HOW IS THE C350e?

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Tommo60

New Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
8
Location
Worcester Park, Surrey
Car
E300 Hybrid AMG Sport
I am planning to change my E300 AMG Sport Hybrid company car for a C350e. I really need to know what any C350e owners think please.
I am planning to go for the 18" wheels and thinking about the 360' camera if anybody has an option on that too. Tommo
 
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Evening, there are a few C350e threads going on at the moment with the new owners posting their experiences and initial thoughts. Well worth trawling through the posts as a wealth of information on those ones.

What MPG are you getting on your E300 at the moment?
 
From what ivevread on here:

1. None are owned by enthusiasts meaning they all chat in their own thread ignoring the rest of the MB owners
2. The MPG is nowhere near what it should be and frankly does not warrant the extra purchase outlay.
3. Lease deals are cheap, really cheap!
4. Performance is well below par as a 335d BMW is faster, more economical and cheaper.
5. Annoyingly you can't get one in AMG line spec meaning they look as basic as a 1997 C180 Classic
6. The break, a lot.
 
As a private purchase I think it only makes sense if you are doing low miles, as a company car though it's a good choice in my opinion. A c350e in Sport Premium Plus saves me £60 per month (averaged out over the lease term) over a c220d in Sport. Factor in the lower mpg of the c350e and it's about even for me, so I effectively get the Premium Plus package for nowt and have a quick car when I need it.
 
Thanks for the help. The E300 is doing 53-55 if held to the legal limit on a decent motorway run. Pushing the speed up drops mpg to about 47-48. Around suburbs with the M25 it drops to mid 40's. I am getting 60 mpg from the E300. The E300 has to go back as the lease has ended. The C350e saves me about £3k a year against an equivilant spec C300h in tax and charges.
 
StuartK's post is on the mark.

However, if your saving 3k a year then it's a great car.

Stuart's point about the 335d is valid, however in my opinion the C Class interior is a much nicer place to be (even in Sport guise) compared with the 3 Series.

Good luck.

Ant.
 
Thanks to "fields5069". As a C350e owner can you help me with how you get the wall box? Is it supplied by MB or do you get a third party to supply and install it. Any help appreciated....

Tommo.
 
Thanks Ant, I've had both 3 series and 5 series before the Merc, and nice as they were, the interiors are really all the same. From inside the cabin you can barely tell what version you are in. The spec on the C350 looks great and it seems like a nice place to be.

As a company car and victim to tax on CO emissions, a 335d would cost me £5k a year more the a C350e. Ultimately my choice will come down to a C300h or a C350e....

Tommo
 
Tommo60 said:
Thanks Ant, I've had both 3 series and 5 series before the Merc, and nice as they were, the interiors are really all the same. From inside the cabin you can barely tell what version you are in. The spec on the C350 looks great and it seems like a nice place to be. As a company car and victim to tax on CO emissions, a 335d would cost me £5k a year more the a C350e. Ultimately my choice will come down to a C300h or a C350e.... Tommo

It all seems to have gone quiet on the C300h front with very few posts (that I come across).

I seem to spend most of my time on dual carriageways or motorways and I'm currently getting high 50's to low 60's on my trips although I did get just short of 70 for my 212 mile run back from Sheffield on Thursday. I like the lower tax of the C350e (and the potential power) but I think the frequent trips to the filling station would become tiresome.

I did the Southampton to Sheffield and return run on 1/2 a tank. I think it would have been a full one plus a little for the C350e judging by what I've read.
 
I really enjoy my C350e and of course the BiK taxation reductions are very welcome.

As a relatively high mileage user though I do feel guilty that I don't get anywhere near the MPG that one would expect from a new technology vehicle that is designed for fuel efficiency.

Fortunately I don't pay for the fuel, my company does, I've not had a call from them questioning MPG and in all probability I doubt that I would as we aren't that kind of organisation.

When I ordered mine there were no proper reviews which indicated MPG most probably would be in region of late 30's to early 40's, still aren't, (strange hey?), if I were ordering a car now I think I'd probably skip the C350e.

