specing an E350 CDI sport Estate (options)
Discussion
Personally, I don't think you need a great deal, as the cars are specced well to begin with.
However, there are a couple of things I would recommend:
If you got kids under teenage years, the extra seats are great. Useful for ferrying their friends around, and useful to put the kids in (you can't hear them bickering in the back!);
Not sure if its standard on the 350 (mines the 4pot) but the 80litre tank is very useful;
The best option in the book, IMHO, is Distronic Plus (part of the driving assistance pack). If you use cruise then this is a revelation. (Some don't like cruise and they are likely to find distronic even more disturbing).
You will need a 'brain' to operate Distronic, so you'll need COMAND or NAV50. Personally I thought COMAND overpriced and only valid functionality over Nav50 is Linguatronic as the PCMCIA card & music register are pretty pointless. Both systems come with the media interface so simply by a 32GB USB and plug it in).
If you're ferrying adults and not kids, heated rear seats are nice at this time of year.
If you're feeling flush, memory seats pack is useful if the car is going to shared.
Other than that not much, the rest is generally fluff and down to personal taste.
The only other comment I would make is, are you sure you want the sport and not avantgarde. Some people I have spoken to with the sport have commented that they wished they'd gone for the Avantgarde. The sport does look good, but the ride is a compromise (and it's a big, comfortable estate car after all, so "sport" is abit of an oxymoron), and some have said they prefer the seats in the avantgarde.
Great cars, I'm very happy with mine.
Regards, Neil
However, there are a couple of things I would recommend:
If you got kids under teenage years, the extra seats are great. Useful for ferrying their friends around, and useful to put the kids in (you can't hear them bickering in the back!);
Not sure if its standard on the 350 (mines the 4pot) but the 80litre tank is very useful;
The best option in the book, IMHO, is Distronic Plus (part of the driving assistance pack). If you use cruise then this is a revelation. (Some don't like cruise and they are likely to find distronic even more disturbing).
You will need a 'brain' to operate Distronic, so you'll need COMAND or NAV50. Personally I thought COMAND overpriced and only valid functionality over Nav50 is Linguatronic as the PCMCIA card & music register are pretty pointless. Both systems come with the media interface so simply by a 32GB USB and plug it in).
If you're ferrying adults and not kids, heated rear seats are nice at this time of year.
If you're feeling flush, memory seats pack is useful if the car is going to shared.
Other than that not much, the rest is generally fluff and down to personal taste.
The only other comment I would make is, are you sure you want the sport and not avantgarde. Some people I have spoken to with the sport have commented that they wished they'd gone for the Avantgarde. The sport does look good, but the ride is a compromise (and it's a big, comfortable estate car after all, so "sport" is abit of an oxymoron), and some have said they prefer the seats in the avantgarde.
Great cars, I'm very happy with mine.
Regards, Neil
Edited by NJS25 on Thursday 16th December 19:18
I'd echo the above for the most part, however only last weekend I got from Glasgow to Manchester and back on one tank of diesel with plenty spare, so unless you're doing huge journeys the big 80L tank wouldn't be top of my list.
Memory seats are one thing I don't have, but really wish I did. I never use my Linguatronic though it does work well, heated seats are well worth getting, parking sensors a must, I've got phone pre-wire but never use it as bluetooth is much more convenient.
Oh, and pick a nice colour and sell it on to me in a few years, mine will be getting a bit leggy then!
Memory seats are one thing I don't have, but really wish I did. I never use my Linguatronic though it does work well, heated seats are well worth getting, parking sensors a must, I've got phone pre-wire but never use it as bluetooth is much more convenient.
Oh, and pick a nice colour and sell it on to me in a few years, mine will be getting a bit leggy then!
NJS25 said:
Personally, I don't think you need a great deal,..
I love the way you say that, and then add about ten grands worth of options. 
Neighbour of mine switched to Lexus a few years ago because of this - he likes to change his car every couple of years and he was chucking away many thousands every time he changed.
Only you know the answer to your question: you're speccing the car--I'd love to spec a new car and go to Germany to collect it--so spec what you want, not what we want.
But... If it were me, I'd want a solid exterior paint like moss green or sahara yellow, mid brown leather, elegance trim (only on special order) with brown wood (zebrano would be nice but suspect it would have to be walnut), small wheels with high profile comfort tyres, extended fuel tank, memory heated seats, orthopaedic backrests, heated rear seats, additional seats in the boot, fire extinguisher, spare set of winter wheels, a CD changer and super speaker system, removable tow hitch, full size spare wheel (is this standard?).
