Some 212 questions

[Londonscottish]

The Sport has alcantara as standard but many with optional full leather.

Pre 2013 facelift you'll struggle to find DAB. I gave up after 6 months of looking.

Thanks for explaining why some of them advertise having full leather as being an option. Didn't understand that.

As for the DAB I'm still irritated that I missed one of the few cars that actually had it *sigh*

 

[gIzzE]

Couple of things, if you get comand you can add Dab for around £350, no coding needed.

You should be able to choose bluetooth audio streaming from the service menu on comand if it is not already there, needs to be a certain firmware date to do this, but if you go for a later car with 7G+ gearbox you should be covered.

Definitely go for a later car from mid 2011 onwards so you get the 7G gearbox, it is worth it imho, plus the tech is much better. Harder to tell on the 6cyl, colour instrument cluster, straight DRL, lower emmisions are all tell tale signs, but some anomalies out there too, and dealers list them incorrectly too.

Also, I know they are rare, but consider the E350cgi as well, I went from cdi to cgi and the difference in refinement is massive, the whole package just feels right, and the MPG is around 10-15% different, for me doing 20k miles a year it is costing me about £7 a week more to be in the petrol.
33.2mpg from the cdi (36 on the obc) and 29.7mpg from the cgi.

Also, although the alcantara is tough, the plastic on the bolsters is a weak point, lots of cases of that mbtex or whatever they call it these days ripping. I would try and find one with the full leather, on the sport it is really nice leather and comes with contrast stitching.

Try and make sure you get the Intelligent Light System, that is a great option.
Standard stereo is very good, HK actually sounded a bit bloated at the bottom and shrill at the top, I wouldn't bother.

 

[steve333]

Spoke to the dealer.

Apparently the Sports all come with the Alcantara inserts in the seats. Yey.

And auto lights & and wipers.

And auto-dimming mirrors (I think).

Not sure about Parktronic.....(?)

So the options I'm definitely looking for are Pano, DAB, Media Interface (or at least the ability to stream audio via Bluetooth) & heated seats.

Nice to haves include HK/Bose, Privacy, Memory Seats, 7 Seats, electric tailgate.

He's got a grey one in which has the advantage of a tow bar (useful for me for a bike rack). However it also has 19's which will no doubt look nice but which will no doubt also b*gger up the ride a bit. And it doesn't have a Pano roof which is a show stopper for me.

He asked why I was so keen on the pano roof and I explained that every single car I've had in the last 22 years has had a glass sunroof and I just love the feeling of airiness that they give. Plus on hot days it's nice to drive around town with it and the windows open. The pano has the double of bonus of making it all feel a bit special in the back.

So pano it is.

Here's hoping one comes up between now and Easter when I'm off to Normandy.

Hi,I would drive both the original and facelift 265bhp and make your own mind up,I did when I opted for a 2012/62 plate 265bhp saloon,as the difference is noticeable with the 265 model being more responsive,better mpg,more torque and very smooth,hope that helps!

 

[Londonscottish]

Couple of things, if you get comand you can add Dab for around £350, no coding needed.

Excellent - thanks for the tip

You should be able to choose bluetooth audio streaming from the service menu on comand if it is not already there, needs to be a certain firmware date to do this, but if you go for a later car with 7G+ gearbox you should be covered.

Ta

Definitely go for a later car from mid 2011 onwards so you get the 7G gearbox, it is worth it imho, plus the tech is much better. Harder to tell on the 6cyl, colour instrument cluster, straight DRL, lower emmisions are all tell tale signs, but some anomalies out there too, and dealers list them incorrectly too.

Are you saying the earlier ones don't have 7G?

Also, I know they are rare, but consider the E350cgi as well, I went from cdi to cgi and the difference in refinement is massive, the whole package just feels right, and the MPG is around 10-15% different, for me doing 20k miles a year it is costing me about £7 a week more to be in the petrol.
33.2mpg from the cdi (36 on the obc) and 29.7mpg from the cgi.

I'd have a CGI at the drop of a hat. They seems like unicorns though :-(

Also, although the alcantara is tough, the plastic on the bolsters is a weak point, lots of cases of that mbtex or whatever they call it these days ripping. I would try and find one with the full leather, on the sport it is really nice leather and comes with contrast stitching.

Good tip, thanks

Try and make sure you get the Intelligent Light System, that is a great option.

Que?

Standard stereo is very good, HK actually sounded a bit bloated at the bottom and shrill at the top, I wouldn't bother.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

GIzZe meant to say go for the 7G+ which was introduced towards the back end of 2011.

 

[gIzzE]

The 'Plus' gearbox is much snappier and more economical.

the Intelligent Light System has adaptive xenons that alter depending what is around you on the road, they bend, extend etc.
Nice option.

 

[reflexboy]

The 'Plus' gearbox is much snappier and more economical. the Intelligent Light System has adaptive xenons that alter depending what is around you on the road, they bend, extend etc. Nice option.

I'll second that. The ILS is fab.

 

[Londonscottish]

I'll second that. The ILS is fab.

Just spoke to a colleague who's just bought a GLA for wife with ILS.

Loves it.

 

[Londonscottish]

consider the E350cgi as well

Because of the ULEZ shenanigans I'm get nervous about buying a diesel in London. I tend to keep my cars for quite a long time and want one that's reasonably ban-proof.

Hoping to look at one next week.

Question; is is reasonably torquey? I'm hoping the power characteristics are similar to those of my current 5.0 V8.

I like the fact that I can waft around for ages without going past 2k.

(my mate has a 211 E320 petrol and when he puts his foot down it gets a bit frantic going up and down the box).

