Over to the dark side!

[Mercedease]

I'm new to Mercedes ownership thought I'd pop in to say hello and ask some questions.

I've just had a w212 estate in black delivered. My previous car was a BMW 335i - so quite a considerable difference!

Anyway I hope to be an active member of the forum so will start by asking some questions:

Firstly I have an SE and hate the look of the twin fog lights in the bumper. Has anyone been successful in retrofitting drl's to SE spec cars, either aftermarket (that look OEM) or using mercedes parts? - I have a feeling this will not be simple...

Secondly does anyone have any experience of fitting 19 inch alloy wheels to such a car. Unfortunately the standard 16s just look lost and really detract away from the look of the car. However I don't want to ruin the ride completely as it is a very comfortable car to drive.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Mercedease

 

[st4]

I dont think it is, why not fit 18s which will look good but not completely spoil the ride?

 

[markjay]

Welcome to the forum Mercedease.

I don't know much about the W212, hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along shortly.

And your post should now be labelled 'Over from the dark side!'...

 

[d w124]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[Mercedease]

thanks for the quick replies guys. This seems like a really busy forum which is good. I used to use a BMW one which just died a death.

I thought 19s would be needed as the car is so bulky and has such huge arches to fill! Just wondered if anyone on here has done this?

my girlfriend calls it the hunka trunk! I'm 25 so am trying to make the car look less like I'm going to pick the kids up from rugby training.

I've seen a few sport versions with AMG kits and they really stand out. Not that I've got the budget to fit an amg kit, but I thought some drl's and some nice wheels would really improve the look.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello


You say it rides nice..... That's the 16" alloys mainly. I'm with you they will look lost though.

I have the S211 estate and went from 16 to 18, transforms the look and ride is still good, 19's maybe a little big.

It could be worth getting a price for dels using Mercedes parts? May not be too bad?

What engine / colour / spec is it?

 

[Cabe]

But I like the darkside.....they have the cookies.

 

[GordonTarling]

But I like the darkside.....they have the cookies.

But this side has chocolate Hobnobs!

 

[bpsorrel]

Agree with A210AMG. Went from 16 to 18 on my S211 and it looks sooo much better. Ride hasn't been affected too much and handling is definately sharper.

You're right about the 212 being under wheeled with 16s! Can't think why they don't fit 17s at least as the standard fitment for such a large car. Someone on here fitted 19s to their 212 cab and it looked very good! Don't recall the thread name, but I'm sure someone will post the link soon..

 

[shorty]

Its not an easy retro fit to instal the LED style driving lights on the 212 SE bumper .
The SE has a fog light and dlr fitted to each side of the bumper , where as the Avantgarde has got fog lights fitted to the head lights , which are Xeon , and then the LED dlrs on the bumper .
I would think that the whole head light units would need to be changed as well as the bumper lights .

Why not change the black plastic sourrounds on the lights to the crome type that come on the Elegance model . There very simple to change and can really lift the look of the front of the car

 

[gmk666]

Hi from another recent convert, coincidentally also into a black S212. (I'm learning the nomenclature very quickly.)

Mine is a 350CDI with the sport pack, so I've got the AMG 18"s. Coming from an RS6, I find the ride sublime. However, like you I'm thinking about the 19"s. I'm waiting for a dealer to get back to me regarding suitability of the wheels as they've recently disappeared as an option for the estate. Even in last year's brochure it states they're unavailable if the extra child seats are fitted, so there must be some issue.

Anyway, if I do get them and you choose to opt for the 18"s, I know someone who'll be selling a set...

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

But I like the darkside.....they have the cookies.

My God I never knew!!!! where are they, and would they swap them for doughnuts??

 

[st4]

But this side has chocolate Hobnobs!

You have to move fast, they are on back order a lot

 

[developer]

Hello Mercedease,

I run 18's on Airmatic and it's acceptable though a little choppy, even on Comfort setting.
19's will be worse so you could spend a lot and might regret it.

There's another issue I found when looking at an S212 with 19's in a dealer recently, as the picture below shows.

The wheel actually protrudes more than the tyre so no sidewall protection.
Parking will be a (regularly expensive) nightmare.

I'd stick with 18's.

 

[st4]

Thats an MOT failure and illegal, you need wheel arch extensions.

 

[Mercedease]

I was looking at these:

AMG Alloys

What does everyone think about them on a black w212?

I'm not too fussed about the ride, my 335 with 19s that was dropped slightly rode appallingly, potholes used to be sent up my spine with a bang!

shorty do you have a pick of what you mean about the surrounds?

I'm on a mission to make this car look sportier, at the moment it looks like a very elegant boat!

 

[Mr E]

Thats an MOT failure and illegal, you need wheel arch extensions.

Nah - that's just the angle of the photo.

 

[gmk666]

Personally I'd never go for something not OEM, and I definitely wouldn't buy those, not with the dreaded title AMG 'style'.

How about something off here? Genuine stuff, but much cheaper than the dealers.

Mercedes E Class Estate S212 alloys | Alloy Wheels Direct Ltd

 

[camerafodder]

He means the wheel in relation to the tyre Steve, not the wheel arch.

 

[bpsorrel]

How about these images to give you some idea about the front lights..

Elegance..

Elegance and Avantagrde...

And, all of 'em!