Is it a great company car, yes of course for the tax savings but if you are working on a mileage allowance or have to provide your own fuel then higher mileage drivers could end up embarrassed..
 
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Thanks to "fields5069". As a C350e owner can you help me with how you get the wall box? Is it supplied by MB or do you get a third party to supply and install it. Any help appreciated....

Tommo.

I don't have one, I charge at 8A from a normal plug socket.

I think you go through one of various installers in your area, search for "Rolec" wall chargers on google.
 
From what ivevread on here:

1. None are owned by enthusiasts meaning they all chat in their own thread ignoring the rest of the MB owners
2. The MPG is nowhere near what it should be and frankly does not warrant the extra purchase outlay.
3. Lease deals are cheap, really cheap!
4. Performance is well below par as a 335d BMW is faster, more economical and cheaper.
5. Annoyingly you can't get one in AMG line spec meaning they look as basic as a 1997 C180 Classic
6. The break, a lot.

I can only agree with some of this...

1. I'm certainly in that group so this may be true. Is it a problem? I think there has been more people like me coming to the forum due to the lack of reviews etc that are out there for the model and it's lure for company car drivers.
2. We all (should) know that mpg figures on hybrids have been well off for a long time. My Lexus CT200h quoted something like 79mpg combined and in 4 years I only got 46.5.
3. Seems so as comparable costs on the fleet lists were Skoda Octavias, Seat Leon STs and smaller engine German marque oil burners.
4. I personally don't think performance is well below par. Seems pretty good for a 2.0T. Yes, a 335d is quicker but I can't imagine getting many opportunities in my neck of the woods where 6secs 0-60 is an issue. 335d more economical? Not from what I see from a quick google. Real world long term test is only just reaching 40mpg when driven carefully. I am getting mid-40s only charging at home so 1-way for commute and know someone with a fuel car who never charges and gets high 30s so comparable to the 335d real world it seems.
5. Correct, no AMG trim. As basic as a 1997 car? Simply an inflammatory comment.
6. There have been a number of people incurring problems. personally I have had none and I'm sure there a many thousand out there in a similar position. As always you hear about the problems more. Not good but it does happen.

For company car drivers who do not have piles of cash it's great. A high quality cabin, plenty quick enough for most, seats the family comfortably and looks good too. Don't expect massive mpg if you are a high mileage driver as after 10 to 15 miles it's a 2 litre turbo petrol hybrid so wont compete with a diesel. For me though, 40% of my mileage is a 15 mile non-motorway commute in the south east and I do most of it on electric. When I want to use the power on clear roads or the weekend I can.

People have different needs, priorities, beliefs and means and it's about what fits those best. Is the 350e a one-stop cure for all? Absolutely not but it has it's place as a good car in my view.
 
I can only agree with some of this...

1. I'm certainly in that group so this may be true. Is it a problem? I think there has been more people like me coming to the forum due to the lack of reviews etc that are out there for the model and it's lure for company car drivers.
2. We all (should) know that mpg figures on hybrids have been well off for a long time. My Lexus CT200h quoted something like 79mpg combined and in 4 years I only got 46.5.
3. Seems so as comparable costs on the fleet lists were Skoda Octavias, Seat Leon STs and smaller engine German marque oil burners.
4. I personally don't think performance is well below par. Seems pretty good for a 2.0T. Yes, a 335d is quicker but I can't imagine getting many opportunities in my neck of the woods where 6secs 0-60 is an issue. 335d more economical? Not from what I see from a quick google. Real world long term test is only just reaching 40mpg when driven carefully. I am getting mid-40s only charging at home so 1-way for commute and know someone with a fuel car who never charges and gets high 30s so comparable to the 335d real world it seems.
5. Correct, no AMG trim. As basic as a 1997 car? Simply an inflammatory comment.
6. There have been a number of people incurring problems. personally I have had none and I'm sure there a many thousand out there in a similar position. As always you hear about the problems more. Not good but it does happen.

