W211 or W222

[geeksy]

Hello all,

Would appreciate some help and suggestions.

I currently own a BMW 640D and wish to change car. Previously had an E Class and then a CLS so looking at S class now, Budget is around 30k. I am struggling to make my mind up though for the following reasons.

1. I use the car daily for school drop & pick. Is it practical to use such a big car for daily runs? (W222 is 11 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the 640D)
2. Any other reasons that it may not be a practical daily use car?
3. Think I can get a decent W222 for my budget, but is there any negatives with this one, is W211 better? I like both tbh
4. Variants in W222, anything specific to avoid or consider

Thanks in advance,
Raj

 

[W1ghty]

Hello all,

Would appreciate some help and suggestions.

I currently own a BMW 640D and wish to change car. Previously had an E Class and then a CLS so looking at S class now, Budget is around 30k. I am struggling to make my mind up though for the following reasons.

1. I use the car daily for school drop & pick. Is it practical to use such a big car for daily runs? (W222 is 11 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the 640D)
2. Any other reasons that it may not be a practical daily use car?
3. Think I can get a decent W222 for my budget, but is there any negatives with this one, is W211 better? I like both tbh
4. Variants in W222, anything specific to avoid or consider

Thanks in advance,
Raj

W211 is an E class which finished production in 2009 ?

 

[ALFAitalia]

W221 perhaps?

 

[zipdip]

Well for me the W222 would be my choice I would not even look at any other ,as for is it suitable for the school run,well no I suppose not but what a great car I would just suffer the problems of using it with all those mad people taking their kids to school.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Hello all,

Would appreciate some help and suggestions.

I currently own a BMW 640D and wish to change car. Previously had an E Class and then a CLS so looking at S class now, Budget is around 30k. I am struggling to make my mind up though for the following reasons.

1. I use the car daily for school drop & pick. Is it practical to use such a big car for daily runs? (W222 is 11 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the 640D)
2. Any other reasons that it may not be a practical daily use car?
3. Think I can get a decent W222 for my budget, but is there any negatives with this one, is W211 better? I like both tbh
4. Variants in W222, anything specific to avoid or consider

Thanks in advance,
Raj

Your 640d will seem much smaller inside than both the E and the S class

Width is only an issue if you go through width bollards most weeks

Length on an S can be a problem if you’re parallel parking on the street. Women do notice that extra 11 inches.

The E is a very practical size, but it isn’t as visibly luxurious as the S class, inside and out. The E is a great car but most don’t have the presence of the 640d or S class and can feel Spartan.

The extra length of the S class May make it difficult to talk to kids in the back.

Hybrids are cheaper than conventional fuel cars because buyers are hesitant.

But it’s all very subjective. The only way to form a view is to take a dealer car for a test drive. Or at least just sit in one.

 

[geeksy]

Thanks folks. Correct, W221.
Appreciate the advice, will try a test drive. It is my dream car so gonna ignore the drawbacks

 

[Benz17]

Thanks folks. Correct, W221.
Appreciate the advice, will try a test drive. It is my dream car so gonna ignore the drawbacks

Would be very interested on your thoughts on the test drive, I had also started a thread on this very subject, search the forum some very informative replies.

I have always admired the S Class, but felt it was a big car compared to my E Class, especially for use in London, and no off street parking, other say not too big.

The S Class is on my list of cars when the time comes to change my current one, but would be the current model, if budget allows, as the W222, is similar as far as the digital dash is concerned to my W213.

W222 is lovely though inside and out.

 

[Benz17]

S Class Who and Why | General Discussion

Always wondered apart from chauffeurs, and royalty, what is the appeal of the S Class for Joe Public, and what age group are these buyers. (I’m 54) Don’t get me wrong I like them very much, and always at the back of my mind fancy one, but they are large cars, compared to the E Class. The E...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[geeksy]

S Class Who and Why | General Discussion

Always wondered apart from chauffeurs, and royalty, what is the appeal of the S Class for Joe Public, and what age group are these buyers. (I’m 54) Don’t get me wrong I like them very much, and always at the back of my mind fancy one, but they are large cars, compared to the E Class. The E...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

Thanks, will update after the test drive. I am in Manchester so not too bad with traffic etc. Read the above post earlier, indeed, very valuable information.

