Merc E320 CDI (W211) Are they any good?
Discussion
Hi All,
I would use the search function to see if this has been asked before but it doesn't seem to work at the moment.
Anyway, I've always liked the look of these and even the look of the W210. I nearly got a W210 a few years back but got an E39 530d instead (because of the Merc rust issues) The W211 was financially out of reach for me but are now becoming more affordable and I still like the look of them.
What are the general opinions of the W211 bearing in mind I am used to the E39.
It's a bit of a vague question I suppose but I keep looking back at them with a thought of potential ownership but I keep thinking they may be a bit, well, dull.
Anyone have any polite thoughts?
I would use the search function to see if this has been asked before but it doesn't seem to work at the moment.
Anyway, I've always liked the look of these and even the look of the W210. I nearly got a W210 a few years back but got an E39 530d instead (because of the Merc rust issues) The W211 was financially out of reach for me but are now becoming more affordable and I still like the look of them.
What are the general opinions of the W211 bearing in mind I am used to the E39.
It's a bit of a vague question I suppose but I keep looking back at them with a thought of potential ownership but I keep thinking they may be a bit, well, dull.
Anyone have any polite thoughts?
Excellent car, but go for a post 2006 facelift model to avoid expensive problems such as coolant water in the auto transmission. I have done a few miles in an 08 E320 cdi Avantgarde estate and enjoyed every moment. The Benz rides more smoothly on our bumpy roads than the E60 I drove (the only '5' I have ever driven), but the BMW was perhaps more of a driver's car. Having said that, the Benz (in Avantgarde trim) is absolutely by no means sloppy. The V6 diesel and 7G transmission make for effortless progress.
All I can say is I am glad it was still under warranty....... and never again
I bought a 2007 E320CDI Avantgarde from a MB dealer in 2009 - it had done 27K miles which I increased to 55K miles over the 20 months I had it.
It never broke down, but it nor did it offer the quality that Mercedes would have you think, there was always a sense of what next......
To be balanced, my father still has a E270CDI which is now approaching 8 years old and he has had no problems despite the pre-facelift cars being deemed less reliable.
Issues I experienced - Noisy Camshaft bearings replaced - apparently an issue that MB are aware of and is a known fault with this engine (car was off the road for 4 days so it won't have been cheap, done under warranty) Central multi-function display stopped working (£950 under warranty) a number of oil leaks (all sorted under warranty) vibrations which were never resolved despite tyres being replaced, wheels being swapped and chassis alignment carried out. Warped brake discs (a wear and tear item, but as the dealer pointed out only 25% warn and needed replacement £700 - may have been me, but I have never had it on any other car)
You don't enter into MB ownership without knowing it isn't going to be cheap to run, so you need to budget well (or use an Indy) as some maintenance items are pricey (transmission fluid replacement £300!) and either keep some cash for any unexpected issues or get a warranty.
In fairness to MB they did do some of the work out of warranty as a good will gesture and generally my experience of the dealer I used was good - they just seemed a bit embarrassed about the car.
Good points - hugely torquey, very quiet and comfortable, but a disappointment for me so I have returned to BMW (now our fifth) and much, much happier with a 2009 530i. Good luck!
I bought a 2007 E320CDI Avantgarde from a MB dealer in 2009 - it had done 27K miles which I increased to 55K miles over the 20 months I had it.
It never broke down, but it nor did it offer the quality that Mercedes would have you think, there was always a sense of what next......
To be balanced, my father still has a E270CDI which is now approaching 8 years old and he has had no problems despite the pre-facelift cars being deemed less reliable.
Issues I experienced - Noisy Camshaft bearings replaced - apparently an issue that MB are aware of and is a known fault with this engine (car was off the road for 4 days so it won't have been cheap, done under warranty) Central multi-function display stopped working (£950 under warranty) a number of oil leaks (all sorted under warranty) vibrations which were never resolved despite tyres being replaced, wheels being swapped and chassis alignment carried out. Warped brake discs (a wear and tear item, but as the dealer pointed out only 25% warn and needed replacement £700 - may have been me, but I have never had it on any other car)
You don't enter into MB ownership without knowing it isn't going to be cheap to run, so you need to budget well (or use an Indy) as some maintenance items are pricey (transmission fluid replacement £300!) and either keep some cash for any unexpected issues or get a warranty.
In fairness to MB they did do some of the work out of warranty as a good will gesture and generally my experience of the dealer I used was good - they just seemed a bit embarrassed about the car.
Good points - hugely torquey, very quiet and comfortable, but a disappointment for me so I have returned to BMW (now our fifth) and much, much happier with a 2009 530i. Good luck!
