schaffs04

So my favorite movie is Casino with Sharon Stone and Robert DeNiro. I also am the former owner of a GL450, which is best compared to Sharon Stone's character Ginger: at the beginning, beautiful, coy, seductive. By the end a coked up drunk who tries to have her husband killed for his money. This is how my relationship with my GL450 ended.

After 3 years of owning a perfectly respectable and practical Infiniti EX35 which has been virtually trouble free, I find myself back in the market for a car, and I'm back looking at Mercedes. I'm changing careers and image will become something I need to carefully craft. Plus I will be driving 80 mi round trip everyday, instead of 12 miles. this has a 120,000 mi on the clock, and isn't the most comfortable thing to be in for more than a half an hour.

Living as I do in Minnesota, where it literally snowed two days ago, I'm considering the e250 Bluetec 4Matic. I have an independent Mercedes mechanic who can look over the car before I buy it and help to maintain it.

Anyone want to wave me off this path? Anything I need to be particularly aware of as I look?

Thanks!

KEY08

Kajtek and others know there way around the deisels. I really don’t know them well, but I enjoyed your story and sense of humor. Good luck and welcome back

kajtek1

I personally love OM651 engine for simplicity and easy access for DIY, but read topics in diesel section about their emission issues.
I think, by now we've got upper hand on them not only with gauges who carefully monitor DPF, but also more and more available DPF delete.
But regardless the particular engine, I strongly advise to find very good MB indy before buying used MB.
Unless you are die-hard DIY like I am, but even than, new cars have parts requiring SCN coding.
So DIY goes only to some distance.
Still 60 mpg on luxury car is something what can save you lot of money on fuel alone, while with all bad wrap those cars can be bought pretty cheap.
I could not sell my high mileage 2014 E250 Bluetec for $13k and decided to put in in non-op status, to have good car as a spare.

drdantheman1

YES!!! Go for it! These e250's really are a gem of a car. Some have had issues with the DPF at high mileage, but it can mostly be avoided if you use a cetane booster during fill up and drive long distances (more likely for regen to occur). With a good indy mechanic, there really is very little to worry about. I've put 30k miles on mine in the past 1.5 years and have had only 1 major out of pocket expense which was the adblue tank heater. Seems to be a common issue at lower mileage and is usually taken care of under warranty. Mine went out a month after the factory warranty expired so Mercedes goodwill'ed half the cost.

I will say that it's best to buy one with maybe half a year to a year left under the factory warranty so you can take care of the usual w212 issue's that might arise, like fading wood trim, whistling from the front sport style grille, rear deck rattles, rear sunshade not rolling properly, and other common issues listed on these boards. I had the dealer replace every piece of wood and worn leather on the armrest before the warranty expired on mine, and it looks brand new.

If you have a long commute every day (like I do), the e250 bluetec is a great choice. I regularly get 40+ mpg highway, 35-38 mixed mpg, about 700-800 miles of range.

cetialpha5

Read carefully what those that advocate the diesels say. The key words there are finding a good indy that knows how to work on them. That's the hard part. I myself don't know of any indys that are good with diesels. And they made so few of them there were lots of people posting about diesel problems in the W211 forum and they heard crickets for replies as so few of them were made, and even fewer people know how to fix them.

But as said before, if you an indy that knows diesels, and there aren't many of them, yeah, go ahead and get it for the mileage.

drdantheman1

To be fair, my Indy mechanic has just done the usual w212 maintenance items. Anything dealing with the diesel system (like the adblue heater), I take to the dealer. Mercedes has a limited 10 year, 100k mile on the emissions system which covers most parts (except for the adblue heater which I found out).

kajtek1

When number of diesel sedans in US is small, we do have whole fleet of Sprinters who use the same engines, so even I never check, I assume there is a number of shops who know how to deal with major issues.
Point of owning diesel is that you don't have to do much. Filters every 100k miles and all other body/suspension stuff like you do on gasoline models.
I highlight once more that it is not diesels MB that are hard to keep if you don't DIY.
Seeing me having good luck to MB, my software-inclined brother ask me to buy him a 4M wagon. I bought one with 120k miles for him and even I did several things as preventive maintenance and he had indy mechanic, when alternator brushes went out, he had the car towed long distance and trusted indy cost him $800 on alternator replacement. Long story short, the wagon in 2 years of ownership cost him more in up-keeping, than the purchase price and finally he went Japanese. .

chassis

Run, don't walk, from modern diesels. VW and Mercedes use the same fundamental technology in the North American market. VW fessed up and paid a big class action. Mercedes hasn't been brought to task yet. ULSD + DPF + EGR + DEF is a failed system in North American passenger vehicles. Unfortunate because the fundamental diesel technology, compression ignition, is inherently more efficient. Everything surrounding the diesel engine, related to emissions, has not been well implemented. Pumps, tanks, valves, sensors, heaters, filters, injectors all have high failure rates and are expensive and annoying to replace.

