C350e owners club

[mardeman]

I will be off to the petrol station again tonight.
This time round only 365 miles. (last time over 500 but I was driving mostly on charge as it was over xmas and lots of short journeys)
Averaging 40mpg which is slightly lower than my 1.6 Octavia, however I am driving everywhere with a smile on my face!!!!
BIK is lower than me forking out for my own car finance, insurance etc, however I am £200 in because I had a charger installed.

The person who said that the range will increase in warmer climate by 10-15% for me that will be .8-1 mile!!!!!

We are all looking so far into this, but if I were driving a c220 I would be paying £120 a month more in tax. Unless you are driving 2000 miles a month (which I used to) you will still be better off.

And, as a salesman, if I am covering 2000 miles a month, I would hope my commission will more than cover the extra fuel.........

 

[mardeman]

Just had a call from Mercedes Benz customer service now that I have had the car for a few weeks.

I explained to her that the only disappointment is the range......... sold being able to do 19 miles, Gauge has never shown more than 16...... She actually said she has heard that a lot. So, doubt I will hear anything more from them.

 

[wrighty senior]

I have decided not to bother looking at MPG or electric range any more. I bought the car knowing it was a compromise. In mid-executive cars it is almost impossible to find a big powerful Diesel any more. I was used to 3litre diesels (C350 followed by an A4 Quattro) and could not find a car that I liked that could offer 250-300BHP and was remotely tax friendly.
The C350e offered a fantastic tax advantage and almost 300BHP. In general I am very happy with the compromise.
My only complaint is the fact that the car understeers. I know this is the safest solution but it is unusual in a rear wheel drive car. As with all German cars the electronic safety devices cut-in before you can have any real fun but fast entries into tight corners and roundabouts require a reduction in power and then quite a wait for the front tyres to grip. I guess this is due to the extra weight of the batteries.

 

[ASnowman]

As with all German cars the electronic safety devices cut-in before you can have any real fun but fast entries into tight corners and roundabouts require a reduction in power and then quite a wait for the front tyres to grip. I guess this is due to the extra weight of the batteries.

Totally agree with you on all you say, a comment to the quoted.
BMW tend to give you some more room for joy, and easy access to disable all those safety programs. You could disable ESP on yours also, but handle with care, its not a button to turn on/off. Into menus is not what you want when things get a bit rough

Maybe a sack of concrete on the hood to even out the weight? Haha

 

[Laurona12]

Hi I ordered the 350e in September last year and the original ETA was May 2016. This has recently moved to early March so well happy with that. I’ve ordered the premium+ in Iridium Silver.
I’m now looking to get my chare point installed at home. Looking to use The Phoenix Works and they are recommending the ABL Sursum chargepoint. Cost is £299+VAT using the government grant. This gets me a type 2, 32A socket. What’s everyone else got installed and is this price around the going rate ? Thanks

 

[mardeman]

I paid £199 including VAT and a tethered type 2 cable. Not sure of the ampage, but I think the 32a is only useful for fully electric cars (i3, tesler etc).
You also get 6 months free chargemaster.

 

[mbboyracer]

Laurona said:
Hi I ordered the 350e in September last year and the original ETA was May 2016. This has recently moved to early March so well happy with that. I’ve ordered the premium+ in Iridium Silver.
I’m now looking to get my chare point installed at home. Looking to use The Phoenix Works and they are recommending the ABL Sursum chargepoint. Cost is £299+VAT using the government grant. This gets me a type 2, 32A socket. What’s everyone else got installed and is this price around the going rate ? Thanks
​

I got exactly the same quote from the same people even though I already have a dedicated circuit with its own circuit breaker and the 32A cabling right up to the site for the charge point. I declined and said I would wait until after the 1st March when the mandatory meter (OLEV requirement) will no longer be required. On that date the Grant will reduce from £700 to £500. (So I was told by Phoenix).

 

[quonker]

How cool is preheat

Watched my colleagues leave the office and sit in their freezing cold cars waiting for their heaters to eventually warm enough to clear their windscreens whilst I opened my door to a warm welcoming environment free of ice and frost.

Cue some very envious glances

 

[fields5069]

I love it, preheat. That and the "rest" button.

I decided to weigh up the c350e vs the Lexus IS300h. The IS could easily average 50mpg, and the HMRC advisory rate is 20p a mile for business mileage for a 2.5l engine. However I don't really do that many business miles, I calculated I'd have to do more than 2000 business miles a year to make the IS as cheap as the c350e. And that's comparing a Premium Plus with the Lexus "Executive Edition", which has sat nav, heated seats and leather and not a lot else.

