Topic: Test Drive: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250 4MaticBlueTEC Diesel

[Autos_Editor]

If you're in the market for a luxurious Euro-cruiser, the new E-class diesel might be the one that makes the most sense. Comfort, technology, safety and efficiency ' all can be found here in spades.

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[hemusbull]

With 4.6 L/100km on the highway "it bests any of the gasoline-powered E-class models by a wide margin".
You are too conservative - it bests all gasoline family and compacts. Something more - it is compatible with the combined EU cycle of Smart fortwo turbo!

[turbozippy]

    Great article, this is one of my favorite all-round cars available today, but a little out of my price range. Tom, your gas mileage conversion is a little off. I suspect you have inadvertently used the U.S. measurement for which 26 mpg is correct.  The 9.0 L per 100 km which you achieved is actually more like 31.4 mpg to the Canadian (Imp.) gallon.

[sailor723]

    Great article, this is one of my favorite all-round cars available today, but a little out of my price range. Tom, your gas mileage conversion is a little off. I suspect you have inadvertently used the U.S. measurement for which 26 mpg is correct.  The 9.0 L per 100 km which you achieved is actually more like 31.4 mpg to the Canadian (Imp.) gallon.

If you're going to talk gallons at all using the US gallon makes sense. At least it's a measure that is still in use and because so many of the car reviews/specs you find in the net are US based  it allows for  "apples to apples" comparisons.

The imperial gallon has gone the way of the cubit and the rod.  AFAIK it's only used by Canadian car companies in ads when they want to make their fuel economy look better than it actually is because of  bigger numbers (31 MPG sounds better than 26).  Using Imperial gallons only leads to confusion IMO.

[Ex-airbalancer]

    Great article, this is one of my favorite all-round cars available today, but a little out of my price range. Tom, your gas mileage conversion is a little off. I suspect you have inadvertently used the U.S. measurement for which 26 mpg is correct.  The 9.0 L per 100 km which you achieved is actually more like 31.4 mpg to the Canadian (Imp.) gallon.

If you're going to talk gallons at all using the US gallon makes sense. At least it's a measure that is still in use and because so many of the car reviews/specs you find in the net are US based  it allows for  "apples to apples" comparisons.

The imperial gallon has gone the way of the cubit and the rod.  AFAIK it's only used by Canadian car companies in ads when they want to make their fuel economy look better than it actually is because of  bigger numbers (31 MPG sounds better than 26).  Using Imperial gallons only leads to confusion IMO.

Even on mechanical drawings it is US gallons

[johngenx]

Or, how about, since we live in CANADA, and we don't use gallons, we just use L/100km SO THERE'S NO REASON TO WORRY ABOUT WHICH GALLONS WE'RE USING?

I'm not young.  I'm not ancient, but I'm not young.  If I'm using SI, why isn't pretty much everyone?  How many non-SI nations are there?  About a half dozen.  Out of 180-some-odd countries, there are about six.  And we're not in that six.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

    Great article, this is one of my favorite all-round cars available today, but a little out of my price range. Tom, your gas mileage conversion is a little off. I suspect you have inadvertently used the U.S. measurement for which 26 mpg is correct.  The 9.0 L per 100 km which you achieved is actually more like 31.4 mpg to the Canadian (Imp.) gallon.

If you're going to talk gallons at all using the US gallon makes sense. At least it's a measure that is still in use and because so many of the car reviews/specs you find in the net are US based  it allows for  "apples to apples" comparisons.

The imperial gallon has gone the way of the cubit and the rod.  AFAIK it's only used by Canadian car companies in ads when they want to make their fuel economy look better than it actually is because of  bigger numbers (31 MPG sounds better than 26).  Using Imperial gallons only leads to confusion IMO.

Canadian advertising rules state that fuel consumption be advertised in L/100km or miles/Imp gallon.

We've always used Imperial gallons. The only thing leading to confusion is people using a non-traditional, foreign unit of measure.

Having said that, all measurements should be metric.

[sailor723]

Or, how about, since we live in CANADA, and we don't use gallons, we just use L/100km SO THERE'S NO REASON TO WORRY ABOUT WHICH GALLONS WE'RE USING?

I'm not young.  I'm not ancient, but I'm not young.  If I'm using SI, why isn't pretty much everyone?  How many non-SI nations are there?  About a half dozen.  Out of 180-some-odd countries, there are about six.  And we're not in that six.

Well, maybe not officially but we certainly have a foot in each camp.  Living next door to the US and consuming so much of their media and so many of their products ensures we stay that way. Even my 20 year old daughter seems to operate half in imperial and half in metric. (She will say she's 5'4" but that we're getting 20cm of snow tonight...or that it's a 5km drive to the farmers market where she's going to buy 5 lbs of carrots and a quart of fresh cider.)

