Brightside18
New Member
Hi All,
Firstly let me apologise for a question that has probably been asked a million times on here.
In a nutshell i'm currently driving an A8 3.0 and simply put it drinks diesel like no tomorrow especially now that it is no longer really used for long drives (commute to work is now 9 miles each way alot of stop/start going on) occasional long weekend drives but nothing special. I've been considering a hybrid for a while but I can't bring myself to own a Prius and BMW doesn't really appeal to me as a brand.
I have of course had my attention drawn to the C350e (2016 plate registered 2017 is the one i have my eye on) PP with drivers assist bits and bobs from an MB dealer - Plus I have never owned an MB very much an Audi lover to now.
Trying to do research on this car has been very up and down, some people saying stay clear and others saying it's great with little to no faults. i was hoping I would be able to get a few honest opinions on ownership, reliability etc.
I'm fully understanding the MPG that MB claim is none sense and I should expect 9-13 miles on average, this isn't a huge concern as I have charging ability at work and at home.
If you very knowledgeable folks could offer up any opinions then i'd be very grateful.
Cheers
Firstly let me apologise for a question that has probably been asked a million times on here.
In a nutshell i'm currently driving an A8 3.0 and simply put it drinks diesel like no tomorrow especially now that it is no longer really used for long drives (commute to work is now 9 miles each way alot of stop/start going on) occasional long weekend drives but nothing special. I've been considering a hybrid for a while but I can't bring myself to own a Prius and BMW doesn't really appeal to me as a brand.
I have of course had my attention drawn to the C350e (2016 plate registered 2017 is the one i have my eye on) PP with drivers assist bits and bobs from an MB dealer - Plus I have never owned an MB very much an Audi lover to now.
Trying to do research on this car has been very up and down, some people saying stay clear and others saying it's great with little to no faults. i was hoping I would be able to get a few honest opinions on ownership, reliability etc.
I'm fully understanding the MPG that MB claim is none sense and I should expect 9-13 miles on average, this isn't a huge concern as I have charging ability at work and at home.
If you very knowledgeable folks could offer up any opinions then i'd be very grateful.
Cheers
raspy
Active Member
@Brightside18 I ran a 2016 new shape Prius (with driver assistance tech) for 2 years on a lease before I switched to the C350e. I would encourage you to keep an open mind and at least test drive the Prius, the smoothness of the powertrain was leagues ahead of the C350e, and it was a nice car to drive, even if it didn't have the outright luxury or performance of the C350e. For example, I was getting a long term average of 70mpg, all year round, that's mostly stop start traffic in London with AC on all the time. I think the absolute worst I got was 35mpg when I was driving it in a really rapid manner. Summers were brilliant, early morning drive to Central London was getting me 85-95mpg, which I really appreciated. In some ways the tech was ahead of MB too, such as the blind spot alerts working even when stationary in traffic (i.e. it would still flash orange if a cyclist or motorbike was approaching from the rear, very handy) - C350e doesn't do that, as the blind spot warnings comes on only above a certain speed (28mph?) - the new E class this year will do blind spot warnings even when stationary too. It was super reliable, nothing went wrong in 2 years.
Now I've had my C350e PP for 2 years now, and it's been super reliable too apart from three incidents;
1. There was some excessive wind noise coming from the front side windows on the motorway (it felt excessive to me) - MB dealer found a technical bulletin regarding this and the dealer fitted acoustic glass for the front side windows (free of charge) - excessive wind noise gone
2. Check engine light came on one Monday morning, took it to MB dealer, they kept it for diagnosing, and I got a new C class as a loaner from Enterprise within 2 hours for a few days. It turned out that the car needed a software update for the thermostat.
3. Driver's side electric window switch broke, so was unable to open/close my window. That panel of four switches got replaced quite easily.
