Even if the battery degrades, you can still drive without any issue. Only the EV range is getting a bit lower. You don't have to replace these batteries. But the benefits of EV driving will get lower. In worst case scenario when the battery capacity is getting really low (probably arount 10-15 years? who nows) The car will still 'sail' on the highway. short trips in the city fully electrical and when you want to accelerate you can still use the EV power as a support. There are companies who refurbish these batterypacks as well. They guarantee between 90-95% capacity of the original The MB dealership here that maintain over a hundred C350e, replaced only once a battery because of warranty (even this car did drive without issues). But they warned me for aircompressor of airmatic, LED in door handle, and starters which give issues.
I was looking at buying a 2019 E class estate, 71k miles at £16000. MB owners club advised in real life a battery will only last 3-5 yrs not the 60k or 6 yrs MB suggest. The club suggested a drive distance of around 5 miles not the 20 miles from MB. I contacted MB in Cheltenham for the cost of a replacement battery, they quoted £15k!!! This effectively means after 4 years the car is only worth scrap value. I bought a Jaguar XF estate instead. I can keep it for around 3 yrs and still get back my original purchase price.
Thank you very much for this video. I was about to buy exactly the same model of this car this week bit this video is a mind opening about electric cars. Hopefully one day car industry will change the way they manipulate with this monopoly.
Great video! Speaking of 'involving' cars to drive - I bought a 2007 BMW E91 330i SE for that very reason...one the last naturally aspirated straight sixes with hydraulic steering and the ca r never fails to delight. I'm considering a potential upgrade given the age of the 330 and I'd quite like to preserve that car given its wonderful engine and the C estate is one I have in mind. I tested a petrol mild hybrid C200 estate and was impressed at how comfortable the car was, despite being on 'AMG Line' suspension, and it is still on my shortlist as it's ultimately an extremely comfortable car. But sadly it is let down by the 1.5 4 cylinder engine that sounds like a bag of nails and the lack of steering feel that you'd get from older cars. That said, the car handles well nonetheless, but the 'connection' to the road between the driver and steering isn't there, as with various other modern electric power steering cars. I drove a mk8 Golf and it rode like a magic carpet and handled on rails, but the steering was just numb - great for 'A to B' drivers who don't appreciate any sort of kickback from the wheel going over bumps etc, but not fun if you like to drive! Sport mode just felt artificially heavy like in all the other electric steering cars with adjustable weighting that I've tested. So if you're looking for an involving drive - I'd recommend an E90 3 series! Modern enough with decent safety features etc but also old enough you can DIY various bits if you like (which is my main worry for the C350e and even the mild hybrids too)
Have you actually noticed any significant battery degradation in the electric range? Mine is a 66 plate and 82k miles on a clock, in good weather 11-13 miles is still easily doable, don’t think it needs to be replaced every 5 years...the real issue is the starter motor, I’ve been using the third one...hopefully this will last forever. :D the HV battery in this car has an active thermal management so during the cold winter and hot summer days the battery’s health is still maintained.
I’ve not noticed any significant battery degradation (3yrs and 78k) but I would say a small degradation. I used to remember getting 15 miles in the warmer weather and 10 miles in the cold but yet during the 3rd year don’t think I ever achieved that and 12-13 was generally the best I got and during the winter c.8 miles. So perhaps a 10-20% loss. I can’t see many owners replacing at 5 years due to the potential costs so will be interesting to see how they continue to perform as these cars age.
Hi! I came across your videos after I started looking at a few used C350e. But Looks like great cars but I’m worried about the batteries. Is there a many or something to check battery health? Like you can do on you phone? I’m not Shute yet if my next car will be hybrid or just petrol. And I’m looking for a family car that also is fun to drive
Hi, there’s no way of checking the battery life, so you need to expect degradation over time and with replacement costs so high, battery degradation is something most owners will have to suffer. It’s a fantastic family car, quick, but not very engaging to drive and the battery range is little limited by more modern standards. I hope that helps a little 👍🏻
@@FastandFun thanks for your input. It’s so strange that there is no way to check battery life in cars when it’s so easy in phones. And my guess is that when the batteries are going bad the value of the car will be close to zero. Feels like a gas car is a better choice at the moment
I'm in the market for one of these and have watched all of your videos on the car, so thank you. My question is: I've got 2 collies that frequently travel in the boot. With the raised floor would there be enough room for them?
You make some good points, thanks for sharing the ev range these cars are poor. It's a shame you haven't got a state of health of the battery. You say they might need to be changed at 5 years but you have no idea without SOH. What driver experience are you missing gears ?
