New E Class - Specification

[Dryce]

They're great in the bends. AG to sport on a 211 is a good upgrade. But I drive in rural areas

Majority drivers choosing these 'sport' options don't make proper use of them. (My observation). They want the image without actually utilising the substance. Not dissimilar to the 4x4 situation where vehicle are bought with an investment in technical features that are of zero benefit and possibly cause a degradation in actual comfort, economy, and practicality.

I'd guess the majority of pre-facelift W211s sold in the early days in the UK were probably AGs. And I'd guess after the facelift the proportion of Sports increased.

 

[steve333]

No. I would not even consider anything but AMG sport. The firmest suspension setting is the one i would always pick.

Yes.

That'll be a no then

 

[st4]

Majority drivers choosing these 'sport' options don't make proper use of them. (My observation). They want the image without actually utilising the substance. Not dissimilar to the 4x4 situation where vehicle are bought with an investment in technical features that are of zero benefit and possibly cause a degradation in actual comfort, economy, and practicality.

I'd guess the majority of pre-facelift W211s sold in the early days in the UK were probably AGs. And I'd guess after the facelift the proportion of Sports increased.

When I had my X5, I drove it over 50mph down proper dirt roads you couldn't get an E class on.

My sport sprung cars are proper flung about

 

[Mercator]

Majority drivers choosing these 'sport' options don't make proper use of them. (My observation). They want the image without actually utilising the substance. Not dissimilar to the 4x4 situation where vehicle are bought with an investment in technical features that are of zero benefit and possibly cause a degradation in actual comfort, economy, and practicality.

I'd guess the majority of pre-facelift W211s sold in the early days in the UK were probably AGs. And I'd guess after the facelift the proportion of Sports increased.

Unfortunately if you make the 'Sport' option the 'top of the range' most buyers will agree to order it regardless of whether it is suitable for their driving style or the potholed roads we have to drive on.

When I bought my current S211 (AU) I wanted an Avantgarde but almost every car available was a Sport. I ended up buying a Sport because it was fully loaded, a nice colour, and has Airmatic. The Airmatic compensates for the unfortunate wheel/tyre set up.

Top of the range in my view should be a fully loaded Avantgarde spec with Sport there for those who really want the hard suspension, skinny tyres, black + aluminium interior, and 'go-faster' bodywork add-ons.

 

[Oli]

No offering the mentally fast E63 4 Matic either, well I think you could, if you were prepared to put up with the steering wheel being on the wrong side.

 

[The Polisher]

Result............. they have found a current model E220Cdi 7g Se Estate in silver for me!!

Leasing company where about to say no, can't get one when one popped up today...... so I'm having it.

Arrives in 3 weeks............. can't wait!!

 

[Joe_SP]

Result............. they have found a current model E220Cdi 7g Se Estate in silver for me!!

Leasing company where about to say no, can't get one when one popped up today...... so I'm having it.

Arrives in 3 weeks............. can't wait!!

Great news, which silver is it, do you have any optional equipment?

 

[The Polisher]

Iridium silver, black interior......... no options, standard car. I really didn't think it needed anything and I was right at the top of my budget for the standard car with metallic paint anyway!

 

[gIzzE]

Result............. they have found a current model E220Cdi 7g Se Estate in silver for me!!

Leasing company where about to say no, can't get one when one popped up today...... so I'm having it.

Arrives in 3 weeks............. can't wait!!

Did you see my post in this thread?

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...ry-pre-post-facelift-e-class.html#post1650110

E250cdi sport estate auto for £280 a month.

 

[gIzzE]

Yeah, you obviously did, as you posted below me!

 

[Joe_SP]

Iridium silver, black interior......... no options, standard car. I really didn't think it needed anything and I was right at the top of my budget for the standard car with metallic paint anyway!

Very nice. Don't forget pictures when it arrives.

 

[igk1]

Result............. they have found a current model E220Cdi 7g Se Estate in silver for me!!

Leasing company where about to say no, can't get one when one popped up today...... so I'm having it.

Arrives in 3 weeks............. can't wait!!

Glad you found one - after 1300 miles my E220CDI gets better and better - it's the car the 2009 version should have been.

 

[st4]

Iridium silver, black interior......... no options, standard car. I really didn't think it needed anything and I was right at the top of my budget for the standard car with metallic paint anyway!

They come with plenty of kit and that's the best colour scheme you can get

 

[The Polisher]

Did you see my post in this thread?

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...ry-pre-post-facelift-e-class.html#post1650110

E250cdi sport estate auto for £280 a month.

I don't get the option, large corporate fleet done through one fleet policy and lease company....... I get told what I can and can't!

Lease including full maintenance is about £600 p/m, but that's 40k a year, 3 years deal fully inclusive.

 

[gIzzE]

I don't get the option, large corporate fleet done through one fleet policy and lease company....... I get told what I can and can't!

Lease including full maintenance is about £600 p/m, but that's 40k a year, 3 years deal fully inclusive.

That sounds expensive?

I got a quote of £460 on 30k miles a year when I bought mine last year.
Going from 10k miles to 30k miles only added £70 a month.
That was for an E250cdi sport with comand and ILS.

Mind you, it was 2 years, 3 years when doing 30-40k miles a year is often more expensive, returning a car with 80k on it is a lot different to returning one with 120k on it.

 

[The Polisher]

Current A4 S-Line Avant on 3yrs/120k fully maintained is slightly more than that............!

 

[Hammy]

I do wonder about the UK arm and also the dealers as well.

I think they are spooked by BMW in terms of how they deal with the UK market.

Meanwhile back at home base MB started to lose direction around 2005 in terms of what they were doing. Apart from the CLS and S they became a 'me too' brand - basically setting the parameters of their product by what they saw in the competition rather than actually making their own space and making everybody else copy.

The S still sets the standard in its sector.

The CLS is sort of hanging on though I think the new version looks heavy handed and the interior is a bit of a dogs breakfast compared with the original. But the A7 offers 4WD. The 6 Gran Coupe is more expensive but hellishly pretty and much nicer inside (and has that tortuous +1 acommodation option). If BMW offered a basic 628 or 630 Gran Coupe they might devalue the 6 overall but I think they'd blow the CLS out of the water.

(I can't help feeling that if MB had just updated the old shape a bit with newer engines and dynamics it would be a georgeous package - especuially if they offered a 4Matic version).

From what I can see the E is being eaten by the 5 series in suburbia.

I think the C is holding its own as commodity metal against the 3. But the 3 offers a hard folding roof option. And they have xDrive 4WD coming in with more engine options. And the 320d is a supremely attractive package to both younger and older drivers.

E Class being eaten alive? - not according to the sales figures. In 2012 the E Class sold 23594 units in the UK, making it the nest selling full size exec. 4,500 units ahead of the 5 series, 10,000 ahead of the A6 and over twice as many as the Jag XF. Thats with the dogs breakfast old model as well. Can only imagine the facelift car will do better still.

 

[sjmaxwell]

E Class being eaten alive? - not according to the sales figures. In 2012 the E Class sold 23594 units in the UK, making it the nest selling full size exec. 4,500 units ahead of the 5 series, 10,000 ahead of the A6 and over twice as many as the Jag XF. Thats with the dogs breakfast old model as well. Can only imagine the facelift car will do better still.

I rather like the old shape car

 

[LTD]

I rather like the old shape car

Me too.

I'm looking forward to taking delivery of mine in a few weeks.

 

[LTD]

Can only imagine the facelift car will do better still.

I showed the new facelifted E class to a girl at work who has no interest in cars at all and she asked me if it was something from the movie 'Cars'