Which to try, 97-03 CL, S, E, CLK or C?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

greg123

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
46
Location
Nottingham UK
Car
12, daily driver a hotted up Octavia 1.9tdi (custom injectors, ARB, poly bushes, cupra wheels etc)
Looking to get some Merc experience and see if I take to it.

I currently run a very capable, roomy, very economic car that I have a blast in. But I fancy something really luxury, and to see if it's worth the trade off with mpg/running costs etc.

I'm 6'4 and I had a 2005 SL500 Convertable Hard Top for a couple weeks, it was cramped, my head was shoved up on the roof. It steered well though. Ideally I'm looking for something that will mainy take me in great comfort, but sometimes take two 5'6 family in the back.

I can tell you a 2001 S320CDi with a sunroof was cramped for headroom and felt slow and cumbersome round town compared to my current car (I fit in an Octavia, Golf and Fiesta with room to spare so it's about driver cockpit size not car length).

I can tell you that I had lots of room in all directions in a w210 without sunroof.

Ultimately, I'll probably be wanting something either 3.0TD, 3.2cdi or 2.7cdi as I run biofuel, go on long trips and used to run a properly converted WVO/SVO oil burner which may be a potential on the 3.0TD I guess.

BUT, for now I'd like to find a bodyshell I like. I'll find something cheap and try it, if I like it I'll hold out for my ideal spec/colour and sell it when I get one. I have found out the hard way that you never really know a car series tilll you live with it for a bit. That's how I know a V90 Volvo was lovely to sit in but I couldn't abide the wind noise from it's old outward seamed non-flush glazed 1970's design bodyshell. I also found out the way I loved how it's 3.0 24v I-6 lept off the line and how a w124 of the same size felt like a 1.3 fiesta off the line (2nd gear starts, hate them....).

So, bearing in mind build quality, ease of maintainece (I'm a VAG specialist and do some Merc on the side so I have a vested interest in being able to fix it, with new or breaker bits that don't break the bank) what do you think may suit the bill, this is what I have come up with so far in the 1.5k-5k 97-2003 range I'll be looking at, probably with cars that are not cosmetically perfect but nothing too dodgy:

1) s210/w210 E class. I know about the rust. Nice inside, estate would do me great as an all rounder. May try a V8 then buy a diesel if I like the body.

2) CL, late W140 or early w215. I liked the quick steering of the w215, it felt less of a barge than the E or S class too. Not sure if 2x rear seats are really big enough? Diesel only available by a conversion....

3) C class estate. Always dismissed it as not really being up to the luxury to make it worth it, but would a 2002 C class estate have enough room and be significantly better built than an E class? It's the same size as the car I have now, so if moving to it from 60mpg+ on a run I'd need some good reasons.

4) CLK - VERY cheap good value for money, look classy like an E-class but lighter so may be more sporting like I'm used to. Not sure if it's big enough or if I'd need the longer 2003 model which could get expensive. Diesels expensive, not sure if it's got useful enough rear seats - does it drive any more sporting than a more practical C/E class?

5) S class. Love the air ride. Seems cumbersome and slow (I can't easily drift it out of a mini roundabout...) round town with quite a lot of swinging the wheel and body roll evident compared to the hot mid size diesels I tend to gravitate to and very loose feeling compared to my tweaked daily driver, probably awesome on the motorway. I don't like cruising up by 100mph though which is why I'm a fan of fast handling cars and lower cruising speed as I don't want to lose my licence, never had any points nearly 20 years now! Petrol up to 2002 just about affordable, diesels are expensive and don't seem very economic. Dash and trim seems a bit cheap and unimpressive compared to say an A8, but the legroom and seats are awesome particulaly in the back - the air ride is the best of any car for comfort I have driven (A8 is a nail in comparison, though it's not a bad ride on it's own merits).

So that's it, what do you think will fall to pieces, what can I fit in, what's your advice. I like all cars and all have their merits but I hope this gives you some idea of what I'm aiming at. It may be worth saying that if I can't settle with a E/C class estate, I'll have to run two cars to fit the bill. One more economic and estate/general use and one more special a GT car or a large car, only problem wiht a GT car is rear seat room as if I can't take folks I'll just end up using the daily driver on long trips too and it's a waste of money runing two cars.

Cheers, Greg.
 
I think the 300 TD you can run on veg oil straight from the tank I. The same way you can with the Peugeot 1.9 TD engines so that's a Definate plus.
I used to have a 2001 CLK and I thought it was a great car however thief not exactly sporty and you can't get a diesel in the first shape and the rear seats don't have much space at all, the newer shape one is a bit better in that respect but I wouldn't have thought it was an ideal car for your needs.

CL looks to be great but I've never driven one so I can't say for sure, however thier petrol only too I think-unless you get one of the new shape ones.

I'm not sure about the W210 E Class but the W 211 is a lovely car to drive and I have enough space although I'm only 6'1.

The C Class is nice enough too but I personally prefer the interior of the E.

If you are going to go for a CDI engined model and convert it to run on SVO/WVO I would probably go for an E320 CDI myself.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
Okay, let me ask a sideways question. For a fussy driver that likes excellent, responsive handling with fast steering but HATES rough ride and the banging over potholes that normally accompany it on light cars, would you say any of the above have the potential to stand out.

So far the CL felt a lot more responsive to drive than the S320cdi which was quite slow and cumbersome in comparison urban. However I know the S will be the best m-way cruiser hands down, but will it win on the way home when I have 8 minutes to slide it round two corners, slam it into any parking space I can find in the mini mart, run in and grab a couple things, slam it out the car park and home (1 mile) before being told I'm late for dinner.....

