About the Mercedes Benz E Class
Bryce P purchased this Mercedes Benz E Class used for $18,800 (including all on-road costs) in 2021. Bryce P would buy this car again because: “If you have ears you’d understand. That and if you go like I did from Japanese cars to this, a peak piece of German engineering, it would also make sense to you. In other words, I would for sure buy another one.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
Some may say owning a Mercedes is to own a time bomb, a fault and breakdown is a matter of when, not if.
To the naysayers and people who say things like “yeah but a Camry is just as big, is cheaper to run and won’t break”, I say “yeah look you’re right, but can your Camry do this” as I set my memory seats and crank my Harmon Kardon sound system.
The E500 is a great example of why it is people buy a Mercedes-Benz and especially the era of my example, the W211 shows off many of the reasons in a very subdued, refined manner. It’s the kind of car you can take to a night at the Casino and not feel out of place about having a valet park it for you, but also one that can hold its own at your local kebab shop amongst the countless S15 Silvias and other Japanese greats.
The version I run is the refreshed model which came to our shores around the late stages of 2006 and featured a few upgrades, one of which being the upgrade from the tried and true 5.0-litre V8 to a 5.5-litre V8 boasting just over 280kW… all of which was sent to the rear wheels. In an age of all-wheel drive hyper wagons and SUVs it is easy to forget the simple pleasure of not knowing if the amount of throttle you just applied will either get you around the corner, or if it will send you into an unsuspecting guard rail.
I mean sure, safety first and all but isn’t it just a bit cool that a car for accountants and business owners could also through pure brutal force, give you a sensation of excitement!
The interior in my example really shows the strength of German quality through the fact the seats have not one wrinkle, everything still works, and none of the speakers make that distinct raspy sound that happens after a few rounds of old mate’s favourite EDM tracks at full blast. It smells like a Benz too and those of you you who have been in a 2000s Benz, you know exactly the smell I mean.
It’s all part of the experience and one I fell in love with immediately.
The other thing that sold me was the space! You could honestly fit a whole German folk band in the back and the cabin itself is just the perfect balance of space and compactness as to give you ample room, but also make you feel safe and snug.
Yes, it has some issues… Upon two months of ownership I had to replace the rear airbag suspension parts and then after six months, the transmission decided it deserved a holiday and stopped working very suddenly on a relatively busy road.
These things can be fixed and honestly if you go into used Mercedes ownership not expecting to lose a few dollars on repairs, you might want to do a tad more research on used Mercedes ownership my friend.
The other downside would be fuel consumption. Let’s be brutally honest, if you buy a V8 and complain about how you spend about half your life searching for petrol stations then I’m going to have a guess that you didn’t really think about your purchase all that hard, but in all honestly German V8s in my experience are not all that bad in comparison to some other models.
On a freeway I might get around the 7.0 to 8.0 litre per 100km mark which is not all that bad and in the city it will usually sit around the 12 to 16 litre mark depending of course on how spirited I decide to drive.
Compared to my previous car which was a 2004 Subaru Liberty with a 2.0 litre turbo, it’s pretty well similar give or take a few litres so I’ve really been quite surprised. When it comes to filling up, the Olympic swimming pool sized fuel tank does make for some hefty expenditures at the bowser which again, I went in expecting.
All in all owning the W211 E500 has been an emotional rollercoaster which as many highs as lows, but what gets me is every time I start it and pull away (when the transmission decides that it is going to do its job) leaves me with the biggest grin on my face and to quote a wise man, it’s about the smiles per gallon, not the miles per gallon.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
It’s an experience, sometimes you’ll be damning all other cars and brands and exclaiming that it’s the best purchase you’ve ever made.
Other times you’ll look at the guy in his Honda Civic next door to you and think “wow, I bet it’s nice having a car that works”.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
The features are endless but not too over complicated. It has tri-zone climate control, airbag suspension, panoramic sunroof, Harmon Kardon surround sound, hold brake, AUX, a multi stacker CD player, interior ambient lighting, cruise control with speed limiting, Bluetooth phone (which was an option) and memory seat function.
Mine isn’t that highly specced out and some have more, but one quirky feature is the TV tuner that actually still works. I’ve only used it twice but it’s still a cool thing to show your mates the first time they jump in the car.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
Look… it’s a German V8.
The power delivery is fluid yet brutal. The sound is ungodly even with a stock exhaust and you never have a moment of “I wonder if I can pass this truck safely” whilst doing 110km/h on a highway. As with any German performance car, it’s unmatched.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
The technology is brilliant for 2007. Even so it’s not overly complicated to use and everything is where you expect it to be.
It does have some very “German” moment though such as the cupholder extension which usually is broken or just not added to the car. I would highly recommend looking it up as it is a hoot to see how overly complex it is
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
It’s one of the most comfortable rides I’ve ever experienced in a car. Pretty well on par with most newer luxury cars.
The seats aren’t quite at a Porsche or Volvo level but what the lack in plushness, they make up for in longevity and quality it make so the interior still looks basically new.
With the steering, it’s a land yacht so don’t expect zippy C63 AMG handling, but it wasn’t built for that so I can’t really complain there
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
If you want a great piece of German engineering that looks the part and feels even better, this is the car for you… just make sure you know someone who can help you fix it when it decides that it no longer wants to carry out the basic car function of driving.