W211 E320 CDI ULEZ Discrepency

[CanisMajoris]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here. I hope I've posted this in the correct section of the forum, apologies if I haven't.

Being 28 years old I finally got my license last month after YEARS of delaying it as I've been used to commuting via TFL underground when living in London and being rather local to my work place here in the Midlands.

In any case, I'm currently in the market for a W211 E320 CDI. I want a cruiser and comfy ride vehicle and was always fond of this model. The vehicle will mainly be used to commute from the East Midlands down to London on the M1 during weekends and perhaps some days during the week. I would OCCASIONALLY decide drive into Central London (including ULEZ) for events with friends and family, otherwise I would typically commute via train.

I've searched the market for various W211's, specifically the POST face lift (07 onwards & even 56 in some circumstances). Having checked the TFL website Check your vehicle for whether or not there is a charge on the vehicles, I always thought that due to those engines NOT being a Euro 6 diesel that there would be a charge for the ULEZ. The problem is that the site is coming back saying some W211's registrations are exempt from the charge and some aren't. So I'm a bit baffled on how the system decides which vehicles are exempt from paying the charge and which aren't. Euro 6 diesels were introduced around September 2015 but there are some Audi's with a 14/64 plate which appear to be exempt from the ULEZ charge so how can some 2007-2009 W211 diesels be exempt?

Your knowledge and input is greatly appreciated.

 

[clk208]

Highly doubt anything that era could possibly be compliant.

The first diesel MBs that were compliant seem to be the w222 S class and ML from 2013 onwards. All other classes it’s 2015 onwards.

Petrol W211s are likely to be exempt though, good selection of engines there too. Would get my vote as less likely to throw up expensive drivetrain repairs at that age.

 

[CanisMajoris]

I am highly suspicious of the site also due to the fact that the engines are a Euro 4 diesel so I'm not sure how their database is deciding which vehicles are exempt.

The mileage of the vehicles I'm after are below 70k to avoid the typical wear related repairs. I'm not sure if the petrol W211 would favour me in terms of MPG as the diesels will still give far better value for miles driven.

I'm reluctant to purchase a 2015 vehicle due to the costs associated with it being a relatively new vehicle and the depreciation that it gets hit with.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Don't see how any W211 diesel could be ULEZ exempt but petrol definitely are. 211 were fitted with both 320CDI and 320 petrol so that could be confusing. Like these two:
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[CanisMajoris]

So if I purchased a W211 320CDI whose registration on the TFL site shows up as exempt, and I drive through the ULEZ, should I expect a letter/fine or should it be ok and no charge incurred?

 

[MercedesDriver]

If ANPR recognises that plate as ULEZ exempt you will be fine, but are you sure those plates are not clones of some 320 petrol??

 

[CanisMajoris]

Whether or not the plates I see attached to the vehicle is a clone of a petrol I'm not sure how I can verify this. However, upon entering registration details on TFL I see the vehicle description appear accurate from the screenshot attached.

If the ANPR identifies the plate number the same as TFL database then it should pass?

 

[C240Sport97]

ULEZ will eventually be extended to the North and South Circular Roads

 

[CanisMajoris]

ULEZ will eventually be extended to the North and South Circular Roads

October 2021, which is making me inclined more to get a Euro 6 and dish out the extra £ for that reason.

I don't think the petrol equivalents will do me any good in terms of MPG cost.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Whether or not the plates I see attached to the vehicle is a clone of a petrol I'm not sure how I can verify this. However, upon entering registration details on TFL I see the vehicle description appear accurate from the screenshot attached.

If the ANPR identifies the plate number the same as TFL database then it should pass?

Yes you should be fine. It is a system error or it is registered as a London taxi since they are ULEZ exempt.

 

[C240Sport97]

Yes you should be fine. It is a system error or it is registered as a London taxi since they are ULEZ exempt.

if the cab driver switches his registration, you will have to pay

 

[SW18]

Yes you should be fine. It is a system error or it is registered as a London taxi since they are ULEZ exempt.

Has the minicab exemption not gone now? Or maybe is going soon? I recall a TfL consultation about it.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

A friend of mine has a 2004 s211 320cdi estate and when he put that in it came back as the ops. no charge payable. Now his has had a personal plate change a couple of times which might confuse things . I have no explanation but at least you are not alone.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Has the minicab exemption not gone now? Or maybe is going soon? I recall a TfL consultation about it.

