[mudittandon]

Originally Posted by Hayek

When I last checked, the E220 CDI came missed on certain basic features like a multi CD changer, which made it unacceptable to me in a car of this class. Has that changed? The E 200 CGI then came with a 5 speed autobox, which made it pretty mediocre to drive.

The E220, E200 and E250 were indistinguishable to me from the inside. They all come with the USB / bluetooth connectivity stuff etc - so thats not an issue. Also, the E200 now comes with 7 speed. So its actually beautiful to drive - apart from the fact that its got no where as much power as the E320 of yore.

Originally Posted by ghostrider

If you're taking a loan on the cars and your EMI difference between the E200 and E220 is less than 10 grand a month, then I would pick the E220 CDI if I were you. It makes perfect fiscal sense.

Spot on. The difference in my calculation is about 9000ish. The difference in the EMI is more than that.

But its not fair to compare the EMI (which is interest expense + asset principal payment) to fuel cost (which is expense only). And this makes your point better, actually.

Also, at the ~11%ish interest rate, 5L more means ~55,000 per year more on interest. Lets ignore the additional principal for a second - assuming that we will get it back later due to the higher resale. This 55,000 more per year for the diesel yields a saving of 1,10,000 in fuel.

Thats a net difference of 55,000. Basically, I'll pay 55,000 per year more to own the Petrol as compared to the Diesel. Yes?

This means that to spend 5L less, I am paying 50K extra per year. Which I think I'm OK with...

I might be one of two or three Petrol customers for MB in this year!

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by mudittandon

Spot on. The difference in my calculation is about 9000ish. The difference in the EMI is more than that.
Also, at the ~11%ish interest rate, 5L more means ~55,000 per year more on interest. Lets ignore the additional principal for a second - assuming that we will get it back later due to the higher resale. This 55,000 more per year for the diesel yields a saving of 1,10,000 in fuel.
Thats a net difference of 55,000. Basically, I'll pay 55,000 per year more to own the Petrol as compared to the Diesel. Yes?

Fair enough, your calculations seem absolutely fine. One of the reasons I actually prefer new generation diesels is they're more fun to drive than their petrol counterparts but like you said you'd be forking out the extra dough for your driver to enjoy so it makes very little sense for you.

Originally Posted by mudittandon

This means that to spend 5L less, I am paying 50K extra per year. Which I think I'm OK with...
I might be one of two or three Petrol customers for MB in this year!

Fair enough once again. I think the delta between the resale values would be pretty huge but since that's not a consideration for you, then your logic and your math holds up perfectly.
Good luck with the car.... please read GTO's excellent thread on buying a new car. And I hope we can expect a great ownership thread from you when you get the new wheels.

Cheers.

[HKap]

Originally Posted by ghostrider

Fair enough once again. I think the delta between the resale values would be pretty huge but since that's not a consideration for you, then your logic and your math holds up perfectly.
Good luck with the car.... please read GTO's excellent thread on buying a new car. And I hope we can expect a great ownership thread from you when you get the new wheels.

Cheers.

I wouldn't sweat too much over the resale value since you plan to keep the car for 8 years. Given that Manmohan singh and co are all set to deregulate diesel, the delta should come down. I am almost certain that we will see this in the next couple of years. If the govt decides to levy a "diesel tax" on these cars with a retrospective date then you would be paying much more than 6L for the diesel option.

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by HKap

I wouldn't sweat too much over the resale value since you plan to keep the car for 8 years. Given that Manmohan singh and co are all set to deregulate diesel, the delta should come down. I am almost certain that we will see this in the next couple of years. If the govt decides to levy a "diesel tax" on these cars with a retrospective date then you would be paying much more than 6L for the diesel option.

They've been harping about this far too long for it to be taken seriously, in my opinion. Deregulating diesel will have such a massive domino effect in this country that the revenue benefit the government gets from private vehicle owners will be insignificant in comparison to the inflation pressure we'll see. And I think the government's learned it's lesson with retrospective taxes (a la Vodafone and co) so it's extremely unlikely they'd do that.

Even if the price goes up, today the per-km running cost of petrol is almost 60% higher than it is in diesel when you also take into account that diesels offer (generally speaking) better mileage.

Anyway, this is a debate for another thread.

[manujkansal]

I am in a similar soup . Took the test drive of E200 CGI and found it sufficiently powered for my needs and a monthly run of around 1000-1200 kms makes the petrol a wiser choice i guess. The dealer (T&T Motors) quoted a price of Rs.46lacs for the E220 CDI and Rs 42lacs plus 2 lacs petrol card for the E200 CGI which effectively brings the price down to 40 lacs on road.

The car will mostly be self driven. My concern is that I have heard a lot of horrible experiences regarding the mercs from known merc owners with air conditioner compressor problems to numerous transmissions problems which are forcing me to stay away from the brand. I thought MB had an excellent after sale service.

I can also look at the BMW 520d which would cost around 45lacs on road if its really not worth risking on the E200 CGI.

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by manujkansal

My concern is that I have heard a lot of horrible experiences regarding the mercs from known merc owners with air conditioner compressor problems to numerous transmissions problems which are forcing me to stay away from the brand. I thought MB had an excellent after sale service.
I can also look at the BMW 520d which would cost around 45lacs on road if its really not worth risking on the E200 CGI.