Options for you, given a price range (did you mention a price range?):
- refurb the Infiniti suspension with 4 shocks, front and rear stabilizer bar bushings and tie rods, and new tires. Use all OEM parts and have the work done by the dealer. You will be amazed and it will drive like a new vehicle.
- a new-to-you vehicle. Please avoid a modern diesel.

schaffs04

Thanks everyone! Sounds like the best bet is to consider either a CPO gas C or E or stick with the Japanese. I do miss the built to a standard not a price days of MB.

DFWdude

If you think MB does not build to a "standard" today, please don't bother acquiring one.

Ah, you have a MB SUV. That explains it. Carry on...

schaffs04

DFWDude, I was all ready to be offended.... But I don't disagree. I have wanted to own a Mercedes-Benz since I was eight, which were perspective is 30 years ago. That was back in the w-124 and w-126 days, when they were relatively uncomplicated and built like a bank vault.

I don't mind the increased cost of routine maintenance on a more expensive modern luxury car. It's the frequency and cost of unscheduled stops that I experienced in my 20,000 miles with my 450 that makes me hesitant to buy another Mercedes if I'm going to be driving as much as I am now.

kajtek1

MB ownership is not for everybody.
I have close friend who 25 years ago bought Honda for $1200 with 110k miles and add 220,000 miles before it could not pass smog anymore.
So he bought new Honda for $17k or so and now the 15 years old car has 260,000 miles where the only thing he replaced was clutch. Still on factory rear shoes.
But each time he visits us and we go somewhere together, he offers driving but with standard comment "if you don't mind to ride in Honda"

DFWdude

The MB SUVs are built in the USA. With the recent exception of the C-Class, the MB sedans sold in the US -- like the W124 and W126 -- are built in Germany. Both my E (and German C) are bank vault solid, 18-year solid in the case of the C320.

Just my opinion, but I don't really see how Mercedes-Benz can be 100% committed to the SUVs, if there is no (significant) market for them on home turf (or anywhere else in the World for that matter). So, I think you will find any Sedan worthy of W124 standards.

kajtek1

Our Alabama -build ML320 was rock solid (with the exception that my 2yo son broke window switch).
13 years with the family, 130k miles and it took total of about $300 parts that we had to replace beside regural maintenance.
I drove for 3 years on dino oils with 13k intervals as well.
I know this was exception between SUV, but try to find German-build sedan with such record.
The "build like a tank W123 and W124" are myth,. I drove both of them, but unlike others - I have good memory and had my hands dirty.
Sure sledge hammer is harder to break than android phone, but sledge hammer require maintenance as well. Just replaced handle on mine. Took whole research between hickory and fiberglass choices.

DeutscheBenz726

After having had a W211 E320 BlueTec diesel i would avoid MB modern diesels like the plague. I love my W212 E350 gasser but my BlueTec was a nightmare. My partner is still furious that i went back to Mercedes Benz after that fiasco! Its only due to my stubbornness that I'm not driving a Nissan Maxima!

TeeEl

Well, that and it's a Nissan.

But seriously, why do Altimas and Maximas seem to have the worst paint in the world? Almost every 5+ year old Nissan sedan I see has paint peeling from the hood and/or bumper.

DeutscheBenz726

On my BlueTec it needed (in one year)

fuel injectors
timing chain
swirl Motor (twice)
turbo
intake manifold

there’s a nice guy on here that tried to help but he did think that it was neglected but I can tell you it wasn’t. Serviced by the book by the Mercedes Benz dealer.

As as far as the Nissan Maxima I could have had one repainted twice for what the repairs on the BlueTec were.

I had a guy at a car show ask if it really was a BlueTec. When I said yes he said “I’m really sorry man, really sorry”. I responded with “me too”

jonUF02

Browsing this W212 forum occasionally for the past few years of ownership, I've seen that majority of the mechanical complaints come from the diesels. They're not popular in the USA and have some strange diesel-only systems that add complications. Just get the E550 4matic, you won't regret it! 30 mpg on the highway too.

kajtek1

After 2 years of owning OM651 and buying 2nd of them, I think I got upper hand on the emission issues.
Now with DPF delete, or original, both cars perform flawlessly, 1st at about 190k, other 130k.
When you see "800 miles since fill up" you just smile wide.
I did own lot of 4-cylinder cars in my life and most of them struggle on grades. This 4-banger will keep 80 mph on all freeway grades without dropping from 7th gear.

drdantheman1

Agreed with Kajtek, the Mercedes OM651 is pretty solid, the only issues I’ve heard about is the adblue heater and dpf getting clogged, which really only happens at higher mileage and can be remedied with dpf delete or just using a cetane booster at Mose fillups. The earlier OM642 had issues with the swirl flap, oil cooler seals, turbo seals, etc. So yes, if you’re looking at an early w212 or w211 with that engine, expect some issues to eventually arise.

I love my facelift w212 with the OM651, so far with 60k miles and HUGELY reliable. Also, consistently amazing highway mpg with good torque around town.