A tip for charging: you don't need to touch the inner flap with your hands, you can just touch the little button with the charging plug and it'll flip open for you. Another important tip: it's useful to set the sat nav to your destination even if you know the way as then the car will use map data to optimise the use of the hybrid system. The mapping system even has elevation data in most countries and the car will use that to optimise how it uses its systems! And finally in my opinion the most important: get the car with the acoustic comfort package option (I don't know the exact official name of that option in the UK). That includes lots of additional sound and heat insulation in many places around the car as well as double-pane windows. It makes the car _significantly_ quieter and more luxurious!! For anyone trying to hunt down one with that option, it's helpful in your search (as many people don't mark that option down properly or don't know about it) to know that if the car has tinted rear windows from the factory then it doesn't have the acoustic comfort package. The C-Class of that generation can't be ordered with both of those options.
Excellent review, every question I had was answered in this video. So much more informative than literally every other review I have recently watched from car review channels. Thank you. Yes, I am looking to purchase one as my next car now they have come down into my budget range.
Brilliant review Sir!👏 ..answered all the questions i had been trying to research.Great to hear what its like from a owners perspective and not a 10 min car review from a car journalist!Great work 👍
Thanks for a great video, I have been sitting on the fence 're buying one but this has made my mind up. I enjoy driving and this is going to add another level of fun. Cheers.
Thanks for your kind comments. Keep posted because I’m going to do my final video on the C350e in c. a months time when my car finally gets returned after 3 years ownership. Happy it helped you.
I have one with now 208000 km but it drives as new. Everyday a big smile on my face and every morning when i get in the car is 23 degr by the standard pre heating. Never frozen windows and always a warm seat. Last year i drove 13000 km and a fuel consumption of 6.1 liter of 100 km. I drive always in comfort and hybrid standings. And in holland 10 year 50% discount on taxes so i pay not for 1800 kg but for a 900 kg little car. I drive it now for 2.5 years and had never big isues. It is a dealer car with all original components. The car cost me every year 750 to 1000 euro for service and little parts. An exepteble coast for a complicated car as this. Big plus is that the battery pack is still 100% but i don’t know or the former oner charge the battery a lot. The charge cable was new so i think the car battery was never charged.
This is a superb video review. Absolutely relatable in every way. I found a lot of humour in it as well. I’ve just bought one of these cars.. Thank you for making this short film, very well edited as well.
Really appreciate you getting back to me so quickly Richard. The fact that you didn't say I was wasting my time getting one of these models due to my specific circumstance is a real bonus. Thank you for your patience and advice and for putting up your video.
I have this car and it is just fantastic BUT it´s not for a big family. One of the biggest surprises was that the car is so small, my former car Kia Ceed was a lot bigger and had lot more compartments to put your stuff in. If you have the money, buy a E-class👍😊
Very helpful real owner review. Thanks. One thing I really wanted to see though is the rear cargo area when the seats are folded down, if indeed they do fold down, I have a lot of luggage to move when I go camping. 👍
Great vid mate, this is going to be my next car. 80% of my daily drives consist of 5miles or less of local journeys and every couple of months I drive a couple of hundred miles for camping trips, on those journeys I like to have plenty of horses to play with .
It's not very environmentally friendly compared to a lighter, less consuming pure ICE though. Especially for people who drive a low mileage per year: driving a pure ICE car is better for the environment. The C350e is a good car though, despite the ancient and annoying user interface. I recommend hunting for one with the optional acoustic comfort package with extra sound insulation all over the car and double windows. And for example the wooden dash instead of the horrible black plastic. Also: it's a hybrid and things can go wrong (though Mercedes seems to be reliable) so I recommend getting one with a long warranty. AMG package is unnecessary as C350e has air suspension and all the sports modes as standard so it's only for looks, and in the looks department there's barely any noticeable difference between AMG and non-AMG. I've pwned pure EV, the C350e, BMW 330e (F30), Mercedes E350e and E300e. I've gone back to pure ICE to protect the environment and the country's economy but I really liked the E350e, especially as mine was absolutely fully optioned out and felt really luxurious as well as sporty enough. It's not a BMW but actually quite impressive to drive for a Mercedes, and had a nice feel both for sporty driving as well as relaxed comfort. I wouldn't mind still driving the C350e if it had the option for massage seats and if it had a more modern and better to use user interface. Excellent car. As he said: surprisingly fast too, and it seems to have an in-built lunch control too! The BMW is nearly impossible to launch optimally from standstill as it either spins its wheels or you don't accelerate as fast as it could. The Mercedes is the opposite: pretty much every time it just squats down and launches perfectly! It does it so tidily that it feels really civilised and not at all like tearing away recklessly.
