W212 unl

[Zybi]

Hi everyone
I want to change my w210 to w212 but this time I want petrol
No more diesel for next few years. I'm looking 2010-2011 year
And i just read to much and I very confused because I want to buy 3.0 or 3.5
I don't drive a lot about 10-15k per year and I don't need diesel car
What you think about this engine ? They are really **** ? I don't want to but nothing smaller that 2.5. I preferred to get something without any kompressor or turbocharged just petrol engine. Can you give me advice guys because I'm just nearly freaked.

Thanks

 

[billy21]

I have a 2010 S212 (Estate) 350cgi. It's a 3.5 litre naturally aspirated engine and I'm a big fan of it. It's very smooth, refined and powerful (292 BHP) - it doesn't have the "turbo rush" of the diesel but it doesn't run out of puff when you put your foot down. I'm averaging 25 mpg in mixed driving but it's easy enough to get to the mid 30's on the motorway. I still don't understand why Mercedes dropped this engine in this country as it's a cracker. I think the only problem you'll have is finding one, as the diesels accounted for about 95% of sales in the larger engined form (3.0 - 3.5 litre).

 

[Dryce]

I'm averaging 25 mpg in mixed driving

easy enough to get to the mid 30's on the motorway.

I still don't understand why Mercedes dropped this engine in this country as it's a cracker.

I think you answered your own question before you asked it!

 

[st13phil]

I think you answered your own question before you asked it!

I know that people focus heavily on fuel economy (encouraged by HMG's CO2-based taxation regime), but the reality is that fuel cost is but a minor part of the total running costs of a car.

At current fuel prices the difference in fuel costs between a petrol at 25mpg and a diesel at 35mpg is around £50/1,000 miles, so an average driver will save around £600 per year on fuel by driving the diesel, and circa £1,800 in three years of ownership. Yet in those same three years they will have lost something in the region of £20k in depreciation on an E-Class - whether it has a petrol or a diesel engine.

That said, a huge proportion of these cars will have been a "company car" when first purchased, so the delta in fuel cost becomes much more significant to the driver.

 

[billy21]

But I'm only doing 7000 - 8000 miles per year and the real MPG in my diesel W211 was about 29 MPG for mixed driving so not a great deal of difference - maybe an extra £250 a year for fuel. I also bought the car at 3 years old at considerably less than the diesel equivalent. The running and repair costs are also likely to be smaller due to a less complicated engine - so no turbo/DPF/high pressure injectors to worry about.

 

[Dryce]

But I'm only doing 7000 - 8000 miles per year and the real MPG in my diesel W211 was about 29 MPG for mixed driving so not a great deal of difference - maybe an extra £250 a year for fuel. I also bought the car at 3 years old at considerably less than the diesel equivalent. The running and repair costs are also likely to be smaller due to a less complicated engine - so no turbo/DPF/high pressure injectors to worry about.

That's not the point though is it - the market is driven by the perceptions of the consumers and the perceptions of those perceptions of the consumers by the marketeers at MB and then there's the perception on tax.

For business / fleet buyers and consumers it's difficult to find a reason not to go with the diesel given tax and finance setups.

So you can't even find larger petrol engine cars on the used market because so few ever arrive in the country as new cars.

If more people did their homework properly there would be fewer diesels - and that would mean more non-diesels in the used market for those who currenly end up with diesels even after they have done their homework.

 

[billy21]

Well it was the point for me - I had a choice of a 350 cdi or 350 cgi engine and I chose the cgi engine for the reasons I have just given. I thought my point of view was relevant given the the questions asked by the post originator.

 

[Peter103]

That's not the point though is it - the market is driven by the perceptions of the consumers and the perceptions of those perceptions of the consumers by the marketeers at MB and then there's the perception on tax.)




I am left wondering. What is your perception of Perception? And indeed, if that is your only Perception?

 

[harvin1975]

Hi everyone
I want to change my w210 to w212 but this time I want petrol
No more diesel for next few years. I'm looking 2010-2011 year
And i just read to much and I very confused because I want to buy 3.0 or 3.5
I don't drive a lot about 10-15k per year and I don't need diesel car
What you think about this engine ? They are really **** ? I don't want to but nothing smaller that 2.5. I preferred to get something without any kompressor or turbocharged just petrol engine. Can you give me advice guys because I'm just nearly freaked.

Thanks

You're treading the same path as me.

I came from a 3.5 V6 petrol and wanted an equivalent W212.
However, as you're aware they only offer the 2l turbo-charged petrol, or you're in diesel territory (ignoring the AMGs).
I initially bought the E350 diesel but as I do around 5-6,000 miles per year and most of it is stop-start journeys (<3miles) I though I'd end up knackering the diesel in a few years. It would rarely get the chance to warm up properly.
I ended up buying the E250 petrol. I had to go without a test drive as no dealers near me had a W212 E250 petrol. Anyway, to cut a long story short it's a lovely car to drive. It's got enough oomph on the motorway and it's surprisingly nippy for a big car.

I've got other posts out their that describes my initial experience - but be worth a read.
Alf_Barnet also went down the same path as me. (Wanted a larger petrol engine initially and ended up buying the 2l and seems happy too).