[johngenx]

Other than personal height and weight and wheel diameter, I never use any non SI units.

What's interesting to me is that the Americans I meet are mostly metric.  They are either military (on mountain skills training) or climbers.  Those two groups are used to navigating in kilometers (the UTM divides the world into square km) and talk about gear weight in grams/kg, measure food in grams, liquids in liters, ski length in cm, ice axe length in cm, ice screw lengths in cm, boots sole lengths in mm, pack volume in liters, and on and on.  We measure peak height in meters, elevation in meters, and plan trips in m/hr of vertical ascent and km/h of horizontal travel.

[Fobroader]

Well written Tom!! I love this car.....except for the engine....too small, needs more POWAHHHHH. I guess Im one of those ones that still wont buy a Merc if it doesnt have at least a V8 under the hood.

[mlin32]

The E250 diesel does seem like the ultimate roadtrip vehicle.....that 80 litre tank means it's going to last longer than one's bladder. Wonder if the Urea system manages to stay unfrozen, a feat BMW can't seem to consistently figure out yet.

I started using metric years ago and love it when I go abroad because I don't need to convert everything I say. If anything I find it a bit insulting that the maximum speeds in ON still have that km/h at the bottom. The American who gets my X3 when I sell it is going to have to deal with the average fuel consumption displayed in l/100km.

[johngenx]

Oh, drive one of those MB diesels, and you'll appreciate it for what it is: torque and economy.  The BOBW would be to have a 4-matic diesel for daily/winter use, getting great economy, and an AMG monster for shredding tires.

[johngenx]

Our MB diesel had an 80L tank, and it wasn't as thrifty as this new one, and we could hit 1200km before refueling.  I LOVED that.

[carcrazed]

Do you think it'll sell more if they called it E 300 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel?

Hate to admit, but I think so.

I'd love to get this car for myself when my kids grow up and leave.  That's gonna be at least 18 years

[Fobroader]

Oh, drive one of those MB diesels, and you'll appreciate it for what it is: torque and economy.  The BOBW would be to have a 4-matic diesel for daily/winter use, getting great economy, and an AMG monster for shredding tires.

If it was the Audi or BMW diesel, Id agree with you....4 cylinder is too small for this car, IMO of course. I agree though, some fat 5series/A6/E class diesel for the daily grind and an AMG (RWD please) for the weekends.

[sailor723]

Oh, drive one of those MB diesels, and you'll appreciate it for what it is: torque and economy.  The BOBW would be to have a 4-matic diesel for daily/winter use, getting great economy, and an AMG monster for shredding tires.

If it was the Audi or BMW diesel, Id agree with you....4 cylinder is too small for this car, IMO of course. I agree though, some fat 5series/A6/E class diesel for the daily grind and an AMG (RWD please) for the weekends.

As I said in the comparison thread, I'm kind of surprised at this engine choice. I would have thought the 4 cyl in the C class diesel and the 3.0 in this car. CAFE maybe? 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Wonder if the Urea system manages to stay unfrozen, a feat BMW can't seem to consistently figure out yet.

All urea tanks are designed to freeze. There's no need to spend extra energy to keep it liquid when the car isn't in use. The tank heaters are made to thaw the fluid faster than the engine can use it, so there's no real issue there unless you have an electrical gremlin.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Wonder if the Urea system manages to stay unfrozen, a feat BMW can't seem to consistently figure out yet.

All urea tanks are designed to freeze. There's no need to spend extra energy to keep it liquid when the car isn't in use. The tank heaters are made to thaw the fluid faster than the engine can use it, so there's no real issue there unless you have an electrical gremlin.

Electrical gremlins on a FGC mmmmmm 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Wonder if the Urea system manages to stay unfrozen, a feat BMW can't seem to consistently figure out yet.

All urea tanks are designed to freeze. There's no need to spend extra energy to keep it liquid when the car isn't in use. The tank heaters are made to thaw the fluid faster than the engine can use it, so there's no real issue there unless you have an electrical gremlin.

Electrical gremlins on a FGC mmmmmm 

 

[huota]

Well written Tom!! I love this car.....except for the engine....too small, needs more POWAHHHHH. I guess Im one of those ones that still wont buy a Merc if it doesnt have at least a V8 under the hood.

While I fully agree that a V8 under the hood is awesome (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yCupxxErM&list=PL239B84BD346EEEFA&feature=share), I can also appreciate the four banger in the E250. To me, it's sort of a modern homage to the E-class of the 70s and 80s when the 200D roamed the highways. Also, what a great testament to the E-class' versatility that the same body can accommodate the E63 AMG and E250 CDI and that both can cater to different purposes, needs and wants.