W211 Facelift Reliability..?

[camerafodder]

I'd keep it with 16s or 17's, cheaper tyres and on big miles that will make a difference. No issues with the 220cdi.

This is sound advice, I have 18" on mine, they look great but good quality tyres can set you back anywhere between 600-800 quid!

 

[Robbo Cop]

Thanks Camerafodder, (another great name),

Yeah I think you're probably right about the 18"s but the 16's don't look great on a car this size. 17's are the best compromise I guess. Lucky for me I have a trade connection here and decent tyres at trade plus vat is a doddle.

How's the ride comfort on the 18's in you're experience? Does you're car have airmatic being a wagon? Too paraphrase Honest John, the E320 CDI is the best real world estate car in the world, or something like that, but you probably knew that.!!

Happy motoring,

Rob

 

[Robbo Cop]

***,

Just getting back to the bridesmaids issue, are they standard on any E Class or only an option with the S Class AMG...? (The piggy bank is sweating...!!)

 

[kwakdonut]

Thanks Kwakdonut, (great name by the way)..

When you say MPG is around the same, do you have any figures? Also, importing a car to Ireland the duty paid is on emissions and the 220 Auto with 177 CO2 is in the 28% bracket and the manual is 24%. I know it sounds like penny pinching, but that equates to a 1,500 euro price difference. Having said that, an auto would be very nice. I did have a BMW 525d auto and it was really thirsty. Well it was till the turbo ate itself..!! It was very economical after that, used no diesel at all actually. Ever...

Rob

Ah right, have a fuller picture now I know it's going to Ireland! Understand why you're looking at the smaller engine/manual gearbox combination.

No MPG figures to hand (try Parkers) but its literally no more than 2-3 mpg difference. The manual gearboxes, I understand are ok but not marvellous. If its down to economics then go for the manual.

Avantgarde - definitely but no bigger than 17" rims otherwise the suspension will probably rattle your teeth out!

Good luck with your purchase!

 

[kwakdonut]

***,

Just getting back to the bridesmaids issue, are they standard on any E Class or only an option with the S Class AMG...? (The piggy bank is sweating...!!)

The most expensive option on the list I'm afraid.......

 

[D-18]

Also, importing a car to Ireland the duty paid is on emissions and the 220 Auto with 177 CO2

I have an '09 registered W211 E220 auto and the V5 quotes the CO2 rating as 174 - don't know if that makes any difference to the tax in Ireland?

*** has more experience with the E class than I have and has given you good feedback. As a long term partner I think the E220 is likely to be a good choice. The V6s are certainly more refined and good bit quicker, but it's no hardship to be bowling along in a 220 I can assure you. My car has only done 18K miles, but I have to say it does have a kind of 'unburstable' feel to it.

As far as reliability is concerned, I think it is easy to forget the level of sophistication built in to luxury cars like the E class - particularly on the electronic side of things. Consequently, long term reliability might suffer and if you stay with main dealers, it is always going to cost a lot more to fix an MB than a Nissan / Toyota etc.

One of my colleagues totally abused a Toyota Avensis over 100K miles and it just kept coming back for more. It was a very tired looking car when he had finished with it, but totally reliable and even if it was worth absolutely nothing at the end, it was probably a cheaper ownership experience than an MB. It was highly unlikely that it was a more satisfying ownership experience than the MB though.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

If you want to buy something to abuse for 100k miles buy a Toyota Avensis.
If you want to buy something to look after for 500k+ miles buy a Mercedes.
The 220 cdi engine is the same one that is in the Mercedes Sprinter. Need I say more?

 

[christopherwk]

The 16 inch wheels provide a noticeably more comfortable ride than the 17 inch wheels (comparing like for like on Avantgarde spec). The 17 inch wheels fill the gaps nicely though, however the ride is not really uncomfortable, just firmer, but the 16 inch wheels provide a more "magic carpet" type of ride.

A couple of pics of mine, top was pre-facelift with 16 inch, bottom one is my facelift with 17 inch.

 

[camerafodder]

Thanks Camerafodder, (another great name),

Yeah I think you're probably right about the 18"s but the 16's don't look great on a car this size. 17's are the best compromise I guess. Lucky for me I have a trade connection here and decent tyres at trade plus vat is a doddle.

How's the ride comfort on the 18's in you're experience? Does you're car have airmatic being a wagon? Too paraphrase Honest John, the E320 CDI is the best real world estate car in the world, or something like that, but you probably knew that.!!

Happy motoring,

Rob

I've go a fancy sport suspension option on mine as well as a remap and as it's an estate its got self levelling as standard. The ride is hard but I came from a 350z so I like it a bit sporty. I had a C220 on 16" at the the same time as the Z (long story) in AG and that was quite a nice ride. I think 17" would be a good compromise.

 

[st4]

This is sound advice, I have 18" on mine, they look great but good quality tyres can set you back anywhere between 600-800 quid!

Tell me about it, and they are staggered on the sport so you cannae rotate them.

Thanks Camerafodder, (another great name),

Yeah I think you're probably right about the 18"s but the 16's don't look great on a car this size. 17's are the best compromise I guess. Lucky for me I have a trade connection here and decent tyres at trade plus vat is a doddle.

