w210 vs w211 wagons
 

I bought a E320 wagon 1994 and fell in love with. Dove it 80k from Nov2007 to Aug 2008. Not major problems. The car is now 246k. Is still the best ride using it for my business.
But I am looking for a newer wagon as a family car,
I love the shape of the new w211 but I do not know much about.
Definitely I need it without 4Matic. Now what lI look for? E320 E350?
How is the economy on those. If I will go wild enough for E500 how bad is on gas.
On the other hand w210, I know a little bit about because I do have the E300 diesel. but I assume the is not relevant since the wagons came in production after the feacelift and after major improvements.
Price wise is not a big difference...
So what is your opinion?

The 210 wagons were sold from the 1998 through 2003 model years in the U.S. (No typo, in 2003 the sedan was a 211 and wagon was a 210.) To the best of my knowledge the 210 wagon was available with and without 4matic in all years.

The 211 wagon is model years 2004 to the present. At some point the geniuses at MBUSA decided to sell it only with 4matic in the U.S. I think this silliness began with the 2006 model year. Prior to that it could be had in RWD, at least as an E320.

I have a 2001 E320 RWD wagon. Like you, I specifically sought out the RWD version. Window sticker economy numbers are 21/27 on this car. I typically average 22-23MPG in my mix of suburban commuting and urban highway use. Road trips have netted 26-30MPG, the latter with a good tailwind.

Problems are the same as the 210 sedan - window regulators, pixels in the dash displays, etc. Suggest you use the search feature to read up on typical 210 chassis problems.

I too had a 124 wagon prior to the 210. Overall I liked it a bit better than the 210. Two things about the 124 wagon struck me as superior. First, the wedge shape of the body made for a wider, higher opening hatch. It was easier to load and carry bulky objects in the 124 than the 210, though the overall carrying capacity is about the same. Second, the 124 was quieter than the 210 - less road and wind noise.

I've not owned a 211, so no real opinion there. I've largely decided to skip owning a 211 wagon. I like the utility of the E-class wagon, but MBUSA is not selling models with high enough fuel economy for me. The current E350 4matic wagon is rated at something like 16/24 - I'm not interested in owning something that inefficient.

- JimY

My understanding is the powertrain for the E320 W211s is the same as the W210, so you're getting proven technology with regards to motor, transmission and if you choose, 4Matic. The E350 is where the changes start.

The biggest complaint I hear about (over and over) with the W211's is the brake by wire system. My father in law has a W211 E320 sedan (I think it is a 2005) and hasn't had any problems with it, but it only has 10,000 miles.

I did some research and the results were crazy. It looks like the comparing 2003 with 2004 the w210 is net superior. Economy is better on w210 20/27 vs 18/23 even though is exacly the same engine and trany.
Now crgo space on w210 is around 93 vs 48??????
Is mercedes going in the wrong direction....?????

Many comparison charts on internet are not done correctly, more so if you do straight comparisons from one place to another.

The 211 has a slightly larger cargo capacity than the 210, although the window area is less.

In terms of design, the 211 is much better resolved than the 210. The only thing you should DEFINITELY stay away from is the models with brake by wire system. Hence, get a face lifted model after 2006 (with a regular brake system).

The brake by wire system will brake your bank account sooner than later.

No, the SBC braking won't hurt your bank account because the warranty has been extended to 10 years. Ours has been dead reliable.

How is braking feel? Did it take a while to get used to it?

I subscribe to four (4) car magazines, and I remember in every review of the new at the time W211 the complaints were always about how difficult it was to properly modulate braking pressure to come to a smooth stop.

In the U.S. consumers are usually well protected against such issues (although owners of W140s never got anything back from the A/C evaporator fiasco).

Warranties around the world are usually 1, 2 or 3 years at the most, then you're on your own.

The SBC braking system is a nightmare and it has been well proven as such everywhere. So much so that Mercedes decided to revert to the regular braking system on the W211 face lift (what better proof could you have on the subject).

Among the system's horror stories, two are the most concerning: one that the system will fail without any warning (not comforting if you are down the highway at over 90 m.p.h). and the other is computer failure.

The SBC computer has an electronic counter (to set a history for every time the brake has been used). The system has a limiter to advise for a major overhaul. This counter tends to fail suddenly and advises the overhaul well ahead of time (shutting down the system for security set parameters).

The only way to cure the problem is to change the computer, which is not cheap at all.

T

How about gas mileage? I am a 60k a year type of guy...so 3-4 MPG matters a lot
Is there any E320 without braking by wires? I am under the impression that 2006 got the E350 with the worst MPG

My mom bought a 2006 E550, and it does not have SBC.

I Would Double check that .....My 2006 w211 HAS SBC

W211s have SBC up until the model update W211 2007

Even with the Eight piston front brake calipers and the four piston rear calipers the brake pedal feels funny...NOT like the Old school Master cylinder only cars

Mid 2006 was the turning point for the reversal from SBC to the regular braking system on W211s.

If your car was manufactured late 1995 (and marketed and/or sold as a 1996 model) or early 1996 it will still have SBC.

Sorry, made a mistake. It's a 2007 E550.

Wow..So the late run of the W124s Had SBC ?:D

what does SBC mean?
 

brake by wire sounds self-explanatory, but what does SBC stand for?