- #262 of 286
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press request
by kirstie_h HOST
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Dec 29, 2005 (7:09 am)
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A reporter from a national newspaper would like to speak to consumers who have purchased a high-end or high-performance wagon, such as the Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes-Benz E55, Dodge Magnum RT or the Volvo V70R, as examples . If you would to speak with the media, please respond to ctalati edmunds.com with your daytime contact info. and city/state of residence no later than January 6, 2006.
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- #263 of 286
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Re: front passenger seat in E500 wagon [mcolem]
by gtr3
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Jan 01, 2006 (3:23 pm)
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Replying to: mcolem (Aug 10, 2005 2:04 am)
This feature can be overridden. The override can be incremental. The service department had to spend time on the telephone, but did disable the feature after almost a day of trying. However, the passenger seat was still not going to its full rearward position. After I told them it still was not acceptable they took it back, and the next day it was fixed. Tell you service department to get on the phone to MB, and that you want full rearward travel, and that you know it can be done.
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- #264 of 286
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Volvo XC vs. MB E320
by mie320
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Jan 17, 2006 (8:18 pm)
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I have three all wheel drive wagons, a 1998 Volvo V70 XC, 2004 MB E320 4-Matic, and a 2005 BMW 325xiT. blckislandguy asks why buy an E class? There are several reasons I chose to get an E class over another XC when I gave the XC to my son. One reason is that I really didn't like how it drove. The steering on the new XC didn't feel very well connected to the road compared to the E320, and especially the 325. The steering seemed closer to our Ford Excursion than the E320 or 325. I also drove a V70 R and the steering "looseness" was gone in that car. The 1998 that I have seems to have much better steering. Secondly, the handling didn;t feel as crisp or smooth as the 325 and E320. What I mean by that is that bumps are felt more in the Volvo but at the same time it doesn't seem to handle as well. The XC also seems noisier when driving, especially during hard acceleration when the turbo 5 screams some really aweful sounds. My third reason was that the new (2001+) XC does't have good visibility for changing lanes for me. I loved my 1998 XC, and would have kept it but my son needed a car in college (colorado) and the XC is perfect for that. Overall, the Mercedes seems to be a more refined car, which it should be since it costs significantly more. The cost of maintenance should not be downplayed either. So far I havn't had to pay for anything on the Mercedes out of pocket, but the Volvo has been quite expensive to maintain. There are many 1000$ shop visits for various sensors. (ex. ABS sensor failed, about $1000 to fix) I expect the Mercedes will have similar problems once it gets more miles. I hope this helps.
Sam
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- #265 of 286
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Re: Volvo XC vs. MB E320 [mie320]
by blckislandguy
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Feb 01, 2006 (7:37 pm)
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Replying to: mie320 (Jan 17, 2006 8:18 pm)
Mie320, without having extensively driven the E Wagon, I'll concede the noise and steering issues. I do think that the 2001+ XC (the one I am familiar with) has much better all weather capability with more traction directed up front (and, yes, one does feel some torque steer), better fogs (front and rear), more ground clearance, more load capacity, and IMHO a nicer interior especially the center stack. I won't argue if you with more experience in the E Series finds it more refined. I just don't think it is worth the upcharge of perhaps 20K (34K or so vs. 54K or so).
The service experience at MB may be more upscale. It may even be akin to the treatment at a good restaurant. I have become an expert on the mid-market service experience at Volvo and can tell you it is akin to the experience you would get at a casual dining place like Applebees: very casual and certainly not very cheap.
