Newbie

[JT1300R!]

Hello, I'm newish to the group, and have been pondering a while about S Class ownership - sub 5k, occasional use only but when in use will be minimum 200m journeys and more likely 2500m European jaunts. I was looking at the more modern v6 320cdi but have heard the older straight 6 is a more reliable engine offering better mpg, but suffers from rust. Whilst the later v6 has some issues but bodywise is far better. I've seen a couple of the older model, 1 and 2 owner cars that seem great, and no rust - must have had paint?. Whilst in my price range the later cars are either very high mileage or numerous owners or pimped up cars. I do all my own servicing / repairs, but bodywork ie chasing rust isn't my bag. Advice?

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome S500 V8 petrol all the way (The IL6 is a great engine, just V8 petrol is betterer)

 

[A.J.]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[sonic]

Welcome I have a 212 E350CDI & tour Europe most years, its a great long distance tourer. I suspect the S class will be even better.
I bought it 6 months old & its now 12 years old, I have only had one minor fault & no rust.
The earlier 211 also has a good reputation, so its down to cost. Blobcat will always mention the S500 & there is a lot going for it, partially if you are low milage. Plus its ULEZ compliant if you live near one.

 

[dry run]

Welcome

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.

 

[markben]

Hello, I'm newish to the group, and have been pondering a while about S Class ownership - sub 5k, occasional use only but when in use will be minimum 200m journeys and more likely 2500m European jaunts. I was looking at the more modern v6 320cdi but have heard the older straight 6 is a more reliable engine offering better mpg, but suffers from rust. Whilst the later v6 has some issues but bodywise is far better. I've seen a couple of the older model, 1 and 2 owner cars that seem great, and no rust - must have had paint?. Whilst in my price range the later cars are either very high mileage or numerous owners or pimped up cars. I do all my own servicing / repairs, but bodywork ie chasing rust isn't my bag. Advice?

If it helps...?

For sub 5k (£) you should be able to pick up a reasonable W220 S Class - with a bit of careful research. I'd research private ads / owners rather than trade sales. The LWB 'SE' spec version will have lots of desirable options + a handy 4 inches extra rear legroom if you can find one.

My thoughts: look for a facelift model (2003 onwards after the factory production filoform corrosion issues were resolved - earlier cars can suffer a lot). A few minor cosmetics on an otherwise decent facelift W220 are to be expected - they are 17-18 years old after all!

Plus, the facelift model has some subtle improvements like bi-xenon headlights, upgraded Comand system and styling 'tweaks'. Yes, some of the older W220s (pre-facelift) have been bought very cheap, not maintained well and 'pimped' including aftermarket suspension lowering, bigger (19-20 inch) wheels etc. On other forums I regularly see cars with DIY suspension mods suffering horrendous & expensive failures - sometimes catastrophic where the car is undriveable and repairs will cost more than the its value. The airmatic ride quality should be 'Magic Carpet' if looked after - be careful of uneven ride height issues, 'dropping' overnight etc. Avoid aftermarket airmatic replacement parts if you can - however cheap they might be.

From experience & what I've read on technical forums, the inline OM648 engine is more reliable & robust than the later V6 OM642 if maintained well. A decent maintenance history is worth paying extra for, even if the mileage is on the high side. I've read regular reports of OM648 engines reaching 250 - 300k miles and still going strong without major maintenance.

Power-wise, the OM648 3.2 cdi engine packs plenty of punch even in a heavy W220, with mid range torque equivalent to the much thirstier 5 litre V8. Plus, fuel economy on my 2004 140k mile S320L cdi is 31 mpg in town and up to 46 mpg on a long run without dawdling - pretty good?

It's good that you can do your own servicing / mechanical repairs at a fraction of the cost of a main dealer or even an Indie. The Mercedes SDS 'Star' diagnostic kit is well worth the investment as these cars are very complex.

Hope this helps, good luck with your search!

MB

 

[00slk]

I wish my e320cdi (Money Pit) would get that sort of mpg!
Low 20's around town, out on the highway mid 30's and that's driven economically.
Think I might have to change my daily driving style

 

[markben]

I wish my e320cdi (Money Pit) would get that sort of mpg!
Low 20's around town, out on the highway mid 30's and that's driven economically.
Think I might have to change my daily driving style

Mmm... that doesn't seem right. If you drive it gently, you should get better fuel economy than I do as the e320 cdi weighs a lot less than the S320L cdi. Maybe it needs an engine health check? That said: I also drive mine maybe too gently (mainly pottering around on local journeys) and it used to chuck out dark exhaust smoke under hard acceleration. So I now use BP 'Ultimate' diesel (higher octane with additives) and drive it hard occasionally to blow out the cobwebs. Result: virtually no smoke when I boot it, and I'm sure the fuel economy is slightly better.

