E Class , typical running characteristics , is mine normal?

[quattrostore]

Hi, I bought a 04 2002 w210 model E Class Classic estate 220 cdi.It has history and 120k miles.I bought it for taking for taking passengers on trips as thought it is spacious and the milage less of a problem. Can someone tell me if my car seems normal.It drives on 15inch wheels so I expected soft spongy ride , with the suspension decidely soft.Guess thats normal with this car.
When you start the engine , its quite slow to fire up, and thats with a Varta G3 95Ah new blue series battery. Then when you turn off the engine it like, rocks to one side like its a big 2 cylinder engine before coming to rest, like a tractor.Is this a normal characteristic, maybe its an old design of engine, I read it had balancer safts or something like that.Any comments?

Dont know what to expect to get on mpg, guess 40mpg should be possible any comments?

Also my SRS light is lit.The previous owner said it had being valeted and the dampness was effecting the senser, does this sound feasible?

Even with a Merc history is there anything I should check out on the car in particular.Also anything I could do to improve performance and handling with this model.I wanted to upgrade to bigger wheels at some stage .Is this is good upgrade to tighten the ride or not.

Any tips or comments to improve the car without spending too much would be appreciated.

Many thks
Tony

[Orb the Impaler]

Regarding the slow firing up issue I would suggest you check your oil viscosity.

Mrs Orb(s) C220CDi (2002 Sportcoupe - same engine as yours I suspect) had this problem and it was down to the el cheapo thick (20/50?) oil they put in. I changed it to quality Mobil stuff and it was like night and day.

[anonymous-user]

re MPG I have the E220 cdi estate also, and get 35 which is mainly town driving and short motorway trips (<10 miles).

[Monkeylegend]

I ran an '03 saloon for 3 yrs as a Chauffeur vehicle and did over 310k miles in that time and averaged nearly 47mpg over that time.In fact it got more economical as the mileage increased, and only needed oil at service time. The estate is a bit heavier but you should get 40 plus easily on longer runs.