[Buy a car just before Christmas, you get a big red bow on it.]
Our 2008 Dodge Nitro R/T (COAL) served us well for over 5 years, but (my now husband) James was ready to try something new. He had a desire to own another diesel powered vehicle, but the available SUVs were either too expensive or didn’t impress him enough to purchase. The Q7 TDI had been high on the want list, until a drive in a Certified Pre-Owned Q7 just left him feeling ‘meh’ about it. I honestly don’t remember how we ended up there, but one day we found ourselves at Mercedes Benz of San Diego taking a test drive on a Certified Pre-Owned 2012 E350 Bluetec. It wasn’t an SUV. It wasn’t flashy like the Nitro, Range Rover, and S420 was before it. Something about it clicked with him though, and a few hours later he was driving off as the new owner. It was the combination of everything he missed about our previous Mercedes along with the desire to have a diesel powered vehicle.
[Photo courtesy of thedieseldriver.com]
First off, the engine. It has a 3.0L turbo diesel V6 engine that makes only 210 horsepower. That’s not the number to impress, it was the gargantuan 400 lb-ft of torque. According to Car & Driver, it’s more than the E550 V8 torque rating. While not as quick or fast as any other E-class sedan, it was equally as quick as the Nitro. The best part about it is the power delivery. There is just the slightest perception of turbo lag as soon as you put the hammer down, but then it happens. It pulls like a freight train and doesn’t stop. It is so linear in it’s delivery, and sucks you into the back of your seat. It is very easy to reach illegal speeds before you know it. This was very reminiscent of our previous S-class Mercedes.
It’s mated to the same 7-speed automatic that’s available in most Benz sedans now. Once at speed, it shifts smoothly under normal acceleration, and with a good solid shift when it is floored. The one irk with the trans is that sometimes there is a thunk when it shifts down to 1st gear when coming to a stop. It also has paddle shifters on the steering column. At first I thought it was silly, but since the transmission selector is on the column it is helpful to have some way to manually select the gears.
What about the diesel noise? Inside the car you can’t tell that you are driving a diesel. If you were to sit in the Bluetec and a regular E-class back to back, you might notice a slight bit of diesel noise. Might. Without the comparison, you don’t notice it at all. It is the second quietest car we have ever owned, only behind our S420 (COAL) (with the double-paned windows). Even standing outside of the car while it is running, it doesn’t sound like the clackety clackety that most people associate with a diesel engine. It is smooth and quiet. The only exception to this is start up on a cold morning, that’s when the clatter is truly audible.
[41 mpg while averaging 74 mph.]
Then there is the fuel economy. While most gasoline powered cars struggle to reach their rated fuel economy (as listed on their window stickers) in every day driving, we routinely exceed ours. By a lot! The E350 Bluetec is rated at 21 city/35 highway. In mixed driving around town, 30 is easy as pie. On the highway at a cruising speed of 80-85, easily hitting 38-42 mpg. This is the first car we’ve had that we routinely brag about the fuel economy. Sure, you can get that kind of economy in a compact Kia or a hybrid, but this is while cruising in the lap of luxury in a full size car. The icing on the cake is the price of fuel. When we first purchased the car, diesel prices in southern California were on par or slightly more expensive than premium gas. The last year or so, diesel has been anywhere from $.40-$.75 cheaper per gallon. This doesn’t translate out of California, however. On trips outside of CA, we found diesel fuel to be significantly more expensive compared to gasoline.
Inside the car is a great place to spend time. The seats are firm and supportive. The driver’s seat has an active side bolster feature. When those are turned on, the side bolsters will inflate to hold you in position when g-forces are detected. On the low setting it works well, on the more aggressive setting your kidneys are being punched by the car. Satellite radio, Nav system with traffic data, bluetooth, HD radio, bluetooth music streaming; it has all the bells and whistles. It even has a weather map (subscription required) for the entire US. Ours is also equipped with the panoramic roof. Two big glass panels over the top of the interior, the front one is a big sunroof. You can retract the sunshades and let the sun shine in over the entire interior.
[Sitting in my grandmother’s driveway after a 3-day eastbound blast across the country.]