For company car drivers who do not have piles of cash it's great. A high quality cabin, plenty quick enough for most, seats the family comfortably and looks good too. Don't expect massive mpg if you are a high mileage driver as after 10 to 15 miles it's a 2 litre turbo petrol hybrid so wont compete with a diesel. For me though, 40% of my mileage is a 15 mile non-motorway commute in the south east and I do most of it on electric. When I want to use the power on clear roads or the weekend I can.

People have different needs, priorities, beliefs and means and it's about what fits those best. Is the 350e a one-stop cure for all? Absolutely not but it has it's place as a good car in my view.

Yep, I'll agree with this one - most of my personal mileage is local so that's economical for me, the company pay my work mileage and that is covered. I got around 39 mpg for 600 miles of motorway driving and my right foot is pretty heavy.

The BIK is what sold me, the car worked out much cheaper than anything remotely comparable.
 
My reply - with as much fact as possible and as little emotion as possible.
The UK Government £5000 rebate and the BIK rating made it a 'no-brainer' as a sporty company car. I had the choice of buying (car allowance) or going with a company car. I was changing from a highly spec'd 3 litre Audi A4 Quattro Black and test drove XE & XF Jags; 2,3,4 & 5 Series BMW's; A5 & A6 Audi's. The BMW's and Audi's get way too expensive once you put a decent specification together. The 3litre petrol XE was possibly the nicest car tested but this would have been too expensive as a company car. I test drove a 2litre diesel C-Class and loved everything about it except the severe lack of power. I therefore decided to go for the C350e as a company car (without a test drive). It was easily the cheapest and, on paper, offered fantastic performance.
I have now had it for almost 2months and have done just over 4000miles:-
Of course it doesn't get close to the claimed MPG (I didn't expect it to!). I use the power quite a lot and drive about 25% of the time in Sport or Sport+ modes. It has averaged 37.1mpg so far.
It probably out accelerates any other saloon from 0-40mph, beyond that it provides the performance you would expect from almost 300BHP. Plenty of grunt for overtaking, the gearbox is fantastic (especially in the sport modes). However, at times the noise lets you know that a lot of the power is being provided by a screaming 2litre petrol engine.
In my opinion it offers slightly more space and slightly more comfort than a BMW335d (mentioned previously on this thread) and the C350 has a much nicer interior, but if you put both on a track with a decent driver, the BMW would win. The C350e is good on the road but you will 'feel' the weight of the batteries if you push it through corners plus really hard braking feels a bit odd because the combination of down-changes from the gear box and energy harvesting from the hybrid system can make slowing a little bit jerky - none of this makes any difference in normal commuting type driving.
The battery eats up some of the boot space - this hasn't been a problem for me but it is something you should be aware of.
The C350e is much, much more comfortable than my A4 was. Long distance drives are no more tiring than sitting in an armchair. The transition from pure electric to petrol drive is seemless, you don't even notice unless you spot the rev counter flick up. Driving around town in electric drive is easy and relaxing - at these lower speeds (pure electric typically offers speeds up to around 40mph) makes the car feel like a wafting luxury limo.
What is the best feature of the car - easy! Setting up the pre-entry climate control on my mobile phone so when I go out to the car at 5:00am the windscreen is clear, the car is warm and the heated seats are on! :)
 
From what ivevread on here:

1. None are owned by enthusiasts meaning they all chat in their own thread ignoring the rest of the MB owners
2. The MPG is nowhere near what it should be and frankly does not warrant the extra purchase outlay.
3. Lease deals are cheap, really cheap!
4. Performance is well below par as a 335d BMW is faster, more economical and cheaper.
5. Annoyingly you can't get one in AMG line spec meaning they look as basic as a 1997 C180 Classic
6. The break, a lot.