Whilst the C350e has been far more reliable than I expected (as I've heard horror stories too about MBs in general), I took out the official MB extended warranty once the 12 month one from the MB dealer ran out. I pay 43 quid a month, but it gives me peace of mind. I personally wouldn't run this car privately without a MB warranty unless you're the type that doesn't mind hunting around for cheap parts and using MB specialists in case something does go wrong. I miss little things like the rear cross traffic alert that the Prius came with, or wireless charging for phone. My rear (factory) pads and discs got changed before the lockdown. The front factory pads are still only 30% worn I think. I actually spend most of my time in Eco mode, as I like the car using the radar to slow down a bit on its own. If I had kept the Prius, it would have been 100k before any of the pads would need to be changed. The hybrid system is far superior in that to Mercedes hybrids, especially in terms of regeneration.
However, I do go for long drives now and then and that's where the C350e is wonderful wafting along on air suspension with completely effortless performance due to the torque (I hardly ever use Sport or Sport+ modes) The distronic plus works very well, albeit with some phantom braking sometimes when lorries are in the next lane. The car grips well, but doesn't necessarily handle well, it's the added weight of the battery you see interferes with the balance of the C class as a platform.
9-13 miles is summer time, I never get more than 11 showing on the screen and the moment I've driven 200m from my driveway, it drops down to 10 miles immediately. In winter, it's closer to 4-6 miles that is shows on the dashboard. The engine alone is not the most efficient one, and the car prior to adding in a battery was never designed for efficiency in the way that a Prius would be. I hate it when my battery runs out, because then it's so thirsty (compared to what you can get from other manufacturers) - even on a long drive where I cruise at 60mph, I struggle to get past 38mpg. If I take advantage of the performance to overtake etc, then it can drop down to 28mpg on a motorway drive. These are summer figures. I spend a lot of time in traffic jams in London, and the climate control on auto is perfect, even on the warmest of days.
My service is overdue and the quote from MB is £561 (I'm at 50k miles on a 2015 car) - I use main dealers so that my MB extended warranty and mobilo services remain intact. I've also got options like heads up display (prius had that too), a 360 camera, and intelligent lighting system, all are wonderful.
I did try a BMW 330e before buying the C350e, found it spartan by comparison (driver assistance is a must for me) and way too edgy, the C350e just felt a lot more lovely with a focus on luxury and comfort. I even bought a Tesla Model 3 last summer (to replace the C350e) and returned it back to Tesla and ended up keeping the C350e as I found it a better drive (for me) - ergonomics (buttons!), reliability, ride and refinement, especially on motorways, the Tesla also felt edgy too, compared to the chill and relax steering feel of the C350e. I'm impressed by the C350e's internal mic as I make a lot of calls over bluetooth and my clients can't even tell I'm driving my car, the Prius was even better in this regard, clients would think I was at home.
Hope that helps. It sounds like for your use case, the C350e would be great, provided you can live with the less than great mpg on long drives. I won't keep my C350e as a private owner after the 6 year/62,000 mile mark, that's when the MB manufacturer warranty on the high voltage battery would expire, if I'm not mistaken. Something to think about if this is a long term purchase.
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
Your typical journey would be within the battery only range except in the depths of winter, so if you charge both ends, you aren’t going to be using much fuel unless you want to enjoy the performance.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Ah, Houston we have a problem...
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
Another failed compressor? Really must get underneath mine, find the darn thing, then see about making the power connection properly waterproof.
Anyone know where they hid it?
Anyone know where they hid it?
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Don't know what it is yet, but I will report back. Glad it's only at the back. If the front had gone that low I couldn't have steered it.
Can't fault Mercedes assistance though. Very slick operation. Did you know if you have have a full MB service history, the assistance is part of the service? Helps justify the service costs I suppose!
Can't fault Mercedes assistance though. Very slick operation. Did you know if you have have a full MB service history, the assistance is part of the service? Helps justify the service costs I suppose!
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
I thought it had to be on a service contract to qualify for Mobilo coverage? Anything to help offset the £350 oil change has to be worthwhile, although I'd rather mine never broke down at all! 
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Cover
Renewing Your Cover for up to 30 years
To maintain Roadside Assistance cover after the first 3 years, simply service your car at an official Mercedes-Benz Retailer.
You’ll receive a renewal notification to confirm cover has been extended for another 12 months on completion of a full Mercedes-Benz Recommended Service.
From here:
www.mercedes-benz.co.uk
Renewing Your Cover for up to 30 years
To maintain Roadside Assistance cover after the first 3 years, simply service your car at an official Mercedes-Benz Retailer.
You’ll receive a renewal notification to confirm cover has been extended for another 12 months on completion of a full Mercedes-Benz Recommended Service.
From here:
The Benefits
Discover the benefits of Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance & Rescue Assist including 24 hour support, replacement vehicles, home assistance and more.
www.mercedes-benz.co.uk
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
As expected - water ingress into compressor via wiring harness. Both are knackered.
Compressor (£1,100) covered under (extended) warranty, wiring harness (£120) not.
I have a new A180. It has a bone hard ride, dark interior with slitty windows and a fancy digital dash. If I was 25 I am sure I would think it was the bees knees. But sadly as I am not 25 it's making me grumpy, but not as grumpy as if they were charging me £1,220 to repair a 33,000 mile car which was suffering from water ingress...
Compressor (£1,100) covered under (extended) warranty, wiring harness (£120) not.
I have a new A180. It has a bone hard ride, dark interior with slitty windows and a fancy digital dash. If I was 25 I am sure I would think it was the bees knees. But sadly as I am not 25 it's making me grumpy, but not as grumpy as if they were charging me £1,220 to repair a 33,000 mile car which was suffering from water ingress...
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
Looks like a generic fault then. Boils my piss that they expect punters to foot the bill for such a basic design failure. Making electrical components waterproof isn’t a new requirement, so, we’ve had the leaky charge socket that in the worst cases killed the charger and now a rash of failed air suspension compressors and wiring due to the same issue.
Should be a recall I think. Having the suspension fail is surely a safety issue?
Should be a recall I think. Having the suspension fail is surely a safety issue?
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
It was barely driveable with the rear suspension like that. I only had a couple of miles to limp. On a motorway you would have to stop immediately. If it had been the front you wouldn't have been able to steer.
I don't understand why there isn't a bump stop to prevent it going so low. It was a pig of a job getting it onto the low loader. We had MDF boards and all sorts to try and reduce the angle.
I don't understand why there isn't a bump stop to prevent it going so low. It was a pig of a job getting it onto the low loader. We had MDF boards and all sorts to try and reduce the angle.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Got my car back on Monday. All OK... for now!
I had a complete suspension failure at the beginning of last month. Set off from home with message Car Rising 300-400 yards later red working stop car too low. Called MB using service button in car and within an hour car was on a very low platform truck from RAC as only about 10cm ground clearance as car dropped fully. Later in the day call from MB garage compressor faulty needs new one and MB have agreed to pay half the cost of the cot and fitting so £350 to pay. This was a good result as the car is 4 years old and I do not have a warranty. Collected the car late afternoon and set off home 15 miles up the A1 first alert this was amber car low. By now 2 miles from home so dropped speed. A few hundred yards from home second alert now the red one stop car. Decided to crawl at walking pace to my drive car again fully down. Called MB who apologised and said they would contact RAC to get it collected. The car was duly taken away The next working day. Call from MB dealer new pump had failed so fitting yet another new one. Full STAR test carried out all ok. Nothing extra to pay as new part and labour covered by MB. Collected car later that day all fine since. Said to Service Manager that it was odd that they had two compressors in stock he said they have done a number of them.
The compressor lives behind the front bumper at the passenger side and is accessed by removing the wheel arch lining.
The compressor lives behind the front bumper at the passenger side and is accessed by removing the wheel arch lining.
D
Deleted member 126969
Guest
Certainly seems to be an issue doesn’t it. Thanks for sharing the location of the compressor. Think I’ll have a gander at mine and see how it looks under there. Might be something I can to to protect it.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Yes, certainly worth a look Chris. Passenger side wheel arches get a lot of muck and debris thrown at them.
Well it’s certainly taken me a while to realise that the Tapatalk integration with this forum doesn’t work any more. How are you all?
My car has been sitting on the drive doing very little for the last three months, but yesterday was a bit different - it’s gone off to auction at the end of my lease. A shiny white Tesla Model 3 has arrived to replace it. My budget dictated that it’s the Standard Range Plus with no options (certainly not the eye-watering Full Self Drive).
