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New W212 owner, pros and cons vs W211

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1.5K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  shertex  
C
#1 ·
Well, I totaled my W211 E350 at 170k mi and had to find a new car in a hurry. I ended up with a 2014 E550 4matic with 133k mi. My assessment after a few weeks:

Pros:
-Fewer miles and the suspension is still pretty tight
-Quieter because the E350 needed a new bearing in the diff
-Leather, ventilated seats
-2 more cylinders
-1 free turbo with each extra cylinder
-More HP
-Less banged up rims and body
-Cool looking headlights
-2 more speeds in transmission
-No windshield pitting
-Cameras AND sonar sensors

Cons:
-Rear headrests don't go down all the way
-Center clock
-Lock mechanism on doors instead of center console
-Some headlight elements are already very yellow
-Wood is faded
-Some exterior chrome is peeling
-Front camera lens is completely shattered
-Cam sensors and magnets are leaking oil :O
-Washer bottle is broken and leaks (a lot)
-Coolant line to washer bottle is leaking (a tiny bit)
-Some kind of oil hose is leaking (just barely)
-Windshield washer stalk is on the left
-Column shifter
-No rear side sunshades
-I need to debadge it which at this point will require some paintwork
-Instrument cluster no longer says VDO
-Less space to work under the hood (but worth it)
-Seal around trunk lock is missing so water gets inside the trunk lid

Overall it's a big upgrade and the car looks sick. Been driving the hell out of it even as I wait for parts to arrive.
 
C
#3 ·
Definitely. The W212 has a lot of upgrades and is way more of a car for the money, but the W211 is really solid and still looks great. I will have another one some day, possibly an E550 or AMG.

I forgot to mention some other cons of the W212:
-body panel gaps are large and some are uneven
-the cool looking headlights (DRLs specifically) are already yellow and there's no way to fix that without replacing the entire module which contains 17 different functions.
 
#5 ·
Congrats,
I have not driven any W211s but W212 namely FL models are extremely good cars . Besides, central door locks on the doors are rendered neatly to me , because it shows Mercedes-Benz don't spare $$$ on the car in the buttons and I find it better placement over center console . It's a personal preference you know .
M278 is a great engine too
 
#6 ·
Some of your issues are not due to 212 or 211 but due to conditions. I never had a 211 but have driven a few of them. I did have 2 W212’s (2010 E550 and a 2012 E350). I liked everything about the 211’s except for the reliability issues that took over the early models. The 2009 E350/550 211 to me is one of the best modern MB’s made. I wish more of them had a bit more options the 212 I liked everything about except the quality of the wood and I am not crazy about the 212’s center arm rest. I enjoyed both my 212’s and would buy one again. As far as a 211 goes, if I ever found a 2009 E350/550 with low miles (50,000 or under) I would probably buy it.
 
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#7 · (Edited)
I think the title is pretty much misleading, as the list applies to YOUR W212, when maybe 1/10 applies to my W212 .
My W212 Bluetec has less HP, than my previous W211 Bluetec, but when HP difference is not that big, the difference in MPG is HUMANGOUS. Both of them have the same 7G transmission, although the newer 7G+ is slightly different.
So when I like to buy newer cars for new technology, what actually sold me W212 is old-fashioned, analog-looking clock on center dashboard.
 
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