W210 Third Row Seating E320 Wagon?
 

In considering the R-class and ML-class as possible successors to our minivan, we revisited the W210 E320 wagon as another desirable option. Rides much better than the ML, with far better gas mileage too. More proven and much more affordable than the R. However, I would like to know how usable the third row seat is. I understand the seats are mostly designed for pre-teens, and our kids are young enough that these seats should be able to accommodate them for a few years to come, certainly through the useful life of the car.

My only concern is with the lack of rear headrests on those third row seats. I noticed that the W211 wagon has them, but I haven't found a W210 that has them. What if I were to hit something, even at a relatively slow (25 or 35 mph) speed? Wouldn't that translate to certain whiplash for the third-row occupants, since it seems their heads line up perfectly with the spaces between the second-row headrests?

I will say that I like the ML320 third row because I can actually fit back there (I am 6' 1") with the second row moved forward. Definitely not a place I'd want to spend several hours, but one or two hours in a pinch (with a break hopefully) wouldn't kill me. And best of all, those seats face forward so I think they are safer in the event of an accident. Anyone else out there have a wagon with the third row? What are your thoughts? Also, any comments on the usefulness of the wagon versus say an ML320?

This is a good question I have seen the ratings for ML's but not the wagons, the rear facing seat sort of freaks me out but may be OK.

Probably 10-11 years old is how far you'll get with an E-class wagon before the kids no longer fit back there. I have friends that were forced to move from a wagon to a 3-row SUV about the time their kids became teens - they just didn't fit in the rear facing seat any longer.

I think you have a good point about the headrests. Don't think there's any good solution there. How old must the kids be before their heads are above the top of the seat? On the plus side, the 3rd seat has the best cupholders in the entire car. :)

Don't forget that on a wagon when the 3rd seat is in use, there is zero luggage capacity available.

I got 30.1MPG on a College Station-Plano run this past weekend. But that's not a typical number.

- JimY

Is that a W210?

I have a W210 wagon. I'm 5'8" tall (or short, I should better say) and I can sit in the rear-facing seat with my hair brushing against the headliner. If you hit a bump, I'm sure I'd be bouncing my head off the ceiling. I wouldn't want to sit anyone taller than 5'6" back there to ensure that doesn't happen.

Thanks for the very informative posts!

jlomon: That's very useful info, and based on that my kids will easily be fine for the next 4 or 5 years.

jcyuhn: Are you saying there is ABSOLUTELY no storage space with the third seat in use? Can the kids possibly put a backpack and maybe a couple bags of groceries by their feet? Also, with all seats folded, is the vehicle wide enough to accommodate a sheet of 4 x 8 drywall or plywood? That has always been a big qualifier for me when it comes to a family hauler - all minivans can do it, and even the ML can do it, but I don't know about the W210 wagon.

30 mpg or thereabouts would be great on a road trip! Current minivan consistently gets about 21 hwy and 14 city. Can I assume the W210 wagon will get about 20 around town like my W210 sedan?

The minivan is ultimately useful, but we just aren't in love with the driving experience. The ML wasn't a whole lot better, but the R blew us away. I love my W210 for its sporty handling and road feel, but it is a sedan. I have no idea how the wagon would ride.

On another note, oes anybody know how reliable the 4-matic is on the W210? I know on the early W124s it could be problematic and $$$ to fix when something did go wrong. I will do some research too...

No, it wont fit.

Expect to lose 1-2 mpg with the extra weight of the wagon and 4Matic versus your sedan. We get a very regular 27 mpg with a 70% highway/30% city mix. That is still a pretty significant increase over your minivan, but the car typically just hauls my wife and 2 year old son, plus his gear for moving around (folding stroller, toys, etc).

Very reliable. Second generation 4Matic bears no resemblance to first generation, aside from the fact that it is an all wheel drive system. It is much simpler. The only issues I have read about are slight oil leaks on the transfer case. This affected my particular car, but the first owner had it dealt with under warranty with a transfer case replacement. Unfortunately there is no ability to top up the oil on this transfer case.

I read a thread last night where somebody with a W210 wagon stated that he used it to haul drywall. I wonder how he did it? Perhaps on the roof rack?

This is the thread HERE - see post #10. I guess I could also PM the poster...

Maybe on the roof rack, as you suggested? Another option that might work would be to place the drywall on an angle, but I don't know about that. The problem is that an 8 foot long piece of drywall is going to hang way out the back of the hatch and it will sit quite high because the widest part of the interior is above the interior-mounted spare tire, so your hatch will be stuck in the half open position. I can see that putting a lot of pressure on your drywall, potentially even breaking it if you hit a big enough bump and the hatch lip came down hard on it.

Yup, that's a 210. Here's the caveats. That's filling up an already warmed-up car and reseting the trip computer. From a cold start it would have been lower. There was a 20-25MPH tailwind behind the car the entire trip. Going the other direction it probably would have gotten 25...

- JimY

What do you get around town? My 97 E320 gets around 19/20 with 89 octane. I have never taken it on a highway-only trip, so I have no idea what the highway would be. I'm guessing 24 or 25?

I don't expect drywall will fit. Max load size is something like 3.5' x 7'. Maybe a bit longer than 7 feet with the seat bases removed.

It's tight around the 3rd seat when in use. There's room for a backpack or a couple bags of groceries, but even then it will be crowded. The well for the base of the 3rd seat is where the kids legs & feet go.

The wagon drives substantially the same as the sedan - I've had both. The wagon is a bit heavier with more rearward weight bias. But the difference between sedan and wagon is about the same as sedan with empty fuel tank vs sedan with full fuel tank - it's small. I'm talking about my RWD wagon here. I drove a 4matic or two when shopping. The extra weight was noticeable, and the steering feel was heavier. Didn't really see the point of 4matic in Texas, so I opted for a RWD car.

The 4matic system is the same as on the R and ML.

On a RWD wagon you should be able to match economy numbers vs. your sedan. Actually, the M112 is more efficient than the M104, so it should be better. But the extra weight and friction associated with 4matic will likely mean that car cannot quite match economy numbers vs. your sedan. The EPA numbers for the 4matic car are 1MPG lower both city and highway, as I recall.

- JimY

I'm looking at something like THIS or newer. M112 (trying to avoid the 98 or 99 due to the supposed FSS issues on some) and no 4matic. This one has NAV - I wonder if it can compete with my Garmin? It also appears to have MB Tex. One-owner and Carfax looks clean. I just might run out there and test drive it. If the car checks out fine and appears well maintained, the miles won't scare me. My sedan is a 97 with 170,000 miles but performs as new with very few minor issues. Any thoughts?

My W124 E320 averaged 21 mpg in mixed driving, and got 25-26 mpg in all highway driving several times.