Mercedes E Class reviews

This is the second e class estate I have owned,I use the car as a private hire taxi,and do at least 30000 miles a year. The good points,( in my experience )nothing goes wrong for the first 100000 miles,from a mechanical point of view,they are very good,the last one I did over 200000 miles,never had to top up the coolant,or the oil between oil changes.Electrically there were some issues with intermittent faults that are hard to diagnose,and you can spend a lot of time and money trying. The second one is a 211 model,its done 107000 so far,and had no real problems.I do most of the servicing myself,(I repaired cars for a living for 30 years)except were special equipment is required. It has xenon headlights which are very good when they are working,expensive when they not.I do most of my driving at night,and the first pair of bulbs did just over 100000 miles.The bulbs are about £80 each,and fairly easy to change,but the left hand one stopped working recently,it turned out to be the control unit which fits to the bottom of the light unit,you have to remove,bumper,light cluster,to get at it,and this little electronic box was £444,and there is one each side.I expect most owners will not do this much night driving so this might not be a big issue. Overall I like the car,I am often in for 10 to 12 hours at a time,the most I have done in one shift is about 550 miles,and I find it very comfortable,I am 6 foot 5 tall and about 16 stone,so some cars feel very cramped. To some up,if it got trashed tomorrow I would buy another one,I guess that is why Mercedes seem to be the vehicle of choice for taxis throughout most of Europe.

A very comfortable three-piece suite on wheels which performs effortlessly and is relaxing to drive and feels solid. It's a bit like the ads put out by Apple - "It just works". Nice chunky controls. Excellent motorway cruiser. Also car park attendants and other fold seem to be more polite to Merc drivers than, say, Fiesta ones (I used to use a lot of small hire cars as I worked all over the UK) . Pity about the poor bodywork, though. I had a new bonnet, boot lid and both front wings replaced under warranty within seven years of purchase and now there are various bits of blistering paint and rust. However, as the car is 15 years old I can't really complain, but the bodywork will probably result in me scrapping it while it is still in excellent mechanical condition, although the car has been garaged since new and has probably spent an average of fewer than ten nights a year in the open. No serious repairs in 15 years and it got through the last two MoT tests with no work needed. Probably worth about £500 now against the original cost of about £30,000. As I used to be self-employed, however, I was able to claim capital allowances equivalent to about £7,000 over the years, so total depreciation has been about £23,000 or £1,500 per year which adds up to a highly cost effective package and an advert for buying a quality car. Will definitely replace it with another Mercedes.

This is our first experience of a luxury saloon car, previously having needed a people carrier for the family and their friends. We are very impressed with the comfort and noise levels. It handles smoothly with good acceleration at junctions, though we have noticed that this has improved markedly with the use of V-power diesel. (This costs about £7 per tank-full more but is worth it). We were warned that being a rear wheel drive it may not be good in snow/ice, but with winter tyres on we have had no problems despite living at the bottom of a 1:4 hill. The interior upholstery, cubby holes and gadgets clean up to look like new and none of the moving parts have broken. Everything that moves or opens feels solid and secure. In our third year of ownership (car 6 years old) we have had to replace both front suspension springs and the driver's side ball joints, but the roads here are extremely pot-holed which is significant. My one disappointment...rather cheap looking analogue clock, the mechanism of which is set slightly askew so it is always 2 minutes slow.

The Mercedes E320 is an extremely comfortable car that makes motorway driving very relaxing. It is at it's best in cruise control on a long run when fuel economy is really quite good. I have driven from London to Brussels and back on one tank of diesel. Even on local roads it gives you very quick acceleration to get out of awkward situations although fuel consumption is not good on short journeys as you would expect from a car with such a large engine. The car has lots of 'extras' as standard which I have got used to now, like heated seats and automatic light sensors that operate the main headlights. Also front and rear parking sensors along with a built in satnav although this feature can be frustrating as it does not use post codes. My model also has a panoramic glass roof which means that the inside of the car is nice and light in all conditions. Overall an excellent vehicle.

Can't fault my Merc Estate after 2 years of driving it and completing nearly 25,000 miles. It's worth taking out a Merc monthly payment plan to cover servicing costs as several hundred pounds can be saved over 2 years. The ride is smooth and the road bumps disappear. The cabin is spacious with a huge amount of room for the rear passengers. The boot compartment is cavernous. The performance is awesome with very smooth acceleration. Driving carefully on long motorway-type journeys, 30 odd miles per gallon can be achieved and on a recent 2,000 mile plus trip to France on holiday, 32 miles per gallon resulted - not bad since only 33 miles per gallon was achieved in 2 litre Mondeo Estate a couple of years ago on a similar trip. One very, very minor gripe is that the throttle response is slightly lagging. And, the DAB radio is superb.

I got used to Mercedes as company cars and have now had 3 over 10 years of retirement. My present car is comfortable, economical and stylish and delivers exactly what I expected from it. It is nice to be handed the seat belt! I usually get over 60mpg on motorway journeys of over an hour. The rear seats drop down so I can carry the bulky objects I often need as a keen DIYer. Generally I have what I paid for. It had only two drawbacks when I bought it; the cost of adding sat. nav. was extortionate and there is nowhere to store a decent sized road atlas. The other limitation I subsequently discovered is that the hands free will not work with all common smart phones. I'll have to change model when I replace it as my friends are getting older and have difficulty getting into the back seats of a two door car.

The E-Series is a big car and is not really designed for urban environments or narrow country lanes. However, it is very comfortable, easy to drive, powerful, and, if driven carefully, nearly 50mpg can be attained. The car does need regular (not frequent - once a year for me) servicing by a Mercedes specialist. This is more costly than a smaller car, but the advantages are clear. Performance can be excellent, but it is not a car to 'thrash': more to enjoy the comfort of cruising at 70mph, rather than as a getaway car at 90mph, but it will travel smoothly at higher speeds. Reliability seems to be built-in, but it still needs a specialist. I use a Mercedes-trained garage, not a main dealer: it means the car is not valeted, but it is still well looked after.

