russellfray

Hi everyone.

I'm shortly going to be ordering my first Mercedes in England. The petrol prices have got to me and the 19mpg i get out of my Jaguar XJ8 has forced me away from my beloved Jags. I'm going to go for an E220 CDi with auto/leather and the Comand Nav system with Harmon Kardon speaker upgrade.

The one thing that is putting me off (but not enough not to get it) is the apparent lack of bluetooth. I've read the odd thread here and there about bluetooth installations but the current E class brochure doesn't mention a bluetooth option which means I'm going to have to get one of those horrible big phone brackets stuck in the passenger footwell and get rid of my current phone.

Please... somebody tell me that you can get an MB bluetooth kit that will link my existing bluetooth phone in to the car/comand/steering wheel controls??

Also... is there anyway to disable the interlock which stops you watching DVD's on the front screen in the UK when you get above the shut-off speed? I am going to have rear screens fitted at some point but in the meantime I would like my kids to be able to watch the screen whilst I'm driving.

Thanks,
Russ.

V8 RKY

Hi Russ,

I have a CLK500 in the UK. My MB dealer installed the Nokia Bluetooth system. It works very well and links into the audio SatNav command system however you can't use the steering wheel buttons.

Instead you use a Nokia button to make and receive the calls, for voice functions, etc. It is the same as this one which can be found on the Nokia site here... http://www.nokia.co.uk/nokia/0,,18275,00.html


Good luck with the new car...

Apollo

Hi

Just be prepared to have it in and out of the workshop.

LeslieRushforth

Hi,
I have had my E320 CDI now for 6 months.
I have no problems at all with the car with 8,000 miles.
What do want to do with blue tooth ???
Nokia 6310i is the best buisness phone Nokia ever made and still advertise as such in the major news papers as the best buisness phone.
Nokia 6301i is a blue tooth phone which is handy to link to a computer with out having to wire it.
My car came with the Nokia 6310i it just wanted a sims card inserting, any network works fine.
I am on contract with ORANGE also my wife as a pay as U go on Orange.
My advice is to order the car with the phone kit it realy works very good, clear reception both ends and all intigrated corectly to the comand system.
I know that they are a lot better gimicky phones on the market with cameras etc. but you will not get better reliable phone with clear reception other than the Nokia 6301i.
Please believe me I have had eight mobile phones over the last six years.
Anyway it,s your choice.

If you have any queries about the the car please E-mail me.

leslierushforth@aol.com
Chesterfield
Derbyshire

LeslieRushforth

Hi it,s Les again.
Sorry not to coment on the DVD.
Yes you can,t watch the video when moving but you can still listen to the audio track of the video.
The car can also be bought with video monitors in the rear compartment factory installed I guess.
Not sure but possible to activate video when moving.
This as to be done by hooking up Star diagnostic to the cars internal computer which MB service has.
Wheather MB will do this for you I don,t know as they will be breaking the law.
The other alternative is to buy an interface to link to the cars computer with a personal laptop and a copy of Star Diagnostic software and do the job yourself.
The interface can be bought from the U.S.A for about $100
and the software can be download from the internet
Check this website out http://icm.com.tw/

Les
Chesterfield

Apollo

Hi, glad your car is fine. As with you can only talk from experience.

I have had my car 4 weeks, 3000 miles.

After 1st week had to have both rear shocks replaced, leaking oil.

Comand cut out other day and restarted for no reason, only happened once.

Today dash display will not display phone, audio or nav.

Can only use one quarter of a dvd for MP3's as it will not read more than 30ish folders. Been waiting 1 week for MB to come back to me on answer.

Sent a letter to Director of aftersales at MB Milton Keynes, 2 weeks ago, no reply or even acknowledgement. Wanted to know why the shocks had gone after only 1 week.

This is a replacement for my C Class as I had so many problems. 23 days in workshop with 15 issues over 18 months. MB did me a deal but it still cost me a lot of money.

