[st4]

I never bought an E90 3er....

Why

1. Price, they are dear on the second hand market
2. Scared of N47 timing issues and wanted a newer sub 4r old car
3. Didn't want a larger engined 330d to get away from timing gear.

So what I buy

A C220cdi auto estate thats on an 09 reg, last of the non pre blue efficiency. No DPF, no DMF's, just a tried and tested motor with a tried and tested box tied up to a RWD chassis.

Whats it like compared to an E903er.

Refinement, not as good.

Performance, pretty much the same. 170bhp vs 177bhp. Merc box is smoother, ZF BMW is faster shifting.

Handling. Like the BMWs, tight, precise and fun to drive. Big fun to drive.

Steering, better feedback than the BMW.

Brakes, they are fine.

Comfort, about the same as the BMW, firm but controlled.

Interior. Not as classy as the BMW nor as well appointed but IMHO the dials and driving controls are better.

Economy. Probably not as good, but tried and tested motor will present less faults than the N47 engine so its offset.


DSC_0351 by stephentaylor4@hotmail.com, on Flickr


DSC_0350 by stephentaylor4@hotmail.com, on Flickr


DSC_0348 by stephentaylor4@hotmail.com, on Flickr



DSC_0361 by stephentaylor4@hotmail.com, on Flickr

See what I mean about the dials and economy. lovely dials, ok economy.

Oh, the seats, nice cloth in the middle, leather bolsters for wear, perfect.

[pjs]

Brave post! With a foot in both camps I'd only agree with a couple of your comparisons. Nice hat btw

[RagingKileak]

Strange post, but congrats on the new car!

Matt

[willhollin]

Do the rear seats fold totally flat?

[dxb335d]

Sooooooo confused.

[Dave_3]

Wow, a worm hole .... directly to a Mercedes Forum.

D.

[m@rk]

Members of E90Post are pussycats compared to the animals that live over on MBClub (vicious is an under statement)

So not as brave as you may think ;-)

[zltm089]

welcome to the forum!!!

lol....handling is like a bmw....nahhhh....

[dxb335d]

Explain Mark?

[chrisbin]

Morning!

[dxb335d]

Good afternoon.

[creepy coupe]

Comfort, about the same as the BMW, firm but controlled

This does surprise me, as the BMW will have come with runflats I'd have thought your Merc a bit more comfortable.

[st4]

So there are more than a few names I recognise here...LOL.

I joined here ages ago researching an E90 and discovered PJS and palmball here here.

I've driven both the E90 and this car a fair bit.

They are both so different and yet so similar.

Honestly handling in this is properly tight and controlled and probably in all likelyhood the equal of the BMWs. I'll need to drive the car over the same road as the BMW to be 100% sure of this, but its very sharp and no slack in the steering. It feels remarkably un Mercedes like to drive and expensively damped and way better than my lowered E class on Blistein B12 dampers and Eibach springs. Mercedes have spent a lot of money here and it shows with the rest of the cabin being a bit solid and functional.

Ride wise, upfront, its firm ok. I cannot remember if the 320d Msport I drove was runflat shod, perhaps it wasn't as it seemed very comfortable and compliant, but lacking in suspension travel as a few times over bump roads it hit the bump stops in the suspension. My cousin had an SE 318 and that was a bit wallowing and soft. I also suspect seating has a lot to do with this, the BMW seemed to have softer seats than the merc, perhaps its the way I adjusted them, but the Cer seems everybit as solid as the BMW. Maybe the tyre pressures are set too high on my car.


The BMW box and engine are substancially more refined and smoother and quicker shifting, but this is an old drive train and I elected for that for a reason, I can't be doing with unreliable cars.

I haven't tried folding the seats down but hope they go flat, the idea is I want to be able to sleep in this car as I do a lot of touring.

I thought it would be polite to update forums I was members of with what I did. I hope my postings here won't antagonise people, as that is not my intention. I'm just a bloke who likes driving and cars.

[dxb335d]

Nice one mate and good luck with the new motor!! When I'm
50 I'll probably end up with one too

[st4]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Nice one mate and good luck with the new motor!! When I'm
50 I'll probably end up with one too

I swear I recognise the DXB username.

Did you not come onto MBC with an E55k.

I might have you confused with someone else.

I'd bet a tenner I am younger than you too.

[dxb335d]

How old are you mate? And does it matter who is younger than who?

I was joking because all the people taking the piss

I have never owned a Merc, my dad did once and I was on there for a look

[st4]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

How old are you mate? And does it matter who is younger than who?

I was joking because all the people taking the piss

I have never owned a Merc, my dad did once and I was on there for a look

27 matey. Proper young for a Merc driver but just like 'em. My mates give me the old mans car malarky, but when I had the X5 4.4i they said I had a small willy. I didn't care, I adored that car but it cost a bomb and a half.





I nearly bought a BMW 3er. Really nice cars actually and was so close but this came up from a seller I know and trust, and at a price that would have seen me in an older BMW.

