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E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Just brought it home....
I decided on a C207, but selection was grim. Carvana had some on hold for customers, which had nice equip, but were nearly $30k with 50k or thereabouts. I rode a friggin bus to NYC to look at a red one, but lo...it had peeling paint. That was $23k with 44k with the light interior I so desired. Consolation prize was hopping a free bus ride home to PA, those Port Authority cops are pretty cool.
Two days later, I rented a new Highlander (disappointing, but 3.5 engine was amazing) and shot down near Philly, which is a much easier process from Northeast PA. This deal was for a 2012 (the oldest I would accept to get the DI engine, I have a PI 3.5 in my ML 350). I am looking for good mpg, and Fuelly seems to jump up in 2012...it's a great engine either way. This car is basically perfect, one owner, records, Pirellis, only lightly grazed wheels....silver which is fine for me, but with black interior. Normally I skip black interior, because I have dogs. That's fine in the SUVs, but this car isn't for dogs....I have a Metris van, My ML, the wife's new RAV4 etc. for the dogs. It's a little hot inside, but whatever....I can live with it.
Drumroll...it's a 2012 with 77k for $19,500
Not the cheapest nor best deal, but a very solid clean car. I wanted to buy the most perfect, lowest miles, etc etc but those were easily $10k more. So if I could get a "B+" grade car for a "C-" price, why not? It's not my only car, so I'm not as picky and the budget is reduced....even though I could drive anything I wanted, I choose a funky W164, C207 and W111 (my dirty secret)
The car drives great, no quirks. I stopped for 2 gallons of E85 to clean it out and bump the octane of my free full tank of 87...w00t. But E85 does work great. It cleans like a MF....subject for another day. I also added a bunch of 2-cycle oil to the fuel, which is a great additive, doing a nice job with DI injectors and ring packs. The crankcase got almost a quart of Marvel Mystery oil (Stoddard solvent) in the oil which is again a great cleaner-upper....with a little bit leftover for the gas tank. I should have left it in for a few 100 miles, but whatever it was like $5.
So, YES it did run better and better the whole way home. Modest mountain driving was pretty decent with the Pirellis, although PZero is meh, I like P7s way better. I have a CLK 500 for a rough comparison...both 300hp RWD and the story is the C207 was supposed to replace the CLK, but it went on an EClass chassis. Anyway, I have a frame of reference to compare it.
Grabbed 2 gallons of Mobil Delvac 15w40 ($10.99) on the way home. I used my precious extractor to pull the old oil with MMO out and am putting in the Delvac tomorrow. We can talk about oil all day, but 15w40 is perfect, and high detergent and meets the generic ACEA A3 spec that mfg specs are based on. Did I mention $10 a gallon???
The filter looks pretty clean in the moonlight, so I'll put it back in until Fall. 6 month changes with a new filter yearly is a great service plan. Get an extractor if you don't have one already. I just changed my oil in the dark w/o putting a knee on the ground, for $22 total. I got 8.5q out, more than draining.
I guess I should go order an air filter.
Junkie Out.
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 05-12-2022 at 10:52 PM.
Nice find! Selection was dismal as there just weren't many of these sold. Nothing wrong with them...just like any other MB coupe there was a limited pool of buyers when new. Keep a very close eye on the coolant...these years are having problems with the trans cooler in the radiator leaking and mixing ATF and coolant, in the process the transmission gets destroyed and every rubber hose and seal on the engine swells. It's an expensive, ugly mess and often "totals" the car. It's not super common, but I've repaired 3 of them the last few years, and another one presumably went to the junkyard. I've seen it on both coupes and sedans. I took one bad radiator apart and what's happening is the solder on the internal trans. cooler is corroding and developing pin holes. Preventative maintenance would mean replacing the radiator. I wouldn't bypass the internal cooler with an aftermarket external cooler...in colder weather the cooler acts to warm the trans. fluid.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Good feedback. I'll keep flush-replacing the coolant and check it well.
Obligatory WalMart parking lot pic.
Obviously these cars present like some exoticy fastback thing, but are just a run of the mill E Class. Not quite a Grand Tourer with the 3.5, but it's a heck of a car, replacing my CLK 500 nicely.
