Outgoing 2015 CLS 350d Shooting Break

[PaulXC]

Well after just 12 months the CLS has gone … so, a few random thoughts and observations.

Registered Dec 2014 but was 2015 MY. I bought at 19000 and took it to 34000 miles.

Two minor issues so had to call Merc recovery twice.

The fuel filler jammed close and the emergency release snapped when I tried to use it.

The rear suspension deflated due to a loose connection. I think something got disturbed near the rear fuse box when the emergency filler cable was being replaced.

Not quite as comfortable as I thought it would be mostly due to the offset steering wheel causing my knee to ache on long journeys.

Best headlights in a car ever.

Very impressive to look at and has a real presence on the road.

Small doors made it a bit tricky getting in an out when you are 6ft3.

Boot space is pretty good but obviously no where near as practical as our E Class due to the roofline.

On a good road surface it was virtual silent inside.

For such a big car you could really chuck it around.

Rear seat legroom and headroom was very good.

Did 35.7 mpg average over 14,000 miles - best was about 44mpg. Would do 29mpg on the school run from cold - 10 mile round trip. Generally I was seeing about 42 mpg on a steady M6 / M5 cruise.

Three punctures and no spare wheel - arrrrggghh !!!!!! I will never buy another car without a spare wheel !!!!!

The day after getting the last puncture I put it up for sale.

Originally it was to replace our E320cdi estate as a daily driver but it was too nice to take to Sainsbury's, muti-story car parks, airport car parks etc so the E320 still remained as our go-to car.

So after much head scratching the only sensible thing to do was to keep the E320cdi and replace the CLS with two cars….

a 2012 E500 BiTurbo Cabriolet - (only 14000 miles on the clock and loaded with extras - and more importantly has a spare wheel).

and the only non- Mercedes I’ve bought since 1998 -

a 2017 VW Polo 1.2Tsi - to try and offset the cost of running the E500 & E320.

So far the three car set-up is working well.

VW on the school runs and supermarket - E320cdi just been to France and back in it - and the E500 for hooning about it.

 

[ShinyF1]

I like your car choices.

I can't decide between a 2013/4 CLS Shooting Brake and a thoroughly impractical post-2012 E350CGI or E500 cab to replace an aging and ailing S210. I suspect the CLS will get the nod even though it is diesel. If only there was a non-AMG petrol CLS SB....

We looked at a new Polo TSi last year as there is a 17 year old in the house learning to drive, and they are very cheap to lease. Prefer it by far to the Fiesta.

 

[PaulXC]

We have a pending learner driver in the household so that also pushed us towards the Polo - along with the the £20 yr road tax, cheap lease, 50mpg, servicing and insurance included in the deal.

Using my degree in Man Maths the Polo is virtually a free car especially as as the roads around here keep damaging £200 tyres on the Merc.

Once I had rationalised the Polo as virtually free it would have seemed plain wrong not to get the E500.

 

[ShinyF1]

There was a very nice low mileage E500 4.7 Cab for sale privately on Auto Trader in the last few weeks. Coincidence?

 

[PaulXC]

Strangely yes ….

2012, only 13,900 miles, full service history (4 services in 11,000 miles!) and a bunch of options that weren’t mentioned in the advert.

However I think the wheels have interfaced with every kerb in London and I’ve spent two days so far cleaning it.

I’ll get a post up about it soon.

 

[SW18]

2012, only 13,900 miles.

Didn't those E500 coupes cost about £65k new, if well optioned? That would mean the previous owner(s) have spent about £4 per mile in depreciation alone! What a great used car bargain. And also super-rare.

 

[PaulXC]

The original invoice shows it was just north of £68k