 

[SmartAmg]

Definitely the W222 what a lovely motor.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Thanks folks. Correct, W221.
Appreciate the advice, will try a test drive. It is my dream car so gonna ignore the drawbacks

Although I prefer the outside look of the W221 over the W222 (subjective) I would go for the later because it has the newer technology and would have ironed out most of the "problems" that came to light on the 221. Both are brilliant cars though and I'm sure you'd be happy with either if you bought right (FSH, good overall condition and no obvious problems).

Most are diesel and "basic" spec so worth researching what options/colour you'd like and hold out for one which suits, if you're not in a hurry. I looked for 6 months before finding one in my favourite colour: Designo Diamond White with panoramic roof, Distronic Plus (a revelation!), AMG pack and surround sound. It has £15k of extras and cost me not much more than a "basic" spec W221 of the same age/mileage.

Even the ones with no options will still be brilliant though

 

[markjay]

...Width is only an issue if you go through width bollards most weeks...

I have an IONIQ 5, which is misleadingly wide (I.e. it's a normal sized car otherwise, so you don't really expect it to be that much wider than the C-Class). The reason is that Hyundai intend to use the same platform (E-GMP) for a range of future cars including larger SUVs.

A wider car does come with some limitations, as I found out. With the 20" wheels, the rims are very close to the road, and so I avoid all width-restricted roads, even if it means a longer journey (the bollards isn't the issue, it's the kerb). Similarly, I avoid narrow streets, e.g. where cars are parked on one side, etc. Of course, there are many wide cars and vans on our roads, and they all manage, so it's perfectly doable, but just to say that having a wider car (in London, anyway) does have its consequences, and compromises need to be made.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks folks. Correct, W221.
Appreciate the advice, will try a test drive. It is my dream car so gonna ignore the drawbacks

Ok, so W222 vs W221.

Both great cars and of similar size.

The issues then to debate are

How much to spend? It’s a whole chunk of change more to get the W222 over its predecessor.

Which engine? The diesel or big petrol ? Most are in diesels because of the original tax break on them as company cars.

Which diesel on the W221 ? Do you go later Euro 6 or earlier?

Short wheelbase can be found on the diesels but not on petrol or hybrid

If you’re manufacturing geeky, as I am, hunt down the YouTube videos of the production line at Sindelfingen. It’s insane.

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Personally I’d look for a car which has been a personal, rather than carriage trade, motor. They’re more likely to have been maintained regardless of cost.

Do drive a few before buying. It’s a big commitment and it’s worth making sure that it’s the right choice after your 640d.

And bear in mind that they’re all very difficult to sell when you’re done, so pay the right price in the first case.

 

[PaulG]

Your 640d will seem much smaller inside than both the E and the S class

Width is only an issue if you go through width bollards most weeks

Length on an S can be a problem if you’re parallel parking on the street. Women do notice that extra 11 inches.

The E is a very practical size, but it isn’t as visibly luxurious as the S class, inside and out. The E is a great car but most don’t have the presence of the 640d or S class and can feel Spartan.

The extra length of the S class May make it difficult to talk to kids in the back.

Hybrids are cheaper than conventional fuel cars because buyers are hesitant.

But it’s all very subjective. The only way to form a view is to take a dealer car for a test drive. Or at least just sit in one.

The E Class W211 is pretty long too. I find that some parking spaces are only just, or on occasion, not long enough for my E240. Parking is always an extra factor to take into account if you need to get to your boot.

 

[PaulG]

Thanks folks. Correct, W221.
Appreciate the advice, will try a test drive. It is my dream car so gonna ignore the drawbacks

Do let us know how you get on. Good luck.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The E Class W211 is pretty long too. I find that some parking spaces are only just, or on occasion, not long enough for my E240. Parking is always an extra factor to take into account if you need to get to your boot.

