Forgive me: what car?
Discussion
LDN said:
Love the Benz... ground clearance may be an issue unfortunately...
An E-Class with airmatic suspension allows you to raise the ride height by 20mm to clear rough ground. I believe the standard ground clearance of the 4matic model is 160mm (10mm higher than the 2wd model). Thus the maximum would be 180mm. This would give you quite a lot of ground clearance, more than enough for most rutted tracks. By contrast, an airmatic-equipped ML has a maximum ground clearance of 255mm; a new X3 has clearance of 200mm (and many of them are 2wd). There are loads of videos on Youtube of people doing improbable things in these cars, especially in the snow.In reality, unless they do pretty hardcore off road work, very few people really need a ML-type vehicle. And for a long journey in harsh conditions loaded with people and luggage, the trad saloon or estate car will be much, much more refined, comfortable, safe and efficient.
Edited by r129sl on Friday 27th November 11:48
r129sl said:
An E-Class with airmatic suspension allows you to raise the ride height by 20mm to clear rough ground. I believe the standard ground clearance of the 4matic model is 160mm (10mm higher than the 2wd model). Thus the maximum would be 180mm. This would give you quite a lot of ground clearance, more than enough for most rutted tracks. By contrast, an airmatic-equipped ML has a maximum ground clearance of 255mm; a new X3 has clearance of 200mm (and many of them are 2wd). There are loads of videos on Youtube of people doing improbable things in these cars, especially in the snow.
In reality, unless they do pretty hardcore off road work, very few people really need a ML-type vehicle. And for a long journey in harsh conditions loaded with people and luggage, the trad saloon or estate car will be much, much more refined, comfortable, safe and efficient.
Problem is the new E Class is a bit sIn reality, unless they do pretty hardcore off road work, very few people really need a ML-type vehicle. And for a long journey in harsh conditions loaded with people and luggage, the trad saloon or estate car will be much, much more refined, comfortable, safe and efficient.
Edited by r129sl on Friday 27th November 11:48
t. I hated mine, and that was after an S210 E320 V6 petrol and a Brabus D6 S211 E320. The new S212 is just crap on so many levels.
LDN said:
Thanks for the response; much appreciated! The W164 is a 320cdi and to be honest, it rarely reads higher than 23mpg on the dash... on the run to France, it will read between 20 and 30.
On paper, the X3 ticks a lot of boxes; is yours the newest one or one of the earlier models? Sitting in an earlier X3 after the ML felt like 'honey I shrunk the car' - it really did feel pokey inside - but I suppose it's all relative and the ML is a large cabin. The X3 certainly has great performance, especilly the larger engines but MPG wise, it seems your engine might be the best all-round if you are getting 50mpg on a run! That would halve my fuel bill and as I say, over the years; that amounts to a lot of £££ saved.
Edit to add; I can see you mean the newer X3... will take a look at them now.
If you re getting 23mog from the Ml320 around town, you will probably be down to around 36mpg from the 20 X3 auto. On paper, the X3 ticks a lot of boxes; is yours the newest one or one of the earlier models? Sitting in an earlier X3 after the ML felt like 'honey I shrunk the car' - it really did feel pokey inside - but I suppose it's all relative and the ML is a large cabin. The X3 certainly has great performance, especilly the larger engines but MPG wise, it seems your engine might be the best all-round if you are getting 50mpg on a run! That would halve my fuel bill and as I say, over the years; that amounts to a lot of £££ saved.
Edit to add; I can see you mean the newer X3... will take a look at them now.
Edited by LDN on Friday 27th November 00:23
Yeah, the F25 is a smaller, but strangely after a while you realise a lot of the extra space in the ML is space you don't use, if that makes sense?
Actual comfort it feels pretty similar.
gizlaroc said:
LDN said:
Thanks for the response; much appreciated! The W164 is a 320cdi and to be honest, it rarely reads higher than 23mpg on the dash... on the run to France, it will read between 20 and 30.
On paper, the X3 ticks a lot of boxes; is yours the newest one or one of the earlier models? Sitting in an earlier X3 after the ML felt like 'honey I shrunk the car' - it really did feel pokey inside - but I suppose it's all relative and the ML is a large cabin. The X3 certainly has great performance, especilly the larger engines but MPG wise, it seems your engine might be the best all-round if you are getting 50mpg on a run! That would halve my fuel bill and as I say, over the years; that amounts to a lot of £££ saved.
Edit to add; I can see you mean the newer X3... will take a look at them now.
If you re getting 23mog from the Ml320 around town, you will probably be down to around 36mpg from the 20 X3 auto. On paper, the X3 ticks a lot of boxes; is yours the newest one or one of the earlier models? Sitting in an earlier X3 after the ML felt like 'honey I shrunk the car' - it really did feel pokey inside - but I suppose it's all relative and the ML is a large cabin. The X3 certainly has great performance, especilly the larger engines but MPG wise, it seems your engine might be the best all-round if you are getting 50mpg on a run! That would halve my fuel bill and as I say, over the years; that amounts to a lot of £££ saved.
Edit to add; I can see you mean the newer X3... will take a look at them now.
Edited by LDN on Friday 27th November 00:23
Yeah, the F25 is a smaller, but strangely after a while you realise a lot of the extra space in the ML is space you don't use, if that makes sense?
Actual comfort it feels pretty similar.
jontbone said:
There're pretty poor on a motorway run, the FIL's did less than 30 on a cruise but up to 50 mpg around town. LDN said:
Yes looking at X3s quite seriously now... and I'm more a Mercedes man!