Greg
 
I have just realised it wasn't a CL I was driving, it was a folding hard top SL500 about 2005 vintage, not sure if that's why it felt more sporting than an S class...
 
On the size front im 6.5ft (most my heights in my legs) the CLK is very roomie and comfortable when traveling alone but with passengers in the rear it gets a bit squashed and with the seat further forward i have to use the digital display to see what speed im doin as the steering wheel blocks the view of anything above 40mph. It pains me to say it but going from a B6 sport into an CLK elegance i found the CLK to be very un-sporting but you can still have fun with it.

With the 203 C-class saloon and estate I found to be a bit cramped and the B-pillar gets in the way a bit. Also on long journeys would get knee ache in my left knee. I found the coupe to be a bit better and more roomie than a c208 with four passengers. A few years ago i borrowed a 2004 c203 220CDI my mum had to travel from Llandudno to Falmouth. I didnt hang about with it and i got their in comfort and it managed to return nearly 50mpg.

I havent owned or had the use of one but have found the 210 and 211 to have plenty of comfort and room.

I know there not on your list but have you considered a ML I found that to be an extremely comfortable, arent to bad on the driving front and are great workhorses?
 
Thanks Dand, no I hadn't though about a ML. I'm used to driving 4x4's (Range Rover, 4runner, Shogun, Frontera) and find them good to get in and out of and sit in generally, but poor compared to a hot hatch in and out of urban roads/parking spaces and substandard on high speed mway cruising compared to a luxury car due to aerodynamics and rougher ride.

However, I haven't tried an ML or an X5 etc, the modern ones with car derived suspension. I'd be interested, will have to have a look at that one.

So perhaps a ML, CLK probably too cramped, W210 probably big enough.

Anyone comment on the drive and rear room as a 2+2 for the big CL?

Greg.
 
Glad to be of help :) i know how annoying it is to have a car that as soon as youve done a few journeys in it you want to change due to having trouble fitting in it comfortably.

Ive only driven two Suv's (Disco and a Scenic RX4) apart from the ML's. With the W163 my family had a 350 which was great, it took a while to get used to the gearbox and the economy wasnt great but it certainly could move and wasnt to bad zippin round town and with the low windows was light and airy with good visibility. My Family also used it to travel down to Cornwall (i followed behind) and they found it to be one of the comfiest cars they had ever done the journey in (bar the w164 we owned after) and previous cars include w123's, jags, Omegas, and Renault 25's. Also a friend of my dads had a 270 and thought it was great.

The W164 (we had the 280cdi SE) is greatly improved on the comfort side of things, its almost like an S-class on stilts imo. On the down side tho its extremely clumsy in tight areas and i had a few near misses due to its blind spot. On the plus tho the v6 diesel is very refined and had plenty of punch. On one run i managed 35mpg which isnt bad for a car of its size either.

Im not sure about the x5 but we tested an x3 once and i wouldnt recommend one. the fronts comfy but the back was cramped and the seats make you feel like ur sat on a kitchen unit and the ride was very hard.

Im not sure about the CL. I know someone who bought a CL600 in summer tho, next time i see him il try get a verdict.

I wouldnt want to put you off a CLK as its great for trips on your own and if the journeys where all four seats are in use are fairly short you should be fine but id make sure its a CLK without a sunroof.
 
Last edited:
cl will be the most expensive to maintain,c class the most practical & the clk the best value imho.
 
Also depends on what type of driving you do. I'm not very tall, so cannot comment on which cars will suit someone of your height, but the general rule is go for a big car if you do mainly motorway driving. I used to do a lot of motorway driving, and had a W210 which was perfect. Would still have it were it not for rust breaking out all over. Now have a 211, which I don't like anywhere near as much. However, both cars feel big when driving around town, and only just fit in multi-storey car park spaces. I now do mainly town driving, so am looking to downsize to a c-class. Neither the e-class nor the c-class feel very sporty to me, but that's not something I am bothered about. Speaking from personal experience of looking for a c-class, I do find that very few come with a decent spec, which I think is relevant to your comment about luxury.
 
I'm thinking CL, S or E. The E being the all rounder as C maybe too small. Failing that I've got to go to 2 cars, a smaller estate/general car, and a GT S or CL for long trips.

Interesting.
 
I'm thinking CL, S or E. The E being the all rounder as C maybe too small. Failing that I've got to go to 2 cars, a smaller estate/general car, and a GT S or CL for long trips.

Interesting.
I've been looking for a decent 140 CL for 2 years, badly treated and maintained examples are two a penny, good ones rare. I've yet to see a good one, however, I'm sure if you do find one it'll do what you want in great style, the low purchase price and total lack of depreciation more than make up for the high running costs.
There was a very nice example highlighted on here over the weekend, low miles, 96k, 1 owner, on ebay, looked to be a great nick.
 
Thanks, I'll keep my eye out. I'm leaning most toward the E at the minute as it will already have choice of diesel engine to modify and play with, if I really really want a CL after that I'd do an engine transplant knowng I'm happy I can get the engine to run like I want (looking for 400hp).

Greg.
 
How about an S 211 320cdi with Airmatic , this would give you a large car for practicality , but also the potentiall to be a drivers car with the different suspension settings .
 
i cant see an issue with height in any motor, im 6ft 2" and have had most mercs in the family and i can fit in all of them if the head rooms an issue, lower the seat down.. thats one thing iv always thought about mercedes, the biggest blokes can fit in them
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom