Brilliant car but dreadful after care, bought from a main dealer in Brighton, after 2 months of ownership and 20k miles the brake discs and pads need replacing, mileage is questionable, 150 miles in a year, and the service record is doubtful.
Mercedes UK and the main dealer don't want to know about the clocked mileage and service record, and its normal wear and tear, so don't expect your brakes to last very long
Is such a shame, amazing car let down by dreadful after sales

I have this car for about 6 months. The car is nice and gives you a smooth ride. The brake is one of the best that I had. The interior is nicely designed and very comfortable. car is very stable in corners and the acceleration is reasonable. WHoever do not let me start with the telephone and bluetooth!!!! You can pair it with your phone , but every time that you want to dial a number you have to use your pohne as you can not transfer the contact list to your car. You may think that you can manually enter the data into the car system, but you are wrong!!! you can not enter any contact list even manually. It has an strange system of sending "buiseness card" but you can not do this with any new phone!! ( this car is just 4 years old!! is this a joke or what?) I asked the approved dealer technician about it and he told me that it can not be done unless I can find an old Nokia phone!!!! I did not know that it is a requirement for using afairly new car!! Maybe Mercedes should put this information on their web site.
I took the car to one of the dealers in south east coast for service and beleive me that was one of the worse experience in my life. You never expect something as poor as this from a famous brand like Merc. For the same service from one centre , 2 different people qouted me massively different (one £400 and the other 10 minutes later £578 !!!) when I complained they said that it was a mistake and the cost is £578 but they give me a discount so it can be done for £550. On the day I had to wait 3 hours 15 minutes for them to come and collect the car as the slot that they give you is for 3-3.5 hours. They called me that the car is ready and demanding the payment but when I asked when I will get the car? Tthe guy said I do not know. you have to call later!!!! When they returned the car, MOT was not done. I called them and the guy was insisting that it is not their job to remind customer for MOT. To my amazement, 5 days later they called me from Mercedes to remind me that my car is due for MOT and they can arrange it if I want?!!!!!
Their computer system that keep the service record is faulty and in different places it shows different service history for the same car. So the service history that they printed and gave it to me was wrong!! When I asked tham about it the answer was: I do not know which computer system the other centre is using and it is not my job to sort it out, advising me to contact the previous dealer who did the service 2 years ago (although I was not the owner of the car at the time and never been to that dealer before).
I complaine to the Mercedes UK but the only answer was: SORRY.

I always dreamed about having a Merc as I considered it as a luxury and prestigeous car but after my recent encounter with Mercedes dealers and service department aslo the problem with the telephone system, I am hugely disappointed and would not recommend it to any one. (at least for the people who are living in the south east coast of the UK. Maybe other dealers are better)
IF I COULD RATE THE DEALER AS NEGATIVE, I WOULD BUT ONE STAR IS THE MINIMUM.

Bought with 25k miles, now 32k so enough time to get to know what it is about.
Simply a fine piece of well executed engineering with lots of fun thrown in.

Comfortable, fine handling and surprisingly economical. Feels like it is bomb proof whilst also being refined.

The only regret is that I didn't buy one years ago!!

Excellent service from MB approved used.

Bought in 2010 with 5000 on the clock, its August 2012 and now its done 27000, havent yet managed to run it for 12 months without some problem but still hoping. In the nearly two years its had

2 wing mirror LED units, one faulty the other water ingress
2 Oxygen exhaust sensors (about 9 months apart)
1 High tone horn
1 Throttle switch assembly

Whilst not a catastophe its been annoying as I suppose its been in a full week over that time, Mercedes finally gave me the 2 year warranty after a battle and a half so these have been done on that warranty. I expected more as my Wifes Honda Jazz six years old and also 27000 has never missed a beat and never been in dock as was our 8 year old Golf so it can be done, and I expected more from a £35K car as this was supposed to be the one that was back to Mercedes reliability.

Cost of repairs would have been probably 13 to £1500 I estimate. Im hoping mechanically it will be fine as even after all this I like the car, the build is pretty good and when it runs without any warning lights I enjoy it and my dealer has been very helpful thankfully

Bought in 2010 with 5000 on the clock, its August 2012 and now its done 27000, havent yet managed to run it for 12 months without some problem but still hoping. In the nearly two years its had

2 wing mirror LED units, one faulty the other water ingress
2 Oxygen exhaust sensors (about 9 months apart)
1 High tone horn
1 Throttle switch assembly

Whilst not a catastophe its been annoying as I suppose its been in a full week over that time, Mercedes finally gave me the 2 year warranty after a battle and a half so these have been done on that warranty. I expected more as my Wifes Honda Jazz six years old and also 27000 has never missed a beat and never been in dock as was our 8 year old Golf so it can be done, and I expected more from a £35K car as this was supposed to be the one that was back to Mercedes reliability.

