S212 E500 Five Years In

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Londonscottish

MB Enthusiast
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May 12, 2007
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5,307
Location
London
Car
E500 & Fiat 500
A photo popped up in my Google Photos feed the other day of my E500 on the day I first saw it in Maundrells' showroom. In the five years since it hasn't really missed a beat. I stuck some 18's on in early doors, replaced the rear tyre a couple of years ago, did the rear air bellows last year and that's about it. I bought on 56k IIRC and now it's on 78k-ish.

I took it for a service the other day and, other that front pads it didn't need anything other than the usual filters & fluids. There were a few odd codes stored which the workshop owners suspects might be related to a weak auxiliary battery so I'll go back and get that tested.

Meanwhile I've just had my bonus and, as I might as well hang on to this one, I'm going to treat it to a bit of fettling; the rear bumper is quite badly marked in a few places so I'm to get it resprayed. And I'm going to finally get Comand Online to fit a sub. I've been trialing Tidal for music streaming and thing that that plus the existing system plus a sub would sound awesome (still missing the HK in my 211....)

Here is it just after I cleaned half the Sahara off it last weekend.

E500 Clean.jpg
 
A good 212 is a brilliant thing.
 
A good 212 is a brilliant thing.

They're great all rounders. Mine is really well screwed together and doesn't show it's age much. There are some minor bodywork imperfections which I can sort easily enough. There are also some very minor clonks fro the front; it's probably ARB bushes as I've had the balljoints/control arms done but the indy I use couldn't replicate the noise on the shaker plates. So it's an educated guess. I can live with it.

The lack of Android Auto's a biggie for me. Every hire I've had in recent memory has had it. Even my wife's Fiat 500 has it. I just want to be able to jump in and listen to radio stations in digital format or stream high quality music with all the faff of using a BT dongle.

So I've gone from booking it in for a sub to doing Android Auto at the same time. Scope creep......
 
They're great all rounders. Mine is really well screwed together and doesn't show it's age much. There are some minor bodywork imperfections which I can sort easily enough. There are also some very minor clonks fro the front; it's probably ARB bushes as I've had the balljoints/control arms done but the indy I use couldn't replicate the noise on the shaker plates. So it's an educated guess. I can live with it.

The lack of Android Auto's a biggie for me. Every hire I've had in recent memory has had it. Even my wife's Fiat 500 has it. I just want to be able to jump in and listen to radio stations in digital format or stream high quality music with all the faff of using a BT dongle.

So I've gone from booking it in for a sub to doing Android Auto at the same time. Scope creep......
Yup a couple of little marks on our rear bumper also. Like you say, well screwed together. There isn’t one rattly bit in the inside. I had the arb bushes and new Bilstein shocks fitted and it’s like a new car to drive. Myn doesn’t have DAB but I just hook up LBC through my phone on the rare occasions I drive it. It’s 10 years old but, a dam site better than the majority of new cars I see out there at horrific prices. What would I actually replace it with for her vine the time? She likes GLCs, it’s a girl thing to like jeeps ……
 
Yup a couple of little marks on our rear bumper also. Like you say, well screwed together. There isn’t one rattly bit in the inside. I had the arb bushes and new Bilstein shocks fitted and it’s like a new car to drive. Myn doesn’t have DAB but I just hook up LBC through my phone on the rare occasions I drive it. It’s 10 years old but, a dam site better than the majority of new cars I see out there at horrific prices. What would I actually replace it with for her vine the time? She likes GLCs, it’s a girl thing to like jeeps ……

A lot of our OH's clearly like being higher up for whatever reason. Luckily mine's not bothered.

I'm more than happy with what I've got. Nearest equivalent these days would be an E43.

Although I'd consider something else on air I suppose. I do love a bit of self levelling/air.
 
A photo popped up in my Google Photos feed the other day of my E500 on the day I first saw it in Maundrells' showroom.
Weirdly same here .... I first saw my E500 on 25 March 2017 and a picture of it popped up the other day on my iPhoto timeline. Albeit, mine is an A207 rather than a S212.

I've done about the same mileage as you, taken it from 12,000 miles when I bought it to about 33,000 now.

It's had a set of tyres, front pads, discs and rear pads. I bought a second set of wheels with winter tyres so I reckon I have a good few years of tyre life left. Under the extended warranty, it's had a driveshaft, new filler cap and an engine.....

Gonna hang on to my E500 as well. I can't think of anything else to replace it with without spending three times the value of it which just isn't worth it for the 4,000 miles a year I do.

Could also do with a rear bumper respray!
 
Comand at Lightwater are very helpful, they did a rear camera on my GL when I first bought it, they fitted a genuine mercedes one and integrated it into the screen
 
Weirdly same here .... I first saw my E500 on 25 March 2017 and a picture of it popped up the other day on my iPhoto timeline. Albeit, mine is an A207 rather than a S212.

I've done about the same mileage as you, taken it from 12,000 miles when I bought it to about 33,000 now.

It's had a set of tyres, front pads, discs and rear pads. I bought a second set of wheels with winter tyres so I reckon I have a good few years of tyre life left. Under the extended warranty, it's had a driveshaft, new filler cap and an engine.....

Gonna hang on to my E500 as well. I can't think of anything else to replace it with without spending three times the value of it which just isn't worth it for the 4,000 miles a year I do.