Great Video and very informative. You've educated me on some aspects as I'm on the hunt for one. I currently have a 2013 c class estate and want to move to the hybrid, but never had one or know anyone with a hybrid.
nice review. I have the same car and i like it very much. Soo quick, and yet very economical. I was looking for people saying something about rear wheel tire wear. I think now, it is not so much about the weight, but also about the acceleration from a complete stop to 'just driving'. Because, I noticed, on loose gravel, it is almost impossible to accelerate, the tires spin immediately, even in Eco modus. I think there is too much torque at the start so it wears tires out quickly on solid roads. You have to touch the pedal verrrry gentle. I don't think MB will do another software update. Same with the breaking, and reusing the breaking energy. It's a bit much.
Thank you from Italy .i make an offer to buy a Mercedes C350e model2017 with 70Kkm in very good condition.i was littel bit afraid about the model.but with Ur video i can said you answer a lot of my questions.have a nice day
I also drive one of these and this review is spot on. I’ve been looking to change but the problem with changing is I can’t get another car that offers me the same driving experience as this C350e and the only thing I think wasn’t mentioned was it’s a zero rated tax car, so you don’t have that annual tax bill. So how do I rate it, fantastic. In fact I’m considering purchasing another new one to replace my current one. Very well done Mercedes. F.J.H.
I own 2017 BMW 330e and watching this out of curiosity because I had to choose between the two and any German made car might be my next car. They share many similarities like driving modes, the power, etc. Some things I noticed below: - mobile app is useful as it shows doors/windows status as well allows to remotely lock/unlock the car or turn on climate (but doesn't allow to set temperature), however I found it's not always reliable, sometimes it will show window open while the window is already closed. Once it would show me car was unlocked so I had to walk back from the beach to the car only to find it was locked. The app also shows charging sessions including the cost and amount of kWh taken, which can be useful. It also allows different tariff for different locations, so home tariff at home, rip-off tariff for a public charger. Also, I'm able to use the app to set next day departure time and it will climatise the car starting 1h before departure, so it's useful as I can do it remotely. - range: in Irish weather it is showing between 19-22 km, depending on recent driving style. It is real range, but realistically it is "rolling" or cruising range, not start-stop range. Also, disabling air vents fan will immediately add back 1-2 km to the range even if it is just blowing cold air (temps set to lowest so no heating and A/C off). The most I have seen was 23km. Still, it is great for in city driving. Driving in country side is great too in EV mode as a lot of regen happens from downhills or decelerating (instead of breaking). - charge port is on front passenger side which is quite clean all the time but not so convenient for me as I usually reverse park. The flap/door is manually operated and it locks the plug as expected. Mobile app shows the time when 100% charge will be achieved. - navigation seems quite good (I got wide screen) and includes some clever stuff for example the car decides when to use EV depending on the map and route and elevation data, so you don't have to manually save battery for the city. - HUD is great in full color, shows usual stuff including speed or navigation directions but also radio station names and song titles while you go next/prev station/song. Can scroll through the lists while still looking at the road. - gas mileage is 6l/100km, mainly because start/stop is handled by electric, while motorway cruising is handled by engine where it is most efficient. - I got home charger installed for convenience (and for the future), so that when I unplug and drive away I don't have to worry about mobile charger (I usually left it there on the ground) and also no more extension cord in the rain. As much as I enjoy PHEV, if I can afford it, my next car might be a full EV. Just waiting for those prices to come down and it needs to have at least 6.5secs acceleration, no 8-9secs for me.
A few days later and I bought a 2016 model absolutely jam packed with every extra possible. It’s amazing. Just wish we were allowed out more. Think I will take it on a big European Tour as soon as we can.
I have an older 2016 with Premium plus pack so bigger wheels and tyres and you are correct it loves to eat tyres, I find MO spec Yokohama to be the sweet spot, I run winter tyres for the snow.
I have the same (2016) model. Same colour as this one but with detailing changing all of the chrome to black. Wheels upgraded but low profile tyres that i don’t like. Only disappointment is the boot room. Have to drop the seats to get the golf clubs in.
If you have never ran winter / all season tyres, once the appropriate weather hits those tyres will come into their own, they will firm up, however you should run the same up front in the event of cornering on a wet/icy/snowy (below 5c - 7c) B road front might lose grip and rear grip will drive you straight on.
Agreed - running the same type of tyre front/rear is the right thing to do, but my comment still stands that the loss of grip/traction on the cross climates is significantly less than the primacy in the summer (wet/dry roads). Will be interesting to see how this winter goes when the cross climates get fitted to the front.
