You may have noticed that Mercedes has been ‘jazzing’ up its image in recent times, firstly with the exquisite S-Class and the stylish C-Class and Sport Coupe. Well one car that hasn’t caught up with the Merc revolution is the machine that is reviewed here. Mercedes may ... Read review
Mercedes A-Class - Hatchback - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / Autotronic - (Auto) - 1992 cc - Max Speed: 116 mph - 109 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: Elegance SE, Classic SE, Classic, Avantgarde SE, Long
Advantages: Refined motorway cruiser with bags of equipment Disadvantages: Dull looks, inferior to 5-Series
You may have noticed that Mercedes has been ‘jazzing’ up its image in recent times, firstly with the exquisite S-Class and the stylish C-Class and Sport Coupe. Well one car that hasn’t caught up with the Merc revolution is the machine that is reviewed here. Mercedes may have beaten BMW’s 7 and 3 Series hands down but it is a few miles back down the road with it’s M and E Class cars.
That’s not to ... ...consistently excellent component of any Mercedes and the E240 does not have any problems in this respect. Put your foot down and it responds immediately. The 2498cc engine offers plenty of punch and there is plenty of that for motorway overtaking manoeuvres or the more risky A road moves on the car ahead.
This car sticks to the road like glue, but to sit in one could be a bad thing. Do the Irish government all drive E Classes? If they ... more
You may have noticed that Mercedes has been ‘jazzing’ up its image in recent times, firstly with the exquisite S-Class and the stylish C-Class and Sport Coupe. Well one car that hasn’t caught up with the Merc revolution is the machine that is reviewed here. Mercedes may have beaten BMW’s 7 and 3 Series hands down but it is a few miles back down the road with it’s M and E Class cars.
That’s not to say that the E isn’t a good car, because it is a superb car. The problem is that the BMW 5 Series is so much better in every way. It is better looking, better handling, more enjoyable to drive, better equipment et cetera. The Audi A6 may even have the better of the E Class, certainly in terms of styling, although I have never driven a variant of the Audi.
But back to the main focus of this review… The E240 should not be underestimated, because it is a great car, smoother than a baby’s bottom and classier a dinner party with servants offering Fererro Rocher. It may not have the sexy good looks of its Bavarian rival, but it has the has the edge for sheer refinement.
This car is not as slab-like as the Mercs of old but not as coupe-like as the newer models. With it’s almost squared looking dimensions (especially at the rear) and its twinned rounded headlamps it is somewhere in between. This car looks solid, if not spectacular, strong, if not baring its muscles.
Inside it feels roomier than a Dutch plain. Sit in the back seat and you feel you may need to phone the driver to have a conversation (the driver has a hands-free kit, obviously). The seats feel comfier and more snug than an inviting settee with football on the telly and of course clad in leather, it feels genuinely posh. Sitting in the front seat and you will not need to reach very far to get at the controls because they’re all on the steering wheel. You can turn up the superb stereo up via the wheel if you like or change the disk in the CD Changer.
The dash is the quality you’d expect from a large executive machine although it lacks the style of the bigger S Class or even the 5 Series in this respect. Other than that you can have little complaint. The only complaint you might afford about the boot is that it if you push your luggage in far enough you may need a search party in to find it. The Elegance trim is decidedly refined looking adding an air of drawing room chic to the interior.
On the road is where the BMW beats it hands down, but the reason for this is not because the Merc is bad, the BMW is just so wonderful (Oh! When will I drive one again?). The auto ‘box is without question the most consistently excellent component of any Mercedes and the E240 does not have any problems in this respect. Put your foot down and it responds immediately. The 2498cc engine offers plenty of punch and there is plenty of that for motorway overtaking manoeuvres or the more risky A road moves on the car ahead.
This car sticks to the road like glue, but to sit in one could be a bad thing. Do the Irish government all drive E Classes? If they do, the superb ride has probably fooled them into thinking that all roads in Ireland are silky smooth and that there is no need for investment.
But the Merc doesn’t involve the driver anything like the BMW does. This car is a motorway cruiser and while it is perfectly capable of tackling the lower classification of carriageway it simply foes not have a sporty feel to it. It does not invite you to drive it with any real zeal or enthusiasm. This is a car for the calm, relaxed driver. Maybe your chauffer if you’re rich enough?
Given how complementary I’ve been in this review, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I love this car. The truth is that I don’t. There are cars I have affection for, like the Peugeot 205 I learnt to drive in, the VW Passat that has so much family sentimental value and happy memories and the BMW M5 that drives me to make enough money to buy one (just £51,910 ciao earnings needed). The Mercedes is good because it sits in a class of car that is greater than almost all takers, but I know that as it is due replacement in a couple of years it is not ahead of the pack.
