Help - C320CDI or C350
Discussion
The M5 has to go and I have come across and nice 320CDI and 350. Both are 2006 but the CDI is fully loaded while the C350 has Leather and a few bits but no command. I have been getting 13MPG at the moment so both cars would be a big improvement on MPG. The petrol head in me says C350 but I do a 6m commute through town so rarely get the chance to enjoy the M5. The Torque and extra kit on the CDI do appeal but it is also £2K more.
What do people think?
What do people think?
I would get the petrol 350 because your mileage is not so great that the extra fuel consumption over the diesel 320 will hurt. And because petrol just is better than diesel. And because the 350 V6 is a cracking engine (although the 320 diesel V6 is hardly agricultural).
Back of a fag packet calculation based on guess work not research:
C350 real world mpg on your commute: 25.
C320 CDI real world mpg on your commute: 35.
(I know, I know, on the open road they'll do better.)
12miles per day, 5days per week, 44weeks per year: 2,640miles.
At 25mpg: 105gallons. At £6.13per gallon (£1.35 a litre): £644.
At 35mpg: 75gallons. At £6.31per gallon (£1.39 a litre): £473.
Of course, you'll no doubt have other motoring to do and I am sure your annual mileage is rather more than 2,640 but this is how much heavy oil will save you on your commute: the price of a decent meal for two (although we could start a whole other thread about the extortionate cost of eating out these days).
You can possibly drive a harder bargain on the C350 because nobody wants large-engined petrol cars (because nobody appreciates how small the real world diesel advantage is).
Personally, I'd keep the M5 and eat less.
Edit: at 13mpg and using premium (i.e. ordinary) unleaded, your M5 costs £1,244. So the most you could possibly save is £100 a month. If your M5 is paid for, any new (in the sense of new to you) car is going to cost you this much and more in depreciation and/or finance costs and/or loss of alternative investment income. As is always the case, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own, no matter how frequently you have to visit the petrol station.
Back of a fag packet calculation based on guess work not research:
C350 real world mpg on your commute: 25.
C320 CDI real world mpg on your commute: 35.
(I know, I know, on the open road they'll do better.)
12miles per day, 5days per week, 44weeks per year: 2,640miles.
At 25mpg: 105gallons. At £6.13per gallon (£1.35 a litre): £644.
At 35mpg: 75gallons. At £6.31per gallon (£1.39 a litre): £473.
Of course, you'll no doubt have other motoring to do and I am sure your annual mileage is rather more than 2,640 but this is how much heavy oil will save you on your commute: the price of a decent meal for two (although we could start a whole other thread about the extortionate cost of eating out these days).
You can possibly drive a harder bargain on the C350 because nobody wants large-engined petrol cars (because nobody appreciates how small the real world diesel advantage is).
Personally, I'd keep the M5 and eat less.
Edit: at 13mpg and using premium (i.e. ordinary) unleaded, your M5 costs £1,244. So the most you could possibly save is £100 a month. If your M5 is paid for, any new (in the sense of new to you) car is going to cost you this much and more in depreciation and/or finance costs and/or loss of alternative investment income. As is always the case, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own, no matter how frequently you have to visit the petrol station.
Edited by r129sl on Wednesday 15th June 08:31
r129sl said:
I would get the petrol 350 because your mileage is not so great that the extra fuel consumption over the diesel 320 will hurt. And because petrol just is better than diesel. And because the 350 V6 is a cracking engine (although the 320 diesel V6 is hardly agricultural).
Back of a fag packet calculation based on guess work not research:
C350 real world mpg on your commute: 25.
C320 CDI real world mpg on your commute: 35.
(I know, I know, on the open road they'll do better.)
12miles per day, 5days per week, 44weeks per year: 2,640miles.
At 25mpg: 105gallons. At £6.13per gallon (£1.35 a litre): £644.
At 35mpg: 75gallons. At £6.31per gallon (£1.39 a litre): £473.
Of course, you'll no doubt have other motoring to do and I am sure your annual mileage is rather more than 2,640 but this is how much heavy oil will save you on your commute: the price of a decent meal for two (although we could start a whole other thread about the extortionate cost of eating out these days).
You can possibly drive a harder bargain on the C350 because nobody wants large-engined petrol cars (because nobody appreciates how small the real world diesel advantage is).
Personally, I'd keep the M5 and eat less.
Edit: at 13mpg and using premium (i.e. ordinary) unleaded, your M5 costs £1,244. So the most you could possibly save is £100 a month. If your M5 is paid for, any new (in the sense of new to you) car is going to cost you this much and more in depreciation and/or finance costs and/or loss of alternative investment income. As is always the case, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own, no matter how frequently you have to visit the petrol station.
Thanks for that, I think the extra toys are appealing in the CDI but I have all that in the M5 and dont use them. Back of a fag packet calculation based on guess work not research:
C350 real world mpg on your commute: 25.
C320 CDI real world mpg on your commute: 35.
(I know, I know, on the open road they'll do better.)
12miles per day, 5days per week, 44weeks per year: 2,640miles.
At 25mpg: 105gallons. At £6.13per gallon (£1.35 a litre): £644.
At 35mpg: 75gallons. At £6.31per gallon (£1.39 a litre): £473.
Of course, you'll no doubt have other motoring to do and I am sure your annual mileage is rather more than 2,640 but this is how much heavy oil will save you on your commute: the price of a decent meal for two (although we could start a whole other thread about the extortionate cost of eating out these days).
You can possibly drive a harder bargain on the C350 because nobody wants large-engined petrol cars (because nobody appreciates how small the real world diesel advantage is).
Personally, I'd keep the M5 and eat less.