There is still exemption for cabs registered in London with a limit of 15 years maximum age of a car, but I think it is related only to previously registered cabs. New mini cabs must comply with ULEZ.

 

[merc85]

If the Dvla mess up the Registration of the vehicle and the Anpr cannot recognise it the charge will apply, I had a lengthy argument with both dvla and tfl, eventually my previous E55 was exempt wen before it was chargeable. All down to a error at some point in the cars life. when entering the Reg it would come up as Mercedes, Black, Not Mercedes e55 so was charged. The whole system is flawed.

 

[Londonscottish]

Highly doubt anything that era could possibly be compliant.

The first diesel MBs that were compliant seem to be the w222 S class and ML from 2013 onwards. All other classes it’s 2015 onwards.

Petrol W211s are likely to be exempt though, good selection of engines there too. Would get my vote as less likely to throw up expensive drivetrain repairs at that age.

My 2005 211 E500 was exempt as is my 2010 (pre-facelift) 212 E500.

But when I checked the pre-facelift diesels were not. The earliest compliant diesels I could find were the facelift ones which became Euro VI at some point (2012? 2013?).

I'd steer clear of a Euro 5 diesel because of ULEZ (which is supposed to expand in 2021) and other things like punitive parking charges already in place. And the fact that it's only a matter of time before other cities do the same thing.

 

[GeeJayW]

The DVLA database is flawed.

Our C250d (S205) is Euro 6 and when I first checked on the DVLA ULEZ check, it came back as non-compliant and therefore would incur a charge. This due to an error when DVLA entered the emissions data from the type-approval documentation, which was essentially down to a misunderstanding of the units used g/km versus mg/km. So only out by a fact of 1000!. This has now been revised and if I check now, the checker tool says our car is compliant with the limits

As far as I can see, Diesels have to be Euro 6 (2014) or later to comply with the limits and Gasoline cars have to be Euro 4 (2005) or later.
Cars
European emission standards - Wikipedia

So my take on this is that whatever the checking tool says now, is subject to change if and when they sort the database out.

 

[CanisMajoris]

I appreciate all of your inputs.

Given what I've read so far, the risk is too high to be purchasing the W211 which "appears" as compliant in TFL's database and driving the vehicle within the ULEZ even after expansion would only be a gamble on receiving a penalty charge.

Perhaps this is one of those instances in which I would need to bite the bullet and purchase a Euro 6 diesel. It's a shame because the vehicle I've set my eyes on has only accrued 53,000 miles and under £6k. I would need to spend around double that amount to buy a reasonably priced Euro 6 Benz with decent mileage.

 

[Londonscottish]

I appreciate all of your inputs.

Given what I've read so far, the risk is too high to be purchasing the W211 which "appears" as compliant in TFL's database and driving the vehicle within the ULEZ even after expansion would only be a gamble on receiving a penalty charge.

Perhaps this is one of those instances in which I would need to bite the bullet and purchase a Euro 6 diesel. It's a shame because the vehicle I've set my eyes on has only accrued 53,000 miles and under £6k. I would need to spend around double that amount to buy a reasonably priced Euro 6 Benz with decent mileage.

I think that that would be wise as I assume Euro 6 diesels will remain compliant for a long time (although don't quote me on that!).

Living in London Zone 2 I passed on a Euro 5 diesel a couple of years ago for that reason.

 

[CanisMajoris]

I'm sure diesels will be around for quite some time, especially considering the commercial vehicles in the country would need a good incentive to move away from diesel and potentially fossil fuels altogether, which is a few decades away at least!

In any case, I've been mulling over this decision and perhaps if I bought a W211 E280 Petrol or even E350, the cost offset by fuel would more or less be the same as the cost of paying for a newer Euro 6 diesel. But then the question remains about reliability and maintenance costs, but each generation has their fair share of issues and one would have to take the plunge anyway.

It will be a shame to invest £6K in the 320cdi to drive it for just over 2 years before being charged to enter London, I guess a W211 E280 petrol or a Euro 6 Diesel Merc will have to be my alternatives.

Any thoughts/recommendations?