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 05-12-2022 at 11:20 PM.
Any reason why choose the V6 variant over the V8? For the same price it’s possible to find 2012-2015 Bi-Turbo V-8s. I’m approaching my 1 year anniversary with mine and was drawn into the C207 specifically because the combo of the motor, the sleek and clean look, and the total value (a V-8 for under $25k) was better than any other German or US coupe of the same era.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Well...I'm happy with the 300hp, and the simplicity that comes with the 3.5.
I weighed this when I bought my ML, which is a nice vehicle to get around in, with ok power and poor fuel economy....I just didn't want to have an even worse mpg result, and reliability issues. I live pretty far from any shops.
That sums it up. This car is a "commuter car", where I have to take long drives, and dont' want to burn $100 gas every time. So, I have comfort and luxury and decent mpg.....all with good (enough) power. Although I did have my CLK on the track last year, not everyone is a fast driver on the street.
These are built on the 204 C-class coupe platform fyi. Again, not a bad thing as the 204 was one of MB's best cars. I agree on the V6 over the V8 for a commuter, and better mileage and reliability. Being a 204 platform it's also subject to the Takata airbag recall if it hasn't already been performed on this car.
I've been looking for a 207 since about 2014 or so. So few of them period but with my list of requirements it narrowed down to pretty much zero. So I've owned two, the first was a '13 350 that was kinda what I wanted, then a '16 550 that would be what I wanted if I could mix n match parts with the 350. The most important thing being a shifter and '13 was the last year for that as you probably know. No clue why they removed that but I'm betting it was marketing to bump sales of more expensive cars that did have one.
I too had a CLK, but the older lighter one (3200lbs) that was pretty sweet except lacking power. Then the E350 which I bought in 2018 had ~60k, all the cool options (excluding the motor) and was $20K. It's probably worth than that today thanks to Covid. Who knew a stupid virus could cost everyone so much $.
So congrats on finding something you like. My only mods the 350 were K&N, and ripped out the other lame filter in the air box, and got a bit wider and substantially better tires.
I'm also jealous of your area. There are no empty parking lots like here that and I'd imagine you don't have traffic? Take a 3 foot square picture of the back on an SUV and mount that where your hood emblem is, that's my view is pretty much all the time. Also nothing close to that kind of greenery where I live. Pretty much a dystopia compared to you. I'd imagine you can shoot there too? I need to move....
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
We've been stepping back from the city for a long time. Wife and I met in Downtown Philly, but were both from NEPA.
Our Cape Cod is a little small, so we overcompensated and bought an elementary school in Bradford County w/ 6 acres and a creek. I trolled the commercial real estate sites like Point 2 Homes and Lands of America and others.
Gonna bust a hole in the gym to put in a clear garage door facing the creek. After that I have room for a Hoovie fleet. I never had my own garage before, I work outside on crushed stone, jacking cars up in snow.
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 05-14-2022 at 09:50 PM.
16 E550 Cab, 2003 Ram bright red crewcab 4x4 we call Clifford :)
Originally Posted by Audi Junkie
We've been stepping back from the city for a long time. Wife and I met in Downtown Philly, but were both from NEPA.
Our Cape Cod is a little small, so we overcompensated and bought an elementary school in Bradford County w/ 6 acres and a creek. I trolled the commercial real estate sites like Point 2 Homes and Lands of America and others.
Gonna bust a hole in the gym to put in a clear garage door facing the creek. After that I have room for a Hoovie fleet. I never had my own garage before, I work outside on crushed stone, jacking cars up in snow.
I love this idea.... I would love to do a similar thing when i retire.....
Nice Quiet town to play in the garage....
Down in Florida I've been working on making fast golf carts... don' take up a lot of space but still cheap fun
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Originally Posted by WRC-LVR
Sweet and a piano ! and stage for plays too :-) !
Yeah, but I have to rip it out for the garage door. No other aspect allows a drive-in space that doesn't affect structural members. I may leave the ends of the stage as platforms, but the middle has to go...
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Service records say this car had everything, inc diff service, brakes and an alignment. So I satisfied myself with painting the calipers. I use a very exacting process....
05-12-2022, 10:49 PM
