W211 E320cdi to C32 or E55 Estate. Anyone done it?

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kdh

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E Class 320cdi Estate
Currently have a 2004 W211 E320 cdi Estate with a chip but have been reading some wonderful road tests of C32 and E55 Estates from the same era which describe the power as completely mental.

Has anyone moved from an E320cdi to one of these, and are they as mind-blowing as the journalists lead us to believe?

Hard to go out and try one because they are few and far between.

I must say, a great big estate that does 0-60 in 4.7 seconds sounds like the ultimate sleeper, especially with an E200 badge on the back.

MPG would be a bit of a concern as I currently average around 35, so maybe it's just a silly idea.

Your thoughts are always welcome.
 
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I've owned all three motors -

C32 is a great little beast, not the best built, but an absolute blast. Does about 16-20mpg.

E55K is the daddy though, low down supercharged torque is amazing, very little that can get near it pound for pound, fuel economy similar to the C32.

I'd go for the E55K hands down, if only because of how small a C-Class is in comparison.
 
In a similar vain. Yes, I've done what you want to do. I've gone from a standard CLS 350cdi with 265HP and 620nm of torque to an E63 with 557HP and 720nm. Yes it's a lot of fun. 16 to 24mpg isn't... But who cares VPower unleaded is better for the environment than diesel right? ;)

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
I'd go for the E55K hands down, if only because of how small a C-Class is in comparison.

That might be a positive as I find the E-class a bit big on the b-roads.

Plus I've only got a small dog.
 
I tuned/moded my e320 I6 approx 270hp estate and was a completley fautless drive And then moved to a e55k.

The e55k is Mind blowingly quick but the change for me was not worth the extra ££'s it has cost me in up keep for essentially is the same car a "211"

Yes there Rapid but be under no illusion about the up keep of a Ageing performance car.
 
Very similar, went from an E280 to an E55.

No comparison for performance, the E55 just pulls and pulls relentlessly from very low revs. 35 miles a day will probably see you using 2 gallons of V Power.

Don't have a test drive in an E55 if you have no intention buying one. You'll be hooked.
 
Yes there Rapid but be under no illusion about the up keep of a Ageing performance car.

Good advice, thanks. My current 320 diesel has been a wallet bomb lately, with a replacement SBC and other bits an bobs to the tune of £3000.

I think it's about 235-250 bhp with the chip. Plenty fast enough of course and it would be about another £6000 to move to an E55. I wouldn't want any extra horror spends after that.
 
35 miles a day will probably see you using 2 gallons of V Power.

Ruddy hell. I guess cruising around Europe would be cheaper to get in a cab.

I envisaged bombing down those long French autoroutes in my old age, in something mad.
 
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Ruddy hell. I guess cruising around Europe would be cheaper to get in a cab.

Yes.......but it wouldn't be as much fun:D

Have you thought about a C55?
Unfortunately the 32 and 55 AMG's all have similar running costs. They are remarkably reliable, but, when a bill comes in you are repairing a £70k car in effect.
 
No I haven't thought of a C55. Cheaper to run with a few thrills built in?

Dog (small), Son (big), Wife (doesn't like driving big E-Class but has lots of luggage), Me (want fun and power, but limited funds)
 
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Fuel wise, the n/a C55 is cheaper to run than the supercharged E55, but probably only 5+mpg. Still a very quick car.
 
No I haven't thought of a C55. Cheaper to run with a few thrills built in?

Dog (small), Son (big), Wife (doesn't like driving big E-Class but has lots of luggage), Me (want fun and power, but limited funds)

Hand on Heart if you have limited funds to a degree, Think long and hard about buying a e55k, Do not Buy a cheap one, Low owners 2 keys and Fsh is a must.

If you have a couple of hours free, read my Build thread :doh:

https://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/mbclub-projects/215529-brutus-e55k-project.html
 
Thanks for that.

'Limited funds' means no income, with just a few grand to upgrade before I have to be totally sensible, for which I am fighting against on a daily basis. Feels like a losing battle.
 
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I'm in a similar position. My CLK 320 CDI is going on Sunday and an E55 is a car I'm considering. But I'm wary of whether or not I can genuinely afford to run one as an everyday car and whether or not I want to be paying thousands out on replacement parts..
 
Will cost a LOT more, and how often will you use that power?

Apologies in advance to the AMG crew, but.....whatever....

I had an E55 at 18 months old, and dumped it as soon as I could, which took a full 12 months to get it away. I think it cost me £1.5k a month in depreciation

Loved the car when I drove it down to Salcombe two or three times from London. Great on the A303 and all those lovely country roads.

But I never used the speed within the M25, I always felt I had to drive it on "tip toe" for fear of it jumping away (in town, or on tight corners) , I don't think I ever floored it, the suspension was back jarring, the 20" wheels kept getting kerbed, and my wife hated driving it and kept telling me so.

And after even after short drive to Salcombe (250 miles?) you'd feel tired / enervated, whereas I can drive a "normal" V8 for 500 miles in a day, and be bouncy to go out for a walk to get 7,000 steps in before dinner.

So buy one - if you're going to use it - if you've got the roads to use it on - if you've got the extra dosh to spend on maintenance and fuel - and if you're happy with much more precise, yet harder, suspension and handling- if you like the sight of it on your drive - and if you want to tick the box of having owned one.

I'm not dissing the product - I'm just saying that "with great power, comes cost and compromises." An AMG will always be a lot more expensive to run and maintain than a "normal saloon." The clue is in the letters.
 
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Can't understand why yours had jarring suspension? Mine is more comfortable than my C32 , which was a bit harsher but not jarring either one of them.

Standard wheel are 18" so I guess the 20" wheels are the main cause of the bad ride.

I bet a remapped E320Cdi will not be to far behind a C55 mid-range either, off the mark no doubt a different story & the C55 will have the "Rumble" ha ha
Good luck in whatever you choose, if it were me one dog etc C32 with a smaller pulley ,johnson pump & re map would be my choice. thats the setup I had on my C32 & it was not much difference to my Std E55 TBH.
 
Agree with everything that Mike has said apart from the suspension, Mine is lovely on air. But i think the Op should stick with a Cdi
 
20 inch wheels

French and Merc85,

You're both right to pick me up on that.

A decade later, of course, I know that I should have changed those lovely 20 inch wheels to 18's, to soften the ride of that AMG car. But back in the day, I didn't realise how gorgeous large wheels "transform" the ride of a car - for the worse on London's speed bumps and poorly maintained roads (I wasn't the first or last to make that mistake - in Mercedes or BMW).

But it was a part of "my" AMG story.

As regards our friend, the real issue is about easily doubling his fuel and maintenance costs, and whether the extra cost will justify the extra pleasure of having that AMG plate on his drive.

The Moral of all this? Take advice, but certainly take a few test drives before fully committing.

If you're going to spend three years with a car, you need to know what you're buying.
 
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