Last year, my grandmother passed away. We live in San Diego, and she was in North Carolina. Last minute plane tickets for my husband and I to get there were going to be outrageously expensive. The range of the Benz and the associated costs made driving a viable option. We decided to spend the time and not the money and elected to do the drive. It was three days there (San Diego to Amarillo, Amarillo to Memphis, and Memphis to Graham, NC). Three days to visit with the family and the funeral, and then three days back (Graham, NC to New Orleans, New Orleans to Las Cruces, NM, and Las Cruces, NM to San Diego). For the first time in 18 years, we both got to see our mothers on Mother’s Day. Mine in North Carolina and his in New Orleans. We were also able to cross off a bucket list item with a drive across the country. It was also on this trip, on a deserted stretch of freeway that we decided to see how well this car performed at autobahn speeds. It didn’t disappoint.
[Sssshhhh, don’t tell no one.]
Trips like that are what this car is built to do. It ate up the miles, very rapidly. It hunkered down and cruised so effortlessly. 80-85 mph and it feels like you are riding on a pillow. It’s not wallowy, it is very connected to the road. It cossets you on the freeway. The seats are super comfortable, and the driver’s seat also has a massaging feature in it that helps. You would think after that many miles behind the wheel you would be exhausted. I was more tired after driving the Mustang for 4 hours compared to that entire cross country trip in the Benz.
There are a few downsides to owning a diesel Mercedes, but we were well aware of them going into ownership. Maintenance costs do tend to be a bit higher. Oil changes for diesel engines require more oil than a gas powered engine, so there is the added cost there. Offsetting that is another oil life monitor, so the oil changes happen at less frequent intervals. We occasionally have to refill the urea fluid (called AdBlue by Benz). We’ve done this ourselves a couple of times to save money from having the dealership do it. Again, the car notifies you when it is time to do this.
[At the front entrance to James’ high school.]
There have been a few items that have needed to be replaced, and they were done under warranty (either factory or the extended CPO warranty). The interior wood trim bleached out by the sun, and developed a whitewash look to it. It was actually like this when we bought the car, but didn’t realize it was a problem until we saw the wood trim in another E-class. Turns out this was a common problem in this generation of E-class, and it was replaced. It also developed an oil leak, and this was at the oil cooler. The entire oil cooler was replaced under warranty. The knob for the Command info-tainment system broke and stopped rotating. Again, another common problem with this car and it was also replaced under warranty. One problem that hasn’t been corrected yet is the leather on the center console is starting to crack from elbow wear.
There has been an issue that appeared with the transmission, twice so far. As we are driving down the freeway with the cruise control on, I noticed that the car was losing 5-10 mph while going uphill. As we would crest the hill and start down, the car would move back to the set speed. Thinking that the cruise control was going out, I turned it off and continued on. As I drove, and we diagnosed more, we determined that the transmission was refusing to downshift. When we exited the freeway near our house, the transmission finally lurched down all the gears to first as we came to a stop. During acceleration, upshifting was fine but it refused to downshift until a stop forced it to. We scheduled a visit to the service department for the next day. After sitting overnight, the car did not exhibit the behavior and drove normally. The service department couldn’t replicate it either, and no codes were thrown. It happened once again several months later, but again as soon as the system reset (turn the car off and back on) it stopped occurring. That was the last time it has occurred, and that was about 18 months ago. I now have this little nagging thought in the back of the mind that someday soon the transmission going to eat itself.
[Hey Alanis, is this ironic or just dumb luck?]
This past summer, something potentially catastrophic happened. I now refer to this as the “Valdez Event”. While driving down the freeway the A/C stopped blowing cold air and would not go above HVAC fan setting 3. We try to turn the climate control off and on again, maybe it just needs a reset like the transmission. Then the warning of “Check Engine Oil At Next Fuel Stop” appears in the center display. Something was clearly not right and James starts to make his way to the next exit. Then we noticed the oil smell coming through the vents, and the faint blue smoke trailing behind the car. We exit quickly and turn the car off. The entire left side of the car is covered in a spray of oil. Under the hood, oil has sprayed everywhere from the O-ring on the oil filter canister. When the flat bed finally hauls the car away, there was a huge oil slick underneath the car.
