Think I'm after a w221 s320. Does this sound right?

[DriftworksJames]

Hi all,
I've not owned or looked a Mercedes since a brief fling with a w124 many years ago, but I think it may be exactly what I need in my life right now.
If you could help me work out what would fit my needs best, that would be brilliant

My ideal shopping list is
Able to do over 30mpg on the motorway
As quiet, relaxing and comfy as possible at motorway speeds.
Good hifi sound system
Radar cruise control (distronic?)
Massage seats
Less than £10k to buy

I've toyed with a 7 series and greatly enjoyed an audi a8, but I think a Mercedes may be a step up in terms of comfort.
I don't particularly need a large car, anything with even 2 small back seats for kids would be fine, but in my experience, the driving experience I'm after can only really be had at the luxobarge end of the scale. A big car is no trouble for me, I'm doing mostly motorway driving and have plenty of parking space.

So from my quick look I think the best fit is a 2007-ish s class s320 cdi. Does that sound right or are there any other options I should consider?

But looking at various adverts in he usual places, it's clear to me that most sellers aren't aware of what options are available, what's fitted on the car and what things are called...
I can spot a distronic front grille easy enough but are there similar visual indicators for massage seats and hk hifi which I would be able to see from photos?

Apologies for the rambling post and thanks in advance for your time.

James


Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[dan-mb]

Hi all,
I've not owned or looked a Mercedes since a brief fling with a w124 many years ago, but I think it may be exactly what I need in my life right now.
If you could help me work out what would fit my needs best, that would be brilliant

My ideal shopping list is
Able to do over 30mpg on the motorway
As quiet, relaxing and comfy as possible at motorway speeds.
Good hifi sound system
Radar cruise control (distronic?)
Massage seats
Less than £10k to buy

I've toyed with a 7 series and greatly enjoyed an audi a8, but I think a Mercedes may be a step up in terms of comfort.
I don't particularly need a large car, anything with even 2 small back seats for kids would be fine, but in my experience, the driving experience I'm after can only really be had at the luxobarge end of the scale. A big car is no trouble for me, I'm doing mostly motorway driving and have plenty of parking space.

So from my quick look I think the best fit is a 2007-ish s class s320 cdi. Does that sound right or are there any other options I should consider?

But looking at various adverts in he usual places, it's clear to me that most sellers aren't aware of what options are available, what's fitted on the car and what things are called...
I can spot a distronic front grille easy enough but are there similar visual indicators for massage seats and hk hifi which I would be able to see from photos?

Apologies for the rambling post and thanks in advance for your time.

James


Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Hi James,

The S320 CDi would be your best bet or perhaps a CLS 320CDI. Both great cars. As far as 'spotting' the spec the HK speakers have harman kardon badges on the speaker covers. Im not very familiar with the dash layout on the s-class as its very different to other Mercedes models, perhaps someone may be along to post a link to a car manual which would show the locations of buttons for massaging seats etc. I know that the buttons for memory/heated/cooling seats functions are on the doors next to the electric seat adjustment buttons on the S class. For a comfy ride i would suggest getting one with AIRMATIC suspension on the CLS this button is located by the parking sensor button at the bottom of the gear stick gator. Best of luck with your search/purchase!

 

[GH421]

Hi,

I own a W221 S320cdi LWB. I get about 35 mpg on motorways (i don't hang about).
HK Audio - is a must
Distronic - another must
Massage seats - don't really use them, I can't feel the massage and I'm always worried it will go pop as they did previously and cost £1200 to replace along with pump. To see if a car has them you need to press the seat button next to the hazard button and flick the dial to the massage function. If nothing happens then it doesn't work.
The LWB come with the panoramic roof as well which I love as it makes the cabin airy.
Cornering Bi-xenon is very nice to have as well
Designo Suede head lining is a talking point

For 10k you can get a 2006-07 plate with an AMG kit (another must to make it stand out from the mill of the run S classes). Remember though this isn't a cheap car to fix and things will go bang so make sure you factor that in.

In your position I would go for the petrol variant as at least you'll have a solid engine and only need to worry about electricals - in theory.

 

[219]

I can't comment on W221 as I've never even sat in one , although I have been in a few W220s and have owned W116 and W126 S Class cars - even my 500SEL would return 25 mpg on motorway runs although it dropped to around 20 with mixed use .

What I was going to say was , re your comment that even a 2+2 would do , is that my R129 300SL-24 is one of the most comfortable cars I've owned ; I'd put driving comfort up there with my W126 . With the hardtop on it is as quiet as any saloon ( notwithstanding a little bit of wind noise from my passenger door window as the glass had been replaced and isn't adjusted perfectly - this is a job I plan to do ) . With the soft top , of course , more external noise comes in , but then you have the pleasure of a convertible in the summer with a power operated soft top which can be put up and down at the touch of a button .

My car has electric seats , memory on the driver's side , but not heated although many are . I do have air con , but not cruise ( plan to retrofit ) although many of these cars do .

Being a 'sports car' the ride isn't quite as isolated as an S Class , but it isn't rock hard either ; it's probably similar to a W124 , on which it is based under the skin , but probably handles a bit better than one .