I'll update here, I like it already

I do a lot of touring and photography and get about//

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...onal-park.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...-glen-coe.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...ancashire.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...yomp-york.html

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...ins-again.html

Here is my original views on the e90.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gener...-shed-two.html

[dxb335d]

You are younger by one YEAR LOL.

I have been on forums for a while. Had a 335d Coupe nearly new on 07. Lovely car that.

Not interested in Mercs apart from the HAWT ones. Although your touring version looks nice I'd prob get a BM 335 version again if I had to choose.

I had driven my old mans CLS and it was a bloody boat. Hence why he got rid and bought a BM again.

[mowflow]

Hello S4. That did seem like an odd post at first but the explanation now makes sense. Many of us here no longer own E90s or BMWs. Think we all hang about just so we can put our tuppence worth into the almost weekly "what car next" threads. Come to think of it there's not been one of those for a while now.

You're just across the river from me. I'm in Gourock.

[mgarvey]

Thought I recognised the name from MBclub - welcome!

I was very seriously considering the W204 for my current car, but made the mistake (?) of driving a new C220CDI back to back with the latest F30 320d. I'm afraid to say that despite my predisposition at the time towards the Merc (some really good deals going at the moment) the BMW blew me away!

The F30 had a better ride, which astonished me given Mercedes strength in this area, and better handling (not a massive surprise but the gap was greater than I expected).

One area where I felt the Merc was better was it's gearbox. You are dead right in saying that the Merc 7G+ gearbox doesn't shift as quickly and responsively as the BMW 8 speed, but the Merc box had an uncanny knack of being in what I felt to be the right gear most of the time, whereas the BMW box felt a little indecisive and kept shifting up and down for no obvious reason. This was only based on test drives, but that is my view.

So...I'm in another BMW. Maybe the W205 will be enough to pull me away from the blue and white propeller!

[st4]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

You are younger by one YEAR LOL.

I have been on forums for a while. Had a 335d Coupe nearly new on 07. Lovely car that.

Not interested in Mercs apart from the HAWT ones. Although your touring version looks nice I'd prob get a BM 335 version again if I had to choose.

I had driven my old mans CLS and it was a bloody boat. Hence why he got rid and bought a BM again.

I drove a CLS as a courtesy car when my E320cdi broke down (it did a lot of that). It seemed really sharp and decisive compared to my old E class, which more I think of it now its sold, the more I wonder if it was heavily clocked with the amount of issues I had with it.

Actually, the CLS55AMG I borrowed from a forum member, it was bloody nice that, went like stink and with the switchable suspension was quite a nimble car, for such a large car.

What BMW did he replace with it. An E90 will make a W219 CLS feel boat like. Once I shoved the Eibachs and Bilsteins onto the E class, it made it a great handling car that would reign in gof GTi's on the evo triangle, but at the expense of tyres...LOL!!!!

Originally Posted by mowflow

Hello S4. That did seem like an odd post at first but the explanation now makes sense. Many of us here no longer own E90s or BMWs. Think we all hang about just so we can put our tuppence worth into the almost weekly "what car next" threads. Come to think of it there's not been one of those for a while now.

You're just across the river from me. I'm in Gourock.

Thanks for the welcome mate.

I must admit to having an alterior motive to popping in, a few of the good guys from MBC are here, and that place is getting silly and more old manish all the time and they don't want to talk about cars.

Originally Posted by mgarvey

Thought I recognised the name from MBclub - welcome!

I was very seriously considering the W204 for my current car, but made the mistake (?) of driving a new C220CDI back to back with the latest F30 320d. I'm afraid to say that despite my predisposition at the time towards the Merc (some really good deals going at the moment) the BMW blew me away!

The F30 had a better ride, which astonished me given Mercedes strength in this area, and better handling (not a massive surprise but the gap was greater than I expected).

One area where I felt the Merc was better was it's gearbox. You are dead right in saying that the Merc 7G+ gearbox doesn't shift as quickly and responsively as the BMW 8 speed, but the Merc box had an uncanny knack of being in what I felt to be the right gear most of the time, whereas the BMW box felt a little indecisive and kept shifting up and down for no obvious reason. This was only based on test drives, but that is my view.

So...I'm in another BMW. Maybe the W205 will be enough to pull me away from the blue and white propeller!

The F30 is stunning, nice car. I'm more a £15k car guy than a £30k car guy so can't compare 8g BMWs vs 7g plus ones but I am amazed to read how well you find the 7g plus.

I had the old standard 7g in my E320 and it was vile and ruined what was a stunning, if complex engine. I must try one of the 7g pluses and everyone tells me how good they are. Its the reason I went for the C220cdi and 5g, it works well enough and better than the newer normal 7g. As I said I can't comment on the 7g plus. Strangely, the ZF box I sampled in my old X5 4.4i, E90 320d, the Audi S6 etc were great, is the 8 speeder a backward step?

Tell you one thing, try, if you can a C63 with the MCT box, it will blow your mind. I suspect an M3 with the DCT will do the same.

I think re better ride thats just the newer generation of cars for you, the F30 really is state of the art, the W204 is now not a newish car and IMHO despite good dampning, its surprisingly firm, and a set up genuinely not suitable for everyone.

[dxb335d]

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