8 year old Merc E class - Yes/No?
Discussion
Combined wisdom of the Pistonheaders, I seek your thoughts of knowledge, wisdom and subjective gut feel.
I have been thinking for some time about getting something more economical to drive and I rather like the idea of a hybrid (yeah, yeah but check out my other vehicles before you slag me off
) as a run around. Previously I drove a Vauxhall/Holden GTS supercharged which was monumentally quick but worshipped at the altar of 98ron. I liked it's bargeness, comfort and size. Didn't so much enjoy the running costs.
In my quest to review the for sale ads I have found that Mercedes were experimenting with hybrid diesel/electrics and there are a fair few E class 300 around for sensible money. Someone I knew from the Holden V8 scene worked as a Merc tech in an indy MB garage and he didn't have a lot of nice things to say about them. For me, the 3 point Stuttgart star is another itch to scratch.
The question is, is an 8 year old hybrid going to be any good? Even if it is Merc. Or am I going to be into replacing batteries? If I do have to replace batteries, any idea how much?
Should I ignore the whole hybrid thing and just get a diesel? Yes. Will I? No.
Over to you.
I have been thinking for some time about getting something more economical to drive and I rather like the idea of a hybrid (yeah, yeah but check out my other vehicles before you slag me off
) as a run around. Previously I drove a Vauxhall/Holden GTS supercharged which was monumentally quick but worshipped at the altar of 98ron. I liked it's bargeness, comfort and size. Didn't so much enjoy the running costs.In my quest to review the for sale ads I have found that Mercedes were experimenting with hybrid diesel/electrics and there are a fair few E class 300 around for sensible money. Someone I knew from the Holden V8 scene worked as a Merc tech in an indy MB garage and he didn't have a lot of nice things to say about them. For me, the 3 point Stuttgart star is another itch to scratch.
The question is, is an 8 year old hybrid going to be any good? Even if it is Merc. Or am I going to be into replacing batteries? If I do have to replace batteries, any idea how much?
Should I ignore the whole hybrid thing and just get a diesel? Yes. Will I? No.
Over to you.
I have a 6 year old E class diesel. When I bought it I did look at the hybrids but there were a lot of stories about problems with the tech and dealers being unable to fix them. I suspect the newer generation hybrids are better but I chose to steer clear of the early ones.
(I actually wanted a petrol engine but couldn’t find the right car that use that fuel).
(I actually wanted a petrol engine but couldn’t find the right car that use that fuel).
If you go for an E250d you'll see similar numbers on the motorway to the hybrid which only excels around town.
What about these? Not a diesel hybrid but a petrol one they're quick with a decent fuel number too.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101087...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010024...
What about these? Not a diesel hybrid but a petrol one they're quick with a decent fuel number too.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101087...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010024...
Sounds like £6k+ if you need to replace the hybrid battery pack on the E300 hybrid.
I'd be looking at a Lexus GS450h
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012277...
Gut feel, Lexus are reliable and there's also probably more DIY knowledge out there globally on these than on the Merc, which is EU-only I assume.
Probably the petrol hybrids won't be as economical on the motorway as the diesel though.
I'd be looking at a Lexus GS450h
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012277...
Gut feel, Lexus are reliable and there's also probably more DIY knowledge out there globally on these than on the Merc, which is EU-only I assume.
Probably the petrol hybrids won't be as economical on the motorway as the diesel though.
The E300 Bluetec Hybrid was sold as a means to reduce company car tax.
The battery is so small the car won’t run on electric for any length of time. It’ll creep along in a very slow moving queue but that’s about it. There is no significant improvement in fuel economy over the equivalent diesel. There is a lot of added electronic complexity and they are very difficult to troubleshoot.
The OM651 4 cylinder diesel these use - fitted to the E220 and E250 - is renowned for being a bit rough, particularly at idle. The hybrid just exacerbates this with the engine cutting in and out all the time when you’re in town and it can be a bit annoying.
You’d be better with an E350 V6 diesel.
The battery is so small the car won’t run on electric for any length of time. It’ll creep along in a very slow moving queue but that’s about it. There is no significant improvement in fuel economy over the equivalent diesel. There is a lot of added electronic complexity and they are very difficult to troubleshoot.
The OM651 4 cylinder diesel these use - fitted to the E220 and E250 - is renowned for being a bit rough, particularly at idle. The hybrid just exacerbates this with the engine cutting in and out all the time when you’re in town and it can be a bit annoying.
You’d be better with an E350 V6 diesel.
Yep, having run a 2012 E350 cdi to 250k miles I'd second the advice already given. If you're set on an e class just buy the V6 diesel - effortless performance and 35 - 40 mpg. Ours was generally reliable until 200k when it needed a new turbo and some other bits which wasn't cheap.
If you want a hybrid - Lexus. The GS450h is an impressive car once you learn how to get the best out of it and it'll almost certainly be more reliable than anything German.
If you want a hybrid - Lexus. The GS450h is an impressive car once you learn how to get the best out of it and it'll almost certainly be more reliable than anything German.
The reason Mercedes dropped the diesel hybrid was down to its unreliability and the fact that very few dealers knew anything about them, and that was when they were in production.
The main issue was problems with the communications/link between the battery pack and the diesel engine and battery pack life.
This was told to me by a Mercedes head technician who I know very well when I wasconsidering buying one.
As said the battery pack is only warranted for 60k miles and or 6 years and costs somewhere in the region of £10k plus to replace, so it effectively writes a 6 plus year old car off if it has not already been replaced under warranty.
Buy one only if you have a death wish
Its a big no from me.
The main issue was problems with the communications/link between the battery pack and the diesel engine and battery pack life.
This was told to me by a Mercedes head technician who I know very well when I wasconsidering buying one.
As said the battery pack is only warranted for 60k miles and or 6 years and costs somewhere in the region of £10k plus to replace, so it effectively writes a 6 plus year old car off if it has not already been replaced under warranty.
Buy one only if you have a death wish
Its a big no from me.
mybrainhurts said:
I fear there was something wrong with yours.
Guess it depends on what you're used to but we owned them both from new and the 350cdi was silky smooth in comparison. The 220 is a good, strong, generally reliable engine but feels more at home in a sprinter than an e class. Following the successful conclusion of the OP's quest, this thread seems to have taken a tangent, but anyway...
My opinion is somewhere in the middle, my parents had an E250 diesel from new with the four-pot, from the passenger seat I would personally describe it as an 'adequate' means of propulsion. It was a bit less refined than I would have hoped for from a Mercedes, but not egregiously so. Would be a perfectly fine / unremarkable engine in a Ford, say.
Well I have a C300 and must confess I rather like it. If the battery goes I am not convinced it will make much difference as the battery only really kicks in now and again such as in stop start traffic and if you put your foot down it uses the electric motor for immediate response...
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