I would consider big wheels, sports suspension, spac nav, joke paint jobs, panoramic roof, internet connection, blacked out windows, anything AMG, to be a total waste of money.
But... If it were me, I'd want a solid exterior paint like moss green or sahara yellow, mid brown leather, elegance trim (only on special order) with brown wood (zebrano would be nice but suspect it would have to be walnut), small wheels with high profile comfort tyres, extended fuel tank, memory heated seats, orthopaedic backrests, heated rear seats, additional seats in the boot, fire extinguisher, spare set of winter wheels, a CD changer and super speaker system, removable tow hitch, full size spare wheel (is this standard?).
I would consider big wheels, sports suspension, spac nav, joke paint jobs, panoramic roof, internet connection, blacked out windows, anything AMG, to be a total waste of money.
NJS25 said:
However, there are a couple of things I would recommend:
If you got kids under teenage years, the extra seats are great. Useful for ferrying their friends around, and useful to put the kids in (you can't hear them bickering in the back!);
If you're feeling flush, memory seats pack is useful if the car is going to shared.
The only other comment I would make is, are you sure you want the sport and not avantgarde. Some people I have spoken to with the sport have commented that they wished they'd gone for the Avantgarde. The sport does look good, but the ride is a compromise (and it's a big, comfortable estate car after all, so "sport" is abit of an oxymoron), and some have said they prefer the seats in the avantgarde.
Great cars, I'm very happy with mine.
Regards, Neil
I've got the previous one (211). I find the seven seat option very useful indeed. Also the memory fronts. If you got kids under teenage years, the extra seats are great. Useful for ferrying their friends around, and useful to put the kids in (you can't hear them bickering in the back!);
If you're feeling flush, memory seats pack is useful if the car is going to shared.
The only other comment I would make is, are you sure you want the sport and not avantgarde. Some people I have spoken to with the sport have commented that they wished they'd gone for the Avantgarde. The sport does look good, but the ride is a compromise (and it's a big, comfortable estate car after all, so "sport" is abit of an oxymoron), and some have said they prefer the seats in the avantgarde.
Great cars, I'm very happy with mine.
Regards, Neil
Edited by NJS25 on Thursday 16th December 19:18
Mine has air suspension which is the one thing I was really really looking for. You can have one car with a switch to make it Avantgarde or Sport or AMG. It's rare (was only standard on the V8's) and I've no idea if it helps resale but I use it every single day.
For resale you want COMAND and Parktronic. I happen to like silver and black (not everyone's cup of tea) and they are the easiest to shift. Some like wood, I run a mile. Black wood is a good compromise.
If you like your tunes the HK 7.1 in mine is really top end (don't know if you can get it on the 212)
Mine is on 17's. 18 look nicer but are reportedly a bit harsher.
Edited by angusc43 on Saturday 18th December 08:46
r129sl said:
Only you know the answer to your question: you're speccing the car--I'd love to spec a new car and go to Germany to collect it--so spec what you want, not what we want.
But... If it were me, I'd want a solid exterior paint like moss green or sahara yellow, mid brown leather, elegance trim (only on special order) with brown wood (zebrano would be nice but suspect it would have to be walnut), small wheels with high profile comfort tyres, extended fuel tank, memory heated seats, orthopaedic backrests, heated rear seats, additional seats in the boot, fire extinguisher, spare set of winter wheels, a CD changer and super speaker system, removable tow hitch, full size spare wheel (is this standard?).
I would consider big wheels, sports suspension, spac nav, joke paint jobs, panoramic roof, internet connection, blacked out windows, anything AMG, to be a total waste of money.
I'm just can't work out if this post is a piss take or not, I presume it must be with Sahara Yellow paint and mid brown leather along with elegance suspension on small wheels and high profile tyres.But... If it were me, I'd want a solid exterior paint like moss green or sahara yellow, mid brown leather, elegance trim (only on special order) with brown wood (zebrano would be nice but suspect it would have to be walnut), small wheels with high profile comfort tyres, extended fuel tank, memory heated seats, orthopaedic backrests, heated rear seats, additional seats in the boot, fire extinguisher, spare set of winter wheels, a CD changer and super speaker system, removable tow hitch, full size spare wheel (is this standard?).
I would consider big wheels, sports suspension, spac nav, joke paint jobs, panoramic roof, internet connection, blacked out windows, anything AMG, to be a total waste of money.