Excellent review, very clear and informative I’m a Taxi driver, Lots of stop start driving, typically cover 100 miles a day (local roads, dual carriageway), speeds ranging 30-40mph If I drive purely on Hybrid mode, I don’t have time to plug in What mpg could I expect? Thanks
Very helpful and informative. Just been viewing a 350e estate and you have made my mind up I'll be ringing the dealer in the morning. Learnt more in your video than watching certain other Car review sites
Oh that’s great, thanks for your comment. I did two follow on videos about the C350e which you may also find interesting including a Q&A from viewers and some “bits” that I don’t like 👍🏻
Fresh Press very difficult to say as my usage is not consistent. For the last 2 weeks I’ve done short journeys of no more than 25 miles from home so used little fuel. But the week before I travelled 200miles (motorway) in the morning which was nearly all ICE.
@@FastandFun Thats pretty good doesnt sound too bad at all then. I was looking at C200 but that 290bhp with the instant Battery 🔋 power seems very tempting. Sounds as though C350e is like having ⛽ Petrol engine with Diesel fuel economy 😆.
I think the rear tyre wear issue is due the the massive torque figures (600 Nm) which is 100% there from 1400RPM. I have the C250 CDI with a 'mere' 500Nm of torque and I realised if I want my tyres to last I have to not wheelspin at all ever which does take some deliberate effort. I know I'm 3 years off in the future here but I'm looking at getting one of these maybe and wanted to chip in!
Good honest review. Cheers for that. Looking at this for my next car, albeit likely to be 2016 registered. Are you using XL rated tyres on the rear axle to accommodate the extra weight? Cheers
Nice honest review. I have been driving mitsubishi outlander Phev for nearly 3 years now and it's great car but when towing caravan it's just not powerful enough. Do you know what's the towing capacity on this Merc?
those bonnet gaps look like a heat sink feature, to reduce the fan coming on automatically after you park with a hot engine in summer. I might be wrong...
Great video and very informative. I'm thinking of getting a 2016 / 2017 model but I've heard that the air suspension can give trouble and would be an expensive fix. Have you had any issue with the air suspension or have you heard of issues with air suspension on the C Class models?
I’ve had no issues with mine in almost 3 years and 77,000 miles. All makes/models have known problems and think the few that do experience these problems are always very vocal.
Great review. I really wanted to buy this car, until I found out the battery warranty only last 60k. Too much risk, as they cost around 6-7k to replace!
Hi Stephen, by coincidence, this Friday I’m releasing my latest video - ten most hated things about my C350e. And without spoiling it, No.10 talks about this very specific point.
@@FastandFun I look forward to it! I felt sorry for the Mercedes salesman. Based on your review, I was ready to buy there and then until I asked about the battery warranty.
Great video! Considering to get this as the next car. Do you know how long the batteries last before them needed to be changed? Is it common to change them in this car?
Hi Parminder, I haven’t done much research into battery replacement however, on my other video of the car (Mercedes C350e Questions & Answers) there’s a comment from a viewer that says MB have told him that the battery needs replacement every c. 5 years at a cost of £6k. I don’t know whether that is true or not or whether any other viewers have changed their batteries. It would certainly be worth investigating further. Sorry that I can’t be more helpful.
Hi Richard and thank you for doing this video. I am really interested in one of these models and I wonder if I could pick your brains. Please excuse my ignorance here as I have never run anything except straight diesel or petrol. In charge mode I am assuming that the engine charges the battery as opposed to plugging in to the mains?. Would it achieve that on say a 30 mile run or would the engine charge be so expensive in fuel it would negate buying one of these plug in hybrids? I ask because I live in a flat and our complex currently has no plans for any charging points. I am also self employed so have no office as such to park up and charge during working hours. Is it impractical for me to be looking at a plug in hybrid or should I look at a straight hybrid due to the restrictions of mains charging ? I would really appreciate your advice.
Hi TheSkip66, I fully understand your predicament. Firstly, there’s no point in using the charge mode unless you are traveling into a highly congested city centre where there is a congestion zone and e mode is needed. However, there are plenty of free charging points if you search for them which you could use when shopping etc... If the batteries are fully depleted then you’re correct that the car will act as a hybrid. In hybrid, the car will charge under braking/coasting but only small amounts, so expect only around 37-40 mpg. I hope that helps. 👍🏻
Throughly enjoyed this. Thank you very much, very informative. Can this car be run without ever using the charging port? Is it suitable for someone who lives in a flat in London?
Yes, the car can be run without ever charging and will therefore act like a more traditional hybrid vehicle. By doing this, you are losing out on those initial Elec miles/range which would be so beneficial in a large city like London.
Thanks for the review. I’m looking at buying used and watching the video and reading all the comments I’m about 50% persuaded. One question though. On average how far do you drive before you need to refuel? I understand that the the hybrid has a tiny tank so this might be a deal breaker.
