Mercedes-benz E-class W211

[xXx]

Boys I need a bit of a crash course on Merc E Class W211. a friend of mine is hunting for one and when he asked my opinion I was clueless. I’ve never been much of a merc fan hence my knowledge is nill. Your input is much appreciated

1. any known issues with the model?

2. are there any recurring costs other than the things involved during a normal servicing? Any parts wearing off quickly?

3. when was the facelift model launched? What are the major differences in that model?

4. what options come in the ‘avant grade’? what are the other grades/categories?

5. what is this technology called ‘kompressor’?

6. how eassy will it be to re-sell the car?

last but not least how much will a brand new 2003 fully loaded model cost?

[maliths]

A few things I do know about below:

1. any known issues with the model?

Cant comment on this as I have not used one

Did fine this: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=627

2. are there any recurring costs other than the things involved during a normal servicing? Any parts wearing off quickly?

3. when was the facelift model launched? What are the major differences in that model?

Face lift was launched in 2006.

The facelift version come with few exterior alterations – look for the fresh front bumper, more pronounced V-grille, deeper side skirts and active headlamps. Most changes are under the skin, including revised engines, improved safety kit and an end to brake-by-wire.

4. what options come in the ‘avant grade’? what are the other grades/categories?

The Avant Garde is the top spec model with all the extras like leather etc. The grades are Classic , Elegance and Avant Garde

5. what is this technology called ‘kompressor’?

The Kompressor is the Supercharged/Tubocharged engine units.

6. how eassy will it be to re-sell the car?

The car should hold its value well. In SL mercs hold their value very well cos of the 'Benz' name but not sure about how easy it would be to sell as these things do cost quite a bit so I guess the potential buyer market is small.

last but not least how much will a brand new 2003 fully loaded model cost?

No idea about this but I saw a W210 sometime back on AL for about 8mil so this would be around 12-16 mil range?

Edited December 17, 2008 by maliths

[xXx]

thanks malith.

where are all the euro car fans?

[Devinda_Z]

thanks malith.

where are all the euro car fans?

maybe they aren't Merc fans

[milindu]

Boys I need a bit of a crash course on Merc E Class W211. a friend of mine is hunting for one and when he asked my opinion I was clueless. I’ve never been much of a merc fan hence my knowledge is nill. Your input is much appreciated

1. any known issues with the model?

2. are there any recurring costs other than the things involved during a normal servicing? Any parts wearing off quickly?

3. when was the facelift model launched? What are the major differences in that model?

4. what options come in the ‘avant grade’? what are the other grades/categories?

5. what is this technology called ‘kompressor’?

6. how eassy will it be to re-sell the car?

last but not least how much will a brand new 2003 fully loaded model cost?

1. The Kompressors give problems with the Supergarger after sometime due to our fuel quality. Repair cost can hit 400k at D*MO.

2. At around 80k, one of our company vehicles (211/E240) needed front suspension work, A/C system to be renewed at around 300k and a few other things. The service package is about 30k.

3. Facelift came in 2007 I think since there was 2006 pre-facelift for sale recently. It has a different font buffer etc.

4. Avantgarge is the sports package. The downside is that the suspension is a bit stiffer.

5. Supercharged 1800cc engine.

6. Its as hard as any 10 mil range car to sell. Specially once you pass the 40/50k mileage mark.

They generally go between 9.5 and 13 mil.

[maliths]

1. The Kompressors give problems with the Supergarger after sometime due to our fuel quality. Repair cost can hit 400k at D*MO.

2. At around 80k, one of our company vehicles (211/E240) needed front suspension work, A/C system to be renewed at around 300k and a few other things. The service package is about 30k.

3. Facelift came in 2007 I think since there was 2006 pre-facelift for sale recently. It has a different font buffer etc.

4. Avantgarge is the sports package. The downside is that the suspension is a bit stiffer.

5. Supercharged 1800cc engine.

6. Its as hard as any 10 mil range car to sell. Specially once you pass the 40/50k mileage mark.

They generally go between 9.5 and 13 mil.

3. Im pretty sure the face lift is 2006. Maybe the face lift didnt get to SL till 2007.

5. 1800cc engine? AFAIK the Kompressor is available on a range of engines.

[xXx]

1. The Kompressors give problems with the Supergarger after sometime due to our fuel quality. Repair cost can hit 400k at D*MO.

milindu thanks for you input. i was wondering where you've been hiding lol

so do you recomend the non kompressor model then?

[MSP0RT5]

milindu thanks for you input. i was wondering where you've been hiding lol

so do you recomend the non kompressor model then?

Extra maintenance aside (for the kompressor) I would recommend sticking with the E240 (which is actually a 2.6l V6 I think?) as my 2003 C180 Kompressor sport (W203) used to be just bearable with the 1.8 S/C motor - I would say the E class with it's added weight would be pushing it for the small 1.8. It's quite a torquey motor, however, but the 6 would give you better service in the short and long run.

