BMW man switches to Mercedes!

[E Class Newbie]

Hello,

All being well, in around 10 day?s time I should be on the road in my first Mercedes. For those interested, it's a brand new E220 CDi Avantgarde 4dr Auto (Euro 4) to which I've added COMAND APS, Harman Kardon Logic 7 hi-fi, CD changer, multi-contour seats, Parktronic and an 80 litre tank (hopefully should make for a nice car). I went for the E220 over the E270 as it's a company car and the bigger engine (still euro 3 and soon to be obsolete) would have cost me £50 more a month to run and given the number of speed traps nowadays I've decided that added performance is no longer worth paying for (besides the torque on the E220 CDi is more than adequate).

Mercedes new price list (1st April 2005) has upped the combined consumption on this car up to 41.5mpg. I'm hoping to get 40 (I do mostly motorway driving at a steady 80 / 85). What do you reckon?

I am moving up from my second BMW 3 series touring (320d SE) which from both an engine and consumption perspective has been faultless. Readers may be interested to note that over 82000 miles I have averaged 47.2mpg in this vehicle, and I don't hang around in it!

I don't like the new 3 series (rear looks like a Nissan Primera, too small in the back and the touring's not out yet) and I tested 2 new 5 series (1 with standard seats and one with sports seats) but couldn't get comfortable in either (the seatback arches away giving no upper body support). The best seat was the new Audi A6 sport seat, but the car had a jostly ride and the E class felt a class above.

Aside from the rather 'middle aged' image of Mercs, I'm concerned about reliability and dealer service, having heard that both are poor, but my new car should have all the known glitches sorted and frankly, my BMW dealer is pants as well!

I have yet to become a paid up Merc enthusiast, but I am a self confessed car bore, so happy to converse on these matters!!

 

[SUE.]

Hi and welcome to the forum,hope you like your new mercedes,i went from a BMW to a mercedes as well.........

 

[niva441]

Welcome from the dark side of BMW ownership

 

[jberks]

You do realise you will have to change your driving style now.
No more BMW style carving up and weaving!

Welcome to the fold.

 

[Myros]

welcome aboard

A 38-tonner forced me out of my BMW and into my MB. It has only ever let me down once in 60,000 miles, and that was a dodgy relay with a manufacturing fault. Don't regret the change, although I wish it hadn't been via a write-off. Merc driving is definitely life-affirming.Ownership can be as well. Good luck.

 

[vinay.chapaneri]

Watch for the dealers

welcome the car sounds great , i have recently taken delivery of my W203 200 kompresser, i pimped it out with 17" AMG's and leather and its the business. I think the only let down is the dealership my local dealer was rubbish ,basically MB dealers dont reallly want to know whats your out of the door.

 

[GlynC]

New Motor

Welcome to MB
You will love your E Class
You should get 40 +
I am regularly getting over 40 and 45 on a steady run up the motorway
Great car to do some miles in

 

[pascal]

Nice one E-Class, Welcome to the forum.

80 Litre tank, same as in my R129, the difference is, you'll get over 700 miles, and I'll only get a bit over 500

 

[MOHDW211]

The E220cdi has more than adequate torque for overtaking yet is very frugal ..i get 45mpg quite often.

05 model cars will have most issues resolved and there will not be many lemons about....besides the warranty deals with them anyway.

Hope you enjoy your new car....post some pics

 

[shaggy]

welcome to the forum

 

[tom7035]

Hello and welcome from one of the poorest peasants in the club!

 

[PaulB190e]

Hi

I have got a new E-class 220cdi Avantgarde and I love it.
It?s almost as good as my 190e.

 

[MOHDW211]

I've a E220 Avantgarde/full leather and thinking of a 190E as second car.
What should i look for and how much is insurance/servicing etc.

 

[PaulB190e]

Hello Mohdw211

I have had my 190e for around 2 years and bough it as a runabout and just in case the E-class breaks down (only joking E Class Newbie). I have found that my 190 is very easy to work on and parts are quite cheap. Drives like a little limo, Gets water in the boot when it rains ,steering wheel is in your lap, can?t see the fuel gage when driving, indicator arm on the wrong side. Never let's me down and never fails to put a smile on my face when I drive it (Maybe I am just mental).

Mohdw211 you should post your question on this forum to get other members opinions on what to look for and servicing etc. It would be interesting.

Ps. try to avoid taking your 190 (if you get one that is) into a MB main dealer
As they tend to look at you as if you are a tramp who has just walked into their show room to keep out of the rain. Or is it just me?