Nice review, clear and concise. I'm looking to buy another car due to the ULEZ coming in in October here in London, and I've been looking at Hybrids, currently Lexus, as they, as part of Toyota, have a well proven track record. A used 350e estate is around the same money as a good spec Lexus IS300h or a CT200h, but the estate is more practical and i like estates. The main caveat for me is that i don't have access to plug in and charge over night, either at home or at work, so would I really benefit from this car economically?
No you wouldn’t benefit. In fact, it potentially could be worse as theres 200kg of batteries in the boot to carry around which will effect the mpg. You will get some regeneration of the batteries through driving but not enough to make much of an impact on the mpg.
@@FastandFun Thanks for the reply. That's pretty much what I thought which is why I'm leaning more towards a hybrid like Lexus, its just a pitty they don't have anything that's an estate other than their SUV's, which is more than i want to spend.
Hi, thanks for the video. My current commute is around 8 miles. I assume that I will get to work on elec, but drive home on fuel unless I manage to plug it in at work? It is a B road but presumably, if I'm on elec for those 8 miles, it won't charge the batteries through braking etc.? Hopefully that makes sense.
The car will always charge the batteries under braking whatever mode you are in. If your return commute is a total of 16 miles on a B road I’d expect you to get 13-14 miles on elec with only a couple on petrol assuming that you can’t charge at work.
Great video, very informative. I also own a C350e. Mine's got 18" wheels and pirelli runflat tyres and it's come the time to switch them out. Wondering if yours also has runflats in, because mine doesn't have the compressor. Personally I've been anticipating this change because I don't really fancy the runflats. Might switch them for regular tyres and get the tyre inflation kit.
@@leonlester3924 Hey! It's doing great. Almost up to 50k kms done. No battery fail warnings or anything like that. I get around ~15kms of electric driving. Not much worse since new. However it's recently developed some sort of weird vibration, more noticeable under braking. I fear it has something to do with the regen. Need to go to Mercedes to get it looked at.
@@leonlester3924 So I appear to have jynxed it. Started to feel some vibration on the steering wheel and extra noise in the cabin. Got quoted 770€ from Mercedes, stating it needs new front brake rotors. It's at 48k km, seems a bit soon no? Apparantely then thinned out fast, not sure how as I do very relaxed driving mostly on 'comfort' mode...
@@leonlester3924 Aaaaand she's gone. Major battery malfunction. Quoted 30.000€ to fix with Mercedes. Needs a new high tension battery. Thank God it's still under warranty
Richard, sorry, another question: what does it cost, roughly, to charge at home? I' 'm trying to understand whether 5-6 hours of charging cost is with the 10-12 miles or so...
I worked this out a couple of years ago. It’s obviously dependent upon your energy tariff, but it’s around 65p for a full charge from empty, so is definitely cheaper than fuel 👍🏻
I am on the cusp of going for one. Thank you this has been really informative. I like your mentality! Any thoughts on degradation of battery life over time?
Sharon, I’ve not seen any degradation in battery life over the last 2.5 years but don’t have any knowledge about battery life over multiple years. Sorry.
Hi nice video, just wondering how are the batteries now after 2.5 years? Any batteries issues? I am planning to buy a 2017 or 2016 c350e model with 80k miles, do you think its good idea ? Thanks
Thanks - it’s probably worth checking out my other videos that explain about the battery condition. I saw an amount of degradation over the 3 years and 80k miles.
Great video it is very informative! I'm looking to buy one of these, could you let me know what the service costs are and is the mercedes dealer any good. I currently own a lexus and their dealers are very good. Thanks
Hi, my 350e is on a lease system with all servicing as part of the package so unfortunately I can’t give you any incurred servicing costs. However, the service provided by my local MB dealer has been excellent and as you would expect from a premium manufacturer.
Would you advise to get the 350e hybrid or the 2.1 diesel?? I'm not too sure I don't have a charging port available for that at my house. And do about 60km a day at 80kmph... thanks if you can reply
You don’t need a charging point, just access to an external 3 pin socket. If you don’t have access to external elec supply then I’d personally go for the diesel.
So in the winter time, i make my way to work in the morning with a fully charged battery, which will be flat in around 10 miles just when I reach the motorway, the engine kicks in. It will start up from freezing cold and deliver enough power to drive 70miles per hour around 2000 rpm without any warming up? Or if I am travelling 12 miles far, the petrol engine will run only for 2 miles without warming up to operating temperature? I have concerns about the engine lifespan is such conditions.