@@FastandFun you said you are going back to an ICE car for the driving experience, I wondered what you would miss with A Fast EV? A Tesla or others can be fast and extremely sporty.
@@brianweston83 for sure EV’s are very quick but I’d argue that they aren’t sporty. I’d still love a Tesla as the family car but can’t justify the cost/depreciation. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the C350e but it was expensive even under a lease so decided to turn back to an older car (ICE) and have just as much fun and enjoyment for a fraction of the cost and prevent A N OTHER car from being brought onto the road.
I'm considering a 2017 C350e or 2016 IS300h. How were the service costs of that 350e? Lexus is more known to build very reliable cars but the Mercs have done a great job in the last 6-7years so it's a hard choice. You make a valid point about the battery life/replacement costs. Is it possible to do a battery check with the onboard computer like phones/laptops can?
I can’t comment on servicing costs as mine was a lease with all servicing included as part of the package. Regard to a battery health check, I’m not aware of this feature on the car so unless someone corrects me then the answer is no. Hope this helps.
@@FastandFun okay thanks. I used to have a company lease car and always got a receipt after service even though the costs werent for me to pay;) I'll continue to research, your videos helped alot though!
@@bhizahr never received a receipt from MB in my 3 years of ownership. Assumed that they went straight back to the lease company. I’m pleased that you’ve found the videos informative. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
I sold my C350e and bought a Lexus IS 300h instead. I’m very pleased with it, much smoother to drive and more reliable than the C350e. The difference between the Mercedes and Lexus’ hybrid system is night and day.
Awesome videos. I am looking at a 2016 saloon. How tall are you ? I'm 6ft1 would I struggle on long journeys ? I do 70% motorway miles do you still think I can get 50mpg ! Keep up the good work Yas
I’m 6ft so you will have no problems at all with your height. Regards the motorway, the car is at its least efficient then because most of the time it’s on the engine, so you’ll only be in the high 30’s mpg. But if the other 30% is likely to be shorter distances, mostly on battery with regular charges then you could still see close to 50mpg. It’s very difficult because it really depends on how long your journeys are between charges, the roads that you’re on (flat/hilly) and you’re driving style. Hope that helps a little
@@FastandFun thanks for the reply. Did you have issues with the hybrid battery. ? I might have to stick to a LEXUS there hybrid are bullet proof. ! Just did a few searches Everyone says a couple of years for hybrid battery life 😵😭😭
@@yaseenkhaliq no not really. In the 3 years (70k miles) I had the car I did see degradation in the hybrid battery performance but only c.20%. So not too bad and it will certainly last a good few years (more than a couple for sure!).
@@yaseenkhaliq I’d very much doubt it. They’d say that it’s not failed and rather degraded over time which is what you would expect with fair wear ‘n’ tear of a hybrid battery system.
Hi, As aTaxi driver who covers 100 miles a day, how would I best make use of the range? 1) use the approx 10 miles Electric range immediately and then put in Hybrid mode so petrol engine recharges battery Or 2) with full range drive in Hybrid mode and only use Electric in standstill or slow traffic? Thanks
The best way would be to only drive in hybrid mode. If the car recognizes that the battery charge is high then it will stay on EV more of the time than on the ICE. As the battery % degrades the car will spend less time in EV. In other words the car will manage the use of EV/ICE for you. The only time I used to use the EV mode was on short journeys (less than 10 miles) where I wanted the car to remain on elec for the whole journey.
Hi I bought 2016 C350e within 3 weeks the BATTERY MALFUNCTION showed up and MB dealer can’t find out what it is and just keep asking money for further diagnostics. Any idea or any recommended garage in west London. Thanks
@@bhizahr .. Well found out the charger is faulty and because of that hybrid battery wasn’t being charged fully. So hybrid battery started taking power from 12V battery and both batteries went flat. Going to order a new charger today. Hope it works .
Even if the battery degrades, you can still drive without any issue. Only the EV range is getting a bit lower. You don't have to replace these batteries. But the benefits of EV driving will get lower. In worst case scenario when the battery capacity is getting really low (probably arount 10-15 years? who nows) The car will still 'sail' on the highway. short trips in the city fully electrical and when you want to accelerate you can still use the EV power as a support.
There are companies who refurbish these batterypacks as well. They guarantee between 90-95% capacity of the original
The MB dealership here that maintain over a hundred C350e, replaced only once a battery because of warranty (even this car did drive without issues). But they warned me for aircompressor of airmatic, LED in door handle, and starters which give issues.
Well really hard to find. Have called few but no one does MB Hybrid batteries or Systems.
Good review, always nice to have opinions at the end of ownership.