Paul

 

[tom7035]

Quote:- Ps. try to avoid taking your 190 (if you get one that is) into a MB main dealer
As they tend to look at you as if you are a tramp who has just walked into their show room to keep out of the rain. Or is it just me? -end Quote


I well know that feeling. Mind you in my case the dealers were very close!

 

[E Class Newbie]

It's arrived!

Well the car has now arrived!
Watch this space for a full review once I've had a few days to play with it - it's so different from my BMW it will take some working out (may also post some pics as requested if I can work out how to!).
Thanks for all the welcoming comments (and the humour which I enjoyed too!).

 

[RichardM]

I'm sure you'll love the car. Most people find the 220 sufficient.

Did you go for an auto or manual?

 

[E Class Newbie]

First Impressions

OK - some very quick first impressions (more to follow in the coming days).

The good news is that the car appears to be faultless - everything's working and nothing's rattling (which drives me insane!).

Generally I think I chose wisely. The E220 CDi engine gives the car very rapid performance and although you can tell it's a diesel from outside, from within it's virtually silent at all speeds. The auto box changes gears almost imperceptibly, even in Sport mode (which I understand is the mode you should use all the time, the comfort mode pulling you away from rest in second gear etc).

The Avantgarde is very well equipped and I'm glad I went for that over the budget looking Classic or middle aged looking Elegance (especially don't like the alloys on either of those - the classic's look like steel wheels).

As for the options that I chose, Parktronic is proving essential (the car feels huge when parking) and COMAND is excellent -but will take me months to master! The Harmon Kardon stereo sounds good (can't see where all the 12 speakers are though!) and the CD autochanger is useful being inside the car, but is hopelessly slow to change between discs. My only dissapointment has been the Multi-Contour seats.

The standard seats have electric adjustment for up & down, seat cushion tilt and backrest angle - the only manual adjustment being backwards and forwards (which you never change) and lumbar. The Multi Contours add electric lumbar (in and out and up and down), electric side bolster adjustment (doesn't make a huge difference though) and electric under thigh support. This last bit is what has dissapointed me. Being over 6ft, I found the standard seats to be too short, so I had thought that these seats would allow extension of the under thigh cushion (as on the sports seats on BMW's, Audi's etc). All it does is slightly, and I mean slightly, inflate the cushion. If I was ordering again I would leave this off the options list.

The 80 litre tank will no doubt prove useful. Have now driven around 200 miles, including a 160 mile round trip when I averaged just over 38mpg at a steady 80 mph. Once the engine's run in, I reckon that I might achieve my target 40 mpg (have to say though that my BMW would have done 49mpg on the same trip - albeit that was manual, but still 5 speed).

I got confused by the fact that the interior lights, door exit and puddle lights, footwell lights and glove box lights only illuminate at night (they're obviously on a light sensor). Seems daft as red door lights are useful even in the day and gloveboxes are dark to peer into even in daylight.

The summer opening feature (usually known as global opening) - when you can open all the windows simultaneously with the remote (really useful on hot days to allow a rapid expulsion of hot air from the car) also confused me. It only works when you hold the remote just in front the drivers door handle. I only found this out by looking in the (vast) handbook having tried in vain numerous times. On BMW's, it works from anywhere that the remote is in range. As my father say's - when all else fails, read the instructions!

So, all in all, the first 48 hours are looking good and the build quality seems fantastic. Could this be the first car I've had in over 20 years that has no initial faults? I'll keep you posted.

 

[GlynC]

New Motor

Hi
Glad your enjoying the car
I haven't had any issues with mine and would recommend them thoroughly!
Your right about the various handbooks
I struggled for the volume setting on the NAv voice for ages then realised how it worked!
Even was fooled by it asking for oil once when I couldn't find the Dipstick!!! So used to doing it all myself before!
There is an online manual you can use too which may be useful for quick reference
http://www4.mercedes-benz.com/e/cars/e-class/betriebsanleitung/flash6.html
Your ecomony should improve I would think mine now does between 40 and 45 regularly and the larger tank is keeping me away from filling stations nicely thank you and thats a 320!

 

[E Class Newbie]

C or S Mode?

Do you drive in S (sport) or C (comfort) mode?
I had read that you should drive in S for all normal driving, but I did a 20 mile trip in C mode last night and the fuel consumption jumped over 40mpg for the first time.
Would really appreciate comparing notes on this.