Andras Racz i don’t know whether there is any impact or not other than modern engines are now built to such great tolerances that I’m not sure that there’s any detriment to an engines lifespan by being used on/off as in a hybrid. Only time will tell. I suppose it’s no different to buying a normal combustion engine car that’s been used predominantly on very short journeys. Only time will tell for sure.
I am wondering the exact same thing as i live in Finland. Of course there will be severe wear even on a modern engine if it starts cold under heavy load do not belive anything else. I think in cold climate it is just necessary to have the engine running all the time from start of journey to the end of journey and let it heat up under no load for some time.
Thanks. Yes, great car but it was owned through a company car scheme so there were tax breaks with running a PHEV. As a second hand car I’d probably buy either petrol/diesel only.
No, but the cost of charging is small due to the size of the battery pack. My routine is that it gets plugged in (and left) all the time when it’s at home as it’s so much more cost efficient in EV mode. Pleased you found the video useful.
Hi, I have bought one of these great cars and I use a mechanical timer plugged into a standard socket and set it to come on between 1am and 4.30 am. It works fine and is fully charged in the morning.
Ive been looking at these and i always look up the mot history to check if there are common faults. Nearly every mot had the comment 'pitted brakes' or ball joint/ link issues. Do you think the brake regeneration causes this?
Thanks. Personally I wouldn’t. You really need to be able to charge at home. And then it’s great for short journeys on “e” mode but with the flexibility of a 2.0 turbo ICE for longer journeys.
@@FastandFun yeah I thought so too, it's a shame that I can't get access to charging point.. I'll get one of this if we can get a charging point here for sure, thanks for the reply 👍
Thanks for the excellent review. Can I ask - does the aircon run on the high voltage battery? IE can you sit in the car stationary, without the engine on and have AC cooling and heating?
@@thedoble no, I never tested how long you could run aircon on the battery for (never had a reason too). Regard remote operation; there is a Mercedes’ app that you download and you can select pre-heat (useful in the cold winter of the UK), remote open windows/doors, check battery state/charge, and lots of other features.
Excellent review. Do you know why your car doesn’t have blue brake callipers in front and the headlights also don’t have the ‘hybrid-blue’ inner part like in other C350e? Is this something spec-related thing?
The original 350e ‘s did have some minor blue bits around the car (eg brake calipers) but that changed just prior to my car being built (Mar ‘18), so any car after that date won’t have any blue bits, pre -2018 will have them. Hope that helps 👍🏻
Richard Dobie Thanks very much for your quick response! 👍 I knew that there was a facelift/model refresh around 2018, including additional features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but didn’t know that they also changed the brake calliper and headlight look, now there is no difference to the standard models, can’t see the point. Mine unfortunately doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, do you know if it’s possible to add it via an update? And one more thing, did you notice any significant difference between ECO and Comfort mode, either in full E-Mode or hybrid?
I had apple car play as an option which I thought was just a software upload. Surprised it’s not a available on the older 350e’s. No there’s very little difference between eco and comfort other than I don’t think that the eco assist (double tapping of the accelerator) works in comfort, it has to be in eco.
I am so tempted to buy a used C350E but the many reports of 6-10 mile range on the batteries plus the very worrying reports of battery life not being more than five years has dampened my enthusiasm. Also the second-hand prices of these cars seem abnormally low, seeming to agree with the reports. Are these reports valid please?
How much is the resale value of these PHEVs? I am very afraid that after 6-7 years of use no one will buy them as 3rd, 4th... owners considering the cost for batter replacement or decreased capacity
It’s a good question. Only time will tell but all PHEVs and EVs suffer from harsh depreciation because of the uncertainty over battery life. Consumer confidence is low.
Hi Rich from Finland. I´ve had this same car for 6 months now and I absolutely love it, my first Mercedes❤. Last longer motorway trip that I drove, I tested the ECO mode for the first time in high speed and I found out that it charges the battery while your going motorway speeds (with petrol), the E-Range started to rise, it doesn`t do that in Comfort mode, I didn´t know that. Do you know what gives the charging power to the battery´s? If it uses the petrol engine to charge it (like on CHARGE-mode) it´s not so ECO anymore because it takes more fuel. Cheers! -Janne
Hi Janne, The car never charges the batteries using the engine unless you select CHARGE-mode. The car charges using the regenerative system; takes the kinetic energy from moving into the batteries. That’s why when you lift off the accelerator you will feel some slight resistance as though you are braking lightly - this is the re-gen putting energy back into the batteries. It occurs mostly when you brake or when going downhill/coasting (off the accelerator). It happens all the time in eco-mode but the faster you are traveling (motorway) the greater the regeneration! Hence why you see more battery charge on the motorway than on the normal road. Hope that helps 👍🏻
@@kullipetteri Moi. On ollut kyllä upea ja luotettava auto, sähkömoottorin kantama vain turhan lyhyt, en silti takaisin bensaversioon vaihda koskaan, ihan jo pelkästään kiihtyvyyden takia😃👍🏼
If you are in sportplus and want to get of line quick as you said. Do you need to have full charge on the battery? since in sportplus it combines the 2, is it slower in sportplus if the battery is empty?
