E class W212 drivers - what made you choose over BMW/Audi/Jag

[S-class]

Hi Guys

Was just wondering to those of you who were driving the W212, did you consider the other brands and if so why did you still choose the Merc? I've test driven the XF so far and although the interior looked good, it felt a bit cheap and not as solid as the Merc..

 

[developer]

Because I needed the largest estate available (and therefore S212), though 525hp is a bonus .

 

[Red C220]

We pick up our 212 Estate in two weeks time.

We also tested

Jag XF Sportbrake
Audi A6 Avant
BMW 5 Touring

Mrs Red is disabled and finds getting in and out of the car hard work, so ease of entry/exit is important as well as boot capacity so we can get her wheelchair and walking frame in at once without a complete dismantle.

We also have dogs, so the pull up cargo net thing in the rear load cover is a must for us.

We found the following:-

Jag XF Sportbrake 2.2d - we really liked this car, it drove nicely and was comfortable.
The sills are quite wide though so entry exit was compromised slightly.
No cargo net thing was fitted or available so we would have had to have a substantial metal framework to fit in the back of the car.

Lots of things that should be standard on a vehicle of this value were not - parking sensors, heated seats, folding mirrors etc

The dealer didn't bother to provide us with figures for the car despite taking us out for a test drive.


BMW 5 Series I like the look of the new shape, we'd go with an SE out of choice though because of seating. We tried two dealers, neither of whom had an SE model on the premises or were able to get on in for us to look at, they only had M sport models.

The side bolsters on the M Sport seats made it difficult for Mrs Red to get in and out. As no SE's were available and no much interest was shown in actually finding us one to try, we left it there.

Audi A6 Despite having to look on the boot lid to tell which was the A4 or the A6 there is a big difference on the inside. The A6 is more comfortable and well equipped. But it suffers the same problem with big bolsters as the BMW M sport and it also had wider sills. So that made getting in and out a chore.


The E class won for the following reasons.

Physically getting in and out for Mrs Red was by far easier in this car than any of the other three.

The AMG Sport version has just the right balance of bolster support without being a bucket. Plus the standard seats come with suede like centres which we really like and prefer over leather.

The boot is simply vast, it comes standard with the cargo net, sat nav, parking sensors all round, power tailgate and heated seats. In fact the standard spec had absolutely everything we would want. Although we chose to add Pano roof, reverse camera, black ash wood and Intelligent Lights.

Plus we selected the direct control suspension no cost option - this is SE suspension on the AMG Sport Model - so in theory should be a bit more comfy.

We have a C class now so we had a familiarity with the dealer which made the buying process easier. They were helpful throughout and very keen to keep an existing customer.

Plus the deal we got was good. The E class had everything we wanted.

I would have liked the E350 diesel out of choice, but we're never going to use the extra grunt and it was top of our budget and some. So we decided to go with the E220cdi Auto and add the goodies above instead.

I figure if we find the 220 slightly slow we can always add a tuning box to take it to 200+ hp if needed. On the test drive it didn't feel slow at all.

We're really looking forward to collecting it at the end of the month.

 

[daveenty]

Had a Jag (XFR) for 12 months before I got the W212, and an Audi (S8) prior to that. No experience with BMW so can't comment on those.

Loved the Audi,but wanted a change after three years so went with the Jag as I'd fancied one for a while. Everything was fine on it though I just didn't bond for some reason. Liked the engine, gearbox was reasonably quick though could have done with another gear or two which I believe has now been done in the 2014 models. Mine was a 2012 6 speed.

Not overly fussed about the interior, functional but not exactly inspiring. Didn't like the touch screen as it felt laggy and it was annoying to keep having to adjust things like seat heating through it all the time. Definitely not a fan of the bodywork. Panel fit was, to be honest, atrocious. Irregular gaps all over, bonnet vents rattly and it just felt like it had been built to a price.

Sorry, started rambling there... As for the Merc, I was after one for a while, even before I bought the Jag, but couldn't find one I liked. All of a sudden (just after the facelift model appeared) a couple popped up so I went looking at them. First was pre-facelift and, whilst being nice with most toys, would have left me knowing that I should have bought the later model. As soon as I saw the one I now own I knew that it was the one.

