E Class Estate for the Wife

[BelfastBill]

Hi all, I'm looking to buy an E Class estate for the wife any wondering what to expect for around 6 to 7K, high millage with a history not a problem. I was wondering about the smaller engines as I have a S Class w220 320 cdi and the engine is great,do I go for the 3.0 in the Eclass? Thanks for any help given, is there anything negative to look out for?

Cheer's Bill.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I came in to ask if the wife was good at cooking, painting etc. as after reading the title I misunderstood the request.

Will the car be doing a lot of miles and needs to be a diesel?
Watch out for the OM651 diesel, can be prolematic with leaks, with a 37k budget I'd think you could get a high mileage S212.

If you don't need a diesel and can hold off I'd go in search of a petrol but there are not a lot around.

Take the FSH of any seller with a pinch of salt, ask for it to be backed up with documentation.

Watch out for any service on the auto box, usual for folks to neglect these.

 

[Smiley]

At that sort of price level you are looking at either a late well looked after high spec 211 or early higher miles 212. If it were me I would find a really nice 3.0 litre late model 211 that has been well looked after. The signs of a well looked after one would be ATF and filter changes having been done (most are not) and no cheap Chinese tyres. On the 3.0 litre om642 engine check for oil leaks from the oil cooler; better still find one that's had the job done. The seals are cheap but a bit of a pita to get to.

 

[BelfastBill]

Thanks all, I just had the oil cooler done on my S Class w220 funny enough. If there is a problem I have good mechanic who will sort it for a decent price. What is the difference between the 211 and 212? is it just the shape or shape and year? thanks for the help and advice given.

Bill.

 

[Chugg]

Seems like a fair swap if they’ve both still got some mileage in them!!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I'd reinforce the point that you can get a great late S211 with a "respectable" service history for that kind of money.

Typically MB to start and then MB Independent thereafter.

As easy to find as Hens' dentures but they're there if you can be bothered to look.

To my eyes, they're better "value" than a 2010 S212 on 100k miles for the same money.

Look at this typical example of a 2008 car on 66k miles from a (cough) well-known Mercedes specialist dealer:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...100000&postcode=w1a1aa&sort=price-desc&page=1

 

[BelfastBill]

How come that vehicle is only 196BHP and not the 226 I think BHP. But looks very nice.

 

[hgb]

Lucky wife

 

[markjay]

The S211 and S212 are two different cars.

The 'Class' (e.g. E-Class) denotes the physical size and market segment, but E-Class cars from various eras will have little in common other than the above.

A later model will typically be 'more advanced', but crucially (for me) the later model will always be significantly safer than the older one.

That said, this is exactly why the older model will be cheaper - there's usually a 'gap' in pricing in a model-change year.

 

[markjay]

As for engines... if you do end-up buying a petrol, avoid the M271 engine with the timing gear issues.

 

[Smiley]

How come that vehicle is only 196BHP and not the 226 I think BHP. But looks very nice.

It's a 280cdi rather than a 320cdi. Same v6 3 litre engine; different state of tune. 320 probably more desirable but I would not rule out a good 280 as in the real world you will forget which one you have. Not too sure why MB sold the two models.

 

[AW8]

I own a 2011 S212 E220 CDI SE Estate currently circa 145k miles. Some on here have seen it...IMO it is presentable for age and mileage but I keep on top of things. FMBSH by 1st keeper...(work elsewhere when owned by me).

Mine had a new warrantied engine at around 40k (1st keeper hit a deep puddle). I find the engine & performance ample. An E250CDI I drove not significantly more urgent albeit a bit bit more going on. E350 CDI arguably the drivers diesel weapon of choice if numbers stack.

In 1st year since owning mine i have caused mine to have replacement rear brake lines & fluid, 2 rear suspension airbags, tyres, service + filters, exhaust clamp, bonnet release, battery, a rear top mount, tints, cosmetic tidying & sundry items. That lot stacks up , (north of £2k), My car is well cared for. Like plenty on here....I am fussy.

The money mentioned should get into an honest higher mileage S212 with history. Do put aside contingency funds to sort stuff.

S211 a fine vehicle. I have driven an E220CDI - ample power IMO for sensible driving.
Many prefer it & the styling. I personally would go for a face-lift model due to various improvements. I would look at the E320CDI if buying an S211 ..maybe a Brabus chipped one if able to find a genuine one. Don't dismiss lower powered models. The E280 CDI more than ample for most..some say smoother & better mpg than E320CDI.

Others may have more to add or have alternative views. Feel free to ask me, (or more experienced owners) , if you have any questions.

HTH

 

[Cons2348]

I own a 2011 S212 E220 CDI SE Estate currently circa 145k miles. Some on here have seen it...IMO it is presentable for age and mileage but I keep on top of things. FMBSH by 1st keeper...(work elsewhere when owned by me).

Mine had a new warrantied engine at around 40k (1st keeper hit a deep puddle). I find the engine & performance ample. An E250CDI I drove not significantly more urgent albeit a bit bit more going on. E350 CDI arguably the drivers diesel weapon of choice if numbers stack.