Surely it would be cheaper to just buy a dingy?? It would probably handle better anyway.
I guess this is why we have options, and why asking what must haves is pretty pointless. I would definitely want comand as I love my music and do 40k miles a year, and I find the Avantgarde on my W211 E320cdi on 17's a little wallowy, my E320 elegance before that on 17's was like a boat.
gizlaroc said:
I'm just can't work out if this post is a piss take or not, I presume it must be with Sahara Yellow paint and mid brown leather along with elegance suspension on small wheels and high profile tyres.
Surely it would be cheaper to just buy a dingy?? It would probably handle better anyway.
It wasn't a joke! I find the current colour palette so utterly dull: it's grey or grey, maybe greyish blue if you're lucky. And metallics are lacklustre next to well polished, deep solid colour. Mercedes used to offer a super colour-palette, generally about 10 standard colours, 12 special colours and 12 metallic colours, all different, not variations on grey. Plus there was a choice of about 8 interior colours in 4 finishes, leather (a little cold and hard but beautifully worked), MB-Tex (super long-lasting), velours (absolutely the most luxurious) or cloth (standard and a bit drab) (at one time sports check cloth was available on some models as well).Surely it would be cheaper to just buy a dingy?? It would probably handle better anyway.
And they used to handle beautifully. I have got no idea how they handled the Nurburgring, but then I never did commute to work that way. They handled pot holes, speed humps, uneven surfaces, ruts, tramlines, crests and dips with aplomb, all passengers travelling in comfort, nobody losing any fillings. And they could pick up their skirts and hustle along when called upon to do so. The current vogue for rock hard suspension and big wheels is inexplicable: that combination is so utterly unsuited to our roads and driving needs. For those of us who like to cover ground at speed, it is too wearing and can be dangerous on our broken roads; for the rest it is just plain uncomfortable.
As you say, it is horses for courses. Me, I would make like to be able to make my own mind up, and I would encourage the OP to do likewise, but Mercedes just will not have it.
I swapped 16s for 18s, oh what a mistake. The only benefit is I think the car looks better proportioned. The once perfect rims are full of scrapes and gouges from the badly maintained potholed roads we have in this country, 18s and low profile tyres just aren't practical, and the ride is too firm for my liking.
r129sl said:
It wasn't a joke! I find the current colour palette so utterly dull: it's grey or grey, maybe greyish blue if you're lucky. And metallics are lacklustre next to well polished, deep solid colour. .
It looks like this....
So I do appreciate your comments on colour, also one of the main reasons I bought a late W211 was you can't have a light interior on the W212, you have to have black dash, carpets and doors etc. I really wanted beige or grey this time.
My Avantgarde on 17's is extremely complient though, it rides as well as my old W210 Elegance but with much, much better control, the W212 takes that a step further as well imho, things have moved on somewhat.
Laner said:
Wish I had specced the electric memory seat option on my 250 Sport, I read elec seats in the brochure and assumed they would be memory! Had been standard on my last 2 V70s.
Ditto on the above - myself and my business partner just took delivery ot two E350CDI Sport Estates having come from V70's.Loving the Mercs - my option was just command and metalic, the other one the same but with the stereo upgrade. The only problem is that they have both been in for noisy running - apparently injector timing issues. Mine has just got noisy again after a blast to Edinburugh and back!! so its back to the dealer again.
Edited by firesafetydave on Tuesday 21st December 14:58
I ordered an E350CDI a while back as a family wagon and I ticked the 7 seats, the built-in popup child seats, Nav 50, upgraded stereo, tinted windows, metallic paint, and memory seats. About the only additional thing I was tempted to go for was upgraded leather as the standard leather is a bit plain if you are used to the passion leather.
Re brown, it's a bit of a novelty and looks great in the brochure but I've seen a few around and it's not that great a colour. I suspect it could seriously affect resale when it goes out of fashion (again).
Re brown, it's a bit of a novelty and looks great in the brochure but I've seen a few around and it's not that great a colour. I suspect it could seriously affect resale when it goes out of fashion (again).
I agree, only buy it if you really want it and be prepared to find it harder to shift. Having said that, every car I called about in the Indium Grey (brown) was already sold, I guess with so few around if someone is looking for something different they are going to sell.
It is a funny colour that really changes alot depending on teh light, most of time it looks like this...
But then it can look like this...
It is a funny colour that really changes alot depending on teh light, most of time it looks like this...
But then it can look like this...
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