Quick E350 CDI Sport Estate Review

[This is Pete]

It's pretty much impossible to run with cruise control on a motorway for a long distance of time - at least for me coming home during commuting time. For this run, I was staying in the inside lane and keeping a long buffer in front of me. Concentrating mainly on being as smooth as possible.

And no, 47mpg isn't outstanding at all in comparison to the 4-pot diesels. My usual driving gives me MPG of about 32-34 (which seems about the same as other 350 owners here), so I wanted to see just how much I could squeeze out of it.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Your car won't have loosened up till 100k...

This is my current W211 E320 CDi Sport;

 

[This is Pete]

I'm starting to wonder what's so efficient about BlueEfficiency....

My old E46 330D used to give me 37+ MPG without me even trying to drive efficiently.

 

[A210AMG]

My Old E320Cdi IL6 engine will do over 40 and generally 45 quite easily at 75mph

It even did over 40mpg all the way to Annecy with this lot attached to it, and most of the time I was doing between 75 and 85 with an occasional blast...

 

[230K]

My Old E320Cdi IL6 engine will do over 40 and generally 45 quite easily at 75mph


It even did over 40mpg all the way to Annecy with this lot attached to it, and most of the time I was doing between 75 and 85 with an occasional blast...

I find it so hard to believe that your car with roofbox and bikes attached travelling at 80mph will do over 40mpg that I will say "I don't believe you"

230k

 

[A210AMG]

^ I have no photo proof so cannot prove it

However I know it did it. The roof box / rack its very low and is aerodynamic as for the bikes they don't 'drag' like they do on a rack.

This car was my dads before mine and did the 'run' to annecy maybe 5 or 6 times a year in his hands. It just likes long journeys 2000 miles at least each trip.

I'm off again soon so will see again.

This is one reason why my dad kept this car longer than any other.

I get 28mpg towing our van !!!

 

[@MARK]

I'm starting to wonder what's so efficient about BlueEfficiency....
.

Nothing to do with MPG and all to do with emissions.

 

[This is Pete]

Nothing to do with MPG and all to do with emissions.

Good point, although the E350 seems to throw out more CO2 than the BMW used to. but I guess the other components are better on the MB.

 

[wilsodg]

... My usual driving gives me MPG of about 32-34 (which seems about the same as other 350 owners here), so I wanted to see just how much I could squeeze out of it.

Thanks Pete - I've been worried that with 6k miles on the clock mine has averaged only 31.7 - sure I can get it to 40 or so by being a moving chicane on the motorway but boredom sets in. At cruising of 70 - 80ish it sits at 35 - 37mpg - no more. Average speed over the 6k miles is 37mph. In my old E430 I got 23-24mpg at average speed of 41mph over 100k miles.

It's more economical than the petrol V8, but nowhere near as much as I expected (and I've been driving more gently than I used to). I've given up on economy now - just going to enjoy it.

 

[ace571]

From what I've read, 212 owners running the earlier 231bhp engine struggle with decent mpg, while 265bhp engines are better

I managed a calculated 46mpg recently - computer said 47.1.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/123427-c250cdi-real-world-fuel-consumption-2.html#post1387747

 

[This is Pete]

Thanks for that link, Ace - a very interesting read.

I think I'm the same as other 350 owners who value refinement and power over mpg.

 

[st4]

What about doing the same trip at a cruise controlled 70mph?

47 mpg doesn't strike me as outstanding for those speeds.

No and it's the quoted combined. The quoted combined for the older version is 37mpg which is easy to get but for a car that is as fast as the 350 it's good to know it can be economical when needs must which I suspect for a fifty grand car owner isn't much of the time

 

[This is Pete]

No and it's the quoted combined. The quoted combined for the older version is 37mpg which is easy to get but for a car that is as fast as the 350 it's good to know it can be economical when needs must which I suspect for a fifty grand car owner isn't much of the time

This is true. Although, on reflection, I might have gained more mpg had I taken the gearbox into manual mode and chosen a higher gear. I suspect this might take me into the claimed extra-urban range of 51mpg.

 

[This is Pete]

In the recent sunny days, I've come to really appreciate the amount of light that the panoramic sunroof gives. Really does add to the impression of lightness and space in the car.

 

[A210AMG]

I do like that..


I only have the one hole so to speak, but after convertibles its better than nothing

Do they have blinds that pull across as the roof I have? do they actually open or is it fixed glass?

 

[This is Pete]

Yes, there's dark cloth sun blinds that slide across both sides. Only the front segment actually opens (front slides over the rear).

All is electronic, no need for any manual push-pull.

 

[This is Pete]

And fully opened from the rear seat viewpoint.

 

[This is Pete]

Just covered over 2100 miles in ten days while on a road trip around the lakes, Northumberland, and Scotland. Trip computer tells me that I've been driving for over 53 hours.

The car has worked flawlessly for every single mile of it, even when I've thrown it into a couple of potholes and roadside ruts. Really is the perfect long distance runner.

 

[After Shock]

Great review. Really interesting and helpful. Thanks.

The problem is NOW I WANT ONE!!!!

 

[This is Pete]

Front grille appears to have been designed by Gilette - it's adept at shaving, but not slicing slow, fat pigeons.

Certainly saves on having to clean blood off the chrome-work.