The two rear seats are only suitable for children ; my seven year old is comfortable there , but would be a squash to get four adults in and not for any distance . The cars come with lap belts only in the back , but most owners retrofit three point belts from Quickfit SBS as I have done .

Mine , being the 300 , returns consistently 400 miles to a tankful for a £70 fill up of super unleaded which I think works out to about 28mpg , this is for a mixture of local , town and motorway driving , so might do better on longer runs . Many owners claim that 500s return the same fuel economy .

I have to say that the standard audio in the cars ( typically Becker or Blaupunkt ) isn't great , some American cars had Bose audio and you can get the Bose door speakers easily enough on eBay and the Bose subwoofer and amps but this goes in place of the back seats which few US cars had . I'm in the process of upgrading the audio in mine , as I do with all my cars : either another Sony CDX-910 head unit as currently in my 190E ( if I can pick up a second one - one currently for sale in Russia , but a bit dubious about buying from there ) or I'll fit one of my XRC-900 cassette head units until I source one in the UK ; I've currently got my DSP , power amplifiers and CD Changers in the boot , and have purchased some decent JBL speakers to fit into the door positions and either sides of the back seat ; a bit unorthodox , but there looks to be space for a sub above the passenger footwell , using the dash cavity as an enclosure .

I acquired my car as a cashless swap last May , and spent the summer sorting out various niggles , but now have a nice car I'm very happy with and which puts a smile on my face every time I look at or get in it !

The best news about R129's is that they are at the bottom of their depreciation curve , and useable ones like mine can be bought well under your budget , and your £10K could buy a really nice , late one - but not for long .

Like the previous generation W113 'Pagoda' and R107 'Dallas' series SL's , R129 prices are set to climb - keep one for a few years and it will be worth more than anything you might pay now . A W221 will drop a lot in value and be a long time before ever starting to climb , although in fairness we are now seeing W116 and W126 values starting to rise , now there are fewer left .

You might also look at the later R230 SL series with power operated hardtop , I think some of those might be dropping into your budget now , but I know little about them and can't advise - I don't even know if they have rear seats like all earlier SL's ?

Edit - here's my thread about my SL

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/190523-my-first-sl.html

 

[ianrandom]

We ran a long wheelbase 320CDI for three years in the chauffeur company I work for. If was absolutely gorgeous inside and out, and was faultless for the whole duration. Not hard work chauffeur work, just pootling about really.
It actually felt like an S class, unlike the previous generation cars.
The panoramic sunroof was very nice, didn't have too many other options though.
Lovely cars. We also got the latest 7 series 730ld to match, which is a brilliant car. The W221 beat it hands down for class, feel and design though.

 

[John]

We ran a long wheelbase 320CDI for three years in the chauffeur company I work for. If was absolutely gorgeous inside and out, and was faultless for the whole duration. Not hard work chauffeur work, just pootling about really.
It actually felt like an S class, unlike the previous generation cars.
The panoramic sunroof was very nice, didn't have too many other options though.
Lovely cars. We also got the latest 7 series 730ld to match, which is a brilliant car. The W221 beat it hands down for class, feel and design though.

When I worked for a company in Bourne End, Bucks, certainly when I was there (2003 > 2007), they used to use a chauffeur company who ran at least E320CDIs and then upgraded to 730LDs in 2004 I think it was.

Is it the same company (I won't mention the name for privacy!)?

One guy ran a Y reg LS430 back then.

 

[ianrandom]

When I worked for a company in Bourne End, Bucks, certainly when I was there (2003 > 2007), they used to use a chauffeur company who ran at least E320CDIs and then upgraded to 730LDs in 2004 I think it was.

Is it the same company (I won't mention the name for privacy!)?

One guy ran a Y reg LS430 back then.

No, I don't think so. Never had any E classes unless before my time, only the S. Not too far from Bourne End though, just outside Reading we are based. Incidentally the owner said the best car they ever had was the W126, for chauffeur use back in the day. But corporate clients are fussy apparently and only want the latest model, preferably of the MB.

The 7 series has done well, much better than the last model which had some cool features but just wasn't very exciting at all and ugly inside and out. Also having major electrical problems just as the warranty period was running out.
This 7 has only had problems with the boot closing stopping working so the boot became incredibly springy and very hard to shut. The doors sometimes do odd things and don't latch, which is a bit worrying. Otherwise though no problems. It has really awesome handling and boost when needed. Nice interior, but still not a match for the outgoing W221 for class and ambience.

The W221 got bought off the lease at the end of the term for a bargain price and sold very quickly by my work, somebody bought it a week after it was advertised. It was a nice understated colour scheme and well looked after so that probably helps.

 

[John]

The W221 got bought off the lease at the end of the term for a bargain price and sold very quickly by my work, somebody bought it a week after it was advertised. It was a nice understated colour scheme and well looked after so that probably helps.

That might explain the history of this one:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/2223169-post40.html

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I can't comment on W221 as I've never even sat in one , although I have been in a few W220s and have owned W116 and W126 S Class cars - even my 500SEL would return 25 mpg on motorway runs although it dropped to around 20 with mixed use .