Don't get me wrong I really want this car to be great, I love a lot about it. But I have to talk from experience and I won't pretend or make excuses for MB and their levels of quality. I cannot believe I have just been unlucky.

nyca

not sure about the UK, but on another board (mbnz), some people are saying that no new orders for 2004s are being taken - an order for a new build is being pushed to the 2005s.

johna1

I have had my E320 CDi for 7 months now with no problems. It is far more reliable and better built than the Jags I previously drove.

As far as the phone goes, I have the factory Nokia installed which is integrated with the steering wheel controls and sits nicely hidden away in the centre console. I think it is only the C Class that gets the phone stuck in the passenger footwell, on the E I believe it is always in the console even if you have lots of other options installed.

The phone seems fine to me, if you are prepared to swap your Sim card to the new phone I think you will be very happy.

Best wishes for your new car I am sure you will like it as much as I like mine. I drove a Jag again for the first time about a month ago, and was surprised at how flimsy it felt. Nothing actually fell off or broke, but I felt it could have (!) which is a feeling I never get with the Merc.

Oslo

No order taking for 6 months? I do not thinks so. Remember that the 2005 model will not go into production before end of September.

glojo

I agree with Leslie's comments about the telephone. It is absolutely excellent and it would be a pity not to take advantage of the steering wheel controls. If you do not use these, will you still see the name of the person you are calling appear in the speedometer??

I have had numerous small 'niggly' problems with my vehicle, but the dealer has been excellent and always tried to rectify the faults. I live in Torquay, and my nearest dealership is Exeter, yet they always deliver a courtesy car and take my vehicle away. The drivers are 'mature' gentlemen who drive the cars simply for the pleasure of driving nice vehicles.

Hopefully your new car will give you many miles of pleasurable motoring.

Good luck,
John
Sunny Torquay

russellfray

Thanks everyone for the replies. If the E does indeed have a centre console phone then I'll definitely go for that.

My only concern... is that people are talking about a new model, starting production September? Is that this year? I don't want to take order of my new car on 1st September knowing that a new updated version is just a few weeks away

Thanks,
Russ.

adam2

Russ,

I drive the E220Cdi avantgarde/auto/leather.

I've had it for about nearly 6 months.

It is a good drive but being used to FWD cars like Honda etc I'm still get used to the handling and steering. Coming from the JAGS u should be OK. One thing I did find was that sometimes it does sort of feel slighly underpowered when u drive it slow....i mea it adapts to ur driving style.....if u like to take it easy.....then it adjusts and when u suddenly need to put ur foot down it takes a second or two to respond....an auto..LAG....probably.

The car is excellent on fuel economy and i get 40 plus on dual carriageways but near the 30s in normal day town driving.


If I was buying now i would probably go for the E270/E320CDI...but the 2005 models may have the E400Cdi which is a rumour. The E270 will be retuned in 2005 as confirmed by Mbenz and the E220cDI will be Euro 4 by November/December 2004 so best wait for that model as it will affect car tax. You can confirm this with Mbz Uk as i have.

The E400 is only available in Europe and is a non-UK car.

I'm hopefully waiting for new ML with 400Cdi engine next year with 7 seats.

MadC32

For the LHD Market, 2005 E-Class production will begin June 2004.
Could be possible the East London RHD production will beginn in september though.I have information about new phone options, with which it's finally possible to have other phones than the Nokia with your car. Haven't read or heard anything about a bluetooth option though.

The E 220 CDI is one of the best selling E-classes here. There aren't any specific problems with this model. It's rather the whole 211 production that's having issues with the car's electronics, such as Parktronic etc.

Would be nice if we could have you as a customer of Mercedes Benz.

russellfray

Damn it's a real pain if the new engines / models are due out towards the end of the year. The problem is that I _have_ to get the new car on or before 1st September. My wife is getting a new car on the 1st and my car is being part-ex'd for it, and I can't be without a car for a few months.

