electric range is poor
5. Charging points are more expensive than petrol

Note to self: If I ever become a tightwad and buy a hybrid just walk away and get an oil burner instead and save the cash.

I presume you are not a company car driver, as if you were you would be rubbing your hands together with the savings you could make.

My old Octavia was costing ME about £250 a month after tax by the time I had paid finance, insurance, service and that didn't include tyres.

This car is costing me about half that.

At the price it is, I would never be able to afford or want one

 

[StuartK]

I presume you are not a company car driver, as if you were you would be rubbing your hands together with the savings you could make.

My old Octavia was costing ME about £250 a month after tax by the time I had paid finance, insurance, service and that didn't include tyres.

This car is costing me about half that.

At the price it is, I would never be able to afford or want one

It would cost me more overall to lease my car and pay tax on it through company than for me to buy it personally.

In the past I've always taken car allowance. Company cars just ended up costing me a fortune in tax. They start getting very expensive for higher rate tax payers. Plus it's never yours so your dictated to what you can have.

 

[mardeman]

I was allowed anything I wanted within my budget which was quite reasonable.
Yes, I have to keep the car for three years, but again that is not really that bad.

Because I used to do really high mileage, my personal Skoda was costing me over £400 a month on finance, so I am definitely saving.

If I would have got a 3 or 5 series then it would not have saved me as the tax on these is over £180.00 a month where as at the most the 350e is £120 whislt I have it.

 

[famousgrouse]

Plus it's never yours so your dictated to what you can have.

Bit of a sweeping statement....

Fair enough- the company car/C350e doesn't tick your boxes- I understand that. It wouldn't tick lots of peoples boxes, but it does tick mine!

If my circumstances were different I'd have a C63 as well But for now, I'm very happy indeed!

 

[StuartK]

Bit of a sweeping statement....

Fair enough- the company car/C350e doesn't tick your boxes- I understand that. It wouldn't tick lots of peoples boxes, but it does tick mine!

If my circumstances were different I'd have a C63 as well But for now, I'm very happy indeed!

From experience I find big companies are obsessed with Eco cars so your choices are oil burner, oil burner or you guessed it oil burner.

A car is important to me and I don't consider it a white good. Therefore I wouldn't want a company dictating what I could have. Ultimately I would be paying for it.

Example one of my staff recently wanted a company car so I gave her some advice and let her choose. Obviously I was hoping she would choose a golf but she really wanted a VW Tiguan so that's what she got with the options list chucked at it. If she had asked for a Mercedes ML she could have had. Now obviously this is all within reason if she wanted a Lamborghini it wouldn't happen because that's silly but I hate company cars with a passion as a general rule!

 

[StuartK]

However as stated earlier in the thread I will be watching these c350e with a keen eye as if they turn out to be any good they will replace our other company vehicles when the leases come up and have no doubt staff would be happy. But for me to do that they need to offer them in AMG line spec.

 

[350eWaiting]

To the owners.

Has anyone tried a comparison of fuel economy with and without the sat nav on? Apparently the Sat Nav is supposed to predict when you will need the ICE and also save some electric power if it thinks you will go into an urban area?

 

[ASnowman]

You've hit the nail on the head there.

1. Pay a ridiculous premium for car
2. Lose performance over a decent size normal petrol
3. Economy isn't really all it's cracked up to be
4. Electric range is poor
5. Charging points are more expensive than petrol

Note to self: If I ever become a tightwad and buy a hybrid just walk away and get an oil burner instead and save the cash.

Lots of shades between black and white.

 

[famousgrouse]

To the owners.

Has anyone tried a comparison of fuel economy with and without the sat nav on? Apparently the Sat Nav is supposed to predict when you will need the ICE and also save some electric power if it thinks you will go into an urban area?

I've not compared the same journey like with like, but the only occasion I did use the sat nav in a similar direction to known routes, it did indeed hold charge noticeably more than normal. Without the Nav on, it does get through the electric relatively quickly in Hybrid mode.

 

[quonker]

To the owners.

Has anyone tried a comparison of fuel economy with and without the sat nav on? Apparently the Sat Nav is supposed to predict when you will need the ICE and also save some electric power if it thinks you will go into an urban area?

I was using Sat Nav to get back from Bolton to the Midlands yesterday and I thought this was happening as on the motorway the motor wasn't kicking in but in actual fact even when off the motorway it wasn't and the e-mode button was greyed out even though i'd accumulated 11 miles of charge.

Had to switch the car off and on again for things to return to normal.

 

[mardeman]

Its interesting as I have found that the haptic pedal does a lot more when I have the satnav on. It pulsates when I exceed (which I rarely do!!!) the speed limit. Maybe this is what is meant.

On my way to work I put the car in full electric mode as I can just make it there on a charge. On the way home I leave it in hybrid. I don't always put the nav on, but will try it a bit more, just wish I could permanantely switch off the voice as I don't need it when I am going somewhere I know.