What I was going to say was , re your comment that even a 2+2 would do , is that my R129 300SL-24 is one of the most comfortable cars I've owned ; I'd put driving comfort up there with my W126 . With the hardtop on it is as quiet as any saloon ( notwithstanding a little bit of wind noise from my passenger door window as the glass had been replaced and isn't adjusted perfectly - this is a job I plan to do ) . With the soft top , of course , more external noise comes in , but then you have the pleasure of a convertible in the summer with a power operated soft top which can be put up and down at the touch of a button .

My car has electric seats , memory on the driver's side , but not heated although many are . I do have air con , but not cruise ( plan to retrofit ) although many of these cars do .

Being a 'sports car' the ride isn't quite as isolated as an S Class , but it isn't rock hard either ; it's probably similar to a W124 , on which it is based under the skin , but probably handles a bit better than one .

The two rear seats are only suitable for children ; my seven year old is comfortable there , but would be a squash to get four adults in and not for any distance . The cars come with lap belts only in the back , but most owners retrofit three point belts from Quickfit SBS as I have done .

Mine , being the 300 , returns consistently 400 miles to a tankful for a £70 fill up of super unleaded which I think works out to about 28mpg , this is for a mixture of local , town and motorway driving , so might do better on longer runs . Many owners claim that 500s return the same fuel economy .

I have to say that the standard audio in the cars ( typically Becker or Blaupunkt ) isn't great , some American cars had Bose audio and you can get the Bose door speakers easily enough on eBay and the Bose subwoofer and amps but this goes in place of the back seats which few US cars had . I'm in the process of upgrading the audio in mine , as I do with all my cars : either another Sony CDX-910 head unit as currently in my 190E ( if I can pick up a second one - one currently for sale in Russia , but a bit dubious about buying from there ) or I'll fit one of my XRC-900 cassette head units until I source one in the UK ; I've currently got my DSP , power amplifiers and CD Changers in the boot , and have purchased some decent JBL speakers to fit into the door positions and either sides of the back seat ; a bit unorthodox , but there looks to be space for a sub above the passenger footwell , using the dash cavity as an enclosure .

I acquired my car as a cashless swap last May , and spent the summer sorting out various niggles , but now have a nice car I'm very happy with and which puts a smile on my face every time I look at or get in it !

The best news about R129's is that they are at the bottom of their depreciation curve , and useable ones like mine can be bought well under your budget , and your £10K could buy a really nice , late one - but not for long .

Like the previous generation W113 'Pagoda' and R107 'Dallas' series SL's , R129 prices are set to climb - keep one for a few years and it will be worth more than anything you might pay now . A W221 will drop a lot in value and be a long time before ever starting to climb , although in fairness we are now seeing W116 and W126 values starting to rise , now there are fewer left .

You might also look at the later R230 SL series with power operated hardtop , I think some of those might be dropping into your budget now , but I know little about them and can't advise - I don't even know if they have rear seats like all earlier SL's ?

Edit - here's my thread about my SL

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/190523-my-first-sl.html

Glad to see you're lack of experience didn't hold you back.

 

[219]

Quite , after all I only have 54 years experience of Mercedes-Benz , which probably puts me at a disadvantage over many of the other 'experts' on here

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Quite , after all I only have 54 years experience of Mercedes-Benz , which probably puts me at a disadvantage over many of the other 'experts' on here

In all honesty, yes, it probably does.

The OP was asking about a car that you openly admit that you will never own.

 

[219]

In all honesty, yes, it probably does.

The OP was asking about a car that you openly admit that you will never own.

Where did I say that ???

I merely said I've never sat in one .

If you read his post PROPERLY , you will see that he asked about alternatives , including models with room for children in the back .

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Where did I say that ???

I merely said I've never sat in one .

If you read his post PROPERLY , you will see that he asked about alternatives , including models with room for children in the back .

W221.

Will you ever buy one?

Yes or no?

 

[219]

Who knows ? I don't .

I'm not the one here who seems to be looking for an argument .

Good night .

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Who knows ? I don't .

I'm not the one here who seems to be looking for an argument .

Good night .

You said recently that you would never buy a car newer than one of your current fleet of antiques, you then opened up your comment on this thread that you have zero experience of model in question yet you manage a massive post on the subject despite your lack of experience or desire to know the subject?

 

[dan-mb]

Calm down 'Gents' the OP is a new member (kind of) don't be going off topic with ego's and spoiling a thread!

 

[flango]

Looks like its your turn to be picked on tonight Derek ;-)

 

[Deleted member 11979]

Hilarious

 

[Deleted member 37751]

By the looks of it, you're a petrolhead, so I would veer towards the S500 if I were you James.

Why? It's the engine that was designed for the S-Class, as great as the V6 CDi is, the V8 petrol is the one to go for and you might just get over 30mpg on the motorway.

 

[ianrandom]

By the looks of it, you're a petrolhead, so I would veer towards the S500 if I were you James.

Why? It's the engine that was designed for the S-Class, as great as the V6 CDi is, the V8 petrol is the one to go for and you might just get over 30mpg on the motorway.

V8, mmmm. Haven't been in a W221 V8 but that's got to be damn good.