If the new models aren't out in the UK until nov/dec, then I may have to go for a facelift c-class, or go and look at Audi again

I was originally going to get the new c-class. For the same price as a fairly basic spec e-class I can get a C220Cdi and fill it with just about every option. But I prefer the E.

Russ.

glojo

It is wrong to speak on the behalf of anyone, but I note that both Leslie and I are extremely impressed with our 211's. Appollo has had problems but hopefully they are being resolved???

I have read that the 2005 spec E-class is being down graded regarding options?? I have not heard of any external modifications. The 320CDI is due to be replaced with a V6, but no date has been fixed. I took delivery of mine in February of this year and I think it is a great improvement on the 210.

I looked at both BMW and Audi before making my decision and they are both very nice vehicles. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' I certainly have no regrets and whenever I see the new 5 series it justs reminds me of what a good decision I made.

Good luck with your decision.
John

adam2

Personally i wouldn't go for the C class since the model has been out for a while...even though there is a facelift it will be replaced in 2007 thats only 2.5 years and it will affect residuals.

The new E has a longer life cycle and even though newer models/engines are planned the shape is staying the same thus you will get around 64% back in 3 years. I would either get the e220cdi now if euro4 isn't an issue. Or go for the E320Cdi which has just landed in US and will not be replaced for a while.Mb may decide to offer the 350 model( engine V6 in new SLK) in UK but we don't know for sure.

If the E400CDI is coming to the UK then that would be cool...group 18/19 insurance I guess...that means 2K insurance for me with zero NCD.

E270CDI will be retuned in 05 model to get more power out of it...even brabus can get it up to near 320cdi levels.


The drive and feel of the E is miles better than the C and a base E will feel more upmarket and prestigous than the C....I would go for E without hesitation...just time it right. U could keep ur car for a few months longer if you need euro4 but otherwise the model will be exactly the same i guess. I would recommend Avantgarde spec since u get a lot more equipment for ur money(inc met paint, wheels etc). U can get about 2k off a new car...just talk to Pat Lawless at Carfile ( who arranges it thru MB dealers)and see ur MB dealer say its not possible to get that level of discount. I always use a carbroker who get volume discounts.

russellfray

Yeah to be honest I would much prefer the E over the C. 99% of the time I will be on my own in the car, but when I do have the rest of the family it'd be nice to travel with a bit more room.

The new engine doesn't really bother me - it's not a company car so I won't benefit on any tax breaks. Plus, the fact that the car phone is mounted in the centre console and not stuck on the passenger footwell has convinced me to go for this model.

Does anybody know what the current lead time in the UK is for an E220 CDi? I am aiming to place the order at the beginning of June and will want 1st Sep delivery so that's over 12 weeks from order to delivery. Is that plenty of time or will I be pushing it?

Russ.

Apollo

Hi John

I wish that was true. The dealer is being excellent. But the dash display problem is the phone control module in the boot as confirmed by the tech today. They have to replace. 4 weeks old, 2 new rear shocks and a phone control module. What am I doing wrong.

Apollo

You should get one within 8 weeks. They have caught up with demand, hence no price increase in April this year. You should get 5% discount at dealer minimum. I had a 270cdi c class. This 320 cdi is amazing on performance and quieter being a 6 cylinder. You pay more but more std items which should help resell. I have just learn't to my cost that loading a car up with options does not pay in resale value, even with mercedes. I lost 12k on my C class in 18 months with 33k miles. Bloody annoyed because I had to exchange early with merc because of all the problems. If I had kept the car 3-4 years then the depreciation would have been less and I would have got my value out of the options.

Trouble is I like my toys and gadgets.

russellfray

Yeah I like my gadgets too... but my budget is limited I'm looking at around £33,000 after discounts which means an E220 CDi classic with leather, auto, Comand NAV and telephone and that's about it!

I would love to go for the E320 CDi Elegance with another 10k of options including big wheels etc, but unfortunately that's stretching things a bit too far.