Cost of repairs would have been probably 13 to £1500 I estimate. Im hoping mechanically it will be fine as even after all this I like the car, the build is pretty good and when it runs without any warning lights I enjoy it and my dealer has been very helpful thankfully

Generally a very good car - perhaps not built to the same standards as previous E Class cars I have owned. The sat nav is incredibly complicated and not at all intuitive - I am a high mileage driver and I still have to have several goes to do things on a regular basis. The seats are ok but not a patch on Volvo. The economy is generally very good and according to the computer I have achieved an average of 60.1mpg over the first 17000 miles. The ride is typically quite hard but the steering is excellent and the overall visibility is good.

The big let down has been the service which is so bad it defies belief. A total lack of interest to get minor problems done and a complete lack of courtesy when mistakes made. Mercedes HQ completely indifferent. Worse garage experience by a country mile in over 40 years of driving.

On the road - Merc's 7 speed auto box comes with 3 settings. E (economy), (M) manual and (S) sport. I usually drive in E mode and find this rapid enough for everyday use. Stop/start works well. In most cases you can't feel the engine switching off. The ride is firm without being uncomfortable. It comes with 18" wheels and sports suspension but the car never feels skittish - though there is a little tyre noise. (I will switch to 17" wheels and winter tyres later this month. My dealer will store wheels and tyres for me.) Headlights are fantastic (at least from the drivers seat.) They are super bright, swivel when you steer and auto dip depending on speed and oncoming traffic.
The inside is nicely laid out. Three big dials. Speedo in the middle and marked in 10's. Seats are firm and comfortable. Heater controls are big and easy to use. The position of the indicator (its at about 8 o clock) and cruise stalk (10 o clock) take a little time to get used to, as does the foot operated parking brake and release and the brake operated hill hold. But after a couple of days they are second nature.
Comand SatNav is fantastic. It has full postcode search, some major cities are mapped in 3D and routes really quickly. Traffic problems are read out if they affect your route. You can listen to music almost anyway - ipod, CD/DVD, built in hard drive, memory card or streamed from your phone. My phone integrates well, phonebook and call lists all come across.
Fuel economy is not quite where the brochure says yet but I expect it to get better as the miles increase. Average since I've owned the car is about 47.1. My best on a run is 61.4.
The bad - not too much really. The sun visor plastic is a little cheap and there is no 12v socket in the rear. Some may find the options in the onboard computer a little daunting and the safety systems a little too eager.
No problems with the car to date - just had its first service.
Overall though I am delighted with the car.

This is an update to my initail review as I have owned the car 9 months now and have done 15600 as it had 5800 from new. The years warranty reads like this.

LH mirror indicator replaced approx cost about £120 with labour (in for a day)
3 months later a warning light and RH mirror indicator replaced, cost the same (in for a day)
6 months later a warning light and an exhaust oxygen sensor replaced (in for a day and half)
9 months later warning lights, esp and tyre sensor, turned out to be a accelerator switch only thats attached to the pedal so all that renewed, cost approx £500 in for day and a half)

Noisy LH wing mirror when folding (sometimes) known fault

As I didnt get the approved Mercedes 2 year warranty as I was asked to collect and pay a few days before that came into play Im wondering now what will befall me in 2012 or even before the warranty expires in Sept 2011.

This is Mercedes coming back with its robust and reliability flag? I shall reserve my opinion about that for next year.

That said Ive always wanted a mercedes and I still like the car but maybe not so much as I did.

These problems have been efficiently dealt with by my local Mercedes dealer without fuss and they have been excellent. Greenoaks of Slough but never the less my Daughters Fiesta and our old Honda Jazz have run for 5 years without ever visiting the dealer except for a service so make of that what you will.

Maybe Ive been "unlucky" we shall see in due course

Such a pity.

MB UK are so poor at customer service and service and maintanance of MB cars.

Maybe they would be ok on Maybach.? But I doubt it.

All they appear to care about is extracting as much money as they can from customers.

RIP Mercedes Engineering .......

Hello Mercedes money grabbing....


They can build a great car and then the go and spoil it all but letting a monkey work on it !

MB UK hang your heads in SHAME !!!!


I rate the manufacturer only 2 stars because their dealer network in the UK is utter crud.!

Otherwise it's a 5 star car but without the backup of a good dealer network it's less than average.