[A German car in it’s natural habitat?]
We assumed the worst had happened. Something internally caused the oil pressure to build and it finally escaped from the weakest link, that o-ring. The service department at the dealership cleaned all the oil from the engine and chassis. Their report back was that the O-ring had not been installed properly and it failed. After refilling the car with oil and running the engine, no other apparent damage had been done to the engine. Thankfully we were paying attention and got the car stopped and turned off while there was still enough oil in it to keep everything lubricated.
Another side effect of the “Valdez Event” was the front suspension. Apparently coating everything in hot engine oil isn’t good for parts of the suspension. During low speed cornering and going over bumps, the front end started clunking and creaking worse than my 77 Aspen with 360K miles on it. Internet forums to the rescue, or so we thought. The basic symptoms pointed to a part of the front end suspension starting to fail. Dropped it off at the dealer and they found several bolts were loose. They were all tightened to specs and it has not made a peep since.
Has this event shaken our confidence in the Benz? At this point, it is still too soon to tell. James has been doing a lot of driving for work, and has just recently crossed the 100K mile mark. The Benz is still under the extended CPO warranty for another 30K miles or so, which does bring peace of mind now that it is a High Mileage High Mileage Benz. When the warranty is getting close to running out, we will then figure out if we want to keep driving it or swap out for something new and different.
Great piece, great car too. I had two E350 sedans in a row. Drove one straight into a power pole at 80klm/hour and was not injured at all, thanks to the fantastic safety systems in this car. Bought another and had it for 4 years without any problems or issues at all . Traded it on a BMW 640i Hrand Coupe a fre months back because I really wasn’t fold on the new E. I still mos my 350!
I bought a 2005 Beetle TDI (no not one of the cheaters) two months ago because I too like diesels. My old 1987 300TD is pretty much out to pasture these days due to constant “needs”. Like you, I’m a torque junkie and this tiny little turbo diesel bug has been an eye opener. Plenty of scoot around town and it loves the highway. And, as you mentioned in your piece, stellar fuel mileage. I really have no desire for a hybrid and this car just blows them away. I was actually thinking of a diesel BMW but this will do for now. Only a couple of complaints… expensive oil changes (long duration synthetic) and really expensive transmission services. Minor complaint, it took a while to get used to the DSG tranny. Otherwise, It’s a real highway star.
DSG? On a 2005 Bug? That didn’t happen until 2012.
Sorry, I’m no VW guru, but I believe the TDIs got them. Regardless, mine does. And believe me, there is no mistaking the double clutch weirdness. It even has the DSG insignia on the shifter.
Right on Brian, this just has to be my favorite COAL of yours. A Benz E-Class with a 6-cylinder diesel, I wouldn’t need or want anything else for the rest of my life. Well, except a Benz E-Class with the new OM656 2.9 liter inline-6. Just for the sake of having an inline-6 diesel. On a German forum they say it will be good for 313 hp in the 350d and 395 hp in the 450d. I can only imagine the torque numbers.
An E-Class, regardless the number after the W, with a diesel engine is the preferred choice for folks who are on the road a lot. And I mean a LOT. Folks who rack up the kilometers by the hundreds of thousands.
Here’s a W212, your “Baureihe”, 200 CDI (136 hp) I found with 732,412 km -almost 458,000 miles- on the odometer.
It does present itself as a great choice in a lifetime car. I understand the amount of confidence the CPO warranty is giving them.
The OM642 engine, the 3.0 liter V6 as in Brian’s W212, currently used in the W213 E-Class has a max. power output of 258 hp and a max. torque output (from 1,600 to 2,400 rpm) of 457 ft-lbs.
Still quite moderate compared with 3.0 liter 6-cylinder BMW and VAG top-diesels.
It’s not as powerful as the 6cyl diesels in the BMW or Audi (I don’t think), but it is plenty powerful for what we want. The warranty definitely gives some confidence, but I think that we may still continue to drive it after the warranty is up. As you have seen from past COALs, we aren’t afraid to get dirty with cars and working on them ourselves. But, some of the things require the Mercedes specific software and tuning tools, and that may ultimately end up being it’s undoing if we don’t want to pay the $$$ for the dealer to repair.