HenryRoyce said:
Excellent car, but go for a post 2006 facelift model to avoid expensive problems such as coolant water in the auto transmission.
This seems to be the accepted rule, but wasn't my experience, perhaps I just had a bad car!HenryRoyce said:
The Benz rides more smoothly on our bumpy roads than the E60 I drove (the only '5' I have ever driven), but the BMW was perhaps more of a driver's car. Having said that, the Benz (in Avantgarde trim) is absolutely by no means sloppy. The V6 diesel and 7G transmission make for effortless progress.
The Merc does have a more compliant ride than the E60 (blame the run-flats for that, although having owned a 2005 E60 and now a 2009 LCI E60 things have improved) but I though the Merc also suffers more tyre noise because of the 245 width tyres. They are very different cars to drive - the Merc is much more limo saloon, the E60 leans towards a sporty saloon depending on spec, something that the Merc will never be unless it has an AMG badge on the back 
Glad your experience has been better than mine!
Personally i've owned 2 - petrols E320 and E350 but those problems mentioned above are true - the vibration problems exist, as do the coolant ingress into the auto transmission - we never suffered warped discs or the electrical problems that are mentioned here.
The spring have a tendancy of cracked then snapping but these are usually replaced under warranty.
Their not a bad car ive driven both the 5 Series and the E class and would say they are both different individually.
Servicing on them can be cheap if your happy to complete the work yourself. The E320 we ran to 174k before selling it still fetched good money with that mileage when through service items, warranty work along the way but no major or epic failures the E350 is better as it has the 7G gearbox the fact its the sport enables you to chuck it around a bit more and have a little more power in the manual mode.
The spring have a tendancy of cracked then snapping but these are usually replaced under warranty.
Their not a bad car ive driven both the 5 Series and the E class and would say they are both different individually.
Servicing on them can be cheap if your happy to complete the work yourself. The E320 we ran to 174k before selling it still fetched good money with that mileage when through service items, warranty work along the way but no major or epic failures the E350 is better as it has the 7G gearbox the fact its the sport enables you to chuck it around a bit more and have a little more power in the manual mode.
Started smoking a E39 530d in Jan 2010 with 120k on the clock planning to keep it one month and kept it for a year and 30k miles. Great car.
Smoked a 2005 E320 Cdi for 3 months in Jan 2011 and it cost £2500 just to keep it going and still had loads of thongs wrong with it. Horrible creaky cheap interior and dull to drive. Comfy and 40mpg at 80mph were the good points.
I know some people love them but every one I've come across personally and in the trade has been a right pain in the whatsit. Couple that with the fact they're nothing special to drive and I can't see the point.
Smoked a 2005 E320 Cdi for 3 months in Jan 2011 and it cost £2500 just to keep it going and still had loads of thongs wrong with it. Horrible creaky cheap interior and dull to drive. Comfy and 40mpg at 80mph were the good points.
I know some people love them but every one I've come across personally and in the trade has been a right pain in the whatsit. Couple that with the fact they're nothing special to drive and I can't see the point.
Thanks for the educated answers there guys. In all fairness, I only ever really spend £5-7k on cars so i would only be looking at higher mileage, older cars. My current E39 hasn't really cost a great deal to run over the past 3-4 years and 30k miles. Purchased at 99K, now approaching 130K, although I have had to replace the turbo and the front thrust arm bushes need doing (I have the replacements but haven't got round to doing them yet!).
The question was really just to get more informed info about them (which I now have) as I won't be in a position to change for at least 6 months.
I think at the age and mileage that I would be able to afford, I may be asking for trouble and a few big bills. I also keep thinking that a big diesel for my 30 mile round trip commute is a bit selfish aswell as my current BM being quite unnecessary for this journey, (based on the fact that my wife has a shed of a Xsara Picasso...no comments please).
I suppose that I'm a bit of a dreamer when it comes to cars and should probably get something like a Skoda Octavia VRS as the family car for my wife to drive (not too big and manual box as she won't drive an auto as a daily) and get myself a s
tter for the daily commute.
Oh decisions decisions.
Oh yeah, I'm also well known amongst friends for being a bit of a ditherer and using 100 words when 10 usually will do!
The question was really just to get more informed info about them (which I now have) as I won't be in a position to change for at least 6 months.
I think at the age and mileage that I would be able to afford, I may be asking for trouble and a few big bills. I also keep thinking that a big diesel for my 30 mile round trip commute is a bit selfish aswell as my current BM being quite unnecessary for this journey, (based on the fact that my wife has a shed of a Xsara Picasso...no comments please).
