Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloon (2002 - 2008) E280 CDI Sport 4d Tip Auto (06) (2008/58) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Too sensible to buy a new E-Class and loose £30,000 in depreciation!. Family have started calling it Shabby-Chic, Shabby as it's 5 years old but Chic as it's still a quality product. This sums the car up well.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Everybody likes it. People comment on the quality, comfort, performance, standard equipment etc etc.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes, without doubt. I really think I purchased the right E-Class for me. I would advise choosing engine and spec carefully, to my mind the V6 engine suits the relaxed nature of this car much better than the 4 cylinder models. I have also owned a 2008 CLK 220cdi (147hp) and this engine has returned only about 2mpg less in my daily driving. Possibly due to the 7 speed gearbox, or the fact that the engine is usually under worked.

What are you likely to buy next?

I guess a newer model E-Class, but as I can't fault this one that could be a long way off.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£14,000

When did you buy the car?

June 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

Being an approved used Mercedes the car was prepared to a very high standard, came fully serviced & MOT'd with the backup of a 1 year warranty. In addition the car still has the remainder of it's 30 year (yes 30 year!) breakdown cover. The car I purchased had a below average mileage and some nice optional extra's fitted (COMMAND etc). In comparison our local Jaguar main dealership had an E200k Sport of similar age and mileage, none of the extras fitted to my car and less than £1000 between the prices. My E280cdi has more power, a 7G-tronic gearbox, better efficiency and is cheaper to tax than the E200k. In summary I was very happy with the deal I received.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I purchased this car for it's blend of performance, luxury, comfort and safety.

What was the dealer like?

Most helpful. I have purchased a car from our local Mercedes dealership previously and would be prepared to do so again. They always return calls and e-mails promptly, have an excellent product knowledge and make you feel most welcome. After Sales/Service can be a little slow at arranging warranty repairs, however the work is always done to a very high standard. I also appreciate that a Technician has always been available to explain work completed. There is freshly ground coffee, newspapers and a selection of chilled drinks offered free of charge in the "AMG Lounge" (Service area!) so I find waiting for a repair isn't a chore. I know this is all part of the reason why main dealerships charge so much, but Mercedes seem to do more than most to justify this.

What's it like to drive?

Extremely comfortable. The car is widely acknowledged as being the comfortable choice between it and the BMW 5 series / Audi A6 and I fully agree. Having owned a 5 series I can say that, to me, this a much more comfortable car. Noise levels are always low, The 7 speed gearbox is very good; smooth & fast changes and always seems to be in the right gear. The sports trim level brings stiffer suspension and larger brake calipers with cross drilled brake discs. This means the car is a little firmer than the standard model but doesn't seem to have a huge impact on ride comfort. The car handles nicely, seems very balanced and overall I think this suspension set up is better suited to the B and unclassified roads I mostly drive on.

What's it like to park?

It is a large car but visibility is excellent and thanks to the front and rear parking sensors (with visual displays) parking isn't too difficult.

Have you had any problems with the car?

About 2 weeks after collecting the car it developed a quiet popping sound from the front suspension when moving at low speeds. This took three visits to the dealer to repair, on the first visit a technician and I went out to try and locate the source noise, on the second visit new front anti roll bar bushes were fitted but the technician apologised as this had not fixed the problem. On the third visit both front springs and shock absorbers were replaced and the noise has now gone.

What's most practical about your car?

The luggage capacity. The boot on the car is very large, a sensible shape and has a wide and practical opening. To date I have not found a situation where the boot wasn't big enough. Ikea trips, days out and holidays the E-Class has carried everything with room to spare.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

I particularly like the COMMAND system, it offers navigation, audio, bluetooth and dvd playback. The navigation system is quite basic compared with modern portable devices, for example there are no 3D maps and full postcode entry isn't an option. That said with new maps loaded it's routes have been faultless and it locks onto a GPS signal far quicker than any portable device I have ever seen. As a bonus I can see traffic problems ahead (which never worked on my tom tom from day one!) and when parked I can watch dvd's in the car.