E class coupe help please

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MissVix

Active Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2021
Messages
64
Location
The Moon
Car
E220 CDI coupe
Hiya,

I am a long-time MB admirer and wanting that famed MB build quality and ride comfort. I was looking at a 2014-2015 C class 220/250 diesel coupe but not a fan of alcantra and that's what seats most cars come equipped with. So imagine how surprised I was to find the gorgeous E220/350 coupes at the same price and sage. Better looks, leather seats, and better trim levels.

Prices are roughly £11-£13k and it is surprising that they're so cheap considering that's the cost of the C class 220/350. I have some questions if you can help me out.

1) Why would a much better car be the same price as it's lower-class equivalent?
I mean, BMW 5 series are prcicier than 3 series and Audi A6s are more expensive than A5s....which are more expensive than A4s.

2) The only reason I can think of for the low cost of an E class - and it is a worry - is that it is horrendously expensive to run - either because it breaks down often or it's reliable but when it breaks it's very costly to repair - please can you clarify?

3) Are parts and repairs the same across the C, E, S, SL and SLC range or do the costs increase the higher up the range you go (on the basis of if you can afford a higher model then you can afford to pay higher running costs)?

4) I'm not wealthy. I'm an average guy. I just found myself looking at 2015 Qashqais and Golfs - and totally unenthused - and realised I can get my dream car, roughly the same age, for the same price. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

5) I travel 25 miles each way to work - often stuck on the M60 - so want good MPG as well as a nice cabin I don't mind being trapped in when there's traffic jam and I also want a car with nice ride quality (bear in mind I've only driven Golfs and Sierras). Is the E220 the one to go for or should it be the 350?

6) What's the difference between a 220d and 220 CDI?

7) Most cars I see have blank buttons on the left hand side of the centre console thingy. The right hand side has buttons for heated seats and parking sensors but the left hand side buttons tend to be blank - what options would they refer to if they weren't blank?


Thx in advance
 
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I can answer no 6: it is down to the model year.

At some point, MB replaced all of the older CDI Diesel engines with a newer engines.

On the C-Class, it happened in mid-2014, when the W205 C220d replaced the W204 C220 CDI.

However, the W205 Coupe was only intruded in 2016, so the C-Class coupe continued to be C204 (based on the W204 Saloon) throughout 2014 and 2015.

This means that if you bought a new C-Class Saloon in late 2014 or in 2015, you'd get a W205 C220d. But if you bought a new C-Class Coupe in late 2014 or in 2015, you'd get a C204 C220 CDI.

The E-Class Coupe of the same era is called C207, and it is actually based on the C-Class W204, but with higher luxury and trim levels.

So the C-Class Coupe (C204) and E-Class Coupe (C207) of 2011-2015 in fact share the same underpinnings (of the W204).
 
Welcome, I was looking for a c204 coupe, until I realised you couldn't get them with the,
350 cdi engine, and when I saw a c207 coupe, for me me it was a no brainer, it had the engine I wanted and is a nicer looking and better equipped motor.
IMO of course. :) 👍
 
The E coupe had a facelift in 2013 with different front & rear bumpers and a revised interior layout. The gearshift was moved to the steering column and the only blank button is the one just to the left of the control wheel on the centre console.
I've had a 2013 facelift 220d and a 2016 220d edition , both with 19" alloys and pano roof , I think the only version available after the facelift was AMG line in 200 and 400 petrol and 220d and 350d diesel.
Price wise , the only reason I can think of for the difference is that the C coupe probably appeals to a younger driver so more demand. Both cars have similar engines and running gear so I can't see any difference in running costs , you buy an MB , BMW etc in th full knowledge that repairs and dealer servicing are expensive.
Engine choice depends on how you want to drive , the 220d is no slouch and the 350d flies , the diesl is not the quietest but the cabin is well insulated and on the move it's fine. I had 19" wheels and I was happy with the ride quality but again that's a personal thing.
The E coupe is not a small car and there's plenty of room in the rear , the only drawback is getting out of the rear seats , it's an art.
 
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With the facelift in 2013 also came the 9 speed gearbox and intelligent led headlights.
 
I’ve owned a 2014 E Class Coupe 220 CDI from new. All I can say is, it’s a keeper. Good mpg - in the mid 40s or above 50 on a run. Quiet and refined, particularly when cruising at motorway speeds (although you can certainly hear the engine when idling). Lovely interior and mine has all the options I need - adaptive cruise control, intelligent matrix LED lights, 360 degree reverse camera. And it’s been very reliable - no work needed apart from servicing and tyres. It’s getting its first set of replacement brake pads today after 7 years.
 
With the facelift in 2013 also came the 9 speed gearbox and intelligent led headlights.
My 2013 facelift was 7 speed and intelligent LED was only standard on the 2016 runout AMG Edition.
My 2016 AMG line edition was going to be a keeper ( bought new and specced as I wanted) but events overtook me.
Car was six days old and was rear ended by a Luton van.
Started playing indoor bowls and had to carry passengers in the rear ( 70 years old plus) no problem getting them in but a bit of a circus trying to get them out , so now have 4 doors.
 