Thank you, great review.
Excellent!
Thank You
I was looking at buying a 2019 E class estate, 71k miles at £16000. MB owners club advised in real life a battery will only last 3-5 yrs not the 60k or 6 yrs MB suggest. The club suggested a drive distance of around 5 miles not the 20 miles from MB. I contacted MB in Cheltenham for the cost of a replacement battery, they quoted £15k!!! This effectively means after 4 years the car is only worth scrap value. I bought a Jaguar XF estate instead. I can keep it for around 3 yrs and still get back my original purchase price.
Thank you very much for this video. I was about to buy exactly the same model of this car this week bit this video is a mind opening about electric cars.
Hopefully one day car industry will change the way they manipulate with this monopoly.
I’m really pleased that it helped 👍🏻
Great video! Speaking of 'involving' cars to drive - I bought a 2007 BMW E91 330i SE for that very reason...one the last naturally aspirated straight sixes with hydraulic steering and the ca r never fails to delight. I'm considering a potential upgrade given the age of the 330 and I'd quite like to preserve that car given its wonderful engine and the C estate is one I have in mind.
I tested a petrol mild hybrid C200 estate and was impressed at how comfortable the car was, despite being on 'AMG Line' suspension, and it is still on my shortlist as it's ultimately an extremely comfortable car. But sadly it is let down by the 1.5 4 cylinder engine that sounds like a bag of nails and the lack of steering feel that you'd get from older cars. That said, the car handles well nonetheless, but the 'connection' to the road between the driver and steering isn't there, as with various other modern electric power steering cars. I drove a mk8 Golf and it rode like a magic carpet and handled on rails, but the steering was just numb - great for 'A to B' drivers who don't appreciate any sort of kickback from the wheel going over bumps etc, but not fun if you like to drive! Sport mode just felt artificially heavy like in all the other electric steering cars with adjustable weighting that I've tested.
So if you're looking for an involving drive - I'd recommend an E90 3 series! Modern enough with decent safety features etc but also old enough you can DIY various bits if you like (which is my main worry for the C350e and even the mild hybrids too)
if u think a c200 is comfortable then theres a long road ahead of u mate
Have you actually noticed any significant battery degradation in the electric range?
Mine is a 66 plate and 82k miles on a clock, in good weather 11-13 miles is still easily doable, don’t think it needs to be replaced every 5 years...the real issue is the starter motor, I’ve been using the third one...hopefully this will last forever. :D the HV battery in this car has an active thermal management so during the cold winter and hot summer days the battery’s health is still maintained.
I’ve not noticed any significant battery degradation (3yrs and 78k) but I would say a small degradation. I used to remember getting 15 miles in the warmer weather and 10 miles in the cold but yet during the 3rd year don’t think I ever achieved that and 12-13 was generally the best I got and during the winter c.8 miles. So perhaps a 10-20% loss.
I can’t see many owners replacing at 5 years due to the potential costs so will be interesting to see how they continue to perform as these cars age.
Hi! I came across your videos after I started looking at a few used C350e.
But Looks like great cars but I’m worried about the batteries. Is there a many or something to check battery health? Like you can do on you phone? I’m not Shute yet if my next car will be hybrid or just petrol. And I’m looking for a family car that also is fun to drive
Hi, there’s no way of checking the battery life, so you need to expect degradation over time and with replacement costs so high, battery degradation is something most owners will have to suffer.
It’s a fantastic family car, quick, but not very engaging to drive and the battery range is little limited by more modern standards. I hope that helps a little 👍🏻
@@FastandFun thanks for your input. It’s so strange that there is no way to check battery life in cars when it’s so easy in phones. And my guess is that when the batteries are going bad the value of the car will be close to zero. Feels like a gas car is a better choice at the moment
I'm in the market for one of these and have watched all of your videos on the car, so thank you. My question is: I've got 2 collies that frequently travel in the boot. With the raised floor would there be enough room for them?
You’ll have no problems with medium size dogs like collies.
@@FastandFun excellent. Thank you
Thanks Rich. Yes, dont think I would want to buy a used hybrid due to battery life. Good advice. Regards
What about extended warranty with mercedes
@@yaseenkhaliq
I suppose it would depend on the cost?
What about buying a Lexus instead and having 15 years warranty on the battery and hybrid system?
Does anyone know a possible reason why E-mode is disabled and the engine won't shut off on hybrid mode? No check lights or any other issue? Thanks
You make some good points, thanks for sharing the ev range these cars are poor. It's a shame you haven't got a state of health of the battery. You say they might need to be changed at 5 years but you have no idea without SOH. What driver experience are you missing gears ?