In 1st year since owning mine i have caused mine to have replacement rear brake lines & fluid, 2 rear suspension airbags, tyres, service + filters, exhaust clamp, bonnet release, battery, a rear top mount, tints, cosmetic tidying & sundry items. That lot stacks up , (north of £2k), My car is well cared for. Like plenty on here....I am fussy.

The money mentioned should get into an honest higher mileage S212 with history. Do put aside contingency funds to sort stuff.

S211 a fine vehicle. I have driven an E220CDI - ample power IMO for sensible driving.
Many prefer it & the styling. I personally would go for a face-lift model due to various improvements. I would look at the E320CDI if buying an S211 ..maybe a Brabus chipped one if able to find a genuine one. Don't dismiss lower powered models. The E280 CDI more than ample for most..some say smoother & better mpg than E320CDI.

Others may have more to add or have alternative views. Feel free to ask me, (or more experienced owners) , if you have any questions.

HTH

Hi I have the E280 Cdi Sport. 14 years young with 132,000 on the clock. Bought with no knowledge of any Mercedes but fishing rods did not fit in the old jag.
Just got to say I totally love it. Think I have become very sad, no longer listen to music, just listen to the engine and gear changes. Am I the only one?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

As an aside, it's worth mentioning that Chris Harris used to run an E320 S211, as "the Wife's car," replacing it later with an E250 S212.

Which kind of reaffirms that a "modestly" powered S212 ticks the boxes for for Das Familienwagen.

 

[BelfastBill]

It will be the Diesel E 280 OR 320 OR MAYBE 350I, I prefer the bigger engines for when I borrow it for my fishing trips.
Many thanks for all your input.

 

[Dichtung]

Don`t those big V6 diesels have balance shaft issues?

 

[BelfastBill]

Thanks all, still looking but there are a few out there. I will have to look at both and let the wife choose, I would prefer the 3.0 Engine but knowing her she will probably want the newer E250 which does seem to have a lot of power for a smaller engine, my S Class W220 is only 204 bhp and I thing the E250 is over 200bhp I will keep you posted as we might be looking this weekend.

Thanks Bill.

 

[glojo]

The S211 and S212 are two different cars.

The 'Class' (e.g. E-Class) denotes the physical size and market segment, but E-Class cars from various eras will have little in common other than the above.

A later model will typically be 'more advanced', but crucially (for me) the later model will always be significantly safer than the older one.

That said, this is exactly why the older model will be cheaper - there's usually a 'gap' in pricing in a model-change year.

Hi Mark,
I am not so sure that the V6 was an improvement over the straight six. Was the excellent straight six given its marching orders purely because Mercedes wanted to have the one 3ltr diesel engine throughout their range and that straight six was just too long. Here we are in 2020 and hey presto, goodbye to that V6 from the E-class and other modedls Totally agree with your other observations.

If the author could have waited another six months My wife's S211 will be up for sale

 

[markjay]

Hi Mark,
I am not so sure that the V6 was an improvement over the straight six. Was the excellent straight six given its marching orders purely because Mercedes wanted to have the one 3ltr diesel engine throughout their range and that straight six was just too long. Here we are in 2020 and hey presto, goodbye to that V6 from the E-class and other modedls Totally agree with your other observations.

If the author could have waited another six months My wife's S211 will be up for sale

I agree that newer models are generally improved, though there my always be one or two areas where the older model was in fact better.

As for the Straight-6 vs V6 debate... yes, the main reason would have been that the V6 fits is smaller cars down the range. But setting that aside, a V6 engine reduces the overhang at the front, and also lowers the centre of gravity, both of which help improve handling. Not something I care about personally, I drive an Executive SE with the higher soft-sprung suspension and 16" wheels - I can't remember when was the last time I took a turn with vigor... well, it would have been in the Alfasud ti, that had the fantastic flat-4 boxer engine.... many many years ago.

 

[edgersoldchap]

I have just traded in my 2004 S211 e320 CDI for an S213 E220d. My S211 had the straight six engine which I found to be a bit noisy compared with the V6. I had to change my car because of continuing problems with the self-levelling suspension (a common problem) that had plagued it for a long time - 5 years actually. I put up with the left rear continually sinking down overnight because it was such a great car that otherwise had been very reliable. It always came back up within a minute or so of starting the engine but it was so annoying. My indie had tried to find the cause of the problem without success replacing control units, compressors, sensors and monitoring the air bags for leaks, and I was thinking of converting it to a standard coil set up but then the reluctor ring on one of the drive shafts needed replacing (another common issue that the ESP/ABS system depends on to function correctly). It would have cost £1500+ to fix with a service and MOT due in December. So I decided to change it - a pity really as it had only done 83K miles.

Personally, I would go for the newest one, either S211 or S212 that I could afford and not be too bothered about high mileage as long as the service history is complete with other receipts for work done on repairs etc. I had 13 years of these for my S211 for every job that had been done but even so the low mileage for its age did not mean it was problem free.

The power difference between the 3.2 litre 6 cylinder engine of the S211 and the 2 litre 4 cylinder of the S213 is only 10 bhp so that shows how much more efficient the newer engines are, so don't be misled by engine size. Over 60,000 miles my S211 averaged 27-30mpg on mostly short trips of rural driving (37-39mpg could be achieved on long motorway trips) - I have kept a record of all fill-ups (what a nerd!).