Just a nice place to be really, well put together and a pleasure to drive.

 

[S-class]

Thanks Guys for the replies so far, I've only driven the C which felt really well made, going to test drive the E soon and am expecting it to be even better, pretty sure I'll end up buying one as it ticks all the right boxes! just need to narrow down the spec now.
Struggling to find info on the Exec SE spec so may just have to try another dealer, the first one i've spoken to wasnt very helpful and couldnt tell me the differences between avantgarde and Exec SE, its a shame really as the cars looked really nice, just let down by the service/lack of info.

 

[kam09]

At the time it was the best option looks wise but now having driven an audi a7 for a weekend I now want the a7 when prices drop a little bit! Most likely go for 61 plate as I don't do finance! Overall audi quality is so much better now than mb both on outside and inside, you get more options as standard eg sat Nav keyless go dab radio etc but for me crucially a7 looks are much nicer on the eye than the mb equivalent such as cls & e class.. You just get more for your money!

 

[kam09]

Btw I can't stand exec or se specs , sport and s line only!

 

[Red C220]

Thanks Guys for the replies so far, I've only driven the C which felt really well made, going to test drive the E soon and am expecting it to be even better, pretty sure I'll end up buying one as it ticks all the right boxes! just need to narrow down the spec now.
Struggling to find info on the Exec SE spec so may just have to try another dealer, the first one i've spoken to wasnt very helpful and couldnt tell me the differences between avantgarde and Exec SE, its a shame really as the cars looked really nice, just let down by the service/lack of info.

We've had our c class for three years, it's the best car we've owned.

Reliable and economical.

The E Class just felt a more comfortable place to be. It's a bigger car and rides like a bigger car.

I will be interested to look at the new C class estate though, it looks like they've done a good job with it.

 

[stevehg]

BMW Touring - liked most things apart from rear space and size of boot. List prices about the same as others but a £3-4K higher after deals available.

Audi A6 - spec is not as good as others, and personally not as much of a fan of DSG as most people seem to be. Again lacking in rear space and boot size. New ultra engines means 2.0 diesel in A6 is probably best of the bunch when looking at the 2.0/2.2 options. Deals were also very good with £8+ off readily available and ended up being cheapest.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake - spec confusing and frankly gave up working out all the various options between business, luxury, premium luxury, luxury premium business...
Rear space seemed to be the worse out of all (I have 3 teenage children)
2.2 seems to come with 17"s only
Not looking forward to cleaning that grille!
Pricing was good when I ordered in June, about on par with eclass, but you have 3 years serving included too.

So I went for e220 AMG sport auto estate with about £2K options on top. I liked the exterior colour and interior combos on eclass, good spec, size in the rear and the boot (2 Labradors), the classic look and deals meant that pricing was good too. Plan to get a remap after it done a 1000 miles or so.

To be fair there is not much to choose between them all, and I suspect for most it will come down to personal choice, unless you need the extra boot space of the eclass that is. Audi certainly comes out the cheapest after deals.

Hope this helps

 

[gIzzE]

The E Class is the biggest in the class load space wise.

That is where positives ends I'm afraid to say.

The 5 Series is more comfortable and handles so much better, but is smaller in Touring guise by a long shot.
I had one before the 212, and in hindsight should have never swapped for the E350, but I loved my previous 211 so much that I had to have an E Estate back in my life.
I tried to love it, I really did, but I just preferred the previous model so much more.

The A6 is pretty damned good, I have had the previous A6 and the one before that and the new one is where Audi finally get it right, but only good in Quattro guise and a 3.0tdi Quattro avant with some basic options is silly money, far too overpriced.
But great car.


I think the new C Class is a step above the current E and really looking forward to seeing what the W213 has to offer. I think Merc have just had their time with cheaper interior materials like BMW did with the E60 and now realising they need quality again, you can tell this with the materials on the W205.
Unless you get an AMG with extended leather and the superb AMG seats, it can feel a bit.....hmmm?