 

[JP350e]

I have a suspicion it could become a bit of an ornament if I don't get it seen to ASAP!! I'm hoping its. Itching major and it can be fixed in a day at the dealer...

Fingers crossed for me!!

Well I have my car back after it spent a day in the Merc dealer. They managed to clean it but that's about all... Data extracted from the car and sent to Mercedes UK to tell them what to do. The one technician who's been on the C350e course has taken a look and isn't sure!

Right now it appears I have a rather expensive, heavy and inefficient 2litre C-Class Merc and that's about it!! The dealer will be in touch once they've heard back from Mercedes and have whatever parts required in. I'm guessing it's not going to be fixed any time soon...

 

[Driver15]

Well I have my car back after it spent a day in the Merc dealer. They managed to clean it but that's about all... Data extracted from the car and sent to Mercedes UK to tell them what to do. The one technician who's been on the C350e course has taken a look and isn't sure!

Right now it appears I have a rather expensive, heavy and inefficient 2litre C-Class Merc and that's about it!! The dealer will be in touch once they've heard back from Mercedes and have whatever parts required in. I'm guessing it's not going to be fixed any time soon...

Surprised they will want you driving around in it if it's not running right?

Is yours a private purchase / lease or a maintained lease? If the latter I would be requesting a like for like class hire car until it's sorted.

Just out of interest, how does it drive with zero battery and what are we talking mpg wise? (Good to baseline how much the ev helps?

 

[ASnowman]

Merry christmas folks!!! may the Merc be with you all!

 

[wivenhoe]

However as stated earlier in the thread I will be watching these c350e with a keen eye as if they turn out to be any good they will replace our other company vehicles when the leases come up and have no doubt staff would be happy. But for me to do that they need to offer them in AMG line spec.

If you are the owner of the business you seem to be ignoring the massive benefit for the company in buying a C350e and this is why so many companies are switching to them. As the emissions are so low, the business can offset 100% of the purchase cost against corporation tax. I have a single employee Ltd Co and I got that to buy the car for £ 33k (after Grant £ 5k and £ 7k discount) and saved £ 6.6k in Corp tax but pay only £ 900 per year personal car tax and also offset all running costs. Lease charges can also be 100% written off whereas higher emission can only offset a %.

 

[Vik123]

Salary sacrifice costs

I am thinking of getting this car on a salary sacrifice scheme. I am really disappointed how much the quote is, for 10k miles per annum it is £584.65 per month without selecting any optional extras on a saloon car, add metallic paint it goes up to £600.96 per month before taking off any tax savings. This is with Tuskerdirect for 3 year deal, can anyone confirm they had similar quotes from other salary sacrifice car providers. I don't need to know how much you are paying after tax savings, guess this will be different depending on tax band, pension, etc. This really seems steep to me considering for personal lease you can get this car for around £300 on 6+35 scheme, not sure if rest of the cost is justified. It appears to me monopoly of salary sacrifice car providers is eating into benefits employees should get.

 

[flango]

Yep SWMBO car could have come from Tusker on salary sacrifice but MB was just short of £600 Mitsubishi PHEV was £500. In the end did a 3 year lease with Ford direct on a Kuga Titanium 2 litre diesel with RS pack full maintenance 10k per year £254 per month Inc VAT deal was a no brainer no other manufacturers were even close. Same car with Tusker was £470

 

[Tekky]

Help / views wanted

I'm about to pull the trigger on a business quote for a 350e saloon model, brilliant blue with EVERY option added (except air balance and tow bar), thats £46k of car for £493 per month (ex VAT, 3+33 months, 63k miles, non maintained) from a main leasing cmopany, although i'm still drawn to the BMW 330e ( being a 5 series driver )

Anyone on here wished they hadn't specc''d an option or was disappointed with one ? ( prem plus pack, driver assist pack, HUD, LED intelligent lights, real leather ? ) - im a bit concerned whether the sat nav is as good as BMW's professional and the sound Burmester sound system is as good as BMW Harman's - and is it worth the £795 for the real leather ? any views much appreciated, thanks.

 

[StuartK]

I am thinking of getting this car on a salary sacrifice scheme. I am really disappointed how much the quote is, for 10k miles per annum it is £584.65 per month without selecting any optional extras on a saloon car, add metallic paint it goes up to £600.96 per month before taking off any tax savings. This is with Tuskerdirect for 3 year deal, can anyone confirm they had similar quotes from other salary sacrifice car providers. I don't need to know how much you are paying after tax savings, guess this will be different depending on tax band, pension, etc. This really seems steep to me considering for personal lease you can get this car for around £300 on 6+35 scheme, not sure if rest of the cost is justified. It appears to me monopoly of salary sacrifice car providers is eating into benefits employees should get.

Ticket is horrendously expensive. I laughed them off the phone when they tried to flog their services to me. I used to work for a company that offered this and the cost was a joke.