I suppose that I'm a bit of a dreamer when it comes to cars and should probably get something like a Skoda Octavia VRS as the family car for my wife to drive (not too big and manual box as she won't drive an auto as a daily) and get myself a s
tter for the daily commute.Oh decisions decisions.
Oh yeah, I'm also well known amongst friends for being a bit of a ditherer and using 100 words when 10 usually will do!
I can't vouch for the E320 CDI (although do now have CLS 320 CDI which is wonderful and in 78,000 miles has be a model of reliability) but did have E270 CDI for four years.
From day 1 (in fact even before the car was delivered as it later transpired) there were problems that went on and on unresolved. In the end I went to buy a load of "E's" to stick on the boot: I was planning to ceremoniously remove an E at the dealership each time a problem was solved. However, I could only buy complete designations rather than individual letters and wasn't going to fork out 7 x £16.95. So I took the E and the 7 from E270CDI and created the E7. I also produced a little leaflet listing the ongoing problems that I would hand out to anyone who asked "what's an E7 then?"
BUT - fair play to MB... when they sent me a customer questionnaire (which I spent 5 hours composing a reply to --- copies available on request --- a masterclass in complaining) they took the situation very seriously. I ended up presenting to dealerships and their staff on the problems and what they needed to do about it, and even got to star in a video that they sent around the dealer network.
So, here is the E7 and the problems that were never resolved; each E represents a problem outstanding throughout the life of the car. Explanations ranged from the car not liking the cold and the dark to being possessed by poltergeists and needing a priest to help solve.
And setting the scene to a 30 mins presentation:
From day 1 (in fact even before the car was delivered as it later transpired) there were problems that went on and on unresolved. In the end I went to buy a load of "E's" to stick on the boot: I was planning to ceremoniously remove an E at the dealership each time a problem was solved. However, I could only buy complete designations rather than individual letters and wasn't going to fork out 7 x £16.95. So I took the E and the 7 from E270CDI and created the E7. I also produced a little leaflet listing the ongoing problems that I would hand out to anyone who asked "what's an E7 then?"
BUT - fair play to MB... when they sent me a customer questionnaire (which I spent 5 hours composing a reply to --- copies available on request --- a masterclass in complaining) they took the situation very seriously. I ended up presenting to dealerships and their staff on the problems and what they needed to do about it, and even got to star in a video that they sent around the dealer network.
So, here is the E7 and the problems that were never resolved; each E represents a problem outstanding throughout the life of the car. Explanations ranged from the car not liking the cold and the dark to being possessed by poltergeists and needing a priest to help solve.
And setting the scene to a 30 mins presentation:
ive ran my e320 cdi 04 for about 25,000 miles in under a year
so far its only needed a oil and air filter service and some wipers
its fully loaded with everything and to date nothing has gone wrong
does me 49mpg at 78mph and has a bigger tank than normal. Ive got the range upto 9xx miles odd
its always started first time and is very quiet compared to my old 530d
dont want to sell it but its time for a new one
so far its only needed a oil and air filter service and some wipers
its fully loaded with everything and to date nothing has gone wrong
does me 49mpg at 78mph and has a bigger tank than normal. Ive got the range upto 9xx miles odd
its always started first time and is very quiet compared to my old 530d
dont want to sell it but its time for a new one
I have a 2006 e320cdi estate, with 7g. I bought it with MB history at 125k in a well known auction house for just £11k, 3 years ago. I have just completed another 35k and barely a single thing has gone wrong with it. I have maintained the MB servicing. So at 160k, what can I expect? The gearbox went into meltdown in London last week and it is going to cost £4,500 to replace by a Mercedes specialist who does gearbox work for MB dealers in the North London/M25 area. This engineering company cheerfully tell me that a 100k is damn good and 160k, a miracle. All aluminium, packed with "gismo's and in my opinion, like a lot of cars has become totally "over-engineered". Be warned, my first inkling was a bit of roll back in park and then a snatch from 1st to 2nd, then caput within a week. I also had a prefacelift 2006 SL350 also with 7g. Even with just 19k on the clock when I bought it, it used to snatch from 1st to 2nd. Managed to lose £10,000 on this in one year, when a big Newfoundland came along!
I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
I had a 53 reg E270 CDI Avantgarde for a few years, bought it on about 90k and sold it with about 125k.
Lovely car, was great, drove well OK on fuel, had some issues with a few of the plastic exterior bits bubbling up, eg the boot handle and the little plastic strips on the roof.
Only mechanical issue i has with it was with the ABS, but luckily this was a recall so the ABS module was replaced free, think at the time the quote was about £4k for it.
