£20k (ish) to Spend on 2nd Mercedes??

[Kalley]

I'm looking to chop in my BMW 320CD SPORT (2004) for a 2nd Mercedes (I am hooked!).

Thinking about either using my E320CDI as my every day work car and getting a B Class for the wife and baby?

OR.......WAIT FOR IT.....

Let the wife and baby carry on with the E and get myself:

1) SL350 (2004/5)
2) CLK350 (2008/9)

Any thoughts?

What is the B Class like as a car?

 

[E320mark]

Wife has a B150 se, we kinda bought our 2 cars at the same time! I have to be honest and say I do like driving her car, is just nice to get out of mine and into something which is just the total opposite!
There is a new B class coming out sometime soon, not sure how soon though so there could be the possibility of getting a good deal on the current B class! Keep the E for yourself though!!

 

[Cole@MBS]

B,class is a good all round motor, don't have any problems to speak of, unusual to say that about a merc!!!

 

[Kalley]

Yep B Class in Sport spec looks the part too....is it me or do MB tend to make every outgoing model a SPORT spec shortly before replacement?

 

[television]

Is not the sport the one with the very hard suspension

 

[hawk20]

Have a look at this thread.

Sport has horrid hard suspension until recently -I think about April 2010- when they changed to the 'comfort suspension' on both the SE and Sport models. But they have 18 inch wheels on the Sport version which have very hard-walled low profile tyres. Having driven both, the SE version has a much more Mercedes-like ride.

 

[Kalley]

Have a look at this thread.

Sport has horrid hard suspension until recently -I think about April 2010- when they changed to the 'comfort suspension' on both the SE and Sport models. But they have 18 inch wheels on the Sport version which have very hard-walled low profile tyres. Having driven both, the SE version has a much more Mercedes-like ride.

Very useful and thank you.....I had the new E Class as a courtesy car for the last 2 days in SPORT spec (AMG Wheels etc).

I was NOT impressed could feel every bump and didnt drive smoothly like my W211. Felt like it was trying to be a BMW if you know what I mean?

But with that said it was a 4 cylinder petrol......

 

[hawk20]

Sorry. I meant to give you a link to this thread: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=80207

Interesting.

I've posted on it to bring it back to page one.

 

[st4]

I'm looking to chop in my BMW 320CD SPORT (2004) for a 2nd Mercedes (I am hooked!).

Thinking about either using my E320CDI as my every day work car and getting a B Class for the wife and baby?

OR.......WAIT FOR IT.....

Let the wife and baby carry on with the E and get myself:

1) SL350 (2004/5)
2) CLK350 (2008/9)

Any thoughts?

What is the B Class like as a car?

Hmmmmmmmmmm I prefer the second option but a B class is higher and easy to load little ones into, and more parking friendly.

However, as a car guy, I think the CLK350 option is a nice one, and a low maintainence one. What also about a SLK as well. £20k ought to get you something nice.

 

[SQ_W211]

Why not go all out and look for CLK55 amg and give the E320 to wife??

 

[biglips]

Here's your new car:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C200149/

I want a ride in it once you have bought it. Love those seats!

 

[SSR S500]

CL55 AMG? 5.5 supercharged V8

 

[toby1]

SL, CLK or CLS for me!

 

[Frontstep]

Got a B Class 160 Blue efficiency at the moment, ride bounces around, trim cheap, you might as well get a VW Golf and save some money its quieter.

 

[hawk20]

Got a B Class 160 Blue efficiency at the moment, ride bounces around, trim cheap, you might as well get a VW Golf and save some money its quieter.

Guess you have the Sport version or oversize wheels. The B's I have driven ride at least as well as the Golf and offer a lot more room inside, much more legroom front and rear, and much better interior trim. B class top of its class in JD Power. Get a diesel and it it is only doing 2,000 revs at 80 mph and is remarkably quiet as reviewers have noted.

 

[Frontstep]

It is pretty poor alround, cheap trim, bouncy ride averaging 34 when driven locally and under instruction of the nagging dash (which was surely made by Amstrad).
I dislike it intensely it rides on Continental 205/55/16'S having driven the Golf and the B Class at length I see no reason to buy the Mercedes.

 

[hawk20]

It is pretty poor alround, cheap trim, bouncy ride averaging 34 when driven locally and under instruction of the nagging dash (which was surely made by Amstrad).
I dislike it intensely it rides on Continental 205/55/16'S having driven the Golf and the B Class at length I see no reason to buy the Mercedes.

Well having driven several thousand miles in both, I can't agree. As one reviewer said 'closing the glove box on the B class is like shutting the door of a bank vault'. Interior, switches, steering wheel, gear lever etc etc are all very similar to E class. The seats are full size (take a tape measure and they are as big as those on an R class or ML). The legroom is better than any competitor. The wheelbase is longer than a C class or Lexus IS. And the diesel versions now offer over 50 mpg combined even in automatic versions. Hard to argue with the 2010 J D Power survey which asks thousands of owners their views on cars they own and the B class came top in its class, so most owners appear to share a pretty high view of it.

 

[Frontstep]

Well I have to take your opinion as valid, but I have just come home in a B160 Blue Efficiency which I am running and must assume they are perhaps made elsewhere to a lower spec.

 

[hawk20]

Well I have to take your opinion as valid, but I have just come home in a B160 Blue Efficiency which I am running and must assume they are perhaps made elsewhere to a lower spec.

All made in the same factory which I've had the pleasure of going round. The A's are built there too. I had one of the first B's when they first came out and did factory collection which is well worthwhile.

 

[nrg220]

20K to buy

£20K should be plenty, I bought a 3 year olf C Class Elegance 220CDI for £17.5K it had done 5800 miles, its like a brand new car, black with almond beige and all the bits and extras and that was from a MB dealer