Hello I'm NEW! 2007 E500 Questions!

[jumperjohn]

Hello to all, my very first post!

I am a newbie looking for advice!

I currently own a Lexus GS300, new shape and for the past 3 years it’s been a great car. Due to a change in circumstances though, a baby, a girl, she cries quite a lot, but so lovely, anyway, I would like an estate for all her prams and for all the things she needs.

My engine choices are limited. I can’t have a diesel as my commute is only 5 miles a day, very lucky, so I think that if I have a diesel I will break it due to not getting it hot and therefore clogging filters etc so I’m limited to a petrol engine and I think I may have found the ideal car.

I am looking at a 2007 E500 estate, 5.5 V8. Out of all the engines I think I have found one of the biggest that Mercedes do! I have looked at insurance quotes, a first hit of £700 is ok, I’m sure to find cheaper. Servicing doesn’t seem too bad and a warranty comes in at around £580 (warranty direct) and mpg is negated due to my approx 8k miles a year, although quoted mpg figures seem very good.

So all is good and you’re probably wondering what I have to worry about, two things, the first I would like to hear from members who have had an E class or another class with this engine and would like to know if there are any issues with reliability or other concerns? Is this size engine good fun, maybe a silly question? Do you mind the extra costs or does the engine make up for the expense?

The biggest question is this, how do I convince the wife? She thinks that the choice of a 5.5 litre is almost vulgar and the fact that this car has 60k miles she thinks its high mileage. What can I say to appease her, or is this impossible because it’s a car and she a woman?

Anyway any advice and recommendations would be good!

 

[brucemillar]

Welcome

Get a new wife this will be cheaper and less hassle.

The 5.5 V8 is a great engine and at 60k miles should be just about running in now.

Make sure you get all of the correct warranty/agreements in place before buying and you should be fine.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I had an E500 estate from 04, so pre-facelift and a lower state of tune, but nevertheless plentiful power and torque, plus a quite superb ride. MPG for your use will be quite horrible - it will not warm up and low mileage commuting is not going to do the engine any favours long term.

No issues with reliability of the later cars that I am aware, I only sold it because of the aborted intention of Ken Livingstone to introduce a £25 a day congestion charge without residents' discounts. I suspect though by now I would have sold it for something more economical. Expect the depreciation to be vertiginous.

60k is peanuts mileage. Not for me to say how to deal with SWMBO, not having one, but an E350 would be a very adequate substitute (or a mistress, probably cheaper).

Have fun, regardless!

 

[corned]

Firstly, welcome aboard John!

Secondly, on a 5-mile commute, you're not going to get any car warmed up, diesel or petrol. So you are not going to see much more than low to mid teen mpg with an E500.

On the plus side, the E Class is enormous, so all the baby kit will be an absolute doddle. And they are rather nice places to travel in, regardless of distance. Mileage is nothing to these cars.

One notable member on here, LondonScottish, has an E500 estate, but I think it's a pre-facelift (pre-2006) version, so I think has the 5-litre motor, not the 5.5. His advice would be useful to you I'm sure.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Hi,Welcome to the forum.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

I would also agree the fuel will be poor, very poor, probably in the low teens...

It will however carry everything you should ever need, we changed from an ML to the S211 and its a very comfy car. Carries everything easiliy.

Not sure how you can sell it to the wife, is it a nice colour...

 

[jumperjohn]

Thank you all for your welcome.

I agree the mpg will be awful going to and from work, it is in the Lexus at the moment, mid teens. I'm hoping that I won't break the engine just doing the 5 mile return journey during the week though. I'll return to cycling to work once winter is over! I will do a lot more mileage at the weekend, average 100miles, more during spring/summer.

I have tried to sell the idea to her and I think she's coming round to it. It's silver with cream leather an a lot of extras, Harman Kardon upgrade too (is this good?).

I did have a call from the dealer today and I found out it also has an 'electric easy load system' where the loading tray moves out of the car. I am going to use this to try and convince the wife that this option will enhance our lives immeasurably....

 

[corned]

You sound like you know what you are in for, so that's good!

Best bet would be to ensure that your wife goes along with you for the test drive. Let the car do the talking!

Yes, HK sound is a good thing. Again, let your wife explore all the features and benefits, and I think you should have little resistance after that. Good luck!

I'm surprised that it has the loading tray though. I thought MB discontinued that even before the facelift cars came out?

 

[thebook]

Tell her it will go with her shoes, handbags, dresses etc and that her bum won't look big in it... Failing that, just get it anyway and worry about the consequences later - at least you can make a fast get away and sleep in it if necessary

 

[st4]

On such a short journey each day the fuel consumption is an irrelevance. It'll not cost much. Great choice of car and nothing to worry about at all. Ensure spark plugs have been changed and ATF changed. You'll love this car.

 

[smillion]

Nice choice of car. My E55 did a 3 mile each way commute without problem.

Hopeless in the snow it has to be said, improved just slightly by winter tyres

My car was a 2004 with 50,000. Main cost was front struts with air suspension. £1600 each ;(

So do check these ....
Marc

 

[Londonscottish]

Thank you all for your welcome.

I agree the mpg will be awful going to and from work, it is in the Lexus at the moment, mid teens. I'm hoping that I won't break the engine just doing the 5 mile return journey during the week though. I'll return to cycling to work once winter is over! I will do a lot more mileage at the weekend, average 100miles, more during spring/summer.

