To buy, or not to buy? 2014 Mercedes E300 hybrid estate

[widdasboy]

Hi there,

I am currently the proud owner of a 2010 Ford Mondeo. It has 135k on the clock and I’ve owned for 4 years and it has never let me down, it’s a quality motor with all the gadgets but it’s time for a change. I have reserved to view a 2014 Mercedes E300 hybrid estate, but before actually buying I want to get a general feel for their common issues. It’s only got 40k on the clock, but I have seen horror stories regarding the life of the hybrid batteries, can anyone shed some light on what they are like to live with, the general odds on the battery going kaput, and any other things I need to know before going down the rabbit hole of buying an E300.

Cheers

 

[Blobcat]

Why do you want a hybrid? The only real valid reason is to reduce BIK as a company car driver.

A decent diesel will easily better the fool economy of a hybrid and you’re not carrying round a dead weight of battery.

Many threads on very expensive repair costs for the early Mercedes hybrids. I’d only have one if it was free…

I’d look at the miles you will be driving and pick a petrol or diesel E-Class estate. I wouldn’t have a euro 6 diesel (of any brand) without a manufactures warranty as the costs to repair the emissions equipment can be prohibitive.

What I will say is that if you get a good one there is no finer load lugger to sit in for hour after hour than a Mercedes E class.

 

[Mr Greedy]

If you google "E Class owner quoted £15k to replace hybrid battery" you will find a bit of info.

Click here to seach "E Class owner quoted £15k to replace hybrid battery" on Google

 

[widdasboy]

Hi there,

I am currently the proud owner of a 2010 ford mondeo mk4. The car has 134k miles and hasn’t missed a beat since I bought it 4 years ago. It’s been a fantastic car with all the gadgets but the time has come for a change.

I have been exploring the thought of getting a 2014 E300 hybrid estate. I have reserved to view one in the next few weeks but thought I should check out their common issues and find out what they’re like to live with. I have heard some horror stories (as with every car) about their hybrid batteries costing a small fortune, but is there anything that I need to keep an eye out for?

The one I am looking at purchasing only has 42k miles.

P.S, please don’t tell me to avoid and go and buy something impractical like an E63 because I don’t have the cash nor the lifestyle to suit

Cheers

 

[Mr Greedy]

You have the same question here I believe

Thread 'To buy, or not to buy? 2014 Mercedes E300 hybrid estate' https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/...-buy-2014-mercedes-e300-hybrid-estate.192744/

 

[widdasboy]

You have the same question here I believe

Thread 'To buy, or not to buy? 2014 Mercedes E300 hybrid estate' https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/...-buy-2014-mercedes-e300-hybrid-estate.192744/

Yes I didn’t see that the other one had posted

 

[fabes]

Most people on the forums don't like these.
One or two who have them haven't been impressed.....

The MB hybrid, certainly from 7 years ago, doesn't seem to have been the best package. Lexus and Toyota are the safer (and better) bets of that vintage

The petrol or diesel eclass estate is loved by most, the e350cdi especially.

Work colleague has a 12reg 250cdi and it's the best all round load lugger he's had.
The petrols should be fine unless you do mega miles

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Plenty of horror stories online about problems with hybrid battery packs and starter motor failures with Mercedes Hybrid cars my view is that if you must have a hybrid or EV buy a Toyota they’ve been developing them for 20+ years unlike the German car industry who are in their infancy with the technology so as to speak. Even if you do buy a reliable hybrid expect the actual battery range to be half that advertised.

Sorry to be such a dampener on this but a lot of manufacturers have been playing catch-up on this technology and using their customers as Guinea pigs - there is one caveat if you do buy make sure you have a MB warranty I wouldn’t own one without repair bills can be eye watering

 

[widdasboy]

Why do you want a hybrid? The only real valid reason is to reduce BIK as a company car driver.

A decent diesel will easily better the fool economy of a hybrid and you’re not carrying round a dead weight of battery.

