Reviews Monster's C-class Estate Review

[Mr. Mercedes]

Had the pleasure of being a passenger in @Monster 's W211 and W213 in December. Hard to believe how luxurious and contemporary the W211's interior still is. Still special and well built.

The W213 in comparison, while nice to look at, felt more like an upscaled W205 inside.

It looks like the W214 might finally bridge the gap a little with the S.

 

[Monster]

We stopped by the Mercedes showroom over the weekend to have a closer look at the EQE range.

The EQE left us feeling cold, it is just not appealing to us.

Much to our surprise we end up really tempted by one of the last remaining brand new E 53 sedan in Australia.

The specification is almost perfect, besides the lack of intelligent LED headlights (another cost cutting measure by MB Australia)

It will be nice to have, especially with the upgrade touch screen, gloss carbon fibre trims and additional nappa leather on the door arm rest, and the inner door panel. These little details combined create a more special and upscale interior compare to the more regular non AMG model line.

After a few back and forth with the dealership, they are extremely firm with the pricing, at $187,000 AUD , which is a crazy $20,000 price increase compare to 3 years ago. It doesn't really make financial sense to spend another $40,000 AUD on top of the E 450 , to change up to the E 53.

However tempting it was, the E 450 is still the perfect car for our needs. It is spacious, comfortable, with effortless performance to transport the family. Here it is after another Sunday drive by the bay. With 7800 km on the clock, it is still a baby and will stay for many years to come.

 

[Rolf]

@Monster do you notice any difference in the build/material quality of the dash/door tops of the FL E53 compared to your pre FL E450? I must say I do like that CF trim it makes the interior look more expensive.

 

[Mick Briesgau]

@Monster you made the right decision to not invest in an E53.
I doubt you can enjoy the extra power on Australian roads (as you sometimes describe them: potholes and ripped tyres).
Besides, I very much dislike that night package version of the E53. Your E450 is a classic already and will pleasing to the eyes in many decades to come.

 

[Monster]

@Monster do you notice any difference in the build/material quality of the dash/door tops of the FL E53 compared to your pre FL E450? I must say I do like that CF trim it makes the interior look more expensive.

Hey Rolf, I did not notice any difference in build or material quality of the dash/door tops between the FL and pre FL.

The interior feels far more luxurious and expensive than the EQE.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I honesty think Mercedes benchmarked other EV's such as the Teslas when deciding on the interior finish of the EQE and EQS and knew what they could get away with, with cross shoppers. I don't believe they benchmarked their own ICE vehicles.

It is without a doubt they consciously chose hard lower door plastics etc. as Tesla buyers wouldn't mind this. Yet in the S-class they continue to use soft touch/padded plastics because S-class buyers would mind and are extremely loyal repeat customers (second only to the 911 I believe).

It's no long 'The best or nothing'. It's 'The best profit margin or nothing' these days.

 

[Yaz]

After living with a Turo rental E53 preface lift for a week, it's definitely my next car. It's the perfect W213 daily without breaking the bank.
Only downside is the paint on the wood trim was peeling off.

 

[Monster]

After living with a Turo rental E53 preface lift for a week, it's definitely my next car. It's the perfect W213 daily without breaking the bank.
Only downside is the paint on the wood trim was peeling off.

The E 53 would make a great all round car, one that is suitable for almost every occasion, and it is the car you can keep for a very long time


Shame about the pealing wood trim. I did read that it is a problem with early build cars, but the E 53 is well into the third production year and should not have happened.

 

[Monster]

Just completed my impromptu late night drive, after receiving another low battery email from Mercedes Me.

I only managed to take a few quick photos, which is something a bit different from the usual photos taken during the day.

 

[Centurion]

Nice Christmas shoot!

 

[Giannis]

Just completed my impromptu late night drive, after receiving another low battery email from Mercedes Me.

So, the car literally begs you to drive it or it will just die!

Do you reckon you'll run this one in before IC engines get banned in Australia?

 

[Monster]

So, the car literally begs you to drive it or it will just die!

Do you reckon you'll run this one in before IC engines get banned in Australia?

Now that when you put it this way, you are right.

I received the same email alert last night so I took it out for a short 20 km drive.

Finally reached over 8000 km, and I think I should run this one in before the ban?

Of course you are welcome to visit Sydney to help out

 

[Centurion]

I received the same email alert last night so I took it out for a short 20 km drive.

After how many days of not driving the car do you receive these alerts?

 

[Monster]

After how many days of not driving the car do you receive these alerts?

Previously it was every 2 weeks, but since I have not driven the car properly for 3 weeks, I receive the notification every 4 days now.

I will take it out for a longer drive this weekend.

 

[Mick Briesgau]

I received the same email alert last night so I took it out for a short 20 km drive.

Strange, I've never had such a message before...

 

[Monster]

It has been quite a busy few weeks with all three cars completing their service and repairs.

The W211 was out of action for a week when the car refused to shift gears, and the ESC and ABS warning lights came on.
It turns out that the mechatronic control module needs to be replaced because the internal seal has failed and gearbox oil is leaking into the control unit. Apparently it is a common problem for early gen 7 G tronic gearboxes @Centurion.

The front sway bar bushings and the front shock absorbers will be next to be replaced, this will be the project for next year.

The s205 and the W213 completed their annual service without much issue. probably because they are both very low mileage cars.

With spring underway, I am hoping to drive the W213 more often, so it should stop emailing me.

 

[Monster]

Strange, I've never had such a message before...

I believe you drive your S-class to the moon and back . Will like to hear more about your long term ownership feedback if you can update us.

 

[Monster]

Spring afternoon cruising with one of the most heavily modified ISF in Sydney. It is shockingly fast with over 400kW at the wheels.

 

[Monster]

Same location , just over one year later.

The C estate is a car for almost all occasions. It is a very practical car for road trips and air port runs, the dimension and ride height is just right for regular city driving as well.

To my surprise, besides the occasional rattle from the driver side speaker grill, and the rear cargo attachment, the car has not developed any further rattle and creak,. I was expecting the various clip on interior components to start rattling due to the terrible roads in Sydney, and the back breaking suspension settling. Fortunately this has not occurred.

The styling has also stood the test of times, I still receive the occasional positive comments, and people are genuinely surprised when they realised the car is over 7.5 years old.

 

[Monster]

We just returned from our pre Christmas road trip along the south coast of NSW. The C class estate did well to transport myself, along with 3 other passenger, plus a boot full of luggage. The car is quiet, stable and the ride is surprisingly settled at highway speed. The performance is adequate, given the extra 200 kg it has to carry, however more power will be welcome. The ride height is also a touch marginal on certain location as well, especially when the suspension is a little more compressed with a full car.

Perhaps a performance SUV is next on the cards?