Why we ran it: To see if the near-perfect theory of a car with diesel power for long journeys and electric power for short trips can be matched by the reality
Month 5 - Month 4 - Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with an E-Class Estate: Month 5
What could be better than a frugal diesel wagon that can turn into an electric car? - 25 March 2020
It has been an interesting and informative time with the Mercedes-Benz E300de Estate, powered as it is by the only diesel-electric hybrid powertrain on the market.
And that’s the first thing to say: diesel may not be popular at present, largely due to its urban emissions, but here is a way out of that trap. The ideas behind a car you can use emissions-free and conscience-clear in town but that will also provide all the benefits of a modern, clean diesel on a long run are clear. I understand why it probably won’t catch on – diesel’s unfairly maligned reputation and the lack of interest in it outside of Europe – but on merit alone, it’s the best solution I’ve seen.
As for the car, I was most interested in what I knew would be a reality gap between how it performed on paper and how it actually got on in the real world – and I don’t just mean its demonstrably nonsensical official fuel consumption and CO2 figures.
There is, for instance, the price to consider: the E300de costs £9230 more than an otherwise-identical E220d powered by the same engine but without the hybrid apparatus. On the one hand, you might ponder how many thousands of miles you would need to drive to recoup that premium, but then for a company car, the taxation incentives might conversely prove exceedingly tempting.
You might abhor the additional 345kg that it weighs over the E220d, or you may consider that its 302bhp more than makes up the difference over the 191bhp model. And in power-to-weight ratio terms, you would be absolutely correct. It’s the difference between a car that can reach 62mph in less than six seconds and one that needs rather more than seven. And that is significant.
For me, however, there is a large conceptual component to the argument. Do you like the idea of the diesel hybrid? I very much do. For a start, what the numbers will never reveal is just how startlingly luxurious this Mercedes feels while wafting you around not only on velvety springs but also in almost complete silence. And for most people, most of the time, that will be most journeys. The E300de’s performance on electrons alone is better than adequate in all normal circumstances. I like, too, the fact that its projected electric-only range is always a mile or two fewer than it actually achieves, despite the fact that I do almost no town driving in it.
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Cold rattles, not just noise
Month 4 - Always wondered what effect repeated starts would have on a diesel engine that's effectively been chilled -10 by way of a windchill going straight to 3,000+rpm, without oil being in all the right places, when you put your foot down on a slip road.
I'm probably old hat but my mechanical side of the brain just has to much sympathy to ignore my ears and remembers those Castrol GTX adverts.
Cold start of the diesel is a non-issue durability-wise. This 1950cc diesel is a very recent design and minimises piston slap. Modern oils mean that wear is a non-issue unless the car is laboured hard at very low engine speeds, which is not possible mated to an automatic box.
Windchill is a human perception thing and has nothing to do with actual temperature, BTW.
Nothing to worry about though some will dislike the sound of a diesel. This is likely to be a groundbreaking powertrain that will sell well in technically-literate DE, NL, FR and I markets. The heavy duty mechanicals are not referenced in the article but those big brakes, driveshaft, CV joints and the high torque version of the 9 speed autobox to deal with 700Nm and wipe off 150mph safely are one major reason for the weight uplift over the light duty 220d. Driven sensibly, it should assure better durability and lower running costs for those who prefer to own a car for much of its useful life.
Its poorly designed.
Bomb - Couldn't agree more, everyone sees things differently.
There were a number of factors I didn't choose the E-Class, ( money being the prime one. Buying it wasn't an issue, in fact there were huge discounts on new cars - £14k off list! but the running costs were simply huge compared to rival cars ).
But that vast boot didn't prove to be so vast. The under floor storage had huge potential for me but in typical German over engineering, there's this metal bracket in the middle to prop up the floor. ( it's right beside where the folded basket sits ). Great if you're loading a washing machine but hugely unnecessary for much anything else. I couldn't fit the things I carry in my Octavia estate in to the the E-Class. And then when you consider my Skoda also comes with a spare wheel underneath all of that, the Merc didn't have any facility to carry a spare despite it's vast size, it's a bottle of gunge or nothing, then it seems crazy. The engineering behind the Merc design is fantastic, but someone forgot to question how practical that overkill engineering is. Merc could so easily make it a much better estate if they tried.
As I say, unless you like origami plastic baskets, there's nothing much smart about the design.
We got a 220d estate last
We got a 220d estate last year Scotty, I like the profile and the interior. I know looks can be a deciding factor in a car purchase but the car is excellent. We'd had two A6 Avants so the less sober looks were welcome, as were the additional boot space, better spec and more comfortable ride.