E240 or E270cdi ?

[goalc]

Hi

I'm new here, but not new to Mercs....

I'm looking to get a new E class, but can't decide on whether to go for an E240 or E270cdi. I do quite a bit of town driving and have heard that the 270 is noisy in this type of situation. I would look to keep the car for maybe 5 years, so the issue of getting over the 50k miles to justify the diesel is not an issue (I guess the bigger issue is psychologically getting over buying a diesel !)

Has anyone got any comments on the two cars compared to each other.

Which will hold its value best ? Is the diesel really noisy in town driving ? Is the 240 really gutless in mid range acceleration compared to the 270 ? Again, I've seen on here that there are reliability issues with the cdi engines - is this a big problem, or are they isolated instances ?

Finally, I would like to get the panoramic roof option - can anyone who has thsi comment on if it is worth the money, and if you notice that it is noisy at speed ?

many thanks for your help....

goalc

 

[Mr E]

Hi,

I don't find the diesel too noisy around town - it's there but not obtrusive. This is my first diesel - no regrets whatsoever!

I had a demonstrator for 3 days that had the Panoramic roof - decided not to go for it as I couldn't see the point. I found it noisy when open (if I remember rightly it rides over the screen in the rear) and I'm not a great lover of sunroofs anyway....... Mind you, the kids loved the way that the blinds rolled into the mid section on the roof. I saved the money and went for some other bits and bobs to make 40k miles a year more bearable

I'm surprised of hearing about reliability - there's a good number here in the office (spread across a number of models) and no-one has a bad thing to say about them. As most of us are "mobile" and do 30-50k a year I'm sure any major issues would have surfaced.

 

[Vlad]

Personally I would plump for the 270, due to the much better fuel economy...fuel prices are only going to go one way! I have heard that the 240's are thirsty and gutless engines.

Secondly, the extra torque of a diesel will make it much quicker through the gears than the 240 petrol.

Thirdly, better resale values and lower insurance

Lastly, I think that when most people change over to diesels, they rarely go back to petrol.

I accept that the diesel will be noisier, but this is normally only when they are cold and as diesels go the 270 is pretty refined and has a nice 5 cylinder warble to it.

 

[glojo]

Come May/June the new 280CDI will become available, I do not know what the waiting time is at present but I thought I had best mention it.

Regarding the 240 or 270, I would ask the dealer to supply a demonstrator for you to try. If they cannot supply one I would be more than a little surprised. All of us that have the diesel would quite possibly suggest you go for the 270, but at the end of the day the decision is yours. Residuals for diesel powered vehicles are indeed higher and stops at fuel stations are fewer. I put up factual figures for noise levels and as soon as you go above 30mph the diesel is just as quiet as the petrol equivalent, below that there are just a few decibels difference.

If you look at the price of the petrol 320 and compare it to the 320CDI you will see there is no price difference in favour of the petrol. In fact just the opposite. Any price difference between the 240 and the 270 needs to be looked at more closely.

Good luck with your decision,
John

 

[marc777]

Take out an example of each.

You'll get the E270 just because it feels geeeeeaaaaatt, compared with the 240.

I came from an e240, and its very unlikely i'll go back to petrol unless its 4 litres plus.

Residuals, economy and get up and go!

And get the pano roof.

Time and time again its one of the features that set the car apart from "the one next door". Get it for the fact that it lightens the whole interior. Front and back. With the avantgarde you get blue tinted windows, and the whole look from both inside and out is reallt worth it. I don't care whether, as an extra, it has any residual value. I enjoy the "openness" of the car and it looks the business with a silver car. If you go for black the contrast is not as great.

I have car dealers and automotive consultants as clients, and all think the roof help make the car.

Good luck.

PM me if any specific questions.

I have had mine for 2 years and done 32000 and it is by far and away the best car I have ever had.

Marc

 

[fabio1]

Salve,

If you are going for petrol and if I was you I would opt for E200 Kompressor or the E240 and of the basis of torque spread, weight, and economy.

 

[marcos]

Whilst I have had a few problems with my E320 CDI it's still the best car I've owned. When looking at the W211 I test drove a E270 CDI and it was that experience that made me get a diesel. I opted for the E320CDI just to treat myself really but the 270 is a smashing car, fast, comfy, smooth and you get good economy to boot, who could ask for more

 

[tone]

Basically this questions is down to diesel or petrol isnt it.
With the diesel fans all going on about the economy and residuals while telling us theres almost no difference in noise i have to ask the question, are you all deaf ?
I have had recently changed from a BMW 728 where i couldnt tell the car running at standstill to a E270 CDi which sounds like a tractor at standstill and im sorry but the damn thing is just noisy, theres no other way of putting it.
I will however concede that at motorway speeds there no noticable difference and there is more power and while the E270 is excellent in every other respect i am sure so will the E240 be.
Where you notice this most is waiting at traffic lights, especially if you have the window wound down, if you can put up with this then great otherwise i would suggest you opt for the petrol. You will all agree we seem to spend more time at standstill these days then actually moving.
And finally lets be honest if your spending around 30 grand on a car should fuel consumption be the highest priority.
I think i personally got it wrong and should have bought the petrol but am holding on as i am told it will show improvement after 6,000 miles or so, i will believe that when i see it.

