2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan
After many generations of styling its midsize E-Class cars to suit somewhat elderly conservative buyers, Mercedes took an all-new tack with the W212 Series. Mercedes realised that young(ish), wealthy people wanted the prestige of upmarket German cars – but also wanted stylish machines
This Merc is attractive car and gathered lots of sales virtually immediately – though some of the elderly fuddy-duddies turned up their aristocratic noses. There are plenty on the used car market these days, but some are getting on in years so be sure to have a professional check them out – and get a quote for all repairs.
The W212 was facelifted in August 2013, receiving a large three-dimension grille centred around the iconic three-pointed star. Inside it retained the same overall design, but upgrading of materials increase the feeling of luxury.
Mercedes-Benz W213 E-Class arrived here in August 2016. It’s longer than the W212, with increased wheelbase and track. It’s marginally lower and narrower. There’s increased legroom in the rear seat, but there may still be times when the person sitting behind the driver will have to do a deal on who gets what leg space.
The dash was a totally new design with a glass screen running two thirds of the way across and displaying multiple modes. There are two separate areas, one directly in front of the driver containing the major instruments which can be set up in different ways. The other contains the satellite navigation maps and Mercedes Comand displays.
2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet
Body choices in the E-Class are many and varied: four-door sedan, five-door wagon, two-door cabriolet/convertible and two-door coupe. Sedans are still in the majority but coupes and cabriolets are becoming increasingly popular. The aforementioned dates refer to the sedans, the other body shape typically arrived four to 12 months later.
Avantgarde Mercedes models lean in the direction of sportiness, while Elegance refers to just that, ‘elegance’, in the direction of traditional Mercs.
All of these Benzes have a reassuringly solid feel due to their strongly engineered bodies, making for low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.
These Mercs are better than average in their class on rough Australian bush roads and have long been popular with farmers. They make excellent motorway cruisers as they are designed for high-speed German autobahns.
Engine choices are numerous: four, six or eight cylinders fuelled by petrol or diesel. Turbo-petrol engines have become increasingly the norm in European cars over the past few years and Mercedes is one of the leaders in this field.
Automatic transmissions ranged from five- to nine- speed units in the period being discussed here. The more ratios the better in some ways, but honestly even the old autos are probably all you need.
Many E-Class cars will always have been serviced by authorised Mercedes dealers and this adds to their resale value. Check the logbook and if the car was been continuously serviced this way and it may be worthwhile to spend the extra dollars to keep it a ‘pure’ Mercedes-Benz.
Many non-authorised Mercedes repairers are operated by qualified Mercedes mechanics who have set up their own business. They may not have the same access to the latest updates on the cars from Mercedes’ head office.
2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan
Insurance is generally moderately priced because the E-Class, despite going more stylish recent times, still tend to appeal to relatively conservative buyers.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Do your own initial checks to find any obvious mistakes but call for a professional inspection afterwards.
Look over the interior for signs of rough usage; kids can sometimes do terrible things to cars and show no respect for upmarket ones.
Check for indications of previous crash repairs. If these appear to have been extensive, have a full inspection done by a panel shop that specialises in upmarket cars, or by your motoring association.
Before starting your test drive turn on the ignition and check all the warning lights. If any remain on that should be off when the engine is running there may be cause for serious concern – it’s time for the aforementioned professional to do their thing.
Arrange to start the engine when it’s stone cold, ideally after an overnight stop. It should kick over almost instantly and immediately settle into a smooth idle.
Diesels will be slightly slower than petrols to fire up but only by a couple of seconds.
Some older-design diesels are rather noisy when listened to from outside, but moderately quiet inside. If not, it might be an idea to look for another car.
Check the automatic transmission engages gear promptly from Neutral or Park and that it shifts are virtually imperceptibly. Some harshness is permissible in full-throttle changes but not at other times.
HOW MUCH?
Expect to pay from $12,000 to $17,000 for a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E220 Elegance; $23,000 to $31,000 for a 2013 E250 Avantgarde; $30,000 to $41,000 for a 2013 E400; $37,000 to $42,000 for a 2015 E250 Cabriolet; $45,000 to $59,000 for a 2015 E400 Coupe; $59,000 to $80,000 for a 2016 E400 wagon; $72,000 to $96,000 for a 2018 E 350e Hybrid; and $91,000 to $106,000 for a 2018 E450 Cabriolet
CAR BUYING TIP
Buying into the champagne end of the car market on a beer budget? Hmm … prestige cars are nice but make sure you have access to money just in case.
RECALLS: To browse recalls on all vehicles go to the ACCC at: www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/cars/
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