I am too, but there is nothing from Mercedes that floats my boat at the moment, the S212 E350 put me right off, and no offense, but the W164 didn't help either, the interiors of both feel so low rent for a Merc. My old W163 felt so much nice interior wise, as in much higher end materials. I looked at the GLC the other day, but so expensive for what is on offer, as I suppose the X3 is, but no bargains yet.
Paying £45,000 for a 2 litre diesel just doesn't wit with me, and you have to have all the chrome tat unless you go AMG Line, and then you have to have a black interior.
Plus they make you have silly packages, want upgraded sound? Then it is £3500 for a Prem Plus pack with loads of things in it I don't want.
The new GLE is nice, suv not the coupe thing, but £56,000 for the 350 diesel before spec added, and the petrol v6 is even more. I would rather a RRS HSE at that money, which is an a completely different level imho.
There isn't much from BMW either if I am honest, but the X3 has been brilliant, but I bought mine at 18 months old with £17,000 off the list price, no way I would have paid £42,000 for it. As I said above, I just can't get my head round a 2 litre diesel costing £40k+.
But then I guess if buying new, most would buy the 30d which is only a few grande more after discounts.
Mine was probably specced by a company car driver who wanted lower BIK tax, it had around £10k of options added.
I get 500 miles from a £65-70 fill up round town, and 700 miles is possible when doing all motorway work. The fuel savings pay for the car, well, the first £200 of the £330 a month anyway.
The only car I would even consider swapping it for is a MY11 model Range Rover. Preferably with the 4.4 TDV8 engine. But even though I have considered it, not sure I could live with such dated infotainment system.
But I have a C320 cdi Sport Estate as well now, needed a second car that was also easy to drive to stop racking the miles up on the X3 quite as much, and now after living with the C320 I do keep thinking "ooh, I could swap the X3 for a Range Rover." But have a niggling that once the X3 was gone I would really regret it, it has been that good.
I do also love the interior on the X3, this is obviously not mine, but this is my combo of leather, dash and trims..
Edited by gizlaroc on Friday 27th November 22:34
RammyMP said:
There're pretty poor on a motorway run, the FIL's did less than 30 on a cruise but up to 50 mpg around town.
I believe it, a friend had one of those Civic Hybrids for a while and he couldn't get anywhere near the claimed mpg. The guy drives like he's competing in the mpg championships too.Rangeroverover said:
Have you thought of LPG as its pretty cheap "on the continent" failing that how about an allroad, better mpg but only by about 40%
Occurred to me, too. Big petrols are rarer but significantly cheaper than diesels, add £2kish for a quality conversion. Worth consideration?Something like this as a base, perhaps?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
ETA
Just noticed your budget is slightly lower, but you get my drift...
Edited by Bonefish Blues on Saturday 28th November 08:04
gizlaroc said:
r129sl said:
An E-Class with airmatic suspension allows you to raise the ride height by 20mm to clear rough ground. I believe the standard ground clearance of the 4matic model is 160mm (10mm higher than the 2wd model). Thus the maximum would be 180mm. This would give you quite a lot of ground clearance, more than enough for most rutted tracks. By contrast, an airmatic-equipped ML has a maximum ground clearance of 255mm; a new X3 has clearance of 200mm (and many of them are 2wd). There are loads of videos on Youtube of people doing improbable things in these cars, especially in the snow.
In reality, unless they do pretty hardcore off road work, very few people really need a ML-type vehicle. And for a long journey in harsh conditions loaded with people and luggage, the trad saloon or estate car will be much, much more refined, comfortable, safe and efficient.
Problem is the new E Class is a bit sIn reality, unless they do pretty hardcore off road work, very few people really need a ML-type vehicle. And for a long journey in harsh conditions loaded with people and luggage, the trad saloon or estate car will be much, much more refined, comfortable, safe and efficient.
Edited by r129sl on Friday 27th November 11:48
t. I hated mine, and that was after an S210 E320 V6 petrol and a Brabus D6 S211 E320. The new S212 is just crap on so many levels.
The Passat, Skoda Superb and Audi Allroad suggestions seem like total winners to me. I wouldn't take a X3 over any of them. The advantage of the Audi is that it can be had with a six; the advantage of the other two is that they are not Audis.
LPG means you can't use the Channel Tunnel.
r129sl said:
I was referring to the 211, diseasel 4matic versions of which I had suggested earlier. I don't disagree with you about the 212, especially the facelift. Nor do I disagree with the other chap that today's Mercs are over-priced tat.
The Passat, Skoda Superb and Audi Allroad suggestions seem like total winners to me. I wouldn't take a X3 over any of them. The advantage of the Audi is that it can be had with a six; the advantage of the other two is that they are not Audis.
LPG means you can't use the Channel Tunnel.
The allroad in his price range is a C6, I had the 3.2fsi Quattro Avant, although the best Audi I have owned, it is so far behind the X3 in every single area that it wouldn't get a look in from me. The Passat, Skoda Superb and Audi Allroad suggestions seem like total winners to me. I wouldn't take a X3 over any of them. The advantage of the Audi is that it can be had with a six; the advantage of the other two is that they are not Audis.
LPG means you can't use the Channel Tunnel.
The S211 4matic is LHD drive only, is the OP not in the UK?
Yes, UK so RHD a must despite spending a lot of time in France. So far, my gut is saying XC60 (windscreen leaks an issue) or a newer X3. Both would halve (or thereabouts) my fuel bill which is considerable, whilst keeoing the ride height, half decent ground clearance and some luxury to boot. Cabin space is a must also and whilst I certainly get the argument for a 4wd saloon / estate - my current ML cabin is massive and I've gotten used to it. I feel claustrophobic in many other cars and so I'll need to see how the newer X3 fares... the original X£, I have been in and it was tiny. Will hopefully look at some after Xmas.
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