My first impressions are that the ride Is way firmer than the Merc’s and the acceleration is crazy. I’m used to the 80hp motor in the Mercedes, so the 350hp of the Tesla is quite a contrast. For all it’s faults (especially the water ingress issue), I really liked the suspension in the C350e. It didn’t hold the road quite as well as I’d expect from a rear-wheel drive, but it was really smooth and comfortable. The Model 3 suspension is set up more like an Audi sport model. It’s tight. I’ve only done a couple of miles in it so far, but it seemed to handle speed bumps without too much bone-jarring.
Tesla have improved the steering wheel since my test drive last year, but it still only has two buttons (although they are like little joysticks) and looks a bit plain. The steering is good though - like the suspension, it’s more sporty than in the Merc.
Regenerative braking is going to take some time to get used to. There are two settings: “standard” and “low”. The low setting is like being in 3rd gear at 30mph with a manual gearbox. It’s much stronger than the comfort regen in the Merc. The standard setting is like you’re firmly pressing the brake pedal. The Model 3 doesn’t use the motors to brake when you press the pedal, so the idea is to not use the brake pedal at all. I’m used to coasting and gentle braking. This high level of regen is alien to me. I’ve seen Youtube videos of people using neutral to coast in a Model 3, but you‘ll not catch me trying that sort of craziness. Going to try to get used to the new system. I‘ve fabricated an excuse for a 30 mile drive today, so I should be less of a noob by this evening.
I thought I’d hang around on this forum for a while, but with hardly driving at all recently and not getting the alerts from Tapatalk, I might go a bit quiet. Take care everyone.
How are you all?My car has been sitting on the drive doing very little for the last three months, but yesterday was a bit different - it’s gone off to auction at the end of my lease. A shiny white Tesla Model 3 has arrived to replace it. My budget dictated that it’s the Standard Range Plus with no options (certainly not the eye-watering Full Self Drive).
My first impressions are that the ride Is way firmer than the Merc’s and the acceleration is crazy. I’m used to the 80hp motor in the Mercedes, so the 350hp of the Tesla is quite a contrast. For all it’s faults (especially the water ingress issue), I really liked the suspension in the C350e. It didn’t hold the road quite as well as I’d expect from a rear-wheel drive, but it was really smooth and comfortable. The Model 3 suspension is set up more like an Audi sport model. It’s tight. I’ve only done a couple of miles in it so far, but it seemed to handle speed bumps without too much bone-jarring.
Tesla have improved the steering wheel since my test drive last year, but it still only has two buttons (although they are like little joysticks) and looks a bit plain. The steering is good though - like the suspension, it’s more sporty than in the Merc.
Regenerative braking is going to take some time to get used to. There are two settings: “standard” and “low”. The low setting is like being in 3rd gear at 30mph with a manual gearbox. It’s much stronger than the comfort regen in the Merc. The standard setting is like you’re firmly pressing the brake pedal. The Model 3 doesn’t use the motors to brake when you press the pedal, so the idea is to not use the brake pedal at all. I’m used to coasting and gentle braking. This high level of regen is alien to me. I’ve seen Youtube videos of people using neutral to coast in a Model 3, but you‘ll not catch me trying that sort of craziness. Going to try to get used to the new system. I‘ve fabricated an excuse for a 30 mile drive today, so I should be less of a noob by this evening.
I thought I’d hang around on this forum for a while, but with hardly driving at all recently and not getting the alerts from Tapatalk, I might go a bit quiet. Take care everyone.
CaptainChaos
MB Enthusiast
Good to hear from you Dodgy. It would be really interesting if you can keep us posted of life with the Tesla.
raspy
Active Member
My 2015 C350e is almost 50k miles/5 years old. Service was overdue for a few months as was MOT.
There were only a few main dealers in London/SE open for servicing and most of them seem to be booked up way in advance. Managed to find a MB dealer further away who could slot me in.
Covid-19 precautions were in effect when dropping off this morning (hand sanitisiser station before walking in, plastic screens in reception, no direct contact with service team, take your key off your keyring and use the provided antibacterial wipe to wipe the key before placing inside the box on reception) - It was drop and go, you are not allowed to wait there, due to covid-19 policy.
