which one e280 cdi or 320 cdi

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benkitto

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merc
Hello all

Im considering buying a 280 or 320 cdi sport e class around 2005 55 plate.

Couple if things id welcome feedback on please

1. What do people experience mpg wise out of these engines and will I experience lower mpg out of the 320 ( I spend 50% of my time on the motor way)
2. Is the sport a fimer ride compared to the avantgarde
3. How good is the command nav and is it worth seeking out a car with nav?

Thanks for any feedback offered
 
Hello all

Im considering buying a 280 or 320 cdi sport e class around 2005 55 plate.

Couple if things id welcome feedback on please

1. What do people experience mpg wise out of these engines and will I experience lower mpg out of the 320 ( I spend 50% of my time on the motor way)
2. Is the sport a fimer ride compared to the avantgarde
3. How good is the command nav and is it worth seeking out a car with nav?

Thanks for any feedback offered

1. You will get maybe 5 mpg better out of the 280.

2. Yes. A lot.

3. The COMAND is excellent and one of the best residual points on a Mercedes. It's more than just sat-nav as well.

Hope that helps.
 
I have a 280 and love it, refined and ample power plus great economy for a big engine. I worked out recently that a drive from Warrington to Birmingham and back averaging 42mpg cost me just under £25.. average speed of 70) which I think is superb for a 200 mile round trip.

Yes, sport is firmer but more expensive when it goes wrong)) which is why I settled for the 280 and I am not complaining.

Comand is a must.
 
If you buy a 280 you might find yourself looking at the back of every E Class that passes you on your motorway journey to see if it's a 320.

It's a hard to explain but tangible feeling.
 
320 is no thirstier than a 280, a recent trip from Birmingham to Brighton in my E320 CDi covered 340 miles returned 42.9 mostly motorway at 70ish, M42, M40, M23, A23.
 
The sport is definitely on the firm side, tyres are also a lot of money due to the 18" wheels so worth bearing in mind also.

I get low to mid 30s mpg wise pottering around and never see over 40mpg on the motorway unless sticking religously to 70mph. (Mine's a 280)
 
Aren't they the same 3 litre engine, just 'up' or 'down' tuned? Couldn't you get the 280 and after the debadge mentioned above, have it tuned for more power, meaning you don't have to boot it as much, improving the economy by not having your foot as close to the floor? basically turning it into a 320... but SECRETLY! (not forgetting to mention the tune up to your insurance of course.)

I have noticed the bigger engines do lots better on MPG on a motorway run cos they're just ticking over at 65, but i don't know if it makes a difference on 2 cars with ostensibly the same lump.
 
Aren't they the same 3 litre engine, just 'up' or 'down' tuned?
Essentially, yes. They have different ecu's controlling the power output.

Unless you picked up a 280 at a really good price I can't see why you buy it to have it chipped? Just buy the 320.



When I was looking for an S211 V6 CDi, I was quite surprised at how few 280s there seemed to be on the market.
Also, the 320s tend to have been bought originally with better specification.

Ultimately when choosing the car I have now, it came down to the fact that I would always feel a tad underwhelmed by the 280.

Maybe you should test drive both the 280 & 320 in both avantgarde & sport spec.
 
Im reconing that my next car will be either a 280 or 320 .

While iv not satarted looking yet , I have still been checking prices ,and I have noticed that here in Ireland the 280 is most common .

I know of a local business man who bought a new 280 cdi thinking it was 2.8 litre then got a shock when he want in to tax it and had to pay the higher tax of a 3 liter car . He would of bought the 320 cdi if he had known that they where both 3 litre .
 

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