In 2003 Merc revamped it's 4 cylinder line up dropping the 2.0 and 2.3 engines, and running varying levels of boost with the supercharged 1.8 motor (which was also revamped at the same time to include variable valve timing and DOHC) - as a result the C200K is actually a 1.8 running more boost than the C180 (and also a slightly different supercharger). The C230K, which I don't think comes to SL, but is available in the US, was also a 1.8 with again more boost.

My father in law has a E240 W211 AvantGarde, and it goes quite well - obviously not a straight line racer, but punchy enough for colombo roads and outstation cruising combined with the sports shifting.

[xXx]

I do not expect it to do a fast lap in a race circuit let alone in busy Colombo roads lol. had a look at few cars didn’t find a great difference in price between an Avant and an Elegance. I’m leaning more towards the Elegance without the supercharger as my main focus is towards comfort. I must say it has not been easy finding a car. it’s as if none of the W211 owners want to part with them. Does D*mo sell approved used cars? I vaguely remember back in the days they had a showroom in thimbirigasyaya for this purpose alone.

[MSP0RT5]

Given what I'm hearing from relo's in business in SL, you might start seeing a few more of the higher end luxury cars coming onto the 2nd hand market next year. You're correct, D*m0 used to have that place that sold the second hand vehicles, but it's no longer there - and I checked there at the time (around 2005?) and found their prices pretty high compared to what people were asking in the private market.

[MasterDon]

I do not expect it to do a fast lap in a race circuit let alone in busy Colombo roads lol. had a look at few cars didn’t find a great difference in price between an Avant and an Elegance. I’m leaning more towards the Elegance without the supercharger as my main focus is towards comfort. I must say it has not been easy finding a car. it’s as if none of the W211 owners want to part with them. Does D*mo sell approved used cars? I vaguely remember back in the days they had a showroom in thimbirigasyaya for this purpose alone.

hey xxx...i thought the merc was for your friend..or have you caught the benz bug too

[GTAm]

There's a massive difference in terms of character and noise between the 4cyl and the V6 engines. IMHO the 4 pot Kompressors sound crap!

I would go for a V6 always. Silky smooth and they sing at higher revs.

Btw XXX I sent you an email.

[JadeyBlitzen]

Kompressor stands for Compressor (i.e. supercharger) and not turbo. its just an attempt to hide the fact that ur big barge is pushed along by a puny 1.8. it does offer more power but the engine is under some stress compared to the bigger N/A engines. and its not the engine that'll give first. it'll probably be the supercharger. n blowers are damn expensive to replace. unlike their exhaust driven counterparts. yep they'll probably cost around 400k. and if u are serious about driving the v6 would offer a more linear torque curve. whereas the kompressor will be all out of juice at high revs. so i recommend the v6 as well. but another thing we need to remember is if you are not used to heavy cars u'll need some getting used to before jumping into the e-class. cos the E240 will only give an adequate push to keep up with a corolla at low speeds.

as for the models grades. i dont recommend the classic. its the entry level grade and it doesnt even look that great. the elegance is a good connoiseurs car. avantgarde is the sporting grade. the one i'd go for. buy it if u cant live without birds eye maple on ur dash

i think the price range peaks at around 15 mil. and thats wut u r looking at if u want a top of the range avantgarde with a v6. see if u can get the full length sunroof with solar panels. its a great option for hot countries like SL. it'll generate power from the solar panels and use it to keep the interiour cool when its parked in an open area.

one word of warning though. 2003 was a year that mercs suffered a lot due to bad electronics. an unbelievable amount of cars had electrical faults as they left the factory. i hope they are sorted out now. but ask for full service history when u are buying one. or do some research on each model year as to how each one faired against electronics failuers.

[MasterDon]

Kompressor stands for Compressor (i.e. supercharger) and not turbo......

wow dude JadeyBlitzen you seem to know a lot about cars and stuff....are you an ex lankan livin in the UK?

BTW it says that your're from guildford....isn't that where the topgear studios are located?

oh and one more question.....are you the stig?

[JadeyBlitzen]

wow dude JadeyBlitzen you seem to know a lot about cars and stuff....are you an ex lankan livin in the UK?

BTW it says that your're from guildford....isn't that where the topgear studios are located?

oh and one more question.....are you the stig?

lol no mate im still very much sri lankan and im just studying for my degree here. i'd probably open a garage in sl soon.

and no im not the stig but chances are i've probably run into him cos everybody who goes to the top gear studio goes past guildford including the cars. its a few miles down the road from here in Godalming. im trying to get tickets for the show. but they always seem to film it during my exams.

[xXx]

Given what I'm hearing from relo's in business in SL, you might start seeing a few more of the higher end luxury cars coming onto the 2nd hand market next year.

your source is 100% correct. we can all thank chinthanaya's brilliant economic management for it. country’s economy is in such a dire state i'm even scared to wish any one 'happy new year'. both our local currency and the banking system is in the brink of collapsing and we are yet to feel the full force of the world economic storm.

i was at a reputed financial services provider who has a car dealership as well the other day, they had a LC 100, Cygnus 110, Prado 120 and a merc W204 for sale. all of them were surrendered by the owners as they can no longer afford the leasing premium. i too am thinking long and hard about the merc i do not wish to make any money out of it but i would like some comfort that i'll be able to cash it in when i need to.

just to touch base on milindu's comment about cashing in 10mil + vehicles, i think the demand for them has not changed much given that the vehicle is of japanese origin and it’s a SUV. ofcourse they are not as easy as a 121 to dish out but still there is a lot of demand for certain SUV's that comes with a 8 figure price tags. it’s the average joe category cars that has been hit the hardest. no wonder, an unreg 121 cost only about 2 mill 3-4 years back now it has almost doubled. back in the days you can buy a decent unreg car for 2 - 2.5 mil now a days you can't even buy a used vios for that money. all this has happened while peoples savings were shrinking at an alarming rate due to high cost of living.