Understood. But a W222 is a full 0.4 metre longer than an S211 or W211 at 5.3 metres, which can make it tough to find spaces in parallel parking on an urban street, or in an old fashioned multistorey.

Arguably the W222 will be easier to park than his 640d at 5 metres long because of the seating position, corners and design.

 

[geeksy]

Although I prefer the outside look of the W221 over the W222 (subjective) I would go for the later because it has the newer technology and would have ironed out most of the "problems" that came to light on the 221. Both are brilliant cars though and I'm sure you'd be happy with either if you bought right (FSH, good overall condition and no obvious problems).

Most are diesel and "basic" spec so worth researching what options/colour you'd like and hold out for one which suits, if you're not in a hurry. I looked for 6 months before finding one in my favourite colour: Designo Diamond White with panoramic roof, Distronic Plus (a revelation!), AMG pack and surround sound. It has £15k of extras and cost me not much more than a "basic" spec W221 of the same age/mileage.

Even the ones with no options will still be brilliant though

I agree, love the shape of W221 but as you said, the appeal of a newer version and additional gadgets pulls me to W222. I am just starting to research what the extra packages offer, such as Premium, Driving Assistance, Parking etc. Lot to learn

 

[geeksy]

Ok, so W222 vs W221.

Both great cars and of similar size.

The issues then to debate are

How much to spend? It’s a whole chunk of change more to get the W222 over its predecessor.

Which engine? The diesel or big petrol ? Most are in diesels because of the original tax break on them as company cars.

Which diesel on the W221 ? Do you go later Euro 6 or earlier?

Short wheelbase can be found on the diesels but not on petrol or hybrid

If you’re manufacturing geeky, as I am, hunt down the YouTube videos of the production line at Sindelfingen. It’s insane.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Personally I’d look for a car which has been a personal, rather than carriage trade, motor. They’re more likely to have been maintained regardless of cost.

Do drive a few before buying. It’s a big commitment and it’s worth making sure that it’s the right choice after your 640d.

And bear in mind that they’re all very difficult to sell when you’re done, so pay the right price in the first case.

Thanks. May I ask the reason for the difficulty to sell? Just curious

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks. May I ask the reason for the difficulty to sell? Just curious

They're big engined, expensive cars, so people are wary of buying them privately without a dealer warranty, and dealers need a big margin to cover unexpected issues, warranty, commission, and forecourt costs.

I've had a W220, W221, and C216 over the last two decades and they've taken months to go, despite being in excellent order, low mileage and properly serviced.. Eventually they go to private buyers who are as happy as Larry.

While I've also had Mx5's and BMW 330i's & 530's in similar condition that sell in days, with barely any depreciation.

But... a luxury V8 is worth every penny. And far cheaper to run than a new motor.

 

[SUHAILCL]

Just seen this thread for the first time. I've had my W222 s350d SWB for almost 2 years now, it replaced a C216 CL500 and a F01 7 series before that, so i am used to larger than average cars. I also quite often drive my wife's W205 generation C Class. Whilst I don't drive as much as I used to now that hybrid working is all the rage and have plenty of parking space at home and work (when I do go in) I must admit I don't find I am that aware of it's size. We quite often drive into central London and it doesn't feel cumbersome or unwieldy and never had any issues with finding suitable parking spaces - yes you do have to look a bit harder but with cameras and sensors you can make the most of suitable parking gaps - the self park function I have never used , ok once I tried it out of curiosity but my wife's screaming scared me and I took over half way through even though it seemed to be working ok ! I've managed to avoid multi-storey car parks and used the C Class instead if we know we are planning on heading to one. But any slight inconvenience is made up by the fact it's size offers the smoothness, insulation and 'big car feel' that I crave when driving around now.... just as an aside, during a moment of weakness I test drove a BMW M3 Competition...it left me cold and itching to get back into the S Class and wondering why I was even considering the swap.....Must mean I am now officially old !