Any advice out there on the E400?

[s classy]

I posted a thread about a month ago mentioning that I am on a hunt for a E 350 Cdi coupe. I have been hunting hi and low on all the car sites but nothing has come up with the spec that I am looking for I do know that it can take months to find the right car but I am getting quite impatient.

While I have been searching there have been a few cars that have caught my eye. Not the 350cdi coupe but E400 Cab which all seem very well speced. Does anyone have any experience with this car or more info on it? we will probably be doing sub 20k yearly as the S class is used for the commute to work daily. I thought its worth having a look into but I guess it's a car that's not going to hold its value as well as the diesel.

 

[gizze]

I reckon it will hold its value better, so few of them around you are only ever competing with a handful rather than hundreds.

Much nicer car to drive, so much more refined, and sounds so much sweeter too.
Real world it is about 15-20% behind the diesel economy wise running on 95ron and a bit less on 98 ron.

So doing 20k miles a year it is probably about £15 a week different fuel wise at the very worst, but more like £10 a week more.

Diesels make sense when you buy a 2 litre and get 50mpg, but when you are looking at big 6cyl diesels they don't make as much sense at all imho.

My diesel X3 was only showing 35mpg the other morning some 48 miles into my journey as I went round Cambridge, which seemed really weird, often up to nearly 50mpg by then, but then realises it was 0ºc outside and it still hadn't got up to temperature.
Funnily enough I had to go to Cambridge the day before to collect something and took my old 2.8i Z3, and as I pulled up at his house some 54 miles later it was showing 46mpg, it was -1ºc on the OBC.

Not saying over the year and 30k miles a petrol would be as good as a diesel, but there is not as much in it as we tend to think, and in the grand scheme of car ownership costs it is probably more like 2-7% of overall costs at best, or is that at worst?

I certainly wouldn't buy a new E350cdi if I could have an E400 for the same price.

 

[s classy]

Thanks for sound advice gizze, I am definitely liking the sound of the petrol V6 over the diesel, lets just see if I can find one within my price range.

 

[Monday]

Trouble is that MB seems to have got shy of large petrol engines, other than the extreme. So the E400/E350 petrol is no longer available. For a new W212 you can have E200 and E250 petrols, both 1.9 litre 4 cyl or an E63 5.4 litre V8at roughly double the price of the smaller engined cars. Or you can have the E300 hybrid which probably runs most of the time as an E250 CDi (diesel)

So if you like 6cyl engines, diesel is your only choice. Noticed the same thing on the C Class W205 when it was launched, all small engines.

 

[350coupe]

I have just been on a few sites and all recommend the E350 cdi over the E400 petrol reasons being fuel consumption and price

 

[gizze]

I have just been on a few sites and all recommend the E350 cdi over the E400 petrol reason being price

I have edited the above for you.

Of course it will cost a bit more to run, but is it worth it?
Only you can decide that.

 

[gizze]

You have to remember, Mercedes are about to launch a range of direct injection straight siz engines, which are more powerful and more economical, starting from a 2.2 litre.

We will see more petrols being offered in the UK soon I reckon.

 

[350coupe]

You have to remember, Mercedes are about to launch a range of direct injection straight six engines, which are more powerful and more economical, starting from a 2.2 litre.

We will see more petrols being offered in the UK soon I reckon.

I have edited that for you reason spelling mistake and fuel consumption

 

[gizze]

Cheers for that.


I meant fuel consumption really means price.

When we talk about consumption we are really talking about price.

 

[s classy]

Just out of curiosity is there a new E class model being released anytime soon? and what is the model number for the current E class?

Monday I don't understand when you say that the 400 model is no longer available? I thought this was a recent addition to the E class

 

[gizze]

Yeah the new E Class is next year, w213 if the production code, the current one is W212.

E400 has been dropped by Mercedes UK on the saloon and estate.

Edit: I should say Mercedes UK decided petrol owners would either want a 184bhp 2 litre 4cyl petrol or to jump to the 557hp 5.5 litre V8 Turbo at £73,000 before options.

And then they moan that not many petrols are sold. Funny that!!

 

[Neil H]

That's a bit silly if they really have de-listed? My build slot on my recently ordered CLS400 has moved back three times in the last fortnight, I wonder if there is something they aren't telling me?
Agree with your sentiment, my choice of the 400 was that I wanted something faster than my diesel but not so fast that I couldn't control it, I think that's where the logic of the 400 comes in (as did the 500)
I do think they could get a bit more than 333 out of a 3.5 V6 though?!

Hopefully they are issuing an upgrade to the engine?!

 

[Monday]

E350CGi/E400

Yes the E400 has been dropped, at least in UK markets. [This is all related to saloon/estate btw, not sure of picture on coupe/convertible.] When I bought my E350CDi three years ago, there was an E350CGi (I think that's right terminology) being a 3 litre petrol but was considerably more expensive (more kit as standard presumably).

Not sure if that was what became the E400 which I think is still available in other markets. I see them in Hong Kong where diesels are not popular but it may only have been dropped recently - the current range smacks of the start of the run out but the discounts are good.

Diverting slightly, I was disappointed to note that the E350 Blutec which I now have on order has an Adblue tank where the (spacesaver) spare wheel used to be. So no spare wheel and nowhere to put one. I can see this Adblue tank being extremely useful on a cold wet M25 with a flat tyre......

 

[Neil H]

I really don't fancy the new CDI. It's the first time I recall a cars performance going backwards on a new model!
Just pondering, so Merc are meant to be bringing out a medium-spiced range to take on the Audi S vehicles and the BMW Sub M vehicles. From what I've read, the 400 engine will be uprated to 380 HP and become the Mercedes Sport range. I wonder if pulling from the E platform may be in preparation for this launch? If so, I'm going to have some serious thinking to do! My car goes back in May and can't afford to be left without or to buy a car that's about to be replaced!

 

[350coupe]

E class coupe is W207 Saloon W212

 

[Monday]

Same dilemma

My dilemma exactly. I've got into a cycle of needing to replace my car about a year before the new model. But I've gone for the E350 BluTEC because I don't want to wait another 12 months to change my car. And having tried it, it is even smoother than the old 350 CDi, even if the power is down a bit. And it's cheap (ish).

 

[Albee]

Having previously owned an E350, I now have an E400
Although the 350 was a good engine the 400 is in a different league!
Ok, so it drinks a bit more fuel, (however, petrol is cheaper than diesel!) but the performance from the Bi-turbo engine is incredible, and an absolute dream to drive!
Weigh up if you really need a diesel for long drive economy, or you want a bit of excitement!!!
Good luck with your purchase!!!