Great to hear how refined your diesel is. It’s amazing how far these cars have come in refinement and performance.
When this E-Class launched, I loved the exterior styling. Mercedes was rolling out this new, very angular design language and this was much more attractive than the last two generations of E. The GLK was perhaps the best interpretation of this design language. However, I don’t much care for the interior designs of this era of Mercedes, like the bulbous stack of the S and CL or the button overload of the GLK.
While I like the new Mercedes design language with its rounded edges and curves – quite a change from your W212 – I always loathed the facelifted version of the W212 where they tried to “get us ready” for curves by awkwardly pasting them to the angular body. And now the new E, while handsome and with a lovely interior, looks almost indistinguishable from the C and S despite the fact that for many years, the E has had a distinct look.
I like your E, I’m happy you’re happy with it and I hope it continues to be reliable. You’ve gone from a Nitro to an E-Class (!!) so I can only imagine what your husband will choose to replace this!
Nice to see a picture of the happy couple too 🙂
They also removed the rear “pontoon” fender flares for the E-Class’ 2014 facelift on the sedan and wagon (but retained them on the coupe and cabriolet). I thought it looked better with them, TBH, even with the curvier design motifs.
Exactly, Kyree. And the second-gen CLS was the best use of those pontoon fenders. I really wonder what the next-gen CLS will look like, especially considering how curvy and slippery the E looks now. They’ll have to really bring their A-game.
I prefer the pontoon-less rear sides and the revised LED taillights of the 2014-2016 E-Class, but I much prefer the front fascia with its quad headlights and standard hood ornament of the pre-2014s.
I had always loved how the e-class looked different compared to the C- and S-class. The quad lights always said E. Where the BMWs and the Audis all looked like the “same sausage, different lengths”… Mercedes bucked that trend for a long time (at least until the 2017 E debuted).
I prefer the pre-facelift W212. The single piece headlights of the post-facelift don’t look quite right. Although I do love the LED taillights of the post-facelift, they kept essentially the same shape.
Agreed–pre-facelift W212 is better. I rather liked the heritage nod of the ponton rear fender flares, and the quad lamp look was an E-class hallmark for three generations. Just didn’t look right when they “blobified” the lamps.
I never “saw” the Ponton in those rear fenders. In fact, I found them rather spacey and unattractive. Now I have a new perspective, bringing back back memories of a dark blue (gasoline) Ponton Benz that we once got as a loaner from the independent Volvo garage where my parents’ car was serviced, maybe 50 years ago. Read CC – get your eyes opened! And these late-model diesel E Class are very appealing.
You guys are lucky to live in California. The foreclosure you suffered through would have prevented you getting better and better cars afterword. In California, unlike most states, the lender can’t come back to the borrower for any remaining balance due after taking the house. That is why the downturn was especially hard on California’s banks.
That trip meter display is really quite impressive. Jaguar with the new XF and I am sure Mercedes with the new E class will now offer 4 cylinder turbo diesels. As tech gets better, it is interesting to imagine how high the numbers can go, all while sitting in the lap of luxury. The XF is rated 42 highway, but I have found recent highway numbers pessimistic.
Yet another great COAL. A perfect car for a cross-country road trip too. I’m glad the “Valdez Event” was not the end for the car, and it’s a great example of the benefits of the CPO program (a complicated German without warranty coverage is a no-no in my book). Enjoy those next 30K miles before the CPO runs out!
Just think – the underside of the car will be pretty well rust-proofed now!
Excellent post! We bought the 2013 e350 BlueTec we began leasing in June of that year at the end of lease and the only complaint I’ve had to this point – at 33K miles – is that the runflat tires are a bit noisy. So comfortable and the car just effortlessly eats up the miles on trips.
Yes, the run flats are a bit noisy. We are actually about to buy a new set of tires for the car and have decided on replacing them with non-run flat tires. We are willing to run the risk of not having the run flats to have a more compliant and quieter ride.
Nice comparison here, “old” E-Class coupe vs the new one.