The replacement of the batteries is just something for second hand buyers to be aware of - I’m not sure what you mean by your question?
@@FastandFun you said you are going back to an ICE car for the driving experience, I wondered what you would miss with A Fast EV? A Tesla or others can be fast and extremely sporty.
@@brianweston83 for sure EV’s are very quick but I’d argue that they aren’t sporty. I’d still love a Tesla as the family car but can’t justify the cost/depreciation.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the C350e but it was expensive even under a lease so decided to turn back to an older car (ICE) and have just as much fun and enjoyment for a fraction of the cost and prevent A N OTHER car from being brought onto the road.
I'm considering a 2017 C350e or 2016 IS300h. How were the service costs of that 350e? Lexus is more known to build very reliable cars but the Mercs have done a great job in the last 6-7years so it's a hard choice. You make a valid point about the battery life/replacement costs. Is it possible to do a battery check with the onboard computer like phones/laptops can?
I can’t comment on servicing costs as mine was a lease with all servicing included as part of the package. Regard to a battery health check, I’m not aware of this feature on the car so unless someone corrects me then the answer is no. Hope this helps.
@@FastandFun okay thanks. I used to have a company lease car and always got a receipt after service even though the costs werent for me to pay;)
I'll continue to research, your videos helped alot though!
@@bhizahr never received a receipt from MB in my 3 years of ownership. Assumed that they went straight back to the lease company.
I’m pleased that you’ve found the videos informative. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
I sold my C350e and bought a Lexus IS 300h instead. I’m very pleased with it, much smoother to drive and more reliable than the C350e. The difference between the Mercedes and Lexus’ hybrid system is night and day.
@@attilab.2818 I actually went for the IS300h as the mercs were so much more expensive for the same options and age as well as reliability
Awesome videos.
I am looking at a 2016 saloon.
How tall are you ? I'm 6ft1 would I struggle on long journeys ? I do 70% motorway miles do you still think I can get 50mpg !
Keep up the good work
Yas
I’m 6ft so you will have no problems at all with your height.
Regards the motorway, the car is at its least efficient then because most of the time it’s on the engine, so you’ll only be in the high 30’s mpg. But if the other 30% is likely to be shorter distances, mostly on battery with regular charges then you could still see close to 50mpg. It’s very difficult because it really depends on how long your journeys are between charges, the roads that you’re on (flat/hilly) and you’re driving style.
Hope that helps a little
@@FastandFun thanks for the reply.
Did you have issues with the hybrid battery. ?
I might have to stick to a LEXUS there hybrid are bullet proof. !
Just did a few searches Everyone says a couple of years for hybrid battery life 😵😭😭
@@yaseenkhaliq no not really. In the 3 years (70k miles) I had the car I did see degradation in the hybrid battery performance but only c.20%. So not too bad and it will certainly last a good few years (more than a couple for sure!).
@@FastandFun thanks you soo much for the reply.
Last one do you think it's covered by the extended warranty. ?
@@yaseenkhaliq I’d very much doubt it. They’d say that it’s not failed and rather degraded over time which is what you would expect with fair wear ‘n’ tear of a hybrid battery system.
Hi,
As aTaxi driver who covers 100 miles a day, how would I best make use of the range?
1) use the approx 10 miles Electric range immediately and then put in Hybrid mode so petrol engine recharges battery
Or
2) with full range drive in Hybrid mode and only use Electric in standstill or slow traffic?
Thanks
The best way would be to only drive in hybrid mode. If the car recognizes that the battery charge is high then it will stay on EV more of the time than on the ICE. As the battery % degrades the car will spend less time in EV. In other words the car will manage the use of EV/ICE for you.
The only time I used to use the EV mode was on short journeys (less than 10 miles) where I wanted the car to remain on elec for the whole journey.
Hi
I bought 2016 C350e within 3 weeks the BATTERY MALFUNCTION showed up and MB dealer can’t find out what it is and just keep asking money for further diagnostics. Any idea or any recommended garage in west London. Thanks
I’d probably be tempted to visit an EV specialist in your area who may be more knowledgeable than your local MB dealer
@@FastandFun thanks .. found one guy .. now let’s see .!
@@Aqueeel1 any results?
@@bhizahr .. Well found out the charger is faulty and because of that hybrid battery wasn’t being charged fully. So hybrid battery started taking power from 12V battery and both batteries went flat. Going to order a new charger today. Hope it works .
@@Aqueeel1 hey! did this fix the issue??
Is it a meganne rs ?
It is - congratulations. Video introducing it should go live tomorrow 👍🏻
id rather just call it electric NOS :P