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Thank everyone!

On the subject of repairs - it's good to hear of bulletproof cars, especially as build quality and reliability has been an issue for MB. As the E class shares so much with the C class would I be right in assuming parts/repairs are about the same cost? And so I can compare to the average cars I've had (VW, Ford) can you give me an idea of the cost of parts/repairs?
 
No one has warned me off, either, so I guess I'm good to go with a 2014-2016 E class coupe?
 
BlueTEC Diesel engines can be expensive to repair if/when things go wrong... if buying one of those, I would get a mechanical warranty (if buying privately), or I'd buy only from a trader whose warranty I can trust.
 
Thanks.

Extra questions:

1) Why is there always a blank button in the middle of the 3 on the left hand side? What option would that button refer to?

2) How do I know - without relying on the advert to state as such - if car has the option to park itself?

3) Is the pan roof worthwhile? I'd love to go topless (and love the SLC) but sunroofs of the 80s/90s barely let any cool air in and were useless.

4) How does Bluetech differ to the other engines?
 
1) The switch panel is a single unit, there is a different complete switch panel for each configuration, I.e. it's not modular. Not all buttons are meant to be populated. And some options are model specific. The things you might find there are heated front seats, parktronic on/off, ECO on/off, AMG sport suspension, front seats ventilation, rear curtain, etc. The 'blanks' are for symmetric aesthetic purpose, I doubt there's a model that has every single slot populated.

2) The car will have passive park assist - i.e. there will be instructions on the screen how to turn the steering wheel. But I don't think that active park assist was ever available on the C207. Someone else might know....

3) The pano roof is cool and will also increase the resale value. The downsides: it takes-up internal space and reduces headroom in the cabin, so not ideal for tall drivers, and it can crack or even shatter either due to manufacturing defect or stone chip. It's a good idea to check that your insurer classifies the pano roof as 'window' and not as 'body panel'. But yes, overall it's a worthwhile addition to the car. Oh, it will also increase the weight of the car, but any impact on stability or fuel consumption will be negligible.

4) BlueTEC engines use Adblue (Urea) injection into the exhaust to reduce emissions. See also:

 
Here are some features for you to consider and look for...:

- COMAND infotainment system (as opposed to the Basic Audio20)

- Upgraded audio system (either Harman-Kardon or Burmesrer)

- Reverse camera

- Speed sign recognition

- Driver aids pack that includes Distronic, lane keep assist, and bling spot assist

- Electrically folding wing mirrors

- Intelligent Light Systems (ILS)

- Front fog lights (rear are standard)

- Full-electric memory front seats

- Dynamic adjustable suspension

- Automatic transmission with manual mode ('flappy pedals')

- Ventilated front discs

- Full leather interior (as opposed to part-leather seats, fabric, or Artico)

- Designo interior

- Heated front seats

- Ventilated front seats

- Ambience / footwear lights

- Kerb lights

- Pano roof

- Auto dimming rear view mirror

- Privacy glass

- Keyless Go

- Folding rear seats

- Wheels - 17", 18", etc.....


The options below are those that I don't think were ever available on the C207, but others might know better:

- Head Up Display (HUD)
- Airmatic suspension
- Illuminated external door handles
- Heated steering wheel
- Air freshener dispenser
 
1) The switch panel is a single unit, there is a different complete switch panel for each configuration, I.e. it's not modular. Not all buttons are meant to be populated. And some options are model specific. The things you might find there are heated front seats, parktronic on/off, ECO on/off, AMG sport suspension, front seats ventilation, rear curtain, etc. The 'blanks' are for symmetric aesthetic purpose, I doubt there's a model that has every single slot populated.

2) The car will have passive park assist - i.e. there will be instructions on the screen how to turn the steering wheel. But I don't think that active park assist was ever available on the C207. Someone else might know....

3) The pano roof is cool and will also increase the resale value. The downsides: it takes-up internal space and reduces headroom in the cabin, so not ideal for tall drivers, and it can crack or even shatter either due to manufacturing defect or stone chip. It's a good idea to check that your insurer classifies the pano roof as 'window' and not as 'body panel'. But yes, overall it's a worthwhile addition to the car. Oh, it will also increase the weight of the car, but any impact on stability or fuel consumption will be negligible.

4) BlueTEC engines use Adblue (Urea) injection into the exhaust to reduce emissions. See also:

Mines parks itself once I say yes to ok.

Also look out for a 9g gearbox , it should be within your budget .
 