Try and get one with a CD player, they are hidden away in a compartment on the dash near the gear lever, quite cool the way the compartment opens up to reveal the CD changer
Lovely car, was great, drove well OK on fuel, had some issues with a few of the plastic exterior bits bubbling up, eg the boot handle and the little plastic strips on the roof.
Only mechanical issue i has with it was with the ABS, but luckily this was a recall so the ABS module was replaced free, think at the time the quote was about £4k for it.
Try and get one with a CD player, they are hidden away in a compartment on the dash near the gear lever, quite cool the way the compartment opens up to reveal the CD changer
Cloonmore said:
I have a 2006 e320cdi estate, with 7g. I bought it with MB history at 125k in a well known auction house for just £11k, 3 years ago. I have just completed another 35k and barely a single thing has gone wrong with it. I have maintained the MB servicing. So at 160k, what can I expect? The gearbox went into meltdown in London last week and it is going to cost £4,500 to replace by a Mercedes specialist who does gearbox work for MB dealers in the North London/M25 area. This engineering company cheerfully tell me that a 100k is damn good and 160k, a miracle. All aluminium, packed with "gismo's and in my opinion, like a lot of cars has become totally "over-engineered". Be warned, my first inkling was a bit of roll back in park and then a snatch from 1st to 2nd, then caput within a week. I also had a prefacelift 2006 SL350 also with 7g. Even with just 19k on the clock when I bought it, it used to snatch from 1st to 2nd. Managed to lose £10,000 on this in one year, when a big Newfoundland came along!
I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
7G snatches 1st to 2nd, particularly when cold as a feature. Don't fret.I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
surveyor said:
Cloonmore said:
I have a 2006 e320cdi estate, with 7g. I bought it with MB history at 125k in a well known auction house for just £11k, 3 years ago. I have just completed another 35k and barely a single thing has gone wrong with it. I have maintained the MB servicing. So at 160k, what can I expect? The gearbox went into meltdown in London last week and it is going to cost £4,500 to replace by a Mercedes specialist who does gearbox work for MB dealers in the North London/M25 area. This engineering company cheerfully tell me that a 100k is damn good and 160k, a miracle. All aluminium, packed with "gismo's and in my opinion, like a lot of cars has become totally "over-engineered". Be warned, my first inkling was a bit of roll back in park and then a snatch from 1st to 2nd, then caput within a week. I also had a prefacelift 2006 SL350 also with 7g. Even with just 19k on the clock when I bought it, it used to snatch from 1st to 2nd. Managed to lose £10,000 on this in one year, when a big Newfoundland came along!
I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
7G snatches 1st to 2nd, particularly when cold as a feature. Don't fret.I have had MB's for over 20 years, this is my fifth E Class, but now I feel you need deep pockets to keep an older one on the road because of the in-built complications.
I have also had a nightmare with a newish Touareg and am seriously thinking of just getting the tank - a Landcruiser!
So there you have it. Either be rich, or be prepared to take "six on the back-side", on a regular basis, with all your fancy MB's, Audi's, BM,s etc., etc.,
After a software upgrade (no fix), Merc replaced the Electro-hydraulic control unit (EHS) because the rev sensor was sending
incorrect data to some CPU. He should only have the problem from cold and you can fix it by selecting comfort mode.
So, dont believe "they all do that"! Out of warranty this would be an very expensive fix.
Otherwise the engine/gearbox has been fine. I would also comment that this combo LOVES rear tyres
2007 E320 CDI with Brabus chip & currently on 81k has, over the last 3.3k returned an average of 29.5 mpg for me. This has been 80% commute from North London to Central London. Have seen high 40s on long runs through France apparently.
Car has been in family from new & apart from a Turbo & Tailgate spring, or whatever holds it up, replacement under warranty, the car has been fantastic. Do agree they like rear tyres, this one has Contiisports & we reckon 20/22k for rears.
IMO for the money it's probably best around. Should say I absolutely loathe BMW 5's though & my family has owned Mercs for years. S600L, SLK 230. Estates as E280, 300, 430, current W212 E220 CDI & of course 320 in question. Not to mention Bentley, original Mini & a whole host of other stuff exotic & mundane.
Hope that helps.
Car has been in family from new & apart from a Turbo & Tailgate spring, or whatever holds it up, replacement under warranty, the car has been fantastic. Do agree they like rear tyres, this one has Contiisports & we reckon 20/22k for rears.
IMO for the money it's probably best around. Should say I absolutely loathe BMW 5's though & my family has owned Mercs for years. S600L, SLK 230. Estates as E280, 300, 430, current W212 E220 CDI & of course 320 in question. Not to mention Bentley, original Mini & a whole host of other stuff exotic & mundane.
Hope that helps.
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