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- #266 of 286
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Re: Volvo XC vs. MB E320 [blckislandguy]
by mie320
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Feb 09, 2006 (6:26 pm)
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Replying to: blckislandguy (Feb 01, 2006 7:37 pm)
blckislandguy, some of your points are valid. However, I disagree about many of them. First, I think that the Mercedes interior is far, far better. The wood in the Mercedes is better placed and looks nicer, the leather is higher quality, and the overall appearance is nicer I think. If you are comparing to the 1996-2002 E class, then yes, the Volvo may have a nicer looking interior, but the new one is just wonderful. I can't compare the all weather traction between the E320 and the 2001+ Volvo, but the E, and even the 325xi that I have, have far better all weather traction than the 1998 Volvo XC that I have. The newer Volvo's use a Haldex AWD system I believe, and that provides better traction I'm sure. The Mercedes also has electronic stability control standard, which helps a lot on ice/snow and even rain. My Volvo only has traction control, and even that only works up to 30 mph or so. AS for the foglights, we rarely get fog here. However, I have bi-xenons on the E320 which are amazing. The amount of light they provide is better than any other headlight I have seen. They are a lot better than the bi-xenons on my 325xi, and they make my 1998 Volvo XC's look terrible (which they are). Interior space seems about equal. I havn't compared the EPA numbers, but I imagine they are a little deceiving. The E320's back end is angled fairly sharply forward, which reduces cargo space. Practically speaking, this space is rarely used, so there really isn't to much lost. On the other hand, the Volvo basically has a right angle at the back, which maximizes theoretical cargo space, but in practice that space is rarely used. As for service, they are practically the same, except I get a loaner whenever I take the Mercedes in. The dealers have the same owner (Barrier motors) and they share the same parking lot. You really can't go wrong with either car, and it's just up to each person to decide which one they like most.
Sam
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- #267 of 286
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CDI AWD Wagon for 2007?
by sullyak
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Mar 18, 2006 (10:03 am)
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I have read about the 2007 320 CDI V6 4-matic sedan. I am very curious as to weather or not they will also be offering it in a wagon. I called MB but they couldn't tell me. Does anyone know?
Thanks.
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- #268 of 286
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E350 Wagon; Are 2007's around the corner?
by wkaiser1
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Mar 20, 2006 (11:12 am)
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I just returned from my dealer (MB, Manhattan). I was looking to lease a 2006 E350 NON-4matic. My salesman said there are none left in the country (well there are 8 on the west coast) I can only get a 4matic wagon and they also are in short supply. I wanted the non-4matic because it had the 7 speed automatic (4matic has only 5 speed auto) and that I do very little winter driving. Does this suggest to anyone out there that the 2006's are depleting their last inventories and the 2007's are near?
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- #269 of 286
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Re: E350 Wagon; Are 2007's around the corner? [wkaiser1]
by albell
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Mar 21, 2006 (5:45 am)
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Replying to: wkaiser1 (Mar 20, 2006 11:12 am)
I would suggest calling a few more local dealers. In the NE, most of the wagons sold are 4-matic, but I can't believe all the inventory is gone. I have been told things in the past by the salespeople at MB Manhattan that I knew to be untrue. Its one of the reasons I no longer shop there.
"Trust, but verify."
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- #270 of 286
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where in the heck...?
by jhiguy377
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Apr 20, 2006 (4:22 pm)
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I'm getting ready to change the fuel filter in my 1990 300TE 4-matic...geesh- where is the fuel filter located? my dealer told me in the rear compartment by the tool kit... not so. HELP- thanks- Jeff
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- #271 of 286
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Re: What's a good year for a E320 wagon [infield]
by 87path1
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Apr 30, 2006 (6:33 pm)
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Replying to: infield (Nov 05, 2005 4:23 pm)
We have a 2002 E320 4matic wagon and love it. The general consensus from Mercedes enthusiast forums is the last year of the W210 model E class is the best one. This would be yr 2002 for sedans, 2002-2003 for wagons. A lot of the problems that plagued the 1996-2000 years were ironed out by 2002. The biggies were rust problems (front spring perches and door seals)and motor mount wear. Awesome sources for e320 (or any benz) research are benzworld.org, mercedesshop.com and mbworld.org. Two of these have w210 specific forums with lots of helpful people, plus several do it yourself write-ups.
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