dewana421

Hi guys I'm currently an owner of a w211..it's time to upgrade so I'm planning to get a w212.
I'm confused what year to buy starting from 2010 till 2014?
Which one had the most issues?
Any advise?
I searched but couldn't really get a straight comparison.

I appreciate your help.

MBNUT1

Since you've included the 2014 in your list and it has been heavily facelifted you need to decide between it and the former four years. I have been told it is a better car than the earlier years. if you have decided on a prefacelift then you have to decide between the '10 and '11 which have the non direct injected engine and the '12 and 13' which have the direct injected engine and upgrades to the command system. the later engine is more powerful and gets better mileage.

El Cid

I have a 2010 (Nov. '09 build date) and it probably had more issues, or different ones anyway, than later models. However, as someone said, everything has been corrected on earlier models by now.
Biggest thing for me is the front end appearance of the 2014's. I just don't like it and it is different from 2010-2013. BTW, the Luxury versions and Sports versions have different grilles, front ends, etc. Luxury will also have the comfort suspension.
Try this link for more reliability reporting. However, the sampling is very small.
http://www.truedelta.com/car-reliability

Arrie

I don't know how 211 is for rattles but I would not buy any of these cars again. For a $71000 + tax car my 2010 E550 rattles way too much. I have fixed the main rattle myself (middle brake light) but it still has way too much of it in the front.


I have owned many cars during the years that had far less of this problem, cars that cost 1/2 or 1/3 of the car I now have.


The car is fine to drive on smooth roads but the rattles inside the car just takes away the whole enjoyment.


I have already decided not to buy another MB in my life. A big disappointment for me for the rattles in this very expensive car.


If you go for a test drive go on a highway and drive over the lane separator reflectors or better yet over the rumble strip and listen. Turn the radio off and tell the sales guy next to you to be quiet. Do this with different cars and you will hear the difference.

mikeyle

id at least go for a 2012 with the new engine and much better gas mileage, then its just between the pre and post facelift

DubVBenz

My 211 rattles horribly, but almost all of the rattles are directly attributable to my panoramic roof, which I will never ever get again. Oddly enough, I've driven several rentals of other manufacturers who don't seem to have the same problems....

I have started my search for a replacement for my 211, but I'm floored that even in 2012 models, you'd have to find one completely optioned out to get the same standard features most domestic and japanese cars come with now

dewana421

I never had any rattling issues on my w211...this is the first I have heard of.

C280 Sport

Wow sucks for you guys. My 2012 E does not rattle at all. I had 00 C Class and 05 C Class that use to rattle, squeak, click, pop from all over. Fixed now.

BenzV12

+W212 on the 2012 model year
Well, I do have pano roof too ,pano roof never rattles nor does it make a popping out noise .
Back to th rattle issue . If I drive on extremely uneven surface like pave roads like Paris - Roubaix Tour I hear rattles but these are in minimal parameters .I almost forgot only rattle normally I hear is my phone is tapping the door panel

DubVBenz

My 211 Pano roof didn't rattle until around 50K, at which point it's just gotten worse and worse. If I don't have music on, I literally want to drive straight to the closest dealership and dump it.

KEY08

My 2010 e550 has no rattles and I have 46,000 miles and a Pano roof. It gets great gas mileage considering the V8 and cruises on the highway like a bullet. My only complaint is the Airmatic suspension when it comes to pot holes. This is my second Airmatic suspension and for whatever reason it is just not pot hole friendly and I keep bubbling tires. This is my second MB with Parktronic and the sensors are fussy in heavy rain storms and snow. They give off false warnings for no reason at times. I went from an W211 E500 4Matic to this E550 4Matic and it is a great car. I'm also not a fan of the heavily sculpted front end on the face lift cars.

dewana421

Can some one tell me the difference in a E350 vs E550?
Which model and year gives better gas mileage?

KEY08

Since the 350 is a 6 cylinder it gets better gas mileage in all variants. I prefer the V8 and it gets surprisingly great mpg. I can easily get 25-27 on the highway at 70-75, and I have the 4Matic, which puts a drag on the drivetrain. In 2012 the engine is twin turbocharged and direct injected.

stale-bread

I have already decided not to buy another MB in my life. A big disappointment for me for the rattles in this very expensive car.

Sorry to hear Arrie. Thats quite unfortunate.

Arrie

My car now is decent for the rattles. As I said in my earlier post I got the very worst rattle fixed in the rear, the center brake light.