I've had a Jag for the last 2 years which has been a very fast car but the novelty has run out now. I'm getting old (30 this year, ouch!) and am happy to trade off some performance for better mpg. I could miss out the leather and get the 270, but a grand more to lose 2.0mpg and gain about 0.8 seconds 0-6 really just doesn't seem worth it!

Apollo

Hi

Have driven the 220 and power is not bad, and I stretched myself to get the 320, but it flys. These diesels have come on so much. No smell, great power, good economy and getting quieter. All we want now is the government to slap on a diesel tax.

I really hope that you get a good one with no probs.

glojo

I am sure you are not doing anything wrong, I just tend to prioritize things and providing the dealer is doing there best to remedy your fault, then that is all that you can ask.

I have just had a Mercedes-Benz technician spend three hours at my home address working on our vehicle to resolve niggly little problems. The car had been to the dealership a number of times but the faults would not show up on the diagnostic equipment. Most dealerships would simply return the vehicle and say there is nothing wrong.

The technician witnessed all the faults and remedied them one by one. I am really, really impressed. He even sprayed the 'squeaky' folding mirror with silicon. Excellent service and one which I am pleased to point out.

Our telephone still has a problem but Mercedes-Benz are aware and I have no doubt it will be fixed.

Hopefully your dealer will treat you in a similar fashion.

Regards,
John
Very sunny Torquay

Apollo

Hi

My dealer has been brill, that is not my beef. The issue for me is:

- This car has been in production for 2 years, faults should be rare.

- We are not talking about a standard car here at std prices. These are bloody expensive. We are paying a premium for high quality. My car cost double that of a standard decent quality car from most of the standard car firms.

- Excuses about cutting edge technology driving the problems is just not a good reason. Many cars now have most of this technology, a lot of it as standard equipment.

- All of these faults and the time spent by the dealerships rectifying them and then charging it back to Merc. Who do you think is paying for that. We are, either by higher prices on new cars, higher service costs or by de-specing the cars.

I am really glad if many of you have no issues with your cars and I hope that continues, I can only talk from experience and my C Class was a nightmare and I am wondering if I am going to have a similar experience with my E Class.

Despite all of this there is something I really like about this car, I want to keep it and be able to recommend it to all.

The bosses at Mercedes want to realise that they are no longer superior and need to get their act together if they want to retain the status that Mercedes has. Whether I ever buy Mercedes again depends on my overall experience with this car.

Apologies if this is all negative but it is difficult not to be.

adam2

The E220cdi is a good engine and has lots of torque 340Nm and pulls fast. It is noisy at startup especially in the mornings but once ur on ur way you hear nothing. The car does feel big if u drive slow but once the pedal gets used to the sporty drive things are back to normal.

I would recommend either Avantgarde or sports susp since if u liked performance and handling this will be a compromise.

leather in a Classic does not make sense....it will not help resale thats what the dealer told me anyway.

I would price up E220Cdi auto, avantgarde, leather(950 extra only). Command and get urself at least 6-7% off via Mb dealers thru a broker who will introduce u to the Mb dealer..but u will get car from the dealer not thru broker(u pay only the dealer).

I'm in the same boat...prefer E class and drive to work but with family it works out a bit small...thats why the M Class(new model 05) will help towards that ie longwheel version. I not that fond of the estate anymore since people put me off...being in my early 30s it does not go with me....know what i mean.

russellfray

Any reason why? I looked at the Elegance and you get bugger all extra for your money in the 220 CDi. When you look at the "extras" you get for the Elegance, next to pretty much all of them it says "240, 320 only" or along those lines. I think all you get with the 220CDi elegance is metallic paint and a different type of wood trim. Maybe also dimming mirrors, whoopee-doo.

Leather adds to the resale value, and more important the re-saleability, of any car - especially in the mid-exec market.

If I were to buy a 2nd hand merc, I wouldn't even look at anything that was manual or cloth interior - I just can't see the point of getting a "luxury car" that doesn't have leather or auto, unless you're more interested in what people on the outside of the car think!

Russ.