On the coupe, I was annoyed that the strip of glass that does not roll down stayed. MB being the last sellers of true hardtops.
The rear has also taken on a Acura look. Does anybody know if the E coupe is still really a C class?
The old / current E-Class coupe was on the C-Class platform. However, the new one is a true E-Class coupe.
Well, the old one was on the W204 platform, then why in this world Mercedes did also a C coupe??? That bugs me to this day
Great honest account of your E350 Bluetec experience so far! Count me in as mostly a fan of these cars. They ooze elegant style inside and out, with high quality interiors and numerous classic M-B touches.
I’ve had the opportunity to drive several gasoline E350s of this generation over the past few years (2011, 2013, 2015; coincidentally all black-on-black). I can concur with you on the great ride quality, a little easier on the bumps than a F10 5 Series but hardly floaty.
Acceleration in the E350 gasoline model isn’t anything spectacular (similar to my mom’s 2013 GLK350 with the same engine), even in sport mode, but the E-Class has always struck me as more of an autobahn cruiser than a street racer.
My two main gripes with this E-Class from behind the wheel are the steering, which I found far to loose and lacking of feedback, and the column-mounted gearshift stalk. The latter is the same one in my mom’s car, and I’ve just never really become used to it. Even in an automatic, there’s just something satisfying about grabbing a substantial-feeling shifter between the front seats.
Glad to hear your ownership experience has been mostly pleasurable, even with a few hiccups. The more complex a car’s mechanics are, the more problems are likely to arise, but being a car guy it’s a negative that far under-weighs the experience of owning a German luxury car.
I like that they put the shifter on the column, but I wish they’d get rid of the console too…
It took just a little bit to get used to the shifter in the Benz. As I think it is with most cars, if you drive it more than a few days and it is your daily driver you get used to it. Bouncing between the Benz and my Magnum (trans lever in the console), I’ve never had any issues with switching it up between the two. I did have more issues bouncing between the Benz and my Mustang (manual trans). I can’t count how many times muscle memory took over and I slammed my left foot into the floor board expecting a clutch when starting the car.
Thanks for the great write up. Yep that’s a very nice car that is a great vehicle and everything you mentioned towards the end is why I would never own a “high mileage” high end car. (oil filter excepted as a guy in our shop has done this twice but fortunately not lost an engine).
However, that is some ambitious driving that you did over the course of three days. I have driven the same stretches and I can’t say that I envy you. Some day I hope to be able to do the same routes taking more time to experience the trip.
I hope that the warranty continues to serve you well, I myself just dumped the BMW at 64k as it was already starting to implode. ( replaced it with a 2015 Rav4 Limited with 15k on it, doesn’t ride as nice but the seats don’t hurt me either)
Enjoy the Benzer and may it serve you well.
Several friends have german luxury cars (BMW, Audi, Benz)…. none of them will own them outside of warranty. One had a BMW 135i, and had the turbos replaced twice (!!) under warranty. They currently have a 650 Gran Coupe, and it’s coming up on warranty expiration. Already starting to think about a replacement.
Great COAL, folks! I loathed the styling of those in pictures, but a few years later, those striking as some of the most beautiful Mercs ever. The Coupe is a work of art.
Now the new one, it looks good, but what the heck? Looks like a C class, which looks like an S class, which looks like an extended A Class with a trunk. I hate this new styling language with a passion, even if the cars look good. Why? It all started with the CLA and the W213.
The A Class, needed a redesign to get sales. They designed a striking compact that became a runaway success, and the Renault dCi engine made it more affordable and was a sorted out powerplant.
Then the W222 S Class. Actually looked good, and skyrocketed Mercedes’ advantage compared to others.
Then the CLA. What the f*#k? Longer than a C Class, yet based on the A Class (that means more cramped) and could be had with that 1.5 liter Diesel that didn’t match it’s looks?
Then the W205 C class. The C has always been a mini-me S Class, and had a gorgeous interior. Nothing wrong.
Then the W213 E class came out. The hate that the CLA was causing was now cemented. Absolutely equal to the other sedans. Another mini me S class. Wasn’t that the C Class’ role? An E class was always different, either with their quad headlights or with horizontal taillights. Not anymore. And it came so close to the S class that it might take some sales off it.
