Mercedes E 270 CDI

I bought this car as a nearly-new (5 months old) vehicle from a wholly owned DaimlerChrysler UK dealership. It was listed as a 'Guaranteed Used M-B' but was a grey import which DC UK refused to acknowledge with anything other than a basic factory 2 year warranty. After a long dispute the dealer paid me a fair amount of cash in recompense for falsely describing the car. Why didn't DC UK just change the flag in their computer system to show it as a ...
...warranty as described in DC UK's website - where there is no mention of grey imports sold by the factory's UK network ......! After all the initial angst, the car has been great. 27,000 miles up in just over two years and my local (non supplying) agent has been first rate at service and non-warranty claims. The car is very comfortable and an excellent motorway cruiser which is OK in town, but its size can be a problem in tight urban driving. Tyre ... more

I bought this car as a nearly-new (5 months old) vehicle from a wholly owned DaimlerChrysler UK dealership. It was listed as a 'Guaranteed Used M-B' but was a grey import which DC UK refused to acknowledge with anything other than a basic factory 2 year warranty. After a long dispute the dealer paid me a fair amount of cash in recompense for falsely describing the car. Why didn't DC UK just change the flag in their computer system to show it as a 'proper' UK car ? All I wanted was the warranty as described in DC UK's website - where there is no mention of grey imports sold by the factory's UK network ......! After all the initial angst, the car has been great. 27,000 miles up in just over two years and my local (non supplying) agent has been first rate at service and non-warranty claims. The car is very comfortable and an excellent motorway cruiser which is OK in town, but its size can be a problem in tight urban driving. Tyre life is an issue - 16,000 miles is the best I have managed from one set, and fuel economy is acceptable overall, but is variable in the extreme. Overall I manage exactly 30mpg, but cruising at 70 on the motorway gives 40+mpg, cold starts and short journeys around town just 20mpg - especially in the cold. There have been very few mechanical or electrical problems which the latest E Class isfamous for. I have seen nothing - just a broken shock absorber replaced foc under warranty. The leather and wood interior is ageing well, the paintwork is superb, and the useful extras such as 7 seats, heated seats, memory electric seat adjustment and 4 zone climate control are appreciated by all passengers. This is an expensive car to buy new, but if kept for a decent interval, will be economical, comfortable and very safe. Hard to fault as a family estate with great brand values and the right image !  

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