Is the E240 made of plastic?

[MercManners]

Total dissapointment with my new T-Reg 1999 E-Class E240 which was in pristine condition having done only 55000 mile with full history.

I once had an E220 124 coupe which was a dream.

I then traded for a C200 which was a nice little car but gutless.

So I traded for a C240 which I thought was a fantastic little car with great handling and ride.

So, me being curious, decided why not go for the E240, surely that could only improve on the C240....

I couldn't be so wrong.

After driving my E240 for a week now, I can only describe it a being utter crap. I just think the whole thing feels cheap.

The main thing which has astounded me is the ride.

I thought the ride was meant to be luxurious.

The car just seems to bounce about all over the place. The suspension is too soft and the car can't even hold any decent composure when going over a bumpy road. The soft suspension literally makes you sick after an hour or so. Further more the ride just seems to be so much more hard work compared to my old C240.

Apart from that, the interior leather looks really cheap and the seats just have no support whatsoever. Not what I am used to from Mercedes, especially my 124 E-Class. My C240 had leather and the seats were a millions times more better, giving a really comfortable ride.

What's is happening to Mercedes? The E240 has an interior made of super cheapo plastic, it seariously looks so darn cheap. I can't believe the bit outside the windscreen all along the bottom is made of plastic, when on my 124 this was made of metal. When you drive the car it just feels the whole car is made of plastic, and is not a reassuring ride I'm sorry to say.

I'm sorry but I am just so dissapointed with this whole Mercedes thing that I think it's either time to switch to a different make of car, or to stick to the C240 which I found at least far more comfortable than the E240.

Am I going mad?

Any feedback appreciated!

 

[robparker]

hmm, i find this thread interesting as i was thinking of trading my w124 coupe for a 210 e-class.i will be interested to see other peoples views

 

[jberks]

Astonished.
I had a C220 and fully agree a very solid motor, good ride, no racer but a bit quicker than your c200. I then changed for an E240 and found the build quality certainly as good. Yes, the scuttle under the windscreen is plastic, so are many other components - but you've fallen into the trap of thinking this is a bad thing. It isn't. Plastic is lighter than metal, doesn't rust and doesn't suffer from stone chips - hence should last longer, need less maintenance and helps keep the weight down which improves performance and economy. Try getting 36mpg out of any W124 - even the diesel!
I have no problem with them using plastic in non structural areas, provided it doesn't look cheap. Anyway, the panel below the screen is the same plastic as in the C!
As far as ride is concerned - get it checked. My E240 Elegance had an excellent ride and even handled fairly well. Ok it wallowed but it could certainly play with most things. I suspect your shocks are a bit tired.

The seats are very supportive but you may find them a bit bigger and so less hugging than your C. I have to agree - I was never really impressed with the leather. Cloth always looked much better to me - but many disagree. I have leather in my 211 and despite my best efforts, it's nearly 2 and there is already some evidence of stretch in the driver's seat pad. However, the general interior of a 210 is certainly as well screwed together as a 202.

I have to ask - if you don't like it, why did you buy it?

 

[MercManners]

Hi, thankk you for your replies.

I have to say that I bought it having only driven it for a few minutes.

I just bought it on faith.

But anyway, I will review my decision.

I don't find the whole driving experience as good as I expected.

I will have my shocks checked out as the suspension is really soft.

Other than that, I will review my decision on whether to keep it or not.

I did find the C240 easier to drive, more effortless should I say, and yes the seats were definitaley more supportive in the C240 compared to the E240.

However, to add my 124 E220 Coupe had the best supportive seats and the best leather interior, and the best ride out of anything else I have tried.

One would think that as technology advances things would get better in every area, so why is it that since the 124 model (anbout 10 years ago) nothing seems to come as close? I am sure that they could use better leather without affecting the mpg. It's details like that which says it all.

 

[jberks]

Cost I'm afraid.
MB's are considerably cheaper now that they've ever been. The leather is cheaper than your 124 I'm sure, but they also do Nappa leather which I suspect is just as good, but most buyers don't specify it and settle for the standard stuff as it's £500-£1500 cheaper.
Back in the 124 days, you didn't get the choice and the cars were so expensive, most buyers weren't watching the pennies anyway.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your E class.

I have now stopped comparing my 210 to my previous 124 owned for 12 years.
Although the 210 does not feel as solid, what would nowadays.

Have you applied a leather cleaner and conditioner to the seats, when I enquired at the dealers for a recommendation on what to use they seemed confused and had nothing to offer. I bought some MER conditioner from Halfords and that seems fine but I'm sure there are better products, the results are worth the effort.

The suspension effect you talk about could be a number of things, incorrect tyre pressure can cause all sorts of problems (probably worth checking that what is fitted is the right spec tyre etc). Anti-roll bar bushes are another problem area with this car.

I find the interior with leather and charcoal trim quite acceptable but DM and the other German Manufacturers are now having to meet recycling targets that are bound to affect the quality and feel of some of the interior fittings.

After giving the car a good checking over perhaps time will allow the car to show some of its merits. I am very happy with mine and would buy another. The CDi diesel engines are a delight especially the 320.

Hope this helps!

 

[flagstaff]

i too avoided the W210 when considering an 'upgrade' from my W124. there was the serious rust issue, never mind the fact that the W210 chassis must be about the ugliest merc ever produced.

anyways - long story short, i ended up keeping the W124 as it's such an excellent piece of engineering; and for extra space and pace bought a bmw e38. the 3.5 V8 is almost comically frugal when driven with a light foot (way better than the E280 i used to run), and has the kind of quality that mercedes *should* have put into the W210.

 

[hawk20]

Total dissapointment with my new T-Reg 1999 E-Class E240 which was in pristine condition having done only 55000 mile with full history.