You're correct, D*m0 used to have that place that sold the second hand vehicles, but it's no longer there - and I checked there at the time (around 2005?) and found their prices pretty high compared to what people were asking in the private market.

no wonder that place no longer exist then

[MasterDon]

lol no mate im still very much sri lankan and im just studying for my degree here. i'd probably open a garage in sl soon.

and no im not the stig but chances are i've probably run into him cos everybody who goes to the top gear studio goes past guildford including the cars. its a few miles down the road from here in Godalming. im trying to get tickets for the show. but they always seem to film it during my exams.

cool...we need more garages run by pro's....I thought the waiting list for TG tickets are over booked by many years...thought i heard it somewhere...

[JadeyBlitzen]

cool...we need more garages run by pro's....I thought the waiting list for TG tickets are over booked by many years...thought i heard it somewhere...

yep they said the waiting list is 19 years. but in truth u can just contact them before studio days and book tickets. i know people who's been there several times.

as for the garage its going to be more of a tuning shop. i'd mostly be working with exhausts and chassis stiffening. its just an idea for now. anyways lets not hijack the thread.

[maliths]

lol no mate im still very much sri lankan and im just studying for my degree here. i'd probably open a garage in sl soon.

and no im not the stig but chances are i've probably run into him cos everybody who goes to the top gear studio goes past guildford including the cars. its a few miles down the road from here in Godalming. im trying to get tickets for the show. but they always seem to film it during my exams.

Hey are you at Surrey Uni? I have a very good friend of mine who's studying there as well.

[maliths]

You're correct, D*m0 used to have that place that sold the second hand vehicles, but it's no longer there - and I checked there at the time (around 2005?) and found their prices pretty high compared to what people were asking in the private market.

Doesnt the D*MO showroom down Duplication Road have pre owned Mercs? I thought thats where they have the used stuff.

http://www.dimolanka.com/special_offers/sp...px?OfferID=1050

[JadeyBlitzen]

Hey are you at Surrey Uni? I have a very good friend of mine who's studying there as well.

i am indeed. im on a gap year rite now. who's ur friend?

[xXx]

i heard that when it comes to used mercs in SL the Kompressor model is high in demand and cost a bit more than the E240 due to the high fuel consumption of the latter one. quite similar to the fate cefiro is suffering from. but i can't understand why would someone who can afford a W211 care so much about the consumption figures. gents any truth in this?

[JadeyBlitzen]

hmm maybe thats true for the c class but not sure about the e. but the truth is kompressor models are slightly more econmical than the v6 models and also offer a fair bit of pulling power at low revs compared to them. which means less need for revving the engine to bits thus saving fuel. and a supercharger really is suited more for city driving than a turbo cos the punch is instant and it works right from the idling point, which makes it feels like a diesel compared n/a cars. so maybe the nuts in sl cracked this and started creating a false demand for the basic model. so if i were you i'd use this for my advantage and buy the 240 cheap. and worry about the resale value later. who knows? maybe they'll get some sense knocked into them.

[MSP0RT5]

I have to agree with JadyBlitzen. The C for city driving (in Melbourne) was more than adequate, and pick up was fine, but it was borderline. If the car was any heavier, or you had more than 2 extra passengers + aircon and things started to struggle. Don't forget a supercharger also draws power from the engine, so it robs some power to add some, and that's not through out the rev range. There are various upgrades for the supercharged models, but they're not cheap, and and usually include a new pulley wheel and a ecu upgrade.

If the E240 is cheaper than the E200 here, AND you're planning on keeping it for a while, I'd say go the e240, but of course test drive both and see what you prefer I think someone else mentioned about MB's supercharged 4cyl sounding like crap, and having owned one, I have to agree - I think "hoover" is a good description

I'll find out from the driver tomorrow what sort of fuel consumption figures they're getting from the e240.

[JadeyBlitzen]

i always preferrd a supecharger whine over a turbo whistle. but the merc engines bar the v8s and v12 sounds very wrong. do sound like a hoover and a very old one at that.

as for upgrading the power on a supercharger, its somewhat pointless compared to upgrading turbos. cos the efficiency of the supercharger starts dropping quickly as its made to run ever faster. i.e. it'll be sapping more engine power giving out only minute gains. for example an eaton mp45 would work at its best at 7psi. but when u upgrade to smaller pulley it'll start becoming inefficient after 9.5 psi. but that said turning out a smaller pulley for a supercharger is not a particularly hard job. but with such a tiny pressure increase u r only looking at a 5-10% horsepower gain.