But that is just my opinion.

 

[Contractor]

Bought new E350 BlueTec facelift last year.
Didn't like the interior trim on the Jag XF.
Audi A6 - My wife thought the interior a little too bland and austere though no arguing against the quality. So we had a test drive in BMW530 and pre-facelift E350cdi. The two were tied for me and I could certainly have taken both and may have even gone to the 535 if I had taken the BMW. I like the Merc 7 spd auto even though the BMW was an 8spd. However I've always dreamed of owning an E class, reinforced every time I get picked up by a German taxi. For me it was a decision of the heart not the head. I'm still loving it every time I get in.

 

[effbee584]

Bought a 3.0 S XF a year ago rather than changing the 7yr old CLS for a W212. After a year, although I really like the XF, don't feel re-assured by build quality and panel fit, touch screen is very poor. Not had any problem at all, and how they get such a good ride on 20" wheels and 35 profile tyres is miraculous. Will look at the XE next year, but one of the 6 cyl BMW's is most likely. Really don't like the stick up screen in most of the current Mercs, and that's what you see all the time, so not for me until it's integrated.
Really like the centre console in the new C, that design is what they all need; if only they could put that screen into the dash somehow.

 

[The Polisher]

I came out of an Audi A4 Avant, but needed a bigger car due to 2 young children.

I looked at A6 Estate, BMW 5 Series Touring and the E Class.

I dismissed the A6, as I'd just done 141,000 miles looking at an Audi badge and wanted a change. But, the A6 was a bit bland to be honest.

I fancied the BMW 520d SE Touring, but when I drove it, the interior felt........ sort of hemmed in and almost claustrophobic due to the way the dash and transmission tunnel are wrapped around you. i didn't like it at all.

Sat in the E Class estate, and it was so light and airy with the feel of quality. I fell in love instantly.

I also needed to retro fit a towbar and the BMW was going to be a right pain to do, the Merc wasn't easy but at least I could get it done.

Another big push was the dealer attitude. I do about 45k a year, so its in for servicing 3 times a year. BMW dealers were arrogant and really weren't interested. The Merc dealer couldn't have been more helpful. I use Mercedes of Stratford Upon Avon.
They were so good, and still are, in fact my Mum has just bought a new C Class AMG from them!
Size, space, comfort, build quality for me.
I'm 15 months and 55k in so far, love it and don't regret for one minute.

 

[GH421]

Whoops

 

[Deadhead]

Last September I looked at the Audi A6, BMW 5 and S212 to replace my 59 reg E220 estate. The BMW 520D SE Touring was a great drive, but I much preferred the 5 series GT that I also drove - more comfortable, spacious and apparently well-built than the estate. Of course its pretty fugly, but then so am I. The clincher was that the dogs wouldn't fit in the back.

The Audi A6 interior seemed a bit generic Volkswagen rather than the really special place feel of previous Audis that I have been in. The clincher was when the salesman on a test drive suggested that I take it down a B road. The ride was, frankly, appalling. It crashed and banged into every minor imperfection. Many years ago I had a Rover 800 for a few days whilst my company car was being repaired. It managed the rare trick of cornering like the suspension was made of soft marshmallow and riding like it was made from bricks. The A6 didn't corner like that but the ride certainly brought memories back. I'm not as young as I was and now I value a comfortable ride much higher than sporty handling.

As soon as I sat in the drivers seat of the E220 SE estate I knew that it was the car for me. Everything felt more solid than my S211 but also light and airy. It also had more kit as standard than the BMW. On a test drive it clearly had both more go and a smoother ride than my previous Avantgarde spec vehicle.

The dealer wanted to start from £399 for a PCP so I let things lapse while I did some more research. In April this year I went into another branch of the same dealer chain on a whim and they had old-model C class estates at £299 PCP which I dismissed because the new one was almost here. I looked at the new C saloon and the interior seemed much nicer. Anyway while I was there I noticed that they also had E220 SE auto estates at the same price i.e. £100 a month less than the price had been six months earlier. It didn't take long to decide.