Here are some features for you to consider and look for...:

- COMAND infotainment system (as opposed to the Basic Audio20)
This comes with satnav, right? I'm not convinced any car's satnav is better than Waze on my phone
- Upgraded audio system (either Harman-Kardon or Burmesrer)

- Reverse camera

- Speed sign recognition
Seems a gimmick, no? I've driven 20 years without needing this feature.
- Driver aids pack that includes Distronic, lane keep assist, and bling spot assist
Gimmick?
- Electrically folding wing mirrors

- Intelligent Light Systems (ILS)
Is this where they come on themselves? I suppose it's nice to have but not something that will factor in my decision making
- Front fog lights (rear are standard)

- Full-electric memory front seats
I'm going to be the only driver - why would I need memory settings?
- Dynamic adjustable suspension
How can I tell from an ad if a car has this? I don't trust the text write ups from dealers as so many are incorrect
- Automatic transmission with manual mode ('flappy pedals')

- Ventilated front discs

- Full leather interior (as opposed to part-leather seats, fabric, or Artico)
All the cars I've seen have full leather seats but I don't know if they're real leather or imitation - anyway to tell?
- Designo interior

- Heated front seats

- Ventilated front seats
How do I spot ventilated front seats?
- Ambience / footwear lights

- Kerb lights

- Pano roof

- Auto dimming rear view mirror

- Privacy glass

- Keyless Go
Is Keyless Go a popular feature? I've not seen it on any of the 50 E220/350 models I've viewed
 
1) COMAND has built-in SatNav. Audio20 has optional Becker Map Pilot or Garmin Map Pilot 'add-on' SatNav. COMAND is the better unit and also has better sound etc. If you are using Waze, you could consider installing and aftermarket Apple CarPlay / Android Auto adapter.

2) Automatic headlamps is standard on all models. ILS is optional and comprises of bi-Xenon on earlier models and LED on later models, with the system sensing oncoming traffic and switching between high beam and low beam as needed.

3) The memory seats also have the wing mirrors tilting when reversing, plus they are full-electric.

4) There should be a button on the switch panel to adjust the suspension.

5) Only real leather smells like real leather... plus the Datacard will say either 'Leather' or 'Imitation leather'.

6) There will be two additional buttons next to the heated seat buttons with the sumbol of a seat.

As for gimmicks.... yes, some things are.

If you see a car you like, get its VIN and run it through a VIN decoder to see the Datacard showing all of the options fitted to the car.
 
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Would age play a factor in your decision making? I am seeing 2014 and 2015 models in the same £11-£1300 price range - eg: 2015, 80k miles, no pan roof vs 2014, 58k miles, pan roof - would you go for the 2015 model over a 2014 even if it has higher mileage or less options or would you recommend the best equipped car?

There's a lot of cars out there so for that reason I've ruled out 2013 models just on the basis of age.

All cars I am looking at seem to have the same spec (huge spec at that) COMAND, folding mirrors and parking guidance. About 1/3 have pan roofs, a few have reverse cameras, and a couple have HK audio so it's hard to choose between all these 2014/15 models. I'm thinking if it came to it - a car with a reverse camera is better than one with a pan roof but at the same time, if they all park themselves then why bother with a reverse camera?


Ooh, by the way, I found out what the blank buttons on the centre console is for - ventilated seats (but none of the cars have it).
 
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I personally would prefer a pano roof to a reversing camera, and just reverse slowly and use the packing sensor lights & audio beeps. I don't think many park themselves, but I'm happy to be corrected. I think most 'help you' with some onscreen assists.

You can check all of the options a car has by downloading the 'datacard'. If there is a car you're really interested in, get the VIN off the seller (I tend to say I want to do an HPI check, because if I say I want to look at the datacard they think I'm from Mars), and enter the VIN into www.lastvin.com, or a similar datacard producing site. This will also give you the seat 'leather' code as well, so you can check if real leather or not.

I thought I really wanted real leather when I was looking for my most recent car, and spent ages finessing over the detail of exact options. When the right car, colour, mileage, price, condition came up and by that time realising that 'the right car' doesn't hang around for more than about 24 hours, I jumped at it. It wasn't until the day after I bought it I realised I didn't even check if it was leather or artico 'man made leather'. The artico is pretty hard wearing, so I wouldn't have minded getting that and I've had it before. As it happens, it was nappa leather, so I got what I wanted but it just goes to show that some aspirations of kit are ultimately not that important...

you also mention keyless go. Now if there was ever an option NOT to have, that would be it. If you have a look on this forum (and basically search the keyless function on the internet) you will discover frightening numbers of people who have had their car stolen off their drives in the middle of the night. I personally wouldn't let it put me off, but I certainly wouldn't be seeking it out. If I had it, I'd be getting a faraday pouch AND a metal tin to put the car keys in every night, preferably at the rear of the house and not near the front door. The signal can be copied and the car taken. You'll be lucky if you get more than a crime reference number down the phone as the Police are overwhelmed.

One of the things I do value on a car purchase is matching, premium branded tyres on all 4 wheels with good tread depth remaining. This is for me an indicator that the car has been looked after, plus you then don' have either the financial headache for a while of putting decent tyres on (£400-500) or suffering rubbish tyres as you get some value back from them.

Any particular colour preference?
Good luck with your search 👍
 
Get the pano roof over the reverse camera. Well, it is far far easier to retrofit a reverse camera, than a pano roof.... ahmm.
 

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