2012 E220 SE

[GTIR]

I've been in the unfortunate position in having a loan car whilst my 07 E220 Avantgarde goes in to be sprayed.

Its a 5k miler.
In 500 miles this is what I don't like about it;
The engine drones at any speed especially pulling through the gears. It sounds angry or as one person put it "like a 70's Transit"
No secondary visor
No folding mirrors
No auto dimming mirrors (Really annoying)
No Xenons
Uncomfortable seats.
Rubbish man made leather
No storage under seats (Why!)
Hard suspension
Plasticky cheap interior
It's black

(I know it's an SE but it has no options)

I can't understand how the engine is so noisy. I know it's only a 220 but the 250 is the same.

Also. You can't select a gear. So in snow you want 3rd but it won't let you. Just works its way up to 3rd and stays there!
fkung useless.

What I like.
Column gear change
Heated seats
Erm?

My 430k E220 is smoother, quiter, and more comfortable.

If I could find an 09 E220 Avantegarde with less than 15k miles I'd buy that instead of the new E W212.

Mercedes

[GTIR]

swerni said:

Does it not have flappy things behind the steering wheel?

I hate the column shift with a passion

Yes.

Pointless in a diesel uber barge.

[Monkeylegend]

The engine drone is caused by the relocation of the timing gear from the front to the rear of the engine.

The Avantgarde is much better specced.

[Deva Link]

I've got an 8 year old C270CDi and I really ought to change it - apart from anything else, I'm an opt-out company car driver and the max age I'm supposed to have is 6 years.

I had an E350CDi Sport the other day and it did absolutely nothing for me at all. I'd planned to spend a couple of hours driving it but after 30mins I'd had enough. I thought they'd said it was a 250 and based on that thought it went well, but was a little gruff. I was gobsmacked when I opened the bonnet at home for a gander and saw it was the V6.

[Paracetamol]

I rented a 2011 E200 Komp petrol. It was one of the best all round cars I have ever driven. It was a classic with a few options from memory. Smooth, punchy engine, never feeling underpowered and smoother than a number of V6s I have driven. We also have a w211 e320cdi in the family and the E200 was leagues ahead in every way-especially the interior build quality and it generally felt much close to the w124 cars of old whith a nice big steering, firm seats and pliant suspension..

Havent drievn the diesel but 4 cly merc diesels always tend to be very noisey and harsh..guess they are designed with taxis in mind..

[anonymous-user]

I think the SE spec is designed with the company car driver in mind. Whilst the car you got might have seemed poorly specced GTIR, I was once told by a Merc salesman it's priced lower than Classic spec despite being better appointed, and more importantly better specced than the equivalent models from BMW or Audi.

My S212 is an avantgarde, the only things lacking are the rather handy 'REST' function that the previous model had along with the double sun-visor.

That said, I do often wish I had my old S211 back, and have considered 'trading down' as it were.

[Deva Link]

There's going to be quite a heavily face-lifted E Class early next year.

[GTIR]

Deva Link said:

There's going to be quite a heavily face-lifted E Class early next year.

I think they have already done a mild facelift but not advertised it.
I noticed on the 59 E220 compared to a 12 plate E220 that had twin pipes, LED's (not those crappy fog light LED), and column gear change.

My neighbours have not even noticed the new car. They thought it was a Toyota. They also said they liked my old one better.

I hope it's back before the snow comes as this thing does not have winter tyres on.

[va1o]

Yeah that was just model year/ spec changes I think (some UK specific) but its getting a proper facelift soon (as is the BMW F10 5-series)

[Deva Link]

Big visual difference on the 2013 model is they've switched from the quad headlight set-up to single units.

[GTIR]

More gripes.

Can't fast forward a song on the CD.
Fuel reserve warning alert won't go away for ages!
If display is turned off and you hit main radio off button it just turns the display on. No, I want to turn the fking radio off!

Erm. That's it.

[anonymous-user]

GTIR said:

More gripes.

Can't fast forward a song on the CD. what's a CD, are they from the olden days?
Fuel reserve warning alert won't go away for ages! hit the 'ok' button on the steering wheel
If display is turned off and you hit main radio off button it just turns the display on. No, I want to turn the fking radio off! get one with COMAND

Erm. That's it.

HTH

[c7xlg]

I picked up my new E350 CDI Avantgarde estate on monday.

Engine is virtually silent.
DOES have secondary visor as I went for the 'sun protection' pack
Standard folding mirrors
Standard auto dimming mirrors
Standard Xenons Intelligent Lighting system
Very comfortable seats. (multi-contour seat option)
OK leather
Some storage under seats
Very comfortable suspension, but also nice flat cornering/handling (though haven't pushed it much yet)
Slightly Plasticky cheap interior
It's indium 'grey' with almond beige interior so it doesn't look like a hearse/credit-crunch-chav-white.

So I'm very happy with the W212 so far... came from a BMW E60 550i touring.

[anonymous-user]

c7xlg said:

It's indium 'grey'

As is mine. It's not grey at all is it. Lets face it, it's bronze. Like 'Jewish Racing Gold' but darker

I like it anyway, recently had 4 blokes sitting in a car next to me at the lights pointing, one lowers his window and asks what colour it is, when I said grey he just gave me a funny look.

[GTIR]

c7xlg said:

I picked up my new E350 CDI Avantgarde estate on monday.

Engine is virtually silent.
DOES have secondary visor as I went for the 'sun protection' pack
Standard folding mirrors
Standard auto dimming mirrors
Standard Xenons Intelligent Lighting system
Very comfortable seats. (multi-contour seat option)
OK leather
Some storage under seats
Very comfortable suspension, but also nice flat cornering/handling (though haven't pushed it much yet)
Slightly Plasticky cheap interior
It's indium 'grey' with almond beige interior so it doesn't look like a hearse/credit-crunch-chav-white.

So I'm very happy with the W212 so far... came from a BMW E60 550i touring.

I've been looking at E350's today.
I drove an E250 and it still had that drone to it. (It's all very well saying turn the stereo up but my job, chauffeur, I sometimes can't do it!) Even though the salesman kept saying "What noise?"

Trouble is. The E350 costs more to fuel, insure, parts, and I can't justify it in my pricing. Can I?!

Anyway. I've warmed to it, a little, but I get my freshly painted W211 back in the morning and i see what the reverse transition is like. (Those heated seats are a god send to my bad back. (That I got from the same car I may add)

[va1o]

Deva Link said:

Big visual difference on the 2013 model is they've switched from the quad headlight set-up to single units.

Found a 'leaked' picture showing this



Looks too much like a big C-Class now

[va1o]

Oh and if anyone wants the current E220, just seen this in an email, seriously cheap! http://www.stablevehiclecontracts.co.uk/mercedes_b...

[GoneAnon]

Apart from the headlights, that car also has a Sport grill which hasn't been available on a W212 saloon/estate before. We had spent some time wondering how much No More Nails would be needed to get a grill from the coupe/cab to fit!