Opinions on 250 CDI vs 350 CDI

[simon69c]

Hi all - I'm considering getting myself the new E class coupe in a few months time (after seeing one in a magazine and then in the flesh at the local dealer) and so I'm currently trying to read up as much as I can about them.

I would almost certainly be going for a diesel, but I'm currently not entirely sure on which of the two current offerings would suit me best - and different people seem to have very different ideas on which is the "standout engine"! I've seen things ranging from "the E250 having plenty of grunt so why bother with the E350", to "the E350's V6 is so much more refined and the 7speed box it comes with is worth paying the extra alone". What do people who have driven both think? As I would be wanting Distronic plus I would have to get the auto box for the 250 CDI anyway if I did go for that one, but that's only the 5-speeder and from what I've read the 7-speeder the 350 CDI comes with is considerably better. I tend to drive pretty economically though (and mostly motorway miles) so I'm not sure I would actually use the extra power of the 350 - and of course there would be a bit of a penalty at the pumps going for the larger engine, though both would be considerably better than what I drive currently of course (230K CLK).

I'm also undecided on whether the Sport trim is worth it over the SE (given that I would probably want either beige or red leather, which is standard on the SE but not the Sport trim) - I do prefer the two-tone version of the leather on the Sport though!

Thanks for any opinions you could share!

 

[fortuner]

hi firstly congrats the E coupe is stunning....

secondly if you driving mainly on the highway and a conservative driver..

I would take the 250 cdi.I own a 220cdi c class and its got decent power.And i suppose the 250 must be more powerfull...

The only thing is the gearbox is the 5 speed and it seems you want the 7 speed.

I would rather go for the 250 cdi and spend the other money on putting extras if you dont want excess power..

 

[coolraoul]

Depends on your needs. In terms of power I don't think you'll notice that much difference if you drive reasonably. But the 350cdi is incredibly refined, what the 250 isn't, so the 350 is more silent, smooth and creamy.

Saying the 7G is enough to justify the jump isn't true. I drove both 5 and 7G. And while the 7G is definitely faster, and makes the gearchange unoticeable, the 5G is far from jerky or slow. It's slower to react, the gearchange less silky, but it stays a superb gearbox. And contrary to the 7G, it doesn't suffer from occasionnal jerkyness on certain conditions (from 2 to 1 on he roll, and then re-throttle for instance), and has proven itself to be bulletproof in terms of reliability.

The main gain will be engine refinement. Drive both, and decide for yourself, because some feel the 350 is worth it because of the silkyness, other say the 250 is more economical while torquey and powerful enough, some say the 7G is faster to react and smoother and others think the 5G is perfectly fine.

I personnally would go for the 350, because it's a cream of a motor.

 

[cawimmer430]

In terms of performance the '250 CDI engine should be more than capable. It has large torque reserves that generate impressive acceleration and midrange acceleration times.

The '350 CDI engine will be smoother and more refined (it's a 6-cylinder after all) but I'm not sure if it is worth getting for that extra power and refinement. That's not to say the '250 CDI isn't refined, because by most accounts it is - the '350 CDI is just noticeably smoother.

I guess it really comes down to what you need. For my personal needs and tastes and from a realistic point of view the '250 CDI would be my choice. Everything about it is completely adequate. The '350 CDI can be described as "a bit overkill" in some regards.

The best thing to do is probably arrange a testdrive with these two cars and see for yourself which engine you like better.

 

[Gullwing]

I thought they both have about the same power and torque?

I would go with the 250

 

[Untertürkheim]

I would have to say that in this situation, the transmission would be the deciding factor.

Personally, I would opt for the 250CDI with the 6MT. The 5-speed AT is quite outdated, and the new 7g is muich better in every way. Additionally, the much taller gearing of the 7g should offset the extra engine size, especially compared to the 5g.

If you can find a way to live without the distronic and automatic, the 250 6MT is a fantastic drivetrain.

In my opinion, buying a new car with far outdated equipment (5AT) is an unattractive proposal.

 

[Untertürkheim]

I came across some interesting information last night; DBAG has said that they will soon eliminate the 5AT altogether, making the 7g/MCT the only automatic.

This does appear to be true, since the 7g is already on several 4-cyl diesel models.