I saw one other customer also wearing a mask, and one member of staff wearing a mask, but generally neither customers nor staff were wearing any kind of face covering.
MOT pass with no advisories and;
"A" service
Brake fluid replaced*
Dust filter replaced*
Lubricate panoramic sunroof*
*When booking they told me these 3 extras were recommended due to age/mileage, so I followed their advice. I've never skimped on maintainance on my cars.
In their health check video they sent to my phone, the technician reported that the tyres had 6.5m all round. Weird, because I had 4 brand new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres fitted in March just before the lockdown, and if they were 8m brand new, how could they have worn 1.5m in just 150 miles, which is how far my car has driven since they were fitted?
£575.81 including MOT and they did an amazing job on cleaning the outside after the service. It was almost like they polished it, it was gleaming!
Direct Line have told me my insurance renewal for the year ahead has gone up to £1,300 for this car. Bonkers.
There were only a few main dealers in London/SE open for servicing and most of them seem to be booked up way in advance. Managed to find a MB dealer further away who could slot me in.
Covid-19 precautions were in effect when dropping off this morning (hand sanitisiser station before walking in, plastic screens in reception, no direct contact with service team, take your key off your keyring and use the provided antibacterial wipe to wipe the key before placing inside the box on reception) - It was drop and go, you are not allowed to wait there, due to covid-19 policy.
I saw one other customer also wearing a mask, and one member of staff wearing a mask, but generally neither customers nor staff were wearing any kind of face covering.
MOT pass with no advisories and;
"A" service
Brake fluid replaced*
Dust filter replaced*
Lubricate panoramic sunroof*
*When booking they told me these 3 extras were recommended due to age/mileage, so I followed their advice. I've never skimped on maintainance on my cars.
In their health check video they sent to my phone, the technician reported that the tyres had 6.5m all round. Weird, because I had 4 brand new Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres fitted in March just before the lockdown, and if they were 8m brand new, how could they have worn 1.5m in just 150 miles, which is how far my car has driven since they were fitted?
£575.81 including MOT and they did an amazing job on cleaning the outside after the service. It was almost like they polished it, it was gleaming!
Direct Line have told me my insurance renewal for the year ahead has gone up to £1,300 for this car. Bonkers.
Hi all,
I’m a newbie to the forum having brought a 350e 3 Weeks ago.
I love how luxurious it is, and when you hit the loud pedal WoooHoooo.
On account of lock down the good lady has been using the car and complained about the electric performanc, so I have spent the last couple of days investigating.
I read a lot befor getting the car so do not have high expectations about it’s electric performance. It’s a 2017 wagon with 57K on the clock.
OK, so I can charge the car to 100 %, and when it’s started it will say 9 miles range on Electric ( fairly standard) sometimes e-mode is available, sometimes not. I also some times get the warning “pre entry cooling disabled as HV batter low” this is when it is showing 100% battery. I might get 500 meters before the engin starts, even driving like a vicar.
Going by the advice on this forum I have just checked the energy used when charging. ...
The car started at 40% took about 1Hour 20 ish and the consumption was 0.64kWh, its now reading 100%
i’m thinking that this is not good ?
I’m a newbie to the forum having brought a 350e 3 Weeks ago.
I love how luxurious it is, and when you hit the loud pedal WoooHoooo
.On account of lock down the good lady has been using the car and complained about the electric performanc, so I have spent the last couple of days investigating.
I read a lot befor getting the car so do not have high expectations about it’s electric performance. It’s a 2017 wagon with 57K on the clock.
OK, so I can charge the car to 100 %, and when it’s started it will say 9 miles range on Electric ( fairly standard) sometimes e-mode is available, sometimes not. I also some times get the warning “pre entry cooling disabled as HV batter low” this is when it is showing 100% battery. I might get 500 meters before the engin starts, even driving like a vicar.
Going by the advice on this forum I have just checked the energy used when charging. ...
The car started at 40% took about 1Hour 20 ish and the consumption was 0.64kWh, its now reading 100%
i’m thinking that this is not good ?