Maybe I’d like one if I was older, but for now my dreams at night are of that navy M5.
Advantages: EFFORTLESS CRUISER-STRONG IMAGE-GREAT QUALITY Disadvantages: NOT MANY
...is as new, even the mercedes engineers commented on this and say even double this miles is feasible. All of this without one slight breakdown of any kind...yes this car has been flawless.
Thinking of buying a 5-series???? Go for it they are a bloody brilliant car...but i think a lot of people overlook this mercedes as being underpowered and inferior to the bmw but i believe they are just very different cars...but hey they say you are either loyal ...
ajmarten 25.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mercedes E 240
Advantages: NEW IMPROVED LOOKS, BETTER STANDARD FEATURES. Disadvantages: COCKPIT STILL SAME LAYOUT.
DUE TO THE HUGE SUCCESS OF THE ECLASS MERCEDEZ BENZ HAD DECIDED TO GIVE IT A FACELIFT. IT HAS INTRODUCED ENHANCEMENTS ACROSS THE SLAOON AND ESTATE MODEL RANGE. tHE OLD 2.3 4-CYLINDER ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE 2.4 V6 E240 OFFERING SUPERB VALUE FOR MONEY AND POWER AS WELL AS GOOD FUEL ECONOMY.THE NEW INTERIOR LAYOUT OFFERS THE DRIVER AN ON BOARD TRIP COMPUTER AS WELL AS A SMART STEERING WHEEL WITH TELEPHONE AND AUDIO FUNCTIONS. THE STANDARD AUTOMATIC ... ...NEW FACELIFT ALSO INCLUDES MANY STANDARD FEATURES SUCH AS AN AUDIO 10 RADIO CASSETTE/CD. RAIN SENSOR. THREE REAR BRAKELIGHTS. ILLUMINATED DOOR SILLS. PARTIALLY ELECTRIC SEATS. AS WELL AS AIR CONDITIONING. TO ME I WOULD OPT FOR CLIMATE CONTROL AS AN ADDED EXTRA. IT NOT ONLY KEEPS THE TEMPERATURE IN THE CAR ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THE ANNOYING MIST FORMATION ON THE FRONT WINDSCREEN TO BE DE-MISSTED VERY QUICKLY. ANOTHER GOOD FEATURE ...
UBZ100 25.06.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mercedes E 240
I have been using a 2001 Avantagarde ,its done 91000 kms.The car has performed well above expectations at most times.The car is extremely quiet and refined at all speeds,and driving on the highways are an absolute pleasure.The V6 engine is smooth and the car responds well to your right foot in a dignified manner at all times.The tiptronic transmission is also an added advantage for the enthusiastic driver.
Overall fit and finish of the car are even ... ...are very useful,so is the steering mounted audio and telephone controls.The car comes loaded with 6 airbags,ABS,ESP,BAS are all standard.Xenon headlamps with washers are standard only on the Avantagarde trim.
Fuel economy for big car like this is impressive, getting an average of 9.5L/100KM.
Overall a great family sedan to own,minor troubles with the electricals are sometimes common. Still a good buy overall!! ...
anishgt 28.12.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mercedes E 240
Advantages: A CAR ENGINEERED LIKE NO OTHER Disadvantages: THE PRICE?
...the BMW 5 or the Mercedes E240.
I could not make up my mind for a month until I found a dealer who could loan me a demo BMW and a demo Mercedes, each for 2 days on separate weekends. I love the BMW 5 series engine capability and i think the BMW had more agility than the Mercedes. But I found that it was more relaxing to drive the Mercedes everytime with my family. Not so with the BMW. Note that I test driven 3 BMW models to confirm this.
The E240 ... ...The main fact is the Mercedes has more useful room for a family of 4 people than the BMW 5 series. I should know because my whole family were in both cars. The mantainance of the Mercedes is slightly cheaper than BMW and the resale value is frequently slightly better too than the BMW. Having said all these, when it comes to updating my current car again, I would definitely take a look at the latest release BMW 530 (which is now slightly larger than ...
petermenen 13.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Mercedes E 240
Value for Money
Road Handling
Comfort
Features
Fuel consumption
Looks
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The BMW 528i is, in my opinion, the best all-round luxury car in the World. It combines style, build quality, practicality and refinement to produce a simply magnificent car.
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from satellites and the speed is 10mph less than what car shows. So this gives you an advantage for radars. cause when you think you drive at 60mph its actual speed will be 50mph, I am not sure about that.
CO2 will be an important issue for taxation of company cars as well as our environment. this car has 160co2 according to official specifications. This means that it is environmental friendly as an E class Mercedes has 240co2...
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