 

[glojo]

Hi Tone,
My personal opnion is that the 5 cylinder 270 is slightly noisier than the 320, but I truthfully want to avoid the 'my car is quieter than your car' post. The post I supplied with figures does unfortunately relate to the 320 straight six. I did try to get more detailed information on the other CDI's but sadly it has not arrived.

Noise is always a very subjective issue, some people say diesels are extremely loud and would never buy one, others comment on how quiet they are, hence my own need to resolve this issue by getting the facts from the manufacturer. Not a journalist trying to appease the supplying dealer, not from a diesel or petrol lobby, but Mercedes-Benz. I just wish I could obtain the figures for the engines.

Regards again,
John

 

[KLP 92]

I had a E240 courtesy car and my friend has a E270 CDI. We both went to Leeds from London aand in all honesty i struggled to keep up with him all the way. Very smooth drive from the petrol but his drank £10 less and was noticeably faster on the motorway.
And believe it or not the E320 CDI give a 500 a good run for its money!

 

[adam1]

Could you stretch to the E350 with less options. Now that is a good engine. It really is about petrol vs diesel but if your doing low miles like me or have a second car i would opt for the petrol but not the 240 since it lacks torque cf to the 270.

 

[Mondorich]

OK guys, here goes my first post...

Our local M-B dealer is offering a "complimentary engine upgrade" of an E320CDI for the price of an E270CDI if you "invest" in a new E Class before 31 December.

www.mercedes-benzofbedford.co.uk

Might be worth a punt.

 

[Brian WH]

OK guys, here goes my first post...

Our local M-B dealer is offering a "complimentary engine upgrade" of an E320CDI for the price of an E270CDI if you "invest" in a new E Class before 31 December.

www.mercedes-benzofbedford.co.uk

Might be worth a punt.

Sounds a good deal if you were ordering anyway.

 

[Vlad]

OK guys, here goes my first post...

Our local M-B dealer is offering a "complimentary engine upgrade" of an E320CDI for the price of an E270CDI if you "invest" in a new E Class before 31 December.

www.mercedes-benzofbedford.co.uk

Might be worth a punt.

Nice one!

 

[goalc]

OK guys, here goes my first post...

Our local M-B dealer is offering a "complimentary engine upgrade" of an E320CDI for the price of an E270CDI if you "invest" in a new E Class before 31 December.

www.mercedes-benzofbedford.co.uk

Might be worth a punt.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I have also heard about this offer, but there are certain conditions that apply, such as :

> it does not apply to a new car you spec yourself - it is one that they already have sitting around
> the engine upgrade doesnt work as it sounds - if you go for a 270, they actually price it as a 220cdi - you dont get an upgrade to a 320cdi

having said that I am seeing what is available !

 

[glojo]

having said that I am seeing what is available !

The 320CDI is an excellent engine (I would love to have seen that German lady drive an E320CDI on Top Gear)

However it must be the colour and spec that you want, not what the dealer has 'laying around' Will the dealer try locating a vehicle across the UK, or are you only allowed to choose what he has on his books?

The 320 comes with a number of standard fittings that are options on the 270, so that must also be a further plus.

Good luck, and please keep us informed,
Regards,
John

 

[fuzzer]

There is no reason to buy a petrol E class at the moment unless you really don't like the noise.

Why buy a 240 when you can have a 270cdi? Why buy a 350 when you can have a 320 cdi ?

I personally have been converted by the diesel engines.

The only one i would be sticky over is a 200k or a 220 CDI . Both are torquey and offer lots of MPG.

 

[bigtruth]

Sorry gentlemen and ladies, I beg to disagree, the noise and the smoke put me off, if you can afford a car of more than 30K, I think fuel economy should'nt be an issue, I wonder why we have not seen so many sport cars running CDI engines. I have had both Petrol and CDI, it gets to you when you drive in the city most of the time.

I am currently driving E240, I made a mistake not buying E320 but anyhow it will still be petrol engine, my next car will definitely be the 350 Engine.

 

[glojo]

I wonder why we have not seen so many sport cars running CDI engines. I have had both Petrol and CDI, it gets to you when you drive in the city most of the time.

SMOKE, SMOKE!!!!!!! I would go ballistic if our car smoked, even my children don't smoke.

If these diesel engines were as you described then there is no way that AMG would build a coupe powered by this 'noisey, smokey' engine??

I respect your opinion, but on this occassion I respectfully do not accept it. What a great pity there are no Mercedes-Benz diesel AMG's being imported into this country.

Regards,
Smokey John

 

[marcos]

Sorry gentlemen and ladies, I beg to disagree, the noise and the smoke put me off, if you can afford a car of more than 30K, I think fuel economy should'nt be an issue,

Because a E240 can't keep up with an E500 cos it has no torque

Torque talks and the diesel engines have it by the bucketload, just watch an E320 CDI compared to an E350 accelerate at cruising speeds.
Yes it's noisier at tickover and slightly annoys me when cold but makes up for it when driven, and I came from a 240 V6.