I have tried to sell the idea to her and I think she's coming round to it. It's silver with cream leather an a lot of extras, Harman Kardon upgrade too (is this good?).

I did have a call from the dealer today and I found out it also has an 'electric easy load system' where the loading tray moves out of the car. I am going to use this to try and convince the wife that this option will enhance our lives immeasurably....

Is this autotrader car? I think I've seen it (on Autotrader I mean)

If so, it's got a monster spec. I've got a similarly-specced 2005 E500 (the pre-facelift 5.0 version)

The HK in mine is fabulous - by far and away the best sound system I've ever had in any car.

That one also has some unusual options - heated steering wheel (!), heated rear seats (!!) and vented fronts (the latter are superb in summer). And linguatronic which I have never tried.

It's got the leccie tailgate (I find this v useful) and parking sensors (ditto). And electric memory seats, mirrors and steering column (again v useful). And phone pre-wire (ditto). It's got the 17 in rims which are a good compromise between comfort and looks.

Being a 500 I'd imagine it's also got quad zone a/c (we use this all the time when kids are in the back), xenons and air suspension.

It may or may not have auto wipers (I think so) and auto dimming mirrors (don't know).

And it has air susp which I love.

It's also got the easy-pack boot (I don't as I have 7 seats).

As the others have said the fuel consumption on short runs will be poor. Once you're on open roads, though expect high 20's/low 30's which i think is great for a car that size with that performance (0-60 5.3, 0-100 12.7)

Stick the susp and gearbox on comfort and waft. Or put the susp on Sport II and the g/box on Sport and nail it

I...err...indicated I was looking for diesel and...errr...bought the 500 and got away with it. She only realised two weeks later when I was overtaking some dawdlers in Norfolk.

Before I did the deal the salesman saw my wife walking over to it and opened the boor remmotely. She clocked that and the kid seats in the boot and was in love. Luckily the 500 badge was out of sight at that point.

Get it - it's barely run in and has a huge spec. 500 estates are rare as hen's teeth, facelifts even more so and big spec ones rarer again.

Put it this way in the last 18 months I have seen three with this sort of spec. The one I bought, another one that came up a year ago and this one. And this is the only facelift.

 

[BTB 500]

Hi and welcome, sounds like a great choice of car - go for it!

My wife had never driven anything bigger than a 1.9 before our SL500 and she's very happy in that. M-B autos are pretty refined and easy to drive.

 

[developer]

I...err...indicated I was looking for diesel and...errr...bought the 500 and got away with it. She only realised two weeks later when I was overtaking some dawdlers in Norfolk.

This is my post of the week so far - excellent .

Welcome JJ, you've just got to buy it.

 

[jumperjohn]

We're booked in to see it this Saturday! She's making all sorts of excuses not to go along, I think it's because she knows that she will love it too.

I can't wait to have a drive. I drove an AMG CLS this summer at Brooklands, ironically a 40th birthday present from my wife, so my awakening is her fault. That is a wonderful, exceptional car. I'm hoping that the E500 is a bit similar with the acceleration grin factor!

My father in law had an E-class 350, he loved everything about it. He bought the car new in 2004 and he did the German pick up but sold it last year when we had snow and bought an M class. He's still upset by that decision. He realises he should have fitted winter tyres and kept the E class. He suggested that I should try one too so here I am!

 

[jumperjohn]

Thanks for that LS.

That is the car in Autotrader. It seems a little too good to be true but after speaking to the chap, I realise that this is no guarantee, it seems a bargain. I need this car.......

 

[Londonscottish]

We're booked in to see it this Saturday! She's making all sorts of excuses not to go along, I think it's because she knows that she will love it too.

I can't wait to have a drive. I drove an AMG CLS this summer at Brooklands, ironically a 40th birthday present from my wife, so my awakening is her fault. That is a wonderful, exceptional car. I'm hoping that the E500 is a bit similar with the acceleration grin factor!

My father in law had an E-class 350, he loved everything about it. He bought the car new in 2004 and he did the German pick up but sold it last year when we had snow and bought an M class. He's still upset by that decision. He realises he should have fitted winter tyres and kept the E class. He suggested that I should try one too so here I am!

Buy it. Good ones like that get snapped up.

Show your wife the electric tailgate and boot floor first. Then show her how easy it is to adjust the seats and steering column - once done you press M and then 1, 2 or 3 it's done and from then on all she has to do is press her number. Tell her you can programme one of the keys for her settings. If she likes music slip a CD in when you're doing all that.

By this point you'll have won before you've even turned a wheel.

 

[jumperjohn]

Just spoke to my wife, she's great, she said 'it does sound a good car' so I've just put a deposit on it with a refund if it's not as described!

I think I just got a bargain, is £14k good for an 07 E500.......so excited! I'm a Mercedes owner, nearly!

 

[A210AMG]

^ If your happy thats all that matters

Its a 5.5 V8 with enough room to do almost anything you would want to in a car

Ours has been a real work horse and moved just about anything.

Must have been £50K plus new?

 

[developer]

Just spoke to my wife, she's great, she said 'it does sound a good car' so I've just put a deposit on it with a refund if it's not as described!

I think I just got a bargain, is £14k good for an 07 E500.......so excited! I'm a Mercedes owner, nearly!

There is no finer, more capable estate than an E Class.

Lots of photos please.