Hi, yes it will be slower in Sport+ if the battery is depleted because it’s the batteries 80bhp that gives you the extra kick off the line and takes the car from c.200bhp to 280bhp. Hope that helps 👍🏻
Bit different here. I use comfort and sport. Rarely eco or +... Sport is almost as good as sport+ but with kinda better gear changes. Comfort vs Eco then, difference is in regen charging. In eco car coasts freely, but with comfort it uses braking to charge battery..
Funny how we all seem to use the different settings - each to our own I suppose. Although the car re-gen under braking/coasting is the same in eco as it is in comfort.
@@FastandFun no, mine does not charge battery in eco mode by itself. In comfort there is significant 'motorbraking', in eco car rolls freely.. though im not native english speaker so this could be issue with language also.. tuned my car today with quantum tuning - now it's fun in S+ and also beast at dynomode :) just have to be really careful in dynomode, there no abs, powersteering etc.
Very usefull video, I am looking at buying a second hand c350e and this is where my question comes in. What is your capacity of the the HV battery after 60000 miles, do you notice a drop in capacity or is it pretty much the same as new?
Hi mate very informative video thank you,I am looking to buy a 2nd hand c350e 19plates which done over 115k purely motorway mileage,what's your verdict on battery do you think it has detoriated ? Thank you
It would depend on the roads. If 100 miles of the route is sat on the motorway at +70mph it’s going to be c. 40mpg, where as if it’s A and B roads driving around 50mph you will see close to 50mpg. The mpg differs so much depending on distance, speed, terrain (hilly), driving style, etc, ....you could drive 20 miles at 40mph and av. 99.9mpg (max default value) alternatively you could be sat on motorway at 85mph and av.38mpg for the same 20 mile distance. Hope this helps
How is this hybrid mode? Ive seen it can do between 20-30km with a full battery, does that mean only eletric or both engine and eletric? How does this work? Meaning to buy one myself, but i dont completely understand this hybrid systems
There are four modes which can be selected by the driver; elec only (a range between 10-15 miles), engine only, battery charge (engine running for car power and charging) and hybrid (the default setting where the car calculates whether it should be on battery or ICE). I hope that helps
Does the car change often between electric and gas, with hybrid, like it can reach more than 10-15 miles without charging up battery again? Its hard to find an answer on that question, ive been researching alot, i only with this only eletric mode, ive heard that you can drive it cheaper than a c180 f.ex, but is it so bad that i will need to charge very often? (Even if i dont drive only eletric?) Thanks for answer and your time.
@@Keven1 in hybrid mode the car will continually switch between elec and ICE normally using the ICE for acceleration and uphill and the elec for maintaining your speed. When you slow down or go downhill the car will re-generate some of the energy back into the car. Obviously the time spent in elec mode will differ depending on how much charge remains in the car. By c. 10-15 miles the majority will have been used but as the car re-generates some energy back into the car then it is still able to switch between both modes, but there will be less time on elec. Hope that helps
Something i am wondering with plug in hybrids. Is how much they cost to charge and how many times do tou charge them per tank. I am lookong to change from a 2018 2.4L mitsubishi l200 getting 28mpg average
How longs a piece of string? You just can’t say. Scenario 1: you only drive 10-12 miles per day, charging when you return home after every journey. You’d (in theory) never need fuel. Scenario 2: You drive 300 miles per day, the first 10 miles or so mostly on electric then switching to the ICE for the majority of the journey. You’d be filling a tank of fuel for every charge. So in other words, less you use the car, shorter journeys you do, far more will be on electric. More miles you do, more fuel you will use. Hope that helps.
@@FastandFun I live in Norfolk so cover quite a few miles daily in my personal vehicle. Luckily I have a company van for work now Typically I do a 64 mile round trip a few evenings a week. Another evening often a 30 mile round trip. A few mornings per week I do 16 mile round trip to drop my son off. Then Sunday often out and about and finish with a 25 mile round trip taking him to his gym class. Then a few times a year we head off with our caravan in tow to Cornwall or somewhere. Which is 370 miles. Spend a week driving around there and then the long tow home again. Would you think I would be better just sticking with a diesel or petrol car in this instance. My truck is a 68 plate and what £ I expect to get for it I would be looking at somewhere between 2014 -2017 phev's having looked on auto trader and ones that are big enough for my family's needs. I plan on only spending the money I get for the truck on a replacement vehicle I do not want finance on a brand new vehicle.