The main thing which has astounded me is the ride. I thought the ride was meant to be luxurious.

The car just seems to bounce about all over the place. The suspension is too soft and the car can't even hold any decent composure when going over a bumpy road. The soft suspension literally makes you sick after an hour or so. Further more the ride just seems to be so much more hard work compared to my old C240.

You are blaming the tribe for one bad member. I've owned every E class series since the early 80's and each has been better than the last. If the ride is as you describe it needs fixing. Every motor magazine has described the E class ride as peerless of its kind, a wonderful compromise between comfort and roadholding. Drive another E class of similar period, if you can, just to see how good they are when properly set up.
As for comfort, I did 30k to 40k miles per year in the E class you have and it was wonderfully comfortable.

As for the leather, leather always looks 'lived in'; that is part of its appeal. But although I've seen several BMW's with the seats worn through, I've never seen the leather on an E worn out. Even on those with mega miles. Maybe the suspension fault is colouring your judgement on other aspects of the car. We are all affected a bit like that.

As for the looks, I wouldn't let the views of a BMW owner upset me. BM's are now amongst the ugliest cars ever produced - only equalled by the Fiat Multipla (oddly by the same designer). Your E class is a classic design and almost all I have heard describe it as an elegant, classic, majestic shape. But then, hey, you are either a Merc fan or you aren't.

 

[MercManners]

Hi all,

thanks for the replies.

I think it is the bouncy ride which has got to me and also the unsupportive seats. I am not saying that they are not comfortable to sit on, they just don't provide the support I had with my C-Class or 124. They just seem too wide, and I find myself having to sit up all the time, even though have adjusted them as far as I can.

Looks are obviously subjective, and I think that the 210 is a very elegant looking car.

Thats all for now,

I will spend time with it and have it checked over to see what happens.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this thread.

MM

 

[flagstaff]

As for the looks, I wouldn't let the views of a BMW owner upset me. BM's are now amongst the ugliest cars ever produced - only equalled by the Fiat Multipla (oddly by the same designer). Your E class is a classic design and almost all I have heard describe it as an elegant, classic, majestic shape. But then, hey, you are either a Merc fan or you aren't.

Bollocks (with all due respect). merc made 'classic' designs up to - and not including - the W210. although i own a bmw i am am committed fan of good mercs. this fandom does not extend to fondness for the 210, as it is a bad car in so many respects. for the record, i have no taste for the latest iterations of the bmw marque. but in the e38 series, they produced a classic of both design and function - no question.

you shouldn't let obedience to a badge blind you to the shortcomings thereof. no car is perfect.

 

[hawk20]

Well at least you've seen how upsetting it is when someone is unnecessarily rude about the looks of your car.

When someone is writing about technical problems with their 'pride and joy', it's hardly helpful to describe their motor as the 'ugliest Merc ever produced' is it? Especially when it's not remotely relevant to their problem.

BTW when the 'top ten most practical solutions to a motoring problem' are selected, I don't think buying a V8 7 series BMW will figure particularly high in the list.

 

[flagstaff]

Well at least you've seen how upsetting it is when someone is unnecessarily rude about the looks of your car.

When someone is writing about technical problems with their 'pride and joy', it's hardly helpful to describe their motor as the 'ugliest Merc ever produced' is it? Especially when it's not remotely relevant to their problem.

the original poster had already referred to his W210 as "utter crap" - so it's unlikely i added to his state of upset. and besides, the W210 *is* ugly. although that was the least of its problems, unfortunately.

 

[Schtum]

I don't see how you could call this car ugly?

But then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[hawk20]

I don't see how you could call this car ugly?

But then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

No, nor do I and the estate was especially attractive I thought.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I know I'm biast but I do consider the 210 estate a bit of a style icon, the shape works better for the estate. Funnily enough I prefer the 211 saloon shape to the estate version. Somehow the 211 estate design drops flat after the rear doors and looks plain and anonymous from the back.

 

[Schtum]

I know I'm biast but I do consider the 210 estate a bit of a style icon, the shape works better for the estate. Funnily enough I prefer the 211 saloon shape to the estate version. Somehow the 211 estate design drops flat after the rear doors and looks plain and anonymous from the back.

I concur. I like it so much I bought one. :grin:

 

[Dosco]

I drive a petrol E240 Classic so no leather whistles or bells, but it gives a good ride is quiet and extremy reliable even after 125000 miles.
I also do some part time private hire driving using the firms E class (W210) oil burners one of which (4 years old) has now done 295000+ miles all original and still returns 50+ to the gallon. Apart from a bit of back axle whine all is still well and the leather whilst 'lived in' still retains its good looks even the drivers seat retains its support.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I concur. I like it so much I bought one. :grin:

Ditto....................

 

[jberks]

I must admit the 210 has aged well in terms of style. I even quite like the pre facelift 210 now and I wouldn't consider it when it was newsed. The 210 facelift was just the right side of ugly to be acceptable when it came out. Still too slab sided but the front and back were ok. I loved the interior, ride, quietness and mercness so I bought one anyway.
The 211 on the other hand... To me, they got it as right as the 124 and 202! A car I would be happy to own forever! Not quite as certain about the estate but then I've never been a big fan of any estate, but the saloon - georgeous.

 

[hawk20]

The 211 on the other hand... To me, they got it as right as the 124 and 202! A car I would be happy to own forever! Not quite as certain about the estate but then I've never been a big fan of any estate, but the saloon - georgeous.

I so agree. It will be a classic of car design. Remember back to when they first came out. You could be walking along a road and one would appear coming towards you. Wow. I just could not believe how impressive and beautiful the front was. Then the rear too. Beautiful from every angle. And sideways. How can you ask for more?