Many threads on very expensive repair costs for the early Mercedes hybrids. I’d only have one if it was free…

I’d look at the miles you will be driving and pick a petrol or diesel E-Class estate. I wouldn’t have a euro 6 diesel (of any brand) without a manufactures warranty as the costs to repair the emissions equipment can be prohibitive.

What I will say is that if you get a good one there is no finer load lugger to sit in for hour after hour than a Mercedes

Most people on the forums don't like these.
One or two who have them haven't been impressed.....

The MB hybrid, certainly from 7 years ago, doesn't seem to have been the best package. Lexus and Toyota are the safer (and better) bets of that vintage

The petrol or diesel eclass estate is loved by most, the e350cdi especially.

Work colleague has a 12reg 250cdi and it's the best all round load lugger he's had.
The petrols should be fine unless you do mega miles

Thanks, I average 300 miles a week minimum as I travel to work but sometimes greater if I am travelling further afield

 

[Blobcat]

Yes I didn’t see that the other one had posted

I’ve merged

Thanks, I average 300 miles a week minimum as I travel to work but sometimes greater if I am travelling further afield

Very similar miles to what I do in my SLK, I average just over 31mpg from my V6 3.0 petrol. I was doing a lot more (still in the SLK) previously

Depending upon mileage rates (assuming you get business miles) (I rarely do theses days, most miles are commuting for me) a V6 petrol could do you well. Or an E350CDI (if you’re not going anywhere near a ULEZ) would get you greater economy and a really nice amount of power. E220CDI gives more economy again, but the extra power is nice to have… (Don’t try a 350 if you want a 220)

 

[jp williams]

Hi there,

I am currently the proud owner of a 2010 Ford Mondeo. It has 135k on the clock and I’ve owned for 4 years and it has never let me down, it’s a quality motor with all the gadgets but it’s time for a change. I have reserved to view a 2014 Mercedes E300 hybrid estate, but before actually buying I want to get a general feel for their common issues. It’s only got 40k on the clock, but I have seen horror stories regarding the life of the hybrid batteries, can anyone shed some light on what they are like to live with, the general odds on the battery going kaput, and any other things I need to know before going down the rabbit hole of buying an E300.

Cheers

Do NOT touch it with a Barge Pole. Keep the tried and trusted Mondeo.
It is a pity that Lexus does not do estates.

 

[Headhurts]

I had a 2014 E300 Hybrid from new and ran it for 2 years with no issues whatsoever, they are extremely quick for a 2.1 Diesel engine and in France I topped 50mpg.

I agree with others though buying one second hand and at 7 or 8 years old may need you to have deep pockets.

Following this I purchased new a S212 E350 which is the V6 diesel engined estate and this really is a peach of a car that for some stupid reason I sold in November 21 and I regret this deeply.

If funds allow buy the E estate with this engine it is great on mpg and has plenty of torque and masses of space.

Robin

 

[sonic]

I agree with the others the earlier E300 was not liked, & I would be very weary of a 7 year old one.
I have a 2011 E350CDI its been a great car & amazingly economic. Its Euro5 so no AddBlue issues, & I dont go into ULEZ zones.
Stick with a Euro5 car which I think goes up to 2015.

 

[mioba]

I would not touch a e car or hybrid since people dont know the life of them yet.

Lots of stories of the batteries needing a change at ca 7 years costing over 10k.

Horses for courses mind, if it rocks your boat then go for it.

 

[widdasboy]

Do NOT touch it with a Barge Pole. Keep the tried and trusted Mondeo.
It is a pity that Lexus does not do estates.

I do love my mondeo, the only thing that bugs me is that it isn’t automatic. With sat nav, cruise, auto headlights and windscreen wipers, it’s everything I need so depending on how viewings of other cars go I may just keep it going for a while longer

 

[widdasboy]

I would not touch a e car or hybrid since people dont know the life of them yet.

Lots of stories of the batteries needing a change at ca 7 years costing over 10k.

Horses for courses mind, if it rocks your boat then go for it.

Both my mother and stepdad have Teslas, before both owned e-tron Audis. My mothers e-tron worked for 2 weeks and then had to be towed because it stopped working for no apparent reason! I was looking to discuss with the dealer regarding warranty on the hybrid system or even if the battery has been replaced, given they are a dealer I imagine they will do as little work as possible!