@@steviemayo2076 there’s a niche market for PHEVs. Family that live in a large town or city, spend much of the time doing short journeys (on electric) but want the flexibility to drive long journeys without any range anxiety. I dont see that with you. I’d suggest that a good modern diesel or petrol would serve you better. You have to remember that when on petrol your driving a round with 200kg of dead battery in the boot with a PHEV.
A tip for charging: you don't need to touch the inner flap with your hands, you can just touch the little button with the charging plug and it'll flip open for you.
Another important tip: it's useful to set the sat nav to your destination even if you know the way as then the car will use map data to optimise the use of the hybrid system. The mapping system even has elevation data in most countries and the car will use that to optimise how it uses its systems!
And finally in my opinion the most important: get the car with the acoustic comfort package option (I don't know the exact official name of that option in the UK). That includes lots of additional sound and heat insulation in many places around the car as well as double-pane windows. It makes the car _significantly_ quieter and more luxurious!! For anyone trying to hunt down one with that option, it's helpful in your search (as many people don't mark that option down properly or don't know about it) to know that if the car has tinted rear windows from the factory then it doesn't have the acoustic comfort package. The C-Class of that generation can't be ordered with both of those options.
Excellent review, every question I had was answered in this video. So much more informative than literally every other review I have recently watched from car review channels. Thank you. Yes, I am looking to purchase one as my next car now they have come down into my budget range.
Brilliant review Sir!👏 ..answered all the questions i had been trying to research.Great to hear what its like from a owners perspective and not a 10 min car review from a car journalist!Great work 👍
Thanks for a great video, I have been sitting on the fence 're buying one but this has made my mind up. I enjoy driving and this is going to add another level of fun. Cheers.
I have 1 and this review is so spot on . 👏
Been eyeing for one lately, thanks for the video .. the 2 cars in one aspect is what makes me want one of these :D
Excellent video from an actual owner, thank you 👍
What an excellent review clip, thank you! I'm about to buy one second hand, this is very useful info.
Thanks for the video - really useful. I appreciate you taking the time to do this - gonna pull the trigger and buy one based on your brilliant video
Thanks for your kind comments. Keep posted because I’m going to do my final video on the C350e in c. a months time when my car finally gets returned after 3 years ownership. Happy it helped you.
Fantastic review I have just bought this car and you answered all of my doubts, a great in depth piece of work for a users perspective👍
Great review, thank you for all info, details, user experience, etc… and great editing
This is an excellent real world review. This is the type of review that genuinely helps to make a right decision.
Thanks and glad that it helped 👍🏻
I have one with now 208000 km but it drives as new. Everyday a big smile on my face and every morning when i get in the car is 23 degr by the standard pre heating. Never frozen windows and always a warm seat. Last year i drove 13000 km and a fuel consumption of 6.1 liter of 100 km. I drive always in comfort and hybrid standings. And in holland 10 year 50% discount on taxes so i pay not for 1800 kg but for a 900 kg little car. I drive it now for 2.5 years and had never big isues. It is a dealer car with all original components. The car cost me every year 750 to 1000 euro for service and little parts. An exepteble coast for a complicated car as this. Big plus is that the battery pack is still 100% but i don’t know or the former oner charge the battery a lot. The charge cable was new so i think the car battery was never charged.
As others have said, this is a really helpful and informative video - thinking about purchasing one. Thank you
Picking up mine next week and this review just made my day
I know I am pretty randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to watch newly released movies online?
@Callen Julian I would suggest Flixzone. Just search on google for it =)
This is a superb video review. Absolutely relatable in every way. I found a lot of humour in it as well.
I’ve just bought one of these cars.. Thank you for making this short film, very well edited as well.
Really appreciate you getting back to me so quickly Richard. The fact that you didn't say I was wasting my time getting one of these models due to my specific circumstance is a real bonus. Thank you for your patience and advice and for putting up your video.
I am thinking of getting this car for its economy and big family ,,,thanks for lovely review
I have this car and it is just fantastic BUT it´s not for a big family. One of the biggest surprises was that the car is so small, my former car Kia Ceed was a lot bigger and had lot more compartments to put your stuff in. If you have the money, buy a E-class👍😊
Great video covering pros and cons thanks
Fantastic review , honest and sincere .
Very helpful real owner review. Thanks. One thing I really wanted to see though is the rear cargo area when the seats are folded down, if indeed they do fold down, I have a lot of luggage to move when I go camping. 👍
Great review best review I've seen on this car to date. Well done 👍
Thanks 👍🏻
Thanks for the deatailed review!
