[ajmat]

Voted Yes

The Mercedes might be a little more boring but it is a return to form after the Daimler Chrysler years. It is extremely reliable and the 350 Cdi is a joy to drive on the highway. I''ve travelled in these with Intergalactic mileage and except for trim wear and tear they remain solid.

The E250 is noisy at idle but that engine is a workhorse, thousands of happy commercial vehicle owners globally can't be wrong

BMW 530d's are supremely better to drive but long term reliability beyond 80000km is an unknown (for me at least), a lot of engine pre-2010 got wrecked as they chewed their swirl flaps and turbos are known to give up.

As my independent tells me, Mercs and Skoda's mainly come in for routine servicing. BMWs come in for repair! Range Rovers never seem to leave his premises!

[mohansrides]

I voted no. But not for reasons that other members have discussed. I actually have very little knowledge or experience with these cars. Of course, that doesn’t make me less of an enthusiast. In any case, I saw 12 and 13 year old cars for sale on OLX. My concern is, with registration being only for 15 years (+ 5 years maybe), and with BS 4 being definitely out, anyone buying such a car will have to completely lose any redemption of that money they resale, and 12-15 lacs is a ton of money for me to sink into something with a definite expiry date ranging from 5 to 8 years.

[adi.mariner]

Voted Yes. But I wouldn't buy one today as it will not fit in my parking space. Other than it sounds like a good buy for someone with a 15 lakh budget. Buy the car worth 10-12 lakh and keep the rest for any emergency repairs/maintenance.
Also the W212 has comparatively lower mileage cars than the W204 (facelift) for almost the same price and year of purchase. You can take full advantage of the depreciation of the bigger car.

[DicKy]

Voted YES

If am going to buy a used german/Merc, it will definitely be the W212. Pre-facelift E 350CDI.
Heart would say E60 530D or even W204 C220cdi, but for all practical purpose and intent, the W212 would win.

The all rounder nature, and the feel of an old school Mercedes, makes it pretty compelling. Considering that everyone would enjoy it, not just the driver.

The W212 and W221 are the ones that bought back Mercedes' reputation from the doldrums of the late 90s and early 2000s. And eventhough the 2013 facelift was really extensive, fake vents/exhausts really put me off. Also the front end started to look like the modern Merc design language. Not a bad thing, but the square look of the front looked cool in the pre FL.

Have a couple of used W212s in our acquaintance circle, with one replacing a XF/Freelander garage for obvious reasons, while the other was purchased just for the Merc kicks, but they ended up keeping it, even cancelling the plan to buy a brand new BMW.

That said, if the option was between an equivalent Camry/Accord and the E class, Sorry.

Would go with the Japanese.

[Mr.Bentley]

First of all, thanks blackwasp, the idea of 'pre-worshipped car of the week' is great! We can critique the handpicked best cars to fit in that post.

Coming to the E-Class, I'll let this one go. I'm more of a BMW guy. Sure, this is comfortable. But its all relative for me. A regular user of a 5-series would be spoiled after a short ride in the E-class for the superior comfort. But the driving pleasure a 5-series offers is unmatched by the E. After a long day at work, it is the driving pleasure that soothes me more than a comfortable ride.

Perhaps, I got off the wrong foot with the E-class. A neighbor's pre-owned E-class once broke down in front of my gate rendering my car (in perfect condition) useless .
Whatever, BMW for me!

[wildsdi5530]

In Bengaluru classifieds, 2014 E250D starts at 28L, 2015 E350 at 38L and 2017 E350 at 42L. Seems a far cry from 10-15L. IT's an unfair world.

[Turbohead]

I love the pre facelift W212. Looks majestic honestly. I'd love to get one. I love the idea of a high speed inter city cruiser. I don't care about maintenance or reliability- these are meant to be enjoyed assuming there's enough buffer if something goes wrong.

I don't know whether to vote yes or no because chances are, I wouldn't buy one because this car can grab a lot of attention. And I hate attention. I prefer to stay as discrete as possible.

[LEOMAN]

Voted yes...
After being an owner of f10 530d which is equally stellar in terms of reliability . My first love for the three pointed star is W211 E280 CDI , fantastic v6 with good reliability. I liked these from my childhood days . You get very tempting options at 4 to 7 lakhs . W212 is something which I am not fond off .

[Geo_Ipe]

Voted NO!

If I'm picking up a used E Class, it will be the W124. The W212 is quite modern and has too many electronics & gadgets for my comfort level. The air suspension on a 10 year old car is something which I will be terrified about when it comes to maintenance/repairs. If I am to pick this one up, it shall be the 6 cylinder versions, which again return abysmal fuel efficiency figures.

[TokyoDrifter]

Mod Note : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum. We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further. Request to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[E90-E250]

Voted YES

I have had the W212 (facelift) for 7 years now and she has never let me down. With 130k km on the odo all she has ever asked for are the routine services.

Though my beemer (e90) always had me smiling after a spin, its this W212 which made sure its everlasting with its high speed manners and solid reliability.

[RevJ]

Voted YES.
I am currently evaluating to sell off 2013 Jetta TDi and get a pre-facelift E350 Petrol. I would pick this over the F10/LCi 530d any day! In my personal experience driving/using F10 530d, not a corner carver, rear seat space is little to non-existent if you are 5'8 or more, no driving pleasure or that feeling of you are in control in three digit speeds. One thing i do agree though the power is phenomenal and iDrive, it's the only thing you need! New MBUX is better or so I have heard,. Mind you G30 is far better in every league! So no F10, I would take a F30, an E60 over the Merc too.

[Amsdoc]

Oh yes!

Never a drivers car. These cars are for people who spend more time in the rear seat. Nothing beats the comfort of a Merc. As long as nothing goes wrong, these are hard to beat. A new Kia/Hyundai CSUV retails for around 20L.
I ended up owning a Mercedes CLK (C209) in the UK because of a gaffe. It was 9 yrs old when I bought it. Nothing went wrong with it and it remains the most comfortable car I have ever owned. Sold it for more that I bought it for when I left the UK 2 years later.

[MikeRX]

Of course, Yes. The prime reason anyone plonks much money on the German 3 is prestige. And nothing represents prestige and standing than the Mercedes star.

Think about it, when u want a good driving car with lots of mod potential you'd gravitate towards the Octavia and if you wanted rear space then Skoda Superb is your car.

Having said that be aware of the exorbitant service/repair costs you'll incur year on year.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

For me, somehow, this car didn't evoke a loving/aspirational emotion. Hence no.