 

[gIzzE]

I spend most of my time below 2500rpm where it changes up if juts wafting around, it is really smooth and never feels anything but relaxed. Make of that what you will.

I prefer it to the on/off power of the 350cdi by a long margin, to me the big diesels just feel like there is all or nothing, you can't have that really refined round town experience.
If you hit the gas harder it will change up at around 5000rpm, you have to bury it to get it to go to 7000rpm and go 'frantic'.

The 2005 E500 and 2012 E350cgi are both 302hp, the E500 has around 320ft/lbs of torque the E350 around 280ft/lbs. The E350 is probably a bit lighter?
Both do 0-60 in roughly 6 seconds, I bet it will feel pretty similar.

From Shoreditch to Gants Hill today, at 3pm with the schools kicking out it returned 26mpg, which my 350cdi struggled to do.


Got a link to the one you are going to see?

 

[gIzzE]

I had the E320 petrol in W210 guise, it was a very late one, and this is more torquey than that.

 

[Londonscottish]

I spend most of my time below 2500rpm where it changes up if juts wafting around, it is really smooth and never feels anything but relaxed. Make of that what you will.

Encouraging.

I prefer it to the on/off power of the 350cdi by a long margin, to me the big diesels just feel like there is all or nothing, you can't have that really refined round town experience.

I liked the low end grunt round town in the 250 CDI I had on loan a couple of years ago but was disappointed when I "opened it up" and found that there actually wasn't any more.

Haven't tried the 350 though.

The 2005 E500 and 2012 E350cgi are both 302hp, the E500 has around 320ft/lbs of torque the E350 around 280ft/lbs. The E350 is probably a bit lighter? Both do 0-60 in roughly 6 seconds, I bet it will feel pretty similar.

I remember thinking this when I saw the specs of the 350 when it first came out.

From Shoreditch to Gants Hill today, at 3pm with the schools kicking out it returned 26mpg, which my 350cdi struggled to do.

Good to know.

Got a link to the one you are going to see?

Yes but no but. I'd rather not publicise it yet as when in the past I've gone hunting for increasingly-rare big MB petrols I've found a small but dedicated band of fellow petrol fans hunting the same unicorn.

 

[gIzzE]

I liked the low end grunt round town in the 250 CDI I had on loan a couple of years ago but was disappointed when I "opened it up" and found that there actually wasn't any more.

That is exactly my issue with diesels, you think "Whoa, this feels pretty pokey, nice one." but then when you get to open them up you realise that what you had experienced already....well......is pretty much it.

For me I just love the way you take a car from 4000 to 5000 to 6000 to 7000rpm, it is what makes an engine for me. With diesel it just sits there between 2000rpm and 4000rpm and there isn't anything else, you want it to keep gaining power, but it just changes down and starts over again.


Not sure if the pre MY12 cars had a different engine, the ones with the early 7g (non plus gearbox)???

 

[Robsey29]

Gizze can you provide more info on where to get dab added for around £350 this is something I miss in my 350?

Sorry for the thread hijack!

 

[gIzzE]

You can buy the DAB receiver from eBay, they tend to sell for around £150-200.
You can then buy a harness for £130 to make it plug and play, this daisy chains your quadlock connector on the back of your head unit and gives you the most connector and the power plug needed for the dab receiver.

You then need a dab antenna, a standard one will do, and dabonwheels can supply the FAKRA plug to keep it in place.

So anywhere from £300-350.

I do however think that you have to be careful on model of the DAB receiver, I 'think' there is a different model for NTG2.5 and NTG4 cars vs the ones for the NTG4.5 and NTG4.7 cars.

You should then get someone to code your car ideally, it will work, but you ideally should tell the car that it has dab fitted, then if anything is updated in your car softwre wise the dab unit will be too.


What year car is yours, or what comand system do you have?

 

[Bullit69]

Hate to jump on the thread with nothing pertinent to your questions. But, bear me in mind doing when you move the s211 on.

 

[Robsey29]

You can buy the DAB receiver from eBay, they tend to sell for around £150-200.
You can then buy a harness for £130 to make it plug and play, this daisy chains your quadlock connector on the back of your head unit and gives you the most connector and the power plug needed for the dab receiver.

You then need a dab antenna, a standard one will do, and dabonwheels can supply the FAKRA plug to keep it in place.

So anywhere from £300-350.

I do however think that you have to be careful on model of the DAB receiver, I 'think' there is a different model for NTG2.5 and NTG4 cars vs the ones for the NTG4.5 and NTG4.7 cars.

You should then get someone to code your car ideally, it will work, but you ideally should tell the car that it has dab fitted, then if anything is updated in your car softwre wise the dab unit will be too.


What year car is yours, or what comand system do you have?

That's a great help mine is a late 2009 e350 which I think is a NTG4 but I may be wrong as I'm new to the mb world coming from a BMW background, anyway I can tell for definite?

Also how can I tell which dab tuner is for the NTG4 and I will start looking and is the harness from MB or aftermarket?

 

[gIzzE]

Yeah it will be NTG4.


How can you tell? I'm not sure to be honest, I guess part numbers, but they often list what car it came from, so say 2010 E Class, or 2015 C Class etc.

I guess it is a case of searching part catalogues etc.when you see a part number.

Mercedes-Benz E parts catalog | MBFans.info

 

[Londonscottish]

mine is a late 2009 e350

Is yours a CGI?

If so do you happen to know if it's Euro 4 or 5?

Reading the AA site the Euro 5 guidelines were released in Sep 2009 and made mandatory in Jan 2011.

Wondering when Merc started making Euro 5 compliant 350 CGI's

Looking for something that I'll still be able to use in central London in 2-3 years time.

 

[gIzzE]

Wasn't it stop/start that made it Euro 5??

When did that come in?