I cannot begin to say how happy I was with your service and the friendliness I received during my two visits to buy my Mercedes E350 saloon which caught my eye while surfing the net. I enjoyed the banter with most of the staff in the sales office in particular with “Matt the Manc” what an enjoyable experience that was, talking about Liverpool football team and that shower from Manchester? You did me proud with the deal of which I could not have completed without your generous cash back offer, I will have no hesitation of recommending your company to anyone and everyone. Thank you from a very happy customer. Andre R Vanblaere.

Dealer was friendly and helped on details for the car. However on returning home command system required service was overdue. This incurred additional cost for replacement of ball joint plus oil sensor and general items. Workshop identified fault on glow plug and steering still stiff after replacement of ball joints so will require stripping down power steering. I am happy with the car generally but didn't expect to incur repair costs so soon Have spoken with warranty company on what is covered which doesn't include glow plugs but parts of steering as it a bronze level warranty. So AA Cars an upgrade on warranty would be welcome.

The 3 Litre Diesel engine in the E Class has a lot of torque which makes for effortless driving. The electronic aids are designed to "look after" the driver and do a good job of inspiring confidence and making driving easier. Long distances can be covered without tiredness infringing. Comfort is good but the lowered suspension and low profile tyres on the Avantgarde model make for some harshness over certain road surfaces - would not choose this option again. Fuel economy is excellent for such a large car - 50mpg on long journeys. I plan to retein this car for five/six years so am comforted by the models proven durability.

Although quite old it is still like new. Automatic gears, road lights, air conditioning, rain sencing wipers, dimming rear view and rh door mirror, lighting on unlocking on approach, head light automatic levelling, very good mpg, over 50 on good runs, interior lighting including foot wells, very comfortable seating, simple bolt to hold wheel to take off and replace, very good looking both inside (light colours) and out (telite blue) and very well designed shape. Cruise control, takes out right foot aches on motorways and set on speed limits avoiding speeding and having to keep checking speedo so keeping eyes on the road etc!

My first used car after almost 40 years of buying only new models and my first diesel car too. The car was superbly presented, low mileage (for this model) and not a mark on it inside or out. It had been regularly serviced by Mercedes specialists. Apart from the diesel clatter on cold starts it is quiet and smooth at open road speeds but the noise and a rather lumpy feeling are less agreeable at low speeds in urban areas. A good buy for such an impressive safe and comfortable vehicle but I will opt for a smaller M-B and a petrol engine next time. I will also buy a new car rather than a used model.

The E class cabriolet is a beautiful car to look at - elegant lines and sporty finish. Super to drive although some will find the 200 model underpowered. It's fine for me though. Fantastically comfortable on a long drive and around town, it eats up the miles on any journey. Great through corners and solid as a rock on the straight. The boot could be bigger, but that would be at the expense of the good looks. With the top down we've still managed to get 2 suitcases in which will be sufficient for most. All in a lovely car to own and enjoy.

Second E Class I have owned and bought from new. The Diesel engine is very quiet, powerful when needed and very economic. The body style is classic Mercedes and although a large car is very easy to drive with good visibility all round. The interior is very comfortable with an excellent driving position. It has plenty of adjustment to the seats and wheel with memory. Road holding is excellent. I like the intelligent lighting system and it has lots of additional safety features that make you feel safe. Would recommend the E Class to everyone

This car has been the most comfortable and reliable car I have ever owned. I use it daily for work and drive 25k + miles per year. Because of this I have always had it serviced by Mercedes and now have 160k miles on the clock. Heated leather seats are a must and a top of the range stereo system make the miles fly by and the larger engine is never strained. There is lots of performance for overtaking swiftly and the softer Elegance Suspension gives a fantastic smooth ride. I would happily keep this car for another 100k miles

I have now owned my MB E350cdi estate from new for 14 months. I am very pleased with every aspect of it. In particular, I find it vey economical, averaging over 50mpg overall and giving a range of well over 700 miles. I have even exceeded 60mpg on a couple of long runs. My only criticism as that many accessories which should now be standard factory fits on a £40,000+ vehicle are in fact expensive optional extras. But it's always been that way with Mercs!

Very stylish. Gets lots of looks/comments. I feel the engine could be a little more larger than 2 litre. Its a big heavy car, although it does perform quite well, it just needs a little more. The next engine size up in this model range - if I remember correctly is - 4 litre: 0 - 62mph in 'good morning, judge'. Not what I need these days! The other thing I find amazing is that for a near £40K car it doesn't have front fog/driving lamps!!

This car has now covered over 150,000 miles and is still totally reliable. I have taken it on many long trips across Europe and it has been comfortable,economical and fast enough to keep up with even German motorway traffic. The running costs are very low as nothing needs attention other than routine servicing. The only reason I will change it shortly is because years of stone chips and car park dents are starting to make it a bit scruffy.

The most reliable car I have ever owned, consequently the cheapest to run. It is quiet, comfortable and spacious. The performance is adequate but I could do with a bit more power. It is at its best doing long journeys, it often returns over 40 mpg, I regularly cover more than 500 miles in a day but suffer no discomfort. When it finally dies, and there is no sign of this yet, I will replace it with a later Mercedes as similar as possible.

I love my car ! It is a pleasure to drive and so comfortable. My only suggestion would be to move the solid sections of steering wheel to a different angle as the indicator and cruise control arms are not visible unless you're turning a corner (which would be the worst time to take your eyes off the road). My car does everything for me from telling me that my tyre pressures are incorrect to when my next service is due.