 

[00slk]

Mmm... that doesn't seem right. If you drive it gently, you should get better fuel economy than I do as the e320 cdi weighs a lot less than the S320L cdi. Maybe it needs an engine health check? That said: I also drive mine maybe too gently (mainly pottering around on local journeys) and it used to chuck out dark exhaust smoke under hard acceleration. So I now use BP 'Ultimate' diesel (higher octane with additives) and drive it hard occasionally to blow out the cobwebs. Result: virtually no smoke when I boot it, and I'm sure the fuel economy is slightly better.

It runs perfectly, no black smoke (running on cheap diesel) Had a look last night before arriving home and 1269mls (mostly A roads) average fuel 33.9mpg. I did manage 36.1 mpg on the 21 mile journey home at 2:30am this morning. It doesn't smell of diesel, no leaks and has been well serviced. The best I have seen on a motorway long journey was about 39 mpg driven as lightly as possible. It has been like this since I bought it nearly 2 years ago. My e240 s211 petrol saw 32 mpg best. Around town was 26 mpg, the same as our first SL500 which also saw 29 mpg on a journey.
I put it down to the 16" wheels fitted to my e320cdi

 

[markben]

It runs perfectly, no black smoke (running on cheap diesel) Had a look last night before arriving home and 1269mls (mostly A roads) average fuel 33.9mpg. I did manage 36.1 mpg on the 21 mile journey home at 2:30am this morning. It doesn't smell of diesel, no leaks and has been well serviced. The best I have seen on a motorway long journey was about 39 mpg driven as lightly as possible. It has been like this since I bought it nearly 2 years ago. My e240 s211 petrol saw 32 mpg best. Around town was 26 mpg, the same as our first SL500 which also saw 29 mpg on a journey.
I put it down to the 16" wheels fitted to my e320cdi

That's good. In context your long term average doesn't look so bad. My long term reading (on the computer) over 4k miles is about 31 mpg - but that's 80-90% urban driving. At a steady 70 mph on the motorway (if that's possible!) I normally get about 40mpg. A regular 100 mile cross country trip averaging 40-ish mph (mix of country roads & dual carriageways) gives me between 42 & 45 mpg with a best ever of 46.9. Once, on a M/way at a restricted 50 mph it actually got to 51 mpg - can you believe that?!

So all in all your e320 cdi doesn't sound overly thirsty and, yes, wheel size (& even tyre type?) could also be a factor. Mine runs on OE 17" alloys with 225/55 94W Continentals.

Thinking a bit more: of course there are lots of other factors that can affect fuel economy +/-. Payload.. weather conditions.. terrain.. tyre pressures... wheel alignment... etc so ours is probably not an easy comparison to make. All I can say is I'm delighted with the fuel economy on my 'S' given that it's the heavier LWB version.

I forgot to ask: is yours the OM648 (inline 6) or OM642 (V6)? That could make a difference too...

 

[00slk]

Mine is OM648 engine.
Our SLK250 cdi is averaging 42-43 MPG The best I have seen was 54mpg on a long journey, but the average for the weekend measured 45mpg.

 

[JT1300R!]

If it helps...?

For sub 5k (£) you should be able to pick up a reasonable W220 S Class - with a bit of careful research. I'd research private ads / owners rather than trade sales. The LWB 'SE' spec version will have lots of desirable options + a handy 4 inches extra rear legroom if you can find one.

My thoughts: look for a facelift model (2003 onwards after the factory production filoform corrosion issues were resolved - earlier cars can suffer a lot). A few minor cosmetics on an otherwise decent facelift W220 are to be expected - they are 17-18 years old after all!

Plus, the facelift model has some subtle improvements like bi-xenon headlights, upgraded Comand system and styling 'tweaks'. Yes, some of the older W220s (pre-facelift) have been bought very cheap, not maintained well and 'pimped' including aftermarket suspension lowering, bigger (19-20 inch) wheels etc. On other forums I regularly see cars with DIY suspension mods suffering horrendous & expensive failures - sometimes catastrophic where the car is undriveable and repairs will cost more than the its value. The airmatic ride quality should be 'Magic Carpet' if looked after - be careful of uneven ride height issues, 'dropping' overnight etc. Avoid aftermarket airmatic replacement parts if you can - however cheap they might be.

From experience & what I've read on technical forums, the inline OM648 engine is more reliable & robust than the later V6 OM642 if maintained well. A decent maintenance history is worth paying extra for, even if the mileage is on the high side. I've read regular reports of OM648 engines reaching 250 - 300k miles and still going strong without major maintenance.

Power-wise, the OM648 3.2 cdi engine packs plenty of punch even in a heavy W220, with mid range torque equivalent to the much thirstier 5 litre V8. Plus, fuel economy on my 2004 140k mile S320L cdi is 31 mpg in town and up to 46 mpg on a long run without dawdling - pretty good?

It's good that you can do your own servicing / mechanical repairs at a fraction of the cost of a main dealer or even an Indie. The Mercedes SDS 'Star' diagnostic kit is well worth the investment as these cars are very complex.

Hope this helps, good luck with your search!

MB

Thank you for the advice