My favourite E Classes are still the W212 (yours) and W211 mk2 (give a 220 CDI of those anytime!)
Now about your COAL, the attachment says it all
Eeek. This reminds me why we never keep German cars after the warranty expires. It amazes me that such expensive cars can be so badly built/engineered (wherever you want to lay the blame). I don’t want to set off a reliability war in the comments, but honestly, it was experiences like this that will probably keep us from returning to (modern) German vehicles. Our CPO X5 had all sorts of expensive issues (under warranty) before we dumped it. Same goes for an older CPO 5-series. And an Audi. And I won’t even begin the list of my brother’s troubles with his Benzes and BMWs and Audis…
The lesson we learned: the more reliable alternatives are less fun, but they leave more room in our family’s budget to keep our classic cars going.
I think maybe your expectations are too high. Brian and his husband passed 100k with the original engine and transmission. The car may have a long life left as a beater, but it’s luxury days are behind it. Being rich means not having to deal with a car past it’s sell by date.
His expectations are not high. Ask a Lexus driver how many issues they have had with their cars. It can be done.
The only Lexus in my family was a RX300 that my sister in law bought new. It was trouble free until some electrical problems started happening around 75k. It was traded for a Buick Rendevous. She has since had 2 more Enclaves.
But the problems listed all happened before 100k.
I don’t care what happens to a care when it enters the used car/2-3 previous owners circuit but damn, while its still pretty new the trim/leather shouldn’t be crapping out!
I think it’s a little premature to refer to a 4 year old Mercedes as a beater, now isn’t it? Even with 100K on the clock and some problems starting to crop up? It’s still got (CPO) warranty left ferchrissakes!
A lot of W210s look like semi-beaters, not the ones after that E-Class series. The whole continent here is still littered with immaculate W211s, let alone W212s.
Impressive combination of performance, economy and smoothness. Apparently this car is one of the Bluetec engines involved in a class action lawsuit for using a deactivate device when the temperature falls below 50 degrees, allowing NOX to be 19 to 65 times higher than permitted by federal law. Maybe if your lucky the law will force Mercedes into a VW type buyback before the extended warranty is up. Not nearly the media coverage like VW has had for it’s defeat device, although much less blatant then shutting off it’s NOX system after emission testing like VW.
I found an Autoweek test of a 2013 E350 (4059 lbs!) where the reviewer reported over 5 days of 23.2 MPG. He said he got 33 MPG at highway speed, although he didn’t state what that speed was. Must have been really driving it hard to only get that, considering how much better your MPG has been. Maybe these engines need several thousands of break in miles before they perform at their best. Nice write up.
I had to search that article for the E350, to make sure they weren’t referring to the gas model. Nope, it was the Bluetec and that is some horrible mileage for their overall observed. We have never gotten mileage that bad….ever. I do tend to think that journalists do flog their cars really really hard, and that might be why the observed mileage was so low.
Regarding the 100k high speed dash picture. The engine is sure turning at a low rpm. When did MB get away from short gearing to maximize top speed?
…”The engine is sure turning at a low rpm”…
Simply because it’s a diesel engine. The numbers of the 3.0 liter V6 OM642 diesel as currently used:
max. 258 hp @ 3,400 rpm
max. 457 ft-lbs @ 1,600 – 2,400 rpm
Your big block V8 gasoline engine is our 6-cylinder diesel, in a way.
Here’s a nice video, acceleration to 220 km/h. All gauges clearly visible.
Love that on the digital display the numbers rise by increments of 2 or 3 even above 200 km per hour.
A diesel is incapable of high rpm. Full story here: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-tech-why-diesel-engines-intrinsically-make-more-torque-and-power-than-gas-engines/
I worked in sales at Mercedes until earlier this year. The CPO warranty is unlimited mileage, just time based, and can be extended to up to 7 years from original in service date. Other than cosmetic issues, the CPO warranty is basically the same as the new car warranty, and in my experience, the only way to buy a MB is to get a CPO one. A couple of years ago I sold a 6 month old S350 diesel to a regional sales manager who was going to be driving about 40k a year. He extended the warranty to 7 years, meaning he had 6.5 years of warranty at time of purchase. That means he could drive 260k while still under factory warranty!
