Which E220CDI for £5k

[matt21]

Looking for a very comfy reliable estate with relatively low running costs. Needs to be auto

Thinking of E220CDI, either a lowish miles facelifted S211 around 2008/9 or a higher mileage newer shape.

Would like to keep for 4 years & 50k miles and retain some value, so don’t want moon miles to start with.

Will be used for continental trips and regular motorway wafting.

Budget £5k.

What E-Class would you recommend?

[Tyre Smoke]

Why do you think a Mercedes is the answer here?

If you're looking for a £5k car, there are better options than Mercedes.

[ST565NP]

The one in best condition.

[matt21]

Tyre Smoke said:

Why do you think a Mercedes is the answer here?

If you're looking for a £5k car, there are better options than Mercedes.

Really fancy an older Mercedes. What alternatives do you recommend?

[Seeker UK]

Avoid the W210 / S210 as they are rust buckets.

Edited by Seeker UK on Wednesday 12th May 12:41

[Tyre Smoke]

matt21 said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Why do you think a Mercedes is the answer here?

If you're looking for a £5k car, there are better options than Mercedes.

Really fancy an older Mercedes. What alternatives do you recommend?

An old Mercedes won't be reliable.

I'd go for something newer.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2021032405...

I've got one of these, just coming up to 184k. Only had routine servicing, one brake caliper and a radiator after an errant stone was thrown up. Very comfortable when sat in it all day, heated seats, DAB, heated steering wheel, sat nav, Bluetooth...

Sorry, just noticed you want an auto..

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2021042718...

Edited by Tyre Smoke on Wednesday 12th May 07:13

[Martin30]

I needed a stop gap car 18 months ago when I left a role, and returned the company car. I spent a whopping £1,250 on an '09 S211 E220 estate with 170k miles, expecting it to be nothing more than temporary transport.

I have loved the car, so much so that I see no reason to replace it. Now on 181k miles, and still very happy with it.

So, I can wholeheartedly recommend the facelift S211s. I prefer the style of the S211 over the S212 also, with the newer one looking more chintzy to me, less old school Mercedes engineering. I tow a heavy trailer with mine quite often, and the 220 engine is perfectly acceptable - nothing more. The 320 engine, or even the 280, are worthwhile improvements without much in the way of economy penalty.

S212 will be slightly more efficient, and I think is 9 speed auto rather than 7. In car tech is significantly improved too, with bluetooth music streaming being a noticeable absence on the S211. S212 will have a DPF, S211 does not on the 4 cylinder diesels.

I would go for one of the better S211s, rather than one of the cheaper S212s myself.

Martin.

[Pistonheader101]

high mileage S211 seem to be the way to go.

see if you can stretch your budget to 6k.

they are fairly reliable - theres a reason why they are used as taxis

[joropug]

The main thing I used to hear about this era of E class is the EBC - There's some braking circuit that fails/expires and is very costly to replace if it hasn't been done already.

[ElectricSoup]

joropug said:

The main thing I used to hear about this era of E class is the EBC - There's some braking circuit that fails/expires and is very costly to replace if it hasn't been done already.

That's the SBC pump, and they were only fitted pre-2006 facelift. Later cars have a traditional braking set up.

[joropug]

ElectricSoup said:

That's the SBC pump, and they were only fitted pre-2006 facelift. Later cars have a traditional braking set up.

Knew someone would be able to correct me - ta.

I was looking at cheaper/shed money ones and it put me off as the repair would have been 50% of the car value

[ElectricSoup]

joropug said:

ElectricSoup said:

That's the SBC pump, and they were only fitted pre-2006 facelift. Later cars have a traditional braking set up.

Knew someone would be able to correct me - ta.

I was looking at cheaper/shed money ones and it put me off as the repair would have been 50% of the car value

It's the least of your problems on a pre-06 car. Ask my wallet how I know...

Air suspension
Injectors
Turbo

Probably several other things I've forgotten.....

Sub £5k estate = Mondeo/Vectra/Avensis/Accord to me now. Never a Merc again. I replaced mine with a Honda Civic.

[Summit_Detailing]

The simple answer is the one with the best maintenance record and in decent cosmetic condition - they do vary somewhat at this price point!

Find a good one and it'll see you well... my brother-in-law has a 2009 320cdi that gets well used around the terrible roads of Herefordshire, it replaced an ageing XC90 and they are thinking of changing it but are struggling to justify spending a load more £ for a newer car which in many respects will not do anything differently and actually in certain aspects (ride comfort being one) will possibly be inferior.

I have a 2013 220cdi which is proving to be a great all rounder for my needs.

On a slight aside I caught up with my old bosses from a chauffeuring company (Mercedes fleet) that I used to work for at the weekend and they still have a 2014 220cdi they run around in - currently on 366k miles! - no noteworthy mechanical bills over and above servicing and wear&tear items - brakes, suspension bushes etc.

Happy shopping!

Cheers,

Chris

[joropug]

Nice - I have a C220cdi (2013 Coupe) and it's a cracking car really - eats up miles and handles well. I rate the engine, which is twin turbo in this era.

[Pistonheader101]

joropug said:

Nice - I have a C220cdi (2013 Coupe) and it's a cracking car really - eats up miles and handles well. I rate the engine, which is twin turbo in this era.

the ofsfet pedals would do my nut in

[joropug]

Pistonheader101 said:

the ofsfet pedals would do my nut in

Can't say I've noticed? It's an auto and is very comfortable for me personally.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd go for the E320cdi Avantgarde they're a very reliable drivetrain & the rest of the car is very good, the difference fuel wise between this & the E220 is smaller than you think.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104231...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104251...

Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112...

If you don't mind stretching the budget a bit then you can get a E350cdi Avantgarde

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012287...

An alternative is the Infiniti M30d they're easily on par with the Mercedes when it comes to fit & finish but the spec (look at the spec list on the link, they forgot to list the 360 cameras/Adaptive cruise & the Bose system that includes speakers in the seats) is next level. The drivetrain is reliable as is the rest of the car BUT they're hard to find.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284261499239?hash=item4...

You'll have to haggle/stretch the budget but I'd buy the M30d over an E320/350.

[matt21]

Thanks everyone. Some good alternatives but really want an E-Class. Will definitely shop around for the best example in my budget.

Few questions:

Is the E320 CDI really not that much more to run. Will be doing 50% motorway and would like to average 40mpg if possible, and 50mpg on a run
Few recommendations for 06 plate cars. I thought 2008/9 was the sweet spot?
Also is the W212 reliable? I heard these prefacelift are more troublesome

Appreciate an E-Class will cost a bit to run, but want something pretty reliable if possible

[ZX10R NIN]

The E320 will see 50mpg on a run 30mpg around town & somewhere in between mixed all of these car will benefit from a map which will give you better fuel numbers.

The W212's are reliable I sourced & supplied a lot without issues & I have a pre facelift coupe myself.

[Pistonheader101]

joropug said:

Pistonheader101 said:

the ofsfet pedals would do my nut in

Can't say I've noticed? It's an auto and is very comfortable for me personally.

Yea they are super comfortable it’s like driving a sofa. Mercedes so comfort very well.