 

[Droverunner]

>>> proud owner of a 2010 Ford Mondeo. It has 135k on the clock and I’ve owned for 4 years and it has never let me down,

>>>Do NOT touch it with a Barge Pole. Keep the tried and trusted Mondeo.

I'd agree with statement two, this needs more thought.

I bought a 2012 3.0 Cdi Viano 6mths ago having run a Mondeo Ghia estate 2.0 TDci for the previous year which was bought as a stopgap after the previous BMW and an Alfa before that. Mrs D had run a CLK for the previous 4yrs so I had a good Mercedes understanding.

It has to be said the Mondeo estate was the easiest and cheapest thing to run I've had in years. Not quite as refined or classy as a Mercedes estate but a damn good alternative and everything was about ten bob plus doable at any local garage.

Step out into the world of used Mercedes and you will need to be thinking specialist MB garage and a code reader needed for the simplest of issues plus some parts at eyewatering prices. And that's before you'd mentioned a hybrid version. They don't have the best reputation for reliability or function of the hybrid system. So if you really want a hybrid as others have said look to other makes... but if you really want a Mercedes avoid the hybrid and go with pure petrol or diesel whichever you prefer.

A 6cyl diesel Mercedes estate is a very nice motor if you are happy to fund its maintenance.

 

[mioba]

Mercedes benz entire history and knowledge is in petrol / diesel burning conventional engined cars.
They have zero experience in electric / hybrid bar jumping
on others.

Id rather buy a pizza from a resturant with an aged italian chef making own sauce and base than a pop up with some 17 year old making the pizza from tins and packages.

certainly better options for electric / hybrid, pf course without the smug factor of MB

 

[MJJ]

It is worth thinking about the physics of propelling a car to see if hybrid is going to be beneficial to you.

A significant amount of the fuel you use is consumed when accelerating the car from a lower speed, to a higher speed. Maintaining a constant speed on a flat road requires very little energy (relatively), as you are merely overcoming air resistance and frictional losses. Accelerating requires the creation of substantial kinetic energy from the combusting of fuel.

When you wish to slow the car, you are then discarding all of that valuable kinetic energy expended accelerating the car - you waste it as heat in the friction brakes.

Hybrids win as they can recover that energy when slowing, creating electrical energy in a battery, and then re-deploy that same 'free' energy to accelerate the car again. If you do lots of city driving, low speed with frequent stopping and starting, a hybrid is hugely more efficient. For almost every other scenario, it is just a heavier, more complicated version of the same car that excels on emission certification tests, resulting in a lower tax burden for the owner.

Another aspect to be aware of is that manufacturers have to certify all new vehicles against an emissions standard, and must ensure that the vehicle performs to that standard throughout its whole life. Thus, if an EU6 Adblue car runs out of Adblue, it must be barred from starting as it now fails to meet its emission commitment. A hybrid is the same - if the hybrid element is not working, the vehicle is not allowed to run as a combustion only vehicle as it is failing to meet its emission commitment.

Thus, hybrid failures in the electrical architecture can often disable the car completely. Hybrid specific parts (Batteries, control software and gear boxes mainly) are expensive to produce, very low volume, and there is no aftermarket competition to bring down costs - an OEM can charge whatever price they wish as the owner has no alternative. An expensive repair often awaits.

Think of the E300 as an E220cdi with an extra 500kg of ballast, i.e. always running with 5 large people in the car. It will be slightly less economical than the E220 in most driving environments, balanced by being much more economical in a few driving environments.

The E300 does have other perks, that extra electrical power enables more performance and refinement. It will help reduce particulate emissions in cities whilst operating in its efficient environment - admirable and worth striving for.

However, it is first generation technology compared to the 100 years of refinement and learning on combustion engines. Just don't go thinking it will save you money in the long run, unless you are a high mileage, city taxi driver.

Martin.

 

[JBell]

Speak to @John Laidlaw he had a great experience with one