I traded in an 2006 Audi A4 TDI Sportline for this car. Never owned a Merc before but a mate of mine had an E-Class and he really rated it and HJ recommended it over a Volvo S60, Audi A5 Sportback and Alfa Guiletta (I was thinking of downsizing). I had a few extras fitted including metallic paint, folding rear seats, heated seats, cruise control, a 6-CD player and speed sensitive power steering. The car drives very differently from the Audi. For one, I think the engine is much quieter - it has a pleasant roar when moving from stationary and there is a bit of a diesel rumble when accelerating on the motorway but generally it's a very quiet cruiser, certainly quieter than the Audi. One person here thinks the engine is noisy, that individual should drive an A4. Unlike the Audi 6th gear feels like an overdrive and it doesn't hold the road on curving A-roads as well as the Audi did. The ride though is so much more compliant. Even my partner likes it! I have had the engine management light on twice now although it goes off again after 3 days. It's due to have a new sensor fitted. So far the mpg is a bit disappointing - according to the car computer (notoriously optimistic) I'm getting 47.6 mpg over about 3,500 miles. If I'm careful I can get it to give over 50 mpg - again according to the car computer. I'm sure it'll get better. Mine is a manual rather than an auto (I thought a 5 speed auto would be too expensive to run and the revamped version now has a 7-speeder). My car has the man made leather in light grey so it looks pretty good. The inside is pretty solid - no rattles or squeaks. Nice having 16 inch wheels instead of 17s. I'm getting more used to it now - the footbrake is a nuisance especially on a hill if you have a manual gearbox. Like others on here I can't understand why the lights and windscreen wipers are on the same side of the steering wheel. The cruise control is the best I've ever used. I look forward to it becoming like a comfy old slipper - although it can really move if one presses hard with the right foot. Thanks HJ for recommending this car - it was a retirement present bought by me for me! I suspect HJ is correct - this car will last for ages. Finally a word of thanks for Paul Kearns and the team at Bridgend Mercedes Benz - the service was excellent. Nothing was too much trouble and the service department has also been very good. I've taken HJ's advice and bought 4 steel wheels for the winter.

This is a privately owned car with one previous owner. I have the beige interior man made artex leather which is light and airy, preferred real leather initially but changed my mind now and its fine.

The car had only done 5800 miles when I bought it at 3 years old. Its an automatic so very relaxing to drive and a recent trip to Edinburgh and back went well at 50mpg high speed all the way so better than I thought

Always been a Mercedes fan since I was 21and although deceived out of the extra years warranty being offered last year as the Direct Mercedes Dealer (Mercedes Owned) got me to pick the car up earlier than planned. Was due to pay and collect on the 2nd October, picked up the 28th Sept, 2 year warranties started 1st Oct. Mercedes Benz didnt want to know despite protests, felt conned but delighted with the car and still am.

That aside I like the car very much and actual build quality I find to be much improved over a 1 year old BMW I sold to buy this car. The economy is ok if one drives it well, I agree with others, the indicators and cruise are together on the LHS, the cruise would be better placed the RHS side of the column. Parktronic works very well and a useful item. The footbrake is fine where it is as it gives the space in the centre where most cars normally have them, I didnt think its a problem

After 4,000 miles ie 9800 total an oxygen sensor failed in the exhaust but this was repaired under warranty without problem, also the car didnt break down, just a warning light.
The paint seems to be very good I suppose as it has a ceramic based clear coat. Not a large car really as the passenger legroom isnt brilliant. I have Comand built in and find it annoying one cannot have speed cameras put on its database. The hard drive music system is excellent but the bluetooth phone transmission should be better, though it was my car but a friend has just got a new one Feb 2011 and his isnt brilliant either, reception though is perfect

I have one of the first W204 c classes and apparently it has a revised W203 engine but its powerful enough at 170bhp a tad diesely at low speed but brilliant on a run

It's not the greatest interior from the cosmetic showroom standpoint but the finish has proved to be durable and easily cleaned. The outside paintwork etc is also proving to be very durable and chip resistant.
The only thing that annoys is the multi function indicator and cruise control levers being on the same side of the steering column... well the foot operated parking brake is also silly if I am totally honest. Generally the car is excellent and comfortable for long distance journeys where I get 45/47 mpg over 300 miles. I never feel tired when I get out of the car because the seats are well shaped and padded - nearly as good as a Volvo I owned 10 years ago.
The car has been trouble free from receipt and I have used it for 17,000 miles in 12 months and the trip computer advises a 41 mpg over this period. I agree with comments about the engine sounding a little agricultural, particularly when compared with BMW, but when warm and on the move it's satisfactory.
The cost of servicing via a main dealer is a little 'painful' but they do a good job.

I changed tyres at 30,000 miles from Continental Contisport to Michelin Primacy HP and find the ride to be more compliant and noise to be less - so much so my wife commented! I don't think the absolute dry grip is as good but then that is not what this car is about.

Quality of car is excellent, and after two years and 55K miles, everything still works fine. Mercedes always balance the ride/handling combination really well, and mine is fitted with 18" wheels. The car rides really well, yet handles like a dream. The design of the car is modern, and with the reef grey leather the interior is light and airy. Boot space is good, and general cabin space okay. I spent a lot adding options to the car, some of which should have been standard (like partktronic), but I think the spec is better on new models. Generally, the car has been excellent, with my only complaint being the frankly dreadful engine. Although this has the revised 220 CDI unit, and the engine is relatively powerful, it is noisy and unrefined beyond belief. I frequently drive 'cheap' diesel hire cars when visiting other countries, and cars which are a third of the price are more refined and quieter. I have taken the car back to Mercedes several times to be told each time that there's nothing wrong with it. I am not a fan of BMW or Audi, but the engines they use are far, far better. I really am totally dissapointed with the engine which does not befit a car that cost £37K (with options). I really hope Mercedes get their act together soon and come up with some decent engines!