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Got a used 2014 Mercedes E-Class for over 21 lakh: 12 takeaways so far

27th December 2023, 12:32 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

Compared to the C-Class, the refinement of the E200 is next level. And the space at the back is much more than a BMW 5 Series.

BHPian Mission_PGPX recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

After 6 months of searching, I finally brought home a facelifted W212, E200 as my next car. It's a mid-2014 car with just 13000 kms on the ODO. Serviced 9 times in MB, and the owner did every single recommended change including tyres, engine and GB mounts, battery, coolant etc.

Service history added up, insurance was zero dep even in the 10th year. Took the test drive, and it was a true Mercedes experience. The refinement of MB petrol made me totally forget about the "kitna deti hai? " problem. I paid the top dollar (21.xx lacs) for this according to used car markets all over India, but it was the lower ODO reading and mental peace of mind for some time as a priority. One more important point was about protection from a possible 10-year diesel vehicle ban, that may come up in future.

Here are my key takeaways after doing a couple of highway trips:

Things I like:

I have owned a W204 C Class in diesel guise and never liked the cold start with a tractor-like sound at cold start. The E200 was at a different level of refinement and NVH levels.
The 2 ltr petrol engine with 184 bhp and 300 Nm of torque coming in at just 1250 rpm does the duty just fine. It does not feel slow, but just doesn't feel dramatic. The acceleration is linear and top speed stability is superb. Sport mode and paddle shifters make the enthusiast in me satisfied at the moment. 0-100 comes up in 7.9 secs so it still qualifies for that less than 10 sec car.
The interior does feel old by the current standards of Carplay and AA, but the build and finish are even better than current standards. It has ambient light (although only 3 colors). The aluminium vents feel sturdy and luxurious on touch. The aircon also has 3 settings Diffuse, Medium and Focus. I love the setting at diffuse, hardly any fan noise but still enough cool. I am still getting used to the steering-mounted gear lever though, especially while parking when I have to use my right hand for steering as well as shifting from R to D.
The space at the back feels higher than that in a 5 series. Back benchers get their own AC controls and vents on the pillar as well along with privacy / sunshades. Nowadays, the back sunshades do qualify as luxury / feature.
The intelligent LED headlight: This deserves a special mention since I have used the same in 5 series as well. I am highly impressed by the throw these LEDs make and for the first time, I could see the beam changing from deeper to low and back. The show is amazing. The illumination also adjusts according to speed on the highway, now that's intelligent.
Full size spare wheel, that too an alloy.
NVH level and refinement: I loved the NVH level in C class and this one is even better considering a petrol engine. I get a lovely exhaust note inside the cabin at over 5000 rpm. Below that it is super silent. Again, refinement while taking off without any pedal input is just like an EV, if I dare to say.
Surprisingly good Mileage: City + Highway mileage is closer to 14 kmpl which was a surprise since it is higher than 12.4 quoted by MB.

Things I don't like:

No folding rear seat: This would have improved the practicality aspect a whole lot more for buyers coming from VWs. I just can't imagine a reason why MB had not given it in India.
The door pockets can't hold a round bottle. I seldom use the center console cup holders for keeping drinks (fear of spilling).
7G Tronic GB: After using DSG and 8-speed ZF, this one feels slow to react to accelerator inputs. Also, the same gearbox had a speed sensor that failed in my C-class at 80,000 kms and eventually valve body and conductor plate went kaput at 100,000 kms so had to sell the car itself. Hope this one stays trouble-free for 3-4 years at least.
Suspension set-up: Super comfortable at city speeds but makes highspeed changes a bit nervous, it could be due to the sheer size of the car.

Next Steps:

A good stage 1 Remap: Quantum is in my mind giving gains up to 230 Bhp and 400 Nm of torque.
Wheel hub caps are losing color somehow, I will replace them.
Analogue clock is not working, I tried setting the time and making all changes possible via YT videos and forums. It costs a whopping 30000 bucks to replace. Any experience in this regard would help.
Getting the Audio 20 upgrade to a bigger screen and carplay.