How's the ride comfort on the 18's in you're experience? Does you're car have airmatic being a wagon? Too paraphrase Honest John, the E320 CDI is the best real world estate car in the world, or something like that, but you probably knew that.!!

Happy motoring,

Rob

My 220cdi was 16inch wheeled. Current is 18inch. The drop in ride quality is noticeable and can be jarring, the 16inch wheel gives a ride a Rolls Royce would be proud of, and cheaper tyres to buy and less road noise. I'd wager as the tyres take a lot of shocks out, that a 16inch wheeled car is kinder on its suspension.

The 16 inch wheels provide a noticeably more comfortable ride than the 17 inch wheels (comparing like for like on Avantgarde spec). The 17 inch wheels fill the gaps nicely though, however the ride is not really uncomfortable, just firmer, but the 16 inch wheels provide a more "magic carpet" type of ride.

A couple of pics of mine, top was pre-facelift with 16 inch, bottom one is my facelift with 17 inch.

Chris-copy car: Mine has the tinted windows too.

Try jumping 16 to 18, much harsher. Does make it handle tidier but thats the whole point of sport models. The 220cdi isnt availabe as a sport, and is best sampled on 16's.

D-18's car is such a car, and a wonderful ownership proposition and sums up the car nicely.

 

[camerafodder]

Tell me about it, and they are staggered on the sport so you cannae rotate them.

We share the same financial misery , my diet consists of at least two sets of contisports per annum!

 

[st4]

We share the same financial misery , my diet consists of at least two sets of contisports per annum!

I was sold the car with two cheapo primewell tyres on the back. Done 11k on them and knocked off 3mm tops. Not bad. They grip well in the dry, in the wet the back is like a pendulum on a grandfather clock, side to side lol. Makes it a ****ing laugh mind!!!

The front good year efficient grip has lost 1-2mm in the same.

Normally I'd run either conti sports or Michelin Primacy HP/pilot sport 2/3 but the good year seems to be good on the front, so going to give the car the same on the back.

Its a good chassis, as I expected greater wear rates than this, and the car isn't driven that gently...

 

[D-18]

The 16 inch wheels provide a noticeably more comfortable ride than the 17 inch wheels (comparing like for like on Avantgarde spec). The 17 inch wheels fill the gaps nicely though, however the ride is not really uncomfortable, just firmer, but the 16 inch wheels provide a more "magic carpet" type of ride.

Obviously how a car looks is very much down to personal taste, but I think the 17" twin spokes on christopherwk's car just look 'right' on the E class. That said, I'm at an age where I care less about looks and more about comfort so I do like the ride quality of the 16" wheels over the pockmarked urban blacktop.

A little quote from the "What Car" review of the E.....

If you stick to the smaller engines and basic Classic trim, you get 99% of what’s best about the car at a value price

I'm not sure I agree about sticking with Classic trim, but I do think diminishing returns applies the further you go up the engine foodchain. The V6's are definitely more desirable, but you won't feel punished for sticking with the 220.

 

[st4]

Obviously how a car looks is very much down to personal taste, but I think the 17" twin spokes on christopherwk's car just look 'right' on the E class. That said, I'm at an age where I care less about looks and more about comfort so I do like the ride quality of the 16" wheels over the pockmarked urban blacktop.

Best riding car ever, yours are the same style and look the same. The sport ones on mine are lovely, but a bugger to keep clean (so I do not bother).

A little quote from the "What Car" review of the E.....


I'm not sure I agree about sticking with Classic trim, but I do think diminishing returns applies the further you go up the engine foodchain. The V6's are definitely more desirable, but you won't feel punished for sticking with the 220.

AG spec with parktronic. Job done, not even ****d about leather or not, the half leather in mine was nice. I like the extra bolstering on the sports seat, but the cloth was kinder on the bum in the sun.

 

[Robbo Cop]

Just back at the computer..
Many thanks to all of you for the help...I'll keep a good eye on the classifieds for a nice E220 in the coming months and keep you posted on any movements.

Best of luck to you all for now,

Rob )

 

[timskemp]

Post facelift doesn't have SBC or the dodgy radiator issue, although SBC is reliable it's not a common part so is expensive if it goes wrong and increases service costs (long labour on the brake fluid change.

Mine is an 03 so an early one and has 165k on it and the only non-service non-accident bills have been water pump and tensioner, alternator, radiator and torque converter.

They really are a good car, ride is better than a C class and roadholding very simiilar. Mine is comfort suspension on 18" wheels and rides fine.

 

[Robbo Cop]

Thanks Timskemp,

Most of the guy's on here would recommend the auto box for the E220 CDI. Would you say the same? Of course I understand an auto would suit this car much better than a manual, but is it a mistake to look for a manual?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[timskemp]

Definitely go auto. Not many cars I'd say that about, but the shift points and smoothness are so good that you never want for a manual box in an E class.

 

[Robbo Cop]

What about economy? Most seem to say there's not much difference (2-3) mpg, but in my experience auto's can tend to use a lot more fuel. My driving is mostly motorway 45-50k per year, so there is a case for both auto and manual, crusing in sixth in the manual (not much gear changing etc) and autos are at their best crusing economy wise...I'm just not sure.

Rob

 

[Deleted member 37751]

My E320 cdi auto does about 45mpg at 80 mph if that gives some indication.