1. For some of us this is our first foray into Merc driving so we wouldn't be here otherwise. Plus it's a good source of information from drivers of the same car which is lacking anywhere else. Our interest is in the car we drive and so far I haven't had cause to respond to other threads.
2. The MPG was never going to be realistic in real life and I'm sure none of us have bought or leased these cars on the back of it.
3. They are cheap to lease which gives an opportunity for a much better spec car for the same money. The low BIK then makes it a no-brainer for most company car drivers and nothing came close on my companies car list.
4. For everyday driving these cars are more than adequate. We're not gonna blast the round a track so why do we need more?
5. Doesn't annoy me at all. It's still a stunning car and having driven the 3 series which I found very plain and boring, and the XE which couldn't get near the spec, the Merc won hands down.
6. You've read about problems with charging from a couple of owners on here but that is hardly representative of us all. It's new technology in a new car so teething problems are to be expected and is common to all manufacturers. JLR are renowned for problems so I wonder of you visited a Jag forum whether you'd find a similar story with the new XE and XF?

Bottom line, the car suits my needs and probably most other owners and on the whole I bet everyone on here with one is more than happy with their cars. If you're not interested in the 350e don't read the threads? :dk:
 
Tommo60 said:
I am planning to change my E300 AMG Sport Hybrid company car for a C350e. I really need to know what any C350e owners think please. I am planning to go for the 18" wheels and thinking about the 360' camera if anybody has an option on that too. Tommo

Really depends on your reason for choosing the C350e.

If it's for claimed fuel return of 100+mpg then best look elsewhere but you should have picked that up from the various other post on here, don't think I've read of anyone breaking 50+ on medium mixed journeys. Personally I'm achieving mid 30's with a comfort mode driving style, with only occasional charging when the opportunity arises.

If however Mpg is not the main driver then I think it really is a great car, spacious, well specced, air-suspended, desireable, Fast and of course low BIK.
 
thinking about the 360' camera if anybody has an option on that too. Tommo

Regarding the 360.
I have damaged some expensive rims through my time due to narrow space while entering narrow locked parking lots. (work)
The camera on the sides makes this history.
Also useful driving front into garage.
Cant say I am MB enthusiast if that’s a requirement, just interested in new technology really.
Combined with an interest in different brands, mostly German cars. I cant afford a M5 Estate though.
I have driven all kinds of sporty cars, and for this price, the C350E is a treat.
Done 550 miles in Germany with mine. Not a cheap run, but just amazing how good the car drives even I higher speed. Far better than the 3 series I just sold.
 
Well, thanks to all for the great responses. I have had a significant change of mind.
1) My mileage is largely round trips of 200 miles plus, in most cases with no opportunity to recharge. My sense is that the C350e is not best suited to this kind of use and mpg will be a lot less than my E300h or a new C300h at high 50 to mid 60 mpg on these runs.
2) Having seen a C350e, the boot space is compromised badly, and there is no AMG Line option.
3) As a lease car I fear that the Connect Me facility will be disabled.
4) While the C350e does the 0-60 dash in 5.9, the C300h does it in 6.4. So it's still no slouch. Even my Lump of a E300 does it in 7.5. All well below the times for any petrol or diesel only version.
5) Having been in and out of the car a few times yesterday in cold driving rain, it occurred to me that the idea of faffing about plugging and unplugging the charger at each journey end may not be great fun.
6) BiK numbers for the C350e are very attractive without doubt, but given all the above the 300h looks like a great mid-point in cost between the C350e and a conventional diesel or petrol.
C300h here I come.......
 
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Congrats, I did quite a lot of research into cars before speccing my c350e. However having lived with it for 2months or so (this ignores my currnet broken car situation too..), I would probably consider a c300h.

I think the best part of the c350e drivetrain is the energy harvesting, which allows you to gain energy on a long run then have some left over to have zero emissions on that last part of your journey. The 300h has this too, with less weight than a full battery pack.
The worst part of the c350e is the small tank. I do a blend of short and long journies and having a 350ml range is restricting. I'd imagine the 300h has the normal size boot.

However the tax on the 300h is much more, but might be offset by economy?

Overall I'm very happy with my choice (driving my courtesy B180d, I don't miss the canal boat soundtrack of diesels), but do wonder if overall cost of ownership might have been better with c300h?

Split seems to be present at my place of work to. C class is the latest "must have" option and split seems to be equal between e's and h's. Someone on my corridor has even gone for a 220d, so will be interesting to see how that compares…
 

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