Could also do with a rear bumper respray!
A new engine??
 
A new engine??

Still reckon they could have sorted it very easily - suspect they damaged it beyond repair and had to replace the lump.
 

Still reckon they could have sorted it very easily - suspect they damaged it beyond repair and had to replace the lump.
What an astonishing story! I'd completely missed that saga. Glad it worked out eventually....
 
Comand at Lightwater are very helpful, they did a rear camera on my GL when I first bought it, they fitted a genuine mercedes one and integrated it into the screen
Out of interest how long was the car in for and what did you do when you were waiting?

Mines going to be there all day and I don't know the area at all
 
Out of interest how long was the car in for and what did you do when you were waiting?

Mines going to be there all day and I don't know the area at all
It was pre covid and they took about 2 1/2 hours. There was a coffee shop literally 2 minutes over the road so I went in and had a bit of breakfast ( cant remember whether they did full english or just continental ) then had a bit of a walk up the road, a few shops in the high street, then back for another cuppa and by then they had done the work, I did have an ipad to past a bit of time as well. They are only about 1/2 hour from me. A whole day may be difficult to kill the time, I would possibly consider googling Woking, Bracknell or Camberley, all within a taxi ride distance, might be something to do such as a cinema etc,
 
It was pre covid and they took about 2 1/2 hours. There was a coffee shop literally 2 minutes over the road so I went in and had a bit of breakfast ( cant remember whether they did full english or just continental ) then had a bit of a walk up the road, a few shops in the high street, then back for another cuppa and by then they had done the work, I did have an ipad to past a bit of time as well. They are only about 1/2 hour from me. A whole day may be difficult to kill the time, I would possibly consider googling Woking, Bracknell or Camberley, all within a taxi ride distance, might be something to do such as a cinema etc,

Thanks. And yeah the guys have mentioned the coffee shop in the past when I've been considering going there for one reason or another.

It's not a biggie as I've booked the day off. So I can wander off somewhere.

Thinking about it I could head off to the city office, go for a run from there, meet someone for lunch and then head back to pick the car up.

Quite like that scenario.
 
Thanks. And yeah the guys have mentioned the coffee shop in the past when I've been considering going there for one reason or another.
It's not a biggie as I've booked the day off. So I can wander off somewhere.
Thinking about it I could head off to the city office, go for a run from there, meet someone for lunch and then head back to pick the car up.
Quite like that scenario.
It's about six miles South West of Virginia Water, so I'd put the bike in the back of the car and cycle up the A30 for a late breakfast at Savill Garden, and then a gentle around the Great Park and Virginia Water. ( Tea at the Windsor Farm Shop optional). Ideal time of year for it, even though the weather's a bit cool.

If mountain biking's your thing, Swinley Forest is excellent.

Welcome to Windsor Great Park | Windsor Great Park
 
It's about six miles South West of Virginia Water, so I'd put the bike in the back of the car and cycle up the A30 for a late breakfast at Savill Garden, and then a gentle around the Great Park and Virginia Water. ( Tea at the Windsor Farm Shop optional). Ideal time of year for it, even though the weather's a bit cool.

If mountain biking's your thing, Swinley Forest is excellent.

Welcome to Windsor Great Park | Windsor Great Park
that's not a bad shout, thanks
 
You're not a million miles from Brooklands - for the museum and MB World. Or you could have a wander round Brookwood Cemetery? Seems a bit of a morbid suggestion but it's a very interesting place!

+1 for Swinley on the mountainbike.
 
Rob at Comand/Unique Car Sound & Security did my JL Audio 10" Sub build with additional Amp recently in my GLE and it's transformed the HK system which was lacking decent Bass....A full custom build, the pic shows the carpet a little off colour but it's actually spot on when you see it.... All of the trim was created and moulded by hand, then wrapped in speaker fabric and other parts in carpet...Rob and Richard are really good at what they do there.... you wont be dissapointed, they worked on many of my cars past and present going back 10 years...

The coffee shop is great with snacks etc but for a whole day I'd reccomend getting a Cab somewhere as you'll get bored in that little village..

A library pic showing what it was like before and the actual pic of after....
 

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Rob at Comand/Unique Car Sound & Security did my JL Audio 10" Sub build with additional Amp recently in my GLE and it's transformed the HK system which was lacking decent Bass....A full custom build, the pic shows the carpet a little off colour but it's actually spot on when you see it.... All of the trim was created and moulded by hand, then wrapped in speaker fabric and other parts in carpet...Rob and Richard are really good at what they do there.... you wont be dissapointed, they worked on many of my cars past and present going back 10 years...

The coffee shop is great with snacks etc but for a whole day I'd reccomend getting a Cab somewhere as you'll get bored in that little village..

A library pic showing what it was like before and the actual pic of after....

That's fabulous. Just how I like it done.

I stuck a removable bazooka sub in the boot of my 200SX which made a big difference. A bit clumsy but removable. I did the same on my C43 estate.

My E500 had factory HK with a sub hidden behind a (factory) side panel like that and I was looking for a similar install. Mark from Comand gave me the option of a 8 inch or 10 inch Alpine (10 inch it is then) and when I called them I spoke to Becky who told me there's factory boot panel they can fit over it. Bingo. Factory look.
 

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