question re: BlueTek
 

My understanding was that 2006 was the last year for the CDI inline six diesel, and starting in 2007, BlueTek came along with it's requirement for DEF.

I recently received a reply from an owner of a 2007 BlueTek (E320 (V6)) stating that it does not use DEF. Can this be correct - was I misinformed?

Should one stay away from the BlueTek cars?

Thank you

I have a 2006 because it is the last year of the inline-6 and uses no DEF.

Fleet managers who can provide the maintenance costs of their fleet to 4 decimal places per mile have found that the V-6 with DEF is approximately 2 times as much as the I-6 without DEF. This is why I purchased a low mileage 2006. I now have only 100,000 miles on it and regularly get asked if I would like to sell it.

Discrepancies
 

I think I read that the 2007 E320 was badged a BluTec to fit in with the rest of the model line-up, but really the E320 didn’t have eurea until 2008.

E320 (and ML320) 2008 do not need DEF.
These both have the same OM642 engine and I own one of each.

I think DEF started getting added in 2010.

I think you are right, the W211 sedan (2005-2009) never got the DEF system. My 2008 E320 does not have it.

They transitioned to the W212 in 2010, and these models were equipped with DEF. AdBlue tank in the spare tire well.
I think when they did the refreshed W212 in 2013, they figured out how to move the DEF tank out of the spare tire well. These can be had up until 2016 which was the end of the line for the W212. The refresh models 2015-2016 are the OM651 4-cylinder twin turbos.

There is now a W213 sedan (new for 2017) but that is right when the diesel issues happened with VW and MB pulled the plug on US diesels. So the W213 never came to the US with a diesel even though it is available in other countries.

There were also W221 S-Class that have diesel, I think they followed the lead of the W211/W212 with OM642 that was called a S350 Bluetec. Not sure how they handled DPF on these, they are very rare and I have only seen a couple on eBay.

On the SUV side, the W164 did get DEF in 2009, this model carried until 2011. I think these also had the DEF tank in the spare tire well.
The 2006-2008 W164s (badged ML320 CDI) did not have DEF. I have one of these, a 2008.

The W166 came in 2012 and these have DEF (I have one of these too, a 2014 ML350). They figured out the DEF tank so that it got a (donut) spare back instead of run-flats and you fill the DEF from a second port in the fuel filler door.

There is still a MB diesel available in the US, they are offering the Sprinter (assembled in Charleston SC) with a diesel option.

Thanks to all for the info.

I just purchased a 2013 E350 Bluetec so now I can update the info I gave in post #6 above. It has the OM642 (V6) and the AdBlue tank in the trunk. In my search for a new vehicle I discovered that the transition year to the OM651 (inline 4) was 2014 not 2013.

Originally I had the year wrong on the sedans. I pasted and edited the statement below. Edits in bold text.

They transitioned to the W212 in 2010, and these models were equipped with DEF. AdBlue tank in the spare tire well.
I think when they did the refreshed W212 in 2014, they figured out how to move the DEF tank out of the spare tire well. These can be had up until 2016 which was the end of the line for the W212. The refresh models 2014-2016 are the OM651 4-cylinder twin turbos.

The W212 with the OM651 still has the ad-blue tank in the spare tire well. Holds about 5-6 gallons of ad-blue. 2014 was the transition year for the OM651 in the e-class chassis. The GLK series with the OM651 started in 2013.

Thanks for the clarification.

Probably the M class has more room than the E. Our 2014 ML350 has the tank mounted below the vehicle and it has a donut spare.