When E-Class engine changed to V6

salthepal

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
21
Reaction score
0
We are owners of an 8yr old E class 320 diesel estate with the non V6 engine. We have friends who would like to buy a similar but they would like to know when the V6 engine was introduced and whether it is an improvement on the previous one which we find to be excellent.

Thanks.

Sally
 

silverhorse

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2008
Messages
96
Reaction score
0
Location
Blackpool UK
Your Mercedes
300E/1998/3000diesel
It came in on the E class around 2001. The engine is better but it is advisabe to get a low mileage one as it can be prone to electrical gremins due to the wiring loom becoming faulty in close proximation to the engine. I have a 1998 straight 6 diesel turbo at 140000 miles and it is running so good I am loathe to upgrade for the above reasons.:D
 
Last edited:

jberks

Senior Member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
11,153
Reaction score
41
Location
M1, Outside lane, somewhere between Leeds and Lond
Your Mercedes
Jaguar XF 3.0 S, LR Freelander 2, Fiat 500 & Fiat Panda
Sorry - the diesel V6 engines came in around 2006 in the E - it was a bit earlier in the C class where the earlier straight 6 wouldn't fit.
Yes they're lovely. Very smooth, quiet, more powerful and more economical than the engines they replaced. They have the feel of a gutsy petrol engine. Power delivery is completely different with no real turbo kick like you have with yours, so it doesn't feel as quick, but don't be fooled, its a lot faster.
They came with the 7 speed auto gearbox which can be troublesome, with jerky shifts though I understand that software updates have succesfully sorted 99% of them.

The tell tale on the ads is the cc. The V6, both the 280 and 320 are 3000cc rather than the 3200 cc that you have in the straight 6 320 (there was no 280 - it's predecessor was a 270 in line 5 cyl).

Reliability, the early ones have had the odd recall as you'd expect with a new engine but there are no real horror stories. Then again, most are still under warranty
 
Last edited:

benz1

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
80
Reaction score
0
I think the E class used the 3.2L straight 6 till 2006(55).
All E320cdi's after that used the 3L V6, so you will find it (the V6) on the very last pre-facelift and all the facelifted E320cdis.
 

st4

Banned
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
8,624
Reaction score
13
Location
Sunny Scotland
Website
1-stephen-taylor.artistwebsites.com
Your Mercedes
Disqualified driver
Sorry - the diesel V6 engines came in around 2006 in the E - it was a bit earlier in the C class where the earlier straight 6 wouldn't fit.
Yes they're lovely. Very smooth, quiet, more powerful and http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/63409-so-i-bought-r107-10.htmlthan the engines they replaced. They have the feel of a gutsy petrol engine. Power delivery is completely different with no real turbo kick like you have with yours, so it doesn't feel as quick, but don't be fooled, its a lot faster.
They came with the 7 speed auto gearbox which can be troublesome, with jerky shifts though I understand that software updates have succesfully sorted 99% of them.

The tell tale on the ads is the cc. The V6, both the 280 and 320 are 3000cc rather than the 3200 cc that you have in the straight 6 320 (there was no 280 - it's predecessor was a 270 in line 5 cyl).



Reliability, the early ones have had the odd recall as you'd expect with a new engine but there are no real horror stories. Then again, most are still under warranty

Were they? Reports on here and the other place illustrate the opposite. V6 engines come with the 7speed box. Read into that what you will, some say good, some say not so good. Plenty say recall work, software updates, etc, dealers do this for free so not so bad....
 

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
I think the new V6 3 litre cdi engine went into the E class in 2005 IIRC.
Wikipedia doesn't help on this.
It did not go into the 220 series S class (I had one of the last ones registered on Christmas Eve (well, the day before 2005). The new S came out in the UK in the spring (about March IIRC) and had the V6 in it. I had the straight six 3.2 litre. What a kick in the back that beast was.

Tried the new S class and the brutal, lovely, crunching thump in the back has gone, civilised away by the 7 speed gearbox and the smooth and almost silent V6 diesel. In terms of refinement it is awesome. Stand outside the car and you will hardly believe you are listening to a diesel. Smooth silky. Lovely but I still have a soft spot for the straight six. Both are good.

I am surprised to see J Berks saying there is a big increase in power as on the S class the performance figures are virtually identical.

Now we are getting the Blue Efficiency versions of the V6. They are out for the ML and GL and R class as well as the new E class but MB seem to be keeping this a secret on their website ( I was offered one mid June yet still the ML website offerings show the older engines). Odd but then MB never had much of a clue about marketing. For weeks the configurator on the website has not been working and how ever often you report it nothing happens.
 

jberks

Senior Member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
11,153
Reaction score
41
Location
M1, Outside lane, somewhere between Leeds and Lond
Your Mercedes
Jaguar XF 3.0 S, LR Freelander 2, Fiat 500 & Fiat Panda
I am surprised to see J Berks saying there is a big increase in power as on the S class the performance figures are virtually identical.

Well, big may be overstating it a bit. 224 bhp against 204 and 398lbft against 368 so roughly a 10% increase. But as you say, with the improvement in refinement and loss of that brutal kick in the back, I found the new one felt slower. (its not though!).

Its the thing with diesels. The older ones, with their short power bands, could deliver 0-60 times of say 9 secs, but that was really 3 secs of nothing much and 6 seconds of kick in the back chaos - so to drive, hit it right and it felt like a 6 sec 0-60 car. Hence, the newer more linear ones may get there in 8 secs but as thats 8 secs of steady acceleration they feel 2 seconds slower!
 

hawk20

Senior Member
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
4,971
Reaction score
11
Your Mercedes
ML250 BlueTEC Sport
Well, big may be overstating it a bit. 224 bhp against 204 and 398lbft against 368 so roughly a 10% increase. But as you say, with the improvement in refinement and loss of that brutal kick in the back, I found the new one felt slower. (its not though!).

Its the thing with diesels. The older ones, with their short power bands, could deliver 0-60 times of say 9 secs, but that was really 3 secs of nothing much and 6 seconds of kick in the back chaos - so to drive, hit it right and it felt like a 6 sec 0-60 car. Hence, the newer more linear ones may get there in 8 secs but as thats 8 secs of steady acceleration they feel 2 seconds slower!

I agree with your wonderful description. I still miss the amazing shove you got in the diesel S class when you floored it. But the tyre wear was awesome too. If you got 11,000 miles you were being good. I told an MB director I had to change the rear tyres at 11k miles and he congratulated me: 'well done' he said.

On power and performance my surprise at your statement and figures is that on the S class the straight six did 0-62 in 7.6 seconds IIRC and the V6 does it in 7.5 seconds. The main advantage of the V6 is it takes less space of course. The old straight six would not go into the ML. Hence the five pot 270cdi.

The OP might just like to at least try the facelifted 220cdi as it has 170 hp and is lighter than the V6 and gives a very good account of itself in normal driving. I meant to buy the 280 but drove both and was most surprised at how nimble the 220 is.

The 320cdi is, however, something else.
 

Peter Best Insurance is a leading specialist in Mercedes-Benz insurance. All MBO members are eligible for exclusive rates on all our classic car policies.
Call now for our 'BEST' quote. Tel: 01376 573033
Top Bottom