Edit: at 13mpg and using premium (i.e. ordinary) unleaded, your M5 costs £1,244. So the most you could possibly save is £100 a month. If your M5 is paid for, any new (in the sense of new to you) car is going to cost you this much and more in depreciation and/or finance costs and/or loss of alternative investment income. As is always the case, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own, no matter how frequently you have to visit the petrol station.
Edited by r129sl on Wednesday 15th June 08:31
I would love to keep the M5 but I brought a bad one and over the 14 months I have owned the car it has cost me a fortune and still needs more spending on it. The C350 really does appeal TBH and isnt lacking on power. Might go and see it Friday. I had to break the news to my 8yr old that the M5 might be going. He asked what I was looking at and I said a Merc that wont be as lound (I have no mufflers) or as fast. He said he didnt mind but pointed out that we couldnt go to the Silverstone Sunday service now. LOL
Either go with the CDI for the effortless torque or spend some of the money to bring the M back on song. The petrol's torque is about 100lb/ft down on the diesel this is what you need in your daily commute.
You may hardly use the sat nav but it's good to know you have it when needed. Merc comand also have upgraded sound systems.
You may hardly use the sat nav but it's good to know you have it when needed. Merc comand also have upgraded sound systems.
My daily hack is a 2006 c320cdi and I've been very pleased in general. Stepping out of an E46 M3 it didn't take long before I realised that I could live with it... 10 x better than other 4 pot diesels I've driven in the past.
It's a little diesel-ish when cold, but once warm it's super smooth and the ability to cruise at 1200rpm around toys makes for a very quiet drive. The 7th gear keeps revs below 2000rpm at 70'ish' motorway speeds making it the most comfortable mile muncher I've owned.
To provide some real world figures, on a 7M 'commute' to the dealer this morning (half stop-start, the other half a flowing 50), I got 31mpg on my way there, then took back a C350CDI courtesy car and got 33mpg in similar traffic on the way home.
On a recent 440 mile round motorway trip we got 50.5mpg both ways, which is where it earns its keep.
I've not driven the C350, so can't comment there.
It's a little diesel-ish when cold, but once warm it's super smooth and the ability to cruise at 1200rpm around toys makes for a very quiet drive. The 7th gear keeps revs below 2000rpm at 70'ish' motorway speeds making it the most comfortable mile muncher I've owned.
To provide some real world figures, on a 7M 'commute' to the dealer this morning (half stop-start, the other half a flowing 50), I got 31mpg on my way there, then took back a C350CDI courtesy car and got 33mpg in similar traffic on the way home.
On a recent 440 mile round motorway trip we got 50.5mpg both ways, which is where it earns its keep.
I've not driven the C350, so can't comment there.
onedsla said:
My daily hack is a 2006 c320cdi and I've been very pleased in general. Stepping out of an E46 M3 it didn't take long before I realised that I could live with it... 10 x better than other 4 pot diesels I've driven in the past.
It's a little diesel-ish when cold, but once warm it's super smooth and the ability to cruise at 1200rpm around toys makes for a very quiet drive. The 7th gear keeps revs below 2000rpm at 70'ish' motorway speeds making it the most comfortable mile muncher I've owned.
To provide some real world figures, on a 7M 'commute' to the dealer this morning (half stop-start, the other half a flowing 50), I got 31mpg on my way there, then took back a C350CDI courtesy car and got 33mpg in similar traffic on the way home.
On a recent 440 mile round motorway trip we got 50.5mpg both ways, which is where it earns its keep.
I've not driven the C350, so can't comment there.
Agree with this, the problem here is that a 6M commute will barely warm the diesel and as such you won't see any decent mpg from it, wouldn't imagine it's great for it either long-term. However for longer journeys it's fantastic, my 320CDi does about 45-47mpg at 80mph on cruise. When driving like a granny on a low speed A-road (45mph or so) I have managed to get 55mpg but this is with coasting where possible etc, just to see what it could do. The gearbox is fantastic too, always tons of torque available, although I do prefer to permanently have it in sport mode and with ESP turned off (when dry) as it can be a little overkeen. The COMAND system is so-so, worthwhile for the screen for the display menu's, bluetooth, Aux-in if you go that route, etc but the actual Satnav itself is fairly poor - clunky to use and often gets confused, at least it can't be nicked I suppose.It's a little diesel-ish when cold, but once warm it's super smooth and the ability to cruise at 1200rpm around toys makes for a very quiet drive. The 7th gear keeps revs below 2000rpm at 70'ish' motorway speeds making it the most comfortable mile muncher I've owned.
To provide some real world figures, on a 7M 'commute' to the dealer this morning (half stop-start, the other half a flowing 50), I got 31mpg on my way there, then took back a C350CDI courtesy car and got 33mpg in similar traffic on the way home.
On a recent 440 mile round motorway trip we got 50.5mpg both ways, which is where it earns its keep.
I've not driven the C350, so can't comment there.
Well I am now coming over to Mercedes ownership. I had a decent test drive of the C350 this morning and was very impressed.
- Very smooth and incredibly well built.
- Handled better than I thought. (has sport pack)
- Lovely inside and looked as new considering it had done 55K
- A lot of car for the money
Hope to collect it Thursday. It will be a massive blow to see the M5 go but Im postive the C350 will suit my daily needs better but still offer a decent amount of grunt when required.
- Very smooth and incredibly well built.
- Handled better than I thought. (has sport pack)
- Lovely inside and looked as new considering it had done 55K
- A lot of car for the money
Hope to collect it Thursday. It will be a massive blow to see the M5 go but Im postive the C350 will suit my daily needs better but still offer a decent amount of grunt when required.
This review from Evo magazine back in 2007 is glowing:
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2082...
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2082...
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