 

[Laurona12]

Laurona said:
Hi I ordered the 350e in September last year and the original ETA was May 2016. This has recently moved to early March so well happy with that. I’ve ordered the premium+ in Iridium Silver.
I’m now looking to get my chare point installed at home. Looking to use The Phoenix Works and they are recommending the ABL Sursum chargepoint. Cost is £299+VAT using the government grant. This gets me a type 2, 32A socket. What’s everyone else got installed and is this price around the going rate ? Thanks
​

I got exactly the same quote from the same people even though I already have a dedicated circuit with its own circuit breaker and the 32A cabling right up to the site for the charge point. I declined and said I would wait until after the 1st March when the mandatory meter (OLEV requirement) will no longer be required. On that date the Grant will reduce from £700 to £500. (So I was told by Phoenix).

When you say the mandatory meter will no longer be required what do you mean. Who did you go with in the end ?

 

[mbboyracer]

When you say the mandatory meter will no longer be required what do you mean. Who did you go with in the end ?

Nobody yet.

When I called Phoenix to query their £299 quote, I was told that there would be a mandatory meter inserted into the circuit so that OLEV could check on the usage of the system that they had partly funded.

There was no mention of the meter on the OLEV Web site nor has there been here from other Forum members. To insert a meter into my huge 10mm² cable would be difficult and I cannot see it being easy without some disruption. But maybe it's a clamp-on device that measures current flow.

I was told that when the Grant is reduced from £700 to £500 on 1st March, the requirement for the meter will be removed.

I am coming to the view that I may not need a fancy 16A charge point and that I will find a standard 13A domestic socket providing 8A charge will be sufficient.

So I called the Phoenix young lady and said I was going to put the charge point installation on the back burner.

I need to get the car first and then assess what my requirements are.

 

[pawkins]

How cool is preheat

Watched my colleagues leave the office and sit in their freezing cold cars waiting for their heaters to eventually warm enough to clear their windscreens whilst I opened my door to a warm welcoming environment free of ice and frost.

Cue some very envious glances

Did you use pre-heat by key?.. I can't find the option to turn it on, found with time but not with key. Still trying to get connect set up so can't use that yet either.. I am one more read through the manual away from phoning the dealer...

 

[mardeman]

My wife got angry this morning when she asked is it Icy out. I said 'I don't care'!!!!
It was interesting to see that after my 12 mile journey to work the bonnet was still iced up. Makes me think that it is right that range is lowered in the cold as its only the inside of the car that gets warm (and probably not even the boot where the engine is.

Pre-heated 3 times this morning (I think - 6am, 6.30am and 7am) to see if that made things better on range. It didn't!!!!

 

[mbboyracer]

It was interesting to see that after my 12 mile journey to work the bonnet was still iced up. Makes me think that it is right that range is lowered in the cold as its only the inside of the car that gets warm (and probably not even the boot where the engine is.

Well I suppose that if the engine is in the boot the bonnet would stay iced up:bannana:

 

[mardeman]

I meant BATTERY in the boot you Satsuma!!!!

 

[350eWaiting]

Did you use pre-heat by key?.. I can't find the option to turn it on, found with time but not with key. Still trying to get connect set up so can't use that yet either.. I am one more read through the manual away from phoning the dealer...

Hi, in the manual it looks like it might be only for keyless go people, with a button on the bit of the key you would insert in the ignition.

 

[fields5069]

Hi, in the manual it looks like it might be only for keyless go people, with a button on the bit of the key you would insert in the ignition.

I have keyless go, and I'm pretty sure all I have are pre-heat on unlock and remote pre-heat.

 

[wrighty senior]

If you do not have Mercedes me or keyless go you can set up the pre-entry climate in the car and start it by just unlocking the doors.

 

[pawkins]

Hi, in the manual it looks like it might be only for keyless go people, with a button on the bit of the key you would insert in the ignition.

Hmm says in the manual unlock the car with the key or with Keyless Go...
Popping into dealer tomorrow anyway as think I need a software upgrade as I also don't have the external temp and trying to sort Connect Me.

 

[MaidenheadMerc]

I'm missing the external temperature as well, if you get your software updated could you confirm how long it takes? I'd book mine in but assume it would end up taking a few hours to sort!

If only we had overnight software updates like Tesla