There are two rattle sources that cannot be fixed. These are the left and right side rear seat belt rollers. Took one of them loose from the car for inspection and the rattle definitely is an internal problem of the part. Fix would be to replace these with parts that do not rattle but I'm quite sure MB will not do this under warranty and I'm not sure they even have a non-rattling part for it.


The dashboard of this car is built to rattle. The most of it comes from the number keys that are very poorly designed. But then there are several other places where rattles seem to be coming from. One is the trim around the gauges that clearly is loose in left top of it.


If my car was like it is now when I got it I would not feel so bad about it but it was not. I could hear the brake light rattle EVERY TIME I drove over the reflectors between the lanes on interstate highways. This absolutely ruined the driving enjoyment. The dealer changed the light assembly but was little help and I did it myself. I glued between the parts that the brake light assembly is made of.


Why did I have to do that on a car with sticker price of $71000?

El Cid

Maybe not that many $$$, but 550 will cost more simply because it has the V8 and probably more standard features or options on previously owned models. If fuel economy is important, 350 would be probably be a better choice. Try one out and the performance may be adequate for your needs. Most V6's today are fairly good performance wise. That's why so many companies no longer sell V8's.

Tjdehya

The reson why V8s are going away is because of CAFE. Its also the same reason why V6s are going away.
Start getting used to 3 and 4 cyl engines as well as hybrid and electric vehicles.

Pretty soon a 4cyl engine will be the "performance" model.

tpick23

You will have a significant upgrade from the 211 to the 212.
I had 07 211 E63 that always had its demons. Airmatic, fuel tank smell, head bolt issue, etc. Yes the pano creaked and I had star lowered it so it always had camber/alignment/ eating tire issues. Some my fault, some not.

Going to the 212 I chose to not have a first year run on a new body style so i went with 2011 E63. It eliminates the airmatic (front) issue, no head bolt issues after 2010, and came with the stuff I wanted. Yes pano creaks but whatever. I like mine because it is the last year E having the M156 engine and it has plenty o power. The one I found has an exhaust and I suspect a tune on it and has another year of warranty.
I have mercedes replacing the burlwood trim due to fading and the headlights due to the 'V' pattern that happens in front of the bulb.

There will always be the debate about newer years having more features like updated command etc.
When I was looking i found a bunch of off lease E63's around the D.C. area.

ss3964spd

Can you elaborate on this? I've noticed this on my '11 but haven't looked very closely at it yet.

Is it a known issue?

Dan

KEY08

^ It is a known issue. I have it and it doesn't bother me at all.

https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...ne-else-3.html

2BenzGarage

In 2012, the e350 went to direct injection which upped the power and the mileage over the previous version. Honestly, I have not been all that impressed with the mileage in my 2010 E350, on my daily mostly highway trip home from work i'll get about 23mpg, doing 75 on the highway. For comparison, I can get 20 mpg on the same trip in my E55...

SoCalCLK

No issues with 2010 E550, build date 4/2010. Pano roof has been quiet, lowered the car via Renntech V3 Lowering module and AIRMATIC has been great.

The car is solid, closes like a bank vault, and I am not a fan of the facelift, as I think it looks too much like a Hyundai. I prefer the DRL on the lower vents of the bumper rahter than being integrated into the headlights.

V8 engine is solid, decent mileage and pulls like a freight train when needed. Brabus Exhaust doesn't hurt either, LOL.

El Cid

While CAFE is a factor, it is not the only one by any means. Technology has advanced so much in engines and transmissions and the computers that actually run them, that V8's are superflous now. Unless you actually drive a race car in races.
Per a recent article the expected take rate for the 2016 "E" Class will be 2% for V8's. 98% will purchase the V6 or diesel. That also means that the people who purchase V8's will paying a huge premium.

samkimg

So far, so good. Both my 2010 and 2014 E350's have been rattle less and bank vault quiet. Have the Pano's in both and been lucky not to have had any issues.

Regarding OP's original Q, I recommend 2014 over anything earlier. If the FL isn't an instant no-go, the engineering and safety systems are a huge plus over the 2010's (my previous comparison point).

Very happy with mine with everything except the mileage at 80+ down the CA valley to the land of The Mouse. At ~70-75 I was getting over >30mpg, but at 80mph, that dropped to ~28 mpg. Didn't think there would be that much of a drop in mpg. Ah well, still has the most SPM ... Smiles per mile.

Regarding FL vs. non-FL, I've gotten more people staring with smiles at the 2014, then I ever received on the looks of the 2010. Even had one person today walk right into their car while looking at mine.