Thanks to hawk20’s tip, I managed to get a 24 hour test drive of a W212 E220 CDi Blue Efficiency SE last weekend, from MB’s corporate department.
Picked up from MB Bromley (who first said they had no idea who I was, and that I should go to MB Dartford) on Sat am, and returned Sun am.
Drove about 500 miles, on motorways, A roads and towns. Average mpg was 39.8. Which was pretty good considering the car only had 1200 miles when I picked it up. I was also enjoying the power, and cruising at high speeds.
The 170hp twin turbo diesel engine is very impressive once it is warm. Hills are despatched with no problem at all. Acceleration is good enough for decent progress. It’s smooth too. The auto box works very well with the engine. It is a relaxed cruiser, with enough power for all normal UK motorway use. I am surprised to say that the E220 CDi is powerful enough for most of my day to day applications.
When cold and in town, take off can be a bit jerky. The car seems to think a bit after you’ve pressed the accelerator and then scoot off quickly, like a mildly scalded cat. Not annoying but noticeable.
The SE has 16” wheels which made for a comfortable ride. Potholes can be heard and felt, but they do not interrupt cabin serenity and comfort. Damping is very good. Handling however is a bit big bargy on the twisties, but nothing scary once you get the hang of it. No doubt the Avantgarde model with its 17” wheels and lower suspension handles better - wonder if the ride is any worse.
There’s very little wind noise, but tyre noise and road roar is intrusive on the rougher road surfaces. On the smooth new quiet surfaces, it’s an oasis of calm.
The Bluetooth system is amazing. Easy to use, with pretty much all the functionality you need. Impressive. However, this is the only Bluetooth equipped car I have used.
The standard stereo sounds impressive initially. After a couple of hours, and at higher volumes, it runs of ideas, and begins to sound very mediocre. At higher volumes, there is no real distortion but the clarity becomes increasingly muffled.
The seats are disappointing. I didn’t like the artico – it felt economy class. The seat base has virtually no shape so you sit on it, not in it. The seat base is also quite small, certainly smaller than a W210. The seat back is not bad, but the range of lumbar support is limited. I was most disappointed with the seats. Very average, if not below average. Truth be told, the orthopaedic seats in my 13 year old, and 250k miles 210 estate are better.
Worryingly, there were squeaks from somewhere in the dash.
The lighting for the instrument dials are a bit toy townish. The white light on white background looks cheap. Worse, they reflect quite badly on to the roof of the binnacle. To get a decent amount of light on the switches, door handles and the ambient light under the rear view mirror, the setting for the dials is too high -- it's glaring and uncomfortable when driving on unlit motorways. I wonder if the ambient lighting system (under dash and door panels) on the Avantgarde and Sport models is better.
I also found reading the speed from the speedometer quite tiresome due to the short pointer, and the pointer being the same sort of colour scheme as the numbers. Much of the time, I really had to look hard and think before I could figure out the speed, taking a while longer than usual -- not helpful when speed camera is looming. This can be cured by the digital mph readout, but that limits the central display somewhat.
Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10
Picked up from MB Bromley (who first said they had no idea who I was, and that I should go to MB Dartford) on Sat am, and returned Sun am.
Drove about 500 miles, on motorways, A roads and towns. Average mpg was 39.8. Which was pretty good considering the car only had 1200 miles when I picked it up. I was also enjoying the power, and cruising at high speeds.
The 170hp twin turbo diesel engine is very impressive once it is warm. Hills are despatched with no problem at all. Acceleration is good enough for decent progress. It’s smooth too. The auto box works very well with the engine. It is a relaxed cruiser, with enough power for all normal UK motorway use. I am surprised to say that the E220 CDi is powerful enough for most of my day to day applications.
When cold and in town, take off can be a bit jerky. The car seems to think a bit after you’ve pressed the accelerator and then scoot off quickly, like a mildly scalded cat. Not annoying but noticeable.
The SE has 16” wheels which made for a comfortable ride. Potholes can be heard and felt, but they do not interrupt cabin serenity and comfort. Damping is very good. Handling however is a bit big bargy on the twisties, but nothing scary once you get the hang of it. No doubt the Avantgarde model with its 17” wheels and lower suspension handles better - wonder if the ride is any worse.
There’s very little wind noise, but tyre noise and road roar is intrusive on the rougher road surfaces. On the smooth new quiet surfaces, it’s an oasis of calm.
The Bluetooth system is amazing. Easy to use, with pretty much all the functionality you need. Impressive. However, this is the only Bluetooth equipped car I have used.
The standard stereo sounds impressive initially. After a couple of hours, and at higher volumes, it runs of ideas, and begins to sound very mediocre. At higher volumes, there is no real distortion but the clarity becomes increasingly muffled.
The seats are disappointing. I didn’t like the artico – it felt economy class. The seat base has virtually no shape so you sit on it, not in it. The seat base is also quite small, certainly smaller than a W210. The seat back is not bad, but the range of lumbar support is limited. I was most disappointed with the seats. Very average, if not below average. Truth be told, the orthopaedic seats in my 13 year old, and 250k miles 210 estate are better.
Worryingly, there were squeaks from somewhere in the dash.
The lighting for the instrument dials are a bit toy townish. The white light on white background looks cheap. Worse, they reflect quite badly on to the roof of the binnacle. To get a decent amount of light on the switches, door handles and the ambient light under the rear view mirror, the setting for the dials is too high -- it's glaring and uncomfortable when driving on unlit motorways. I wonder if the ambient lighting system (under dash and door panels) on the Avantgarde and Sport models is better.
I also found reading the speed from the speedometer quite tiresome due to the short pointer, and the pointer being the same sort of colour scheme as the numbers. Much of the time, I really had to look hard and think before I could figure out the speed, taking a while longer than usual -- not helpful when speed camera is looming. This can be cured by the digital mph readout, but that limits the central display somewhat.
Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10
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