 

[Teflonso]

Yep, I'm on the same page as several previous posters, who needed a big estate.

The XF was the choice with the heart and I waited 12 months until the Sportbrake came out. When it did, the boot was too shallow to take my bespoke wheelchair and the salesmen acted like I had something unpleasant on the bottom of my shoe.

A6 Avant very nearly got the gig. I've had one before and loved it. The Multitronic box is my all time favourite and I got close to a reasonable deal.

3.0 Quatto versus E250 was always going to go to the Audi, but then I tried the E350 and the decision became a lot more difficult. After hawking around half a dozen dealers I finally got a cracking discount and the deed was done.

I don't regret it for a minute, although when electrical gremlins come along I'll wish I was with plug-your-laptop-in, inexpensive and powerful VCDS diagnostics rather than trusting someone else to use Star.

Did I mention the BMW 5 Series? Never considered it. I'd rather have diphtheria than a BMW.

.

 

[Crazyfool]

I've owned Audis for 12 years now and I was on the verge of replacing my A4 for a 3.0TDI A6 S-Line Quattro when I had my second major engine malfunction. The first one last year cost me £1200 to repair based on a good will gesture. The worst I've heard is £9k and this was at 50k miles! At 64k miles this year, I had to have the engine rebuilt at a potential price of £5,500. Audi are advising millions of affected customers that this is due to normal wear and tear when they know it's actually down to a manufacturing issue on a specific engine and age! Worse still the same engine is used in VW, Seat and Skoda. I went ballistic with Audi uk and as a consequence only paid £370, which I'm still not happy about, but because of this, in some ways I have been forced into changing my car choice.

I am happy to say, I'm glad I have made the choice to change. I initially looked at the Jeep Grande Cherokee, but then realised I really didn't need a 4x4 despite what my wife wants. Then I looked at the XF Sportbrake, but don't feel it's going to give me the space I now require. I've always liked the 5 series until I sat in one not that long ago. To be quite frank, the design of BMW's bore me.

Then I went to Mercedes World and sat in an E-Class and that was it. I know hardly anything about them, but I just know I want one. My only real reservation is the rear wheel drive system because I would prefer the Quattro or equivalent, but ultimately I've made my decision.

Despite my Audi woes, my 96 V6 Audi convertible is fantastic.

 

[Fudger]

It is probably a bit late to comment but I pick up my new E250 Estate tomorrow but I went through all the options and dilemma previously mentioned.

In the end, it came down to what I liked to be in the most and dealer attitude. The 5 series was very nice but at 48, I felt too old for it and the wife hated the ride and the dealer attitude.

The Audi A6 was very bland and, for me, did not have any class IMHO.

The Jag build quality did not 'appear' to be anywhere near as good and the dealer attitude was appalling. It was as though he was interviewing me to see if he would allow me to have one!

I sat in the E Class and immediately thought 'yes'.

It was not any more complicated than that really.

 

[Dave-ERY]

I had a BMW520se for 6 weeks, got rid of it because it rode like hell... hard as concrete. Went for a Jag 3.0 premium, and loved it... initially, as coming from the BM the ride was good, and the engine/gearbox combination superb... a real drivers car. However, and I am in the minority here although other professional reviewers have noted it as well, the 'secondary' ride quality got very annoying and 'jiggly' on our usual poor road surfaces here.

I did go for the Spires suspension change in an effort to make things better, which they did, but still felt things were just 'not quite right'.

I am now on my second W212, and the ride is just what I want.. comfortable but not wallowy, and for me also perfectly good as a drivers car when I want to push it. If I have any gripes, is that there is some road noise penetrating the cabin on some road surfaces.

As to dealers, the Jag was the best, Merc acceptable, BMW shear rubbish (they think they are doing you a favour selling you a car and their arrogance is astonishing)

 

[RWDpetrol]

I just bought a 535i Touring and there are only two reasons where I think an E class is better:

- third row seats
- they make an AMG

Unfortunately, I don't need the third row of seats and my C63 Estate was enough to put me off buying an E63 Estate.