I imagine that this is not a question that a typical Mercedes buyer would ask, but can the owner do their own service under a CPO? I don’t like letting other people work on my cars unless necessary; the o-ring story is a perfect example of why.
Hmmm…. will have to check that out regarding the mileage limits. I know from a time perspective we have 1 more year on the CPO warranty.
I experienced a similar incident with the 7-speed automatic in my 2006 SLK with 96,000 miles (COAL forthcoming). I was stuck in stop and go traffic for about a half hour, with speeds ranging from 0 to 20 mph. Once the traffic cleared, I noticed that the engine was revving awful high (6000+ at 70MPH). I tried manually shifting the gears, and it wouldn’t do anything.
I soon figured out that the car was stuck in 4th gear, possibly in some sort of limp home mode. I pulled over, turned of the engine and started it up again, and everything worked fine, and I’ve never seen the problem again.
I’m going to chalk it up to electronics, but when i get the car out again in the spring I’m going to have the transmission flushed just in case.
Read with interest…nicely written!
I’ve been tempted on occasion recently to buy a “pre-owned” late model German premium sedan, either an E-class Benz, Audi A7 or 5-series Bimmer…there seem to be some pretty good apparent deals out there on MY 2012-2014 examples.
Gotta tell ya, though, these kinds of potentially costly repair issues, which seem to occur with regularity on semi-high mileage premium German sedans – and which are the proximate cause of the rapid depreciation on a lot of these cars – give me serious pause. Good thing you have an extended warranty!
At least around here, Benz E class prices seem to drop like rocks, but Bimmer 5s and Audi 6s hold up a bit better.
I like E classes, but every time I drive one I come away with that “Meh…” feeling. I like the hood ornament though…
Then drive an AMG.
An off-lease CPO car is the way to go if you want to experience the German car experience. You’re payment is a lot less because you didn’t take the initial depreciation hit and you still have a damn good warranty coverage that is usually longer than the original factory warranty.
We get a combined 31-32 mpg, usually 38 on extended highway trips, e.g., NorCal to SoCal.
I shopped the BMW… nice car, but have family and work colleagues who steered me away from them and Audi.
“Apparently coating everything in hot engine oil isn’t good for parts of the suspension.”
Don’t tell that to anyone who’s owned a Ford with the DOHC 4.6 motor. (I don’t recall a Mach 1 among your Mustangs or you’d probably know this firsthand). The position of the filter, at least in the two applications I had (Mark VIII and Marauder) makes it patently impossible to remove without turning it over in the process, causing oil to get all over the suspension pieces in the neighborhood as well as one of the lower crossmembers. Fun times.
That CPO warranty is rather remarkable. Unlimited mileage? I wonder what the extension cost is for the max term… I’m starting to wonder if I should cross-shop a CPO GLK against the other theoretical contenders from more “moderate” cost makes when we decide to replace the Forte Koup!
I’ve never owned the DOHC modular engine, just the SOHC. I do remember that in the 2005 engine, the oil filter was pretty close to horizontal, so it would get oil everywhere. The trick I learned was to use a gallon size ziploc bag and position it over the filter, and spin the filter off into the bag. That made things a lot cleaner.
The worst, though, was the 225 slant six in the Aspen. That filter was mounted with the openings pointed downward!!!! There was no way you could get the filter off without draining oil all down the side of the engine. It was the worst design I’ve ever seen. Check the chrome oil filter in the image to see what I’m talking about.
Reading about owner’s experiences with real miles accruing is always interesting to me. I wish the MB wagon came in diesel- it would be a fantastic hauling vehicle for the business my partner and I have. Wagons + great mileage = sexy, at least in my book. Congrats to your wedding and cool car. Keep on rolling, gents.
I’ve got over 150k on my 2011 e350 diesel, and it’s still running great. I did have a similar episode to your no kick down thing, and it turned out to be a boost pressure sensor in the intake that put the car into a no-boost mode. Other than a broken radiator hose, it has never left me stranded