Merc has abysmal after sales service. I'm sure there are Merc owners here on the forum that haven't had an issues but there are PLENTY that have had to endure after-sales nightmares with Mercedes. Please go through this thread to see what TBHP member Manveet had to endure with his ML350.
Close friends of mine have had broken crankshafts at 40,000km, brake pads needing replacement at ridiculously low intervals, and the like.

[316kmph]

I have a E200 CGI petrol. In Chennai traffic and my 20 km a day average use i get 6.5 - 7 kmpl. I share this with my dad.. Despite me having an X5 and my dad a 730ld, this is the most used car by us. I 95% self drive and my dad 60%. Its also brilliant to be chauffeured around.

There is enough and more power than you will need, the torque from the cgi makes it faster than the w211 e230 v6 (7gtronic) which my mom uses.

Put gear changes to S and its pretty fun to drive. Although the steering is a bit slow, it has grace and good feel. Handling otherwise is predictable and the poise at high speed is great

Low speed ride is good not great, but becomes fantastic as speed goes up

There are only few points that mercedes could improve.

1. Central Console and Command ergonomics - switching between CD, radio, telephone buttons and awkwardly positioned command control is not exactly intuitive (may be because I switch cars daily) - generic to all current generation Mercedes. However I love the telephone number pad, easy to call loved ones whose number u always remember.

2. Gearbox, a little slow. Sometimes jerky but generally smooth. A 7 g tronic + would have been great. You wouldn't complain regularly though.

3. 4 pot cgi motor has a whistle (only) when u accelerate hard. Its guess the turbo whistle, not even close to complaining levels.

4. Low speed ride not the best in class.


Things I like.

1. Refined yet torquey petrol
2. Poise (medium to high speed)
3. Cabin NVH and coziness.
4. Ride, handling balance with a precise and good feel steering and rear wheel drive car fun.
5. Value for money.
6. Comfortable seats.
7. Respectable fuel economy.


All said I love the car so much that I am even considering buying another one (especially when u factor in the VFM) as change for my mom.

About problems, i have been using Mercedes for a few years now and have not had any problems. That said my usage of any car will be around 800 - 1100 km a month which is not very high. Same with BMWs - no real problems. Never used Audis because amongst others I have heard a few reliability complains and resale value.

[316kmph]

Originally Posted by mudittandon

Also, the E200 now comes with 7 speed. So its actually beautiful to drive

There were talks about the 7Gtronic update, if its there read one sour point less from my user experience said in my earlier post.

[palioman]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Being Delhi I think you can expect 8kmpl for the 200cgi and 11 for the 220cdi depending on how light your chauffeurs foot is.

The acceleration is smoother in the 200cgi because of the 7 speed gearbox.

Do check out the final prices being offered, petrol will be cheaper but 5-6l seems like too much of a difference.

I would pick up the 220cdi since over the 8 years you would recover the extra cost of it even if 5-6l.

Er, I just had to butt in....the E200CGI has a five speed gearbox, I have one.
But ....I am in the UAE, after having relocated here, and I drive the auto...

[torquing_points]

Originally Posted by palioman

Er, I just had to butt in....the E200CGI has a five speed gearbox, I have one.
But ....I am in the UAE, after having relocated here, and I drive the auto...

The E200 CGI now for sure has a 7 speed gearbox (in India at least)

[palioman]

Hello folks
Am visiting team bhp after a long time.
Yeah I started the post on the E200 CGI,..I have had this car for nearly 3 years and 70000 kms now.
I do not know about the E220 CDI..as am based in Dubai, but my Merc has been a paragon of reliability, no rattles, no failures, as taut as ever.
The E200 CGI has a 5 speed auto, and I have never found it wanting in any respect.If you want to hoon around , then a Mercedes (other than the AMG) is not for you...safe, secure and smooth is what it is.
( For hooning around I have a Mustang )
True, the service costs are high, but then again here the resale for Mercs are higher than the other Germans.
I get around 9 kmpl but here the roads are quite good.
And lastly never a problem in 3 years of 47 degrees Summers !
Cheers!
palioman

[torquing_points]

Originally Posted by palioman

Hello folks
Am visiting team bhp after a long time.
Yeah I started the post on the E200 CGI,..I have had this car for nearly 3 years and 70000 kms now.
I do not know about the E220 CDI..as am based in Dubai, but my Merc has been a paragon of reliability, no rattles, no failures, as taut as ever.
The E200 CGI has a 5 speed auto, and I have never found it wanting in any respect.If you want to hoon around , then a Mercedes (other than the AMG) is not for you...safe, secure and smooth is what it is.
( For hooning around I have a Mustang )
True, the service costs are high, but then again here the resale for Mercs are higher than the other Germans.
I get around 9 kmpl but here the roads are quite good.
And lastly never a problem in 3 years of 47 degrees Summers !
Cheers!
palioman

The new E200 has a buttery smooth 7 speed auto box now... I've seen that the E200CGI runs about 8ish km per liter of premium gas in Delhi.

[OmThoke]

If you're driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, don't expect more than 6kpl... Currently, my s80 3.2 is giving < 6kpl, while Volvo promised a practical city mileage of 7-8 (but anyway I wasn't expecting more than 7, because Accord V6 itself gives only 6kpl most of the time).

I think if you don't care about resale value, and as MB is currently giving great deals on petrol, go for E200.

And yeah, the maintenance costs for diesel would be at least 10% higher after 40k mark, so you'd also cover up some money there as well.