Very nice and detailed testimonial thanks
Great vid mate, this is going to be my next car. 80% of my daily drives consist of 5miles or less of local journeys and every couple of months I drive a couple of hundred miles for camping trips, on those journeys I like to have plenty of horses to play with .
It's not very environmentally friendly compared to a lighter, less consuming pure ICE though. Especially for people who drive a low mileage per year: driving a pure ICE car is better for the environment.
The C350e is a good car though, despite the ancient and annoying user interface. I recommend hunting for one with the optional acoustic comfort package with extra sound insulation all over the car and double windows. And for example the wooden dash instead of the horrible black plastic. Also: it's a hybrid and things can go wrong (though Mercedes seems to be reliable) so I recommend getting one with a long warranty. AMG package is unnecessary as C350e has air suspension and all the sports modes as standard so it's only for looks, and in the looks department there's barely any noticeable difference between AMG and non-AMG.
I've pwned pure EV, the C350e, BMW 330e (F30), Mercedes E350e and E300e. I've gone back to pure ICE to protect the environment and the country's economy but I really liked the E350e, especially as mine was absolutely fully optioned out and felt really luxurious as well as sporty enough. It's not a BMW but actually quite impressive to drive for a Mercedes, and had a nice feel both for sporty driving as well as relaxed comfort.
I wouldn't mind still driving the C350e if it had the option for massage seats and if it had a more modern and better to use user interface. Excellent car. As he said: surprisingly fast too, and it seems to have an in-built lunch control too! The BMW is nearly impossible to launch optimally from standstill as it either spins its wheels or you don't accelerate as fast as it could. The Mercedes is the opposite: pretty much every time it just squats down and launches perfectly! It does it so tidily that it feels really civilised and not at all like tearing away recklessly.
Great Video and very informative. You've educated me on some aspects as I'm on the hunt for one. I currently have a 2013 c class estate and want to move to the hybrid, but never had one or know anyone with a hybrid.
You should watch my other video on the Q&A on the 350e
great review!
nice review. I have the same car and i like it very much. Soo quick, and yet very economical. I was looking for people saying something about rear wheel tire wear. I think now, it is not so much about the weight, but also about the acceleration from a complete stop to 'just driving'. Because, I noticed, on loose gravel, it is almost impossible to accelerate, the tires spin immediately, even in Eco modus. I think there is too much torque at the start so it wears tires out quickly on solid roads. You have to touch the pedal verrrry gentle. I don't think MB will do another software update. Same with the breaking, and reusing the breaking energy. It's a bit much.
Thank for this, very detailed owner review
Great video
Thank you from Italy .i make an offer to buy a Mercedes C350e model2017 with 70Kkm in very good condition.i was littel bit afraid about the model.but with Ur video i can said you answer a lot of my questions.have a nice day
Hi I just bought one and thank you this was very helpful ☺️
Just got rid of a 335d m sport and seriously considering one of these now
I also drive one of these and this review is spot on.
I’ve been looking to change but the problem with changing is I can’t get another car that offers me the same driving experience as this C350e and the only thing I think wasn’t mentioned was it’s a zero rated tax car, so you don’t have that annual tax bill.
So how do I rate it, fantastic. In fact I’m considering purchasing another new one to replace my current one.
Very well done Mercedes. F.J.H.
Good review looking to get one
Great video bud!! Thanks
Thanks for your rew, absolutly helpfull for me 🙏
I own 2017 BMW 330e and watching this out of curiosity because I had to choose between the two and any German made car might be my next car. They share many similarities like driving modes, the power, etc. Some things I noticed below:
- mobile app is useful as it shows doors/windows status as well allows to remotely lock/unlock the car or turn on climate (but doesn't allow to set temperature), however I found it's not always reliable, sometimes it will show window open while the window is already closed. Once it would show me car was unlocked so I had to walk back from the beach to the car only to find it was locked. The app also shows charging sessions including the cost and amount of kWh taken, which can be useful. It also allows different tariff for different locations, so home tariff at home, rip-off tariff for a public charger. Also, I'm able to use the app to set next day departure time and it will climatise the car starting 1h before departure, so it's useful as I can do it remotely.
- range: in Irish weather it is showing between 19-22 km, depending on recent driving style. It is real range, but realistically it is "rolling" or cruising range, not start-stop range. Also, disabling air vents fan will immediately add back 1-2 km to the range even if it is just blowing cold air (temps set to lowest so no heating and A/C off). The most I have seen was 23km. Still, it is great for in city driving. Driving in country side is great too in EV mode as a lot of regen happens from downhills or decelerating (instead of breaking).
- charge port is on front passenger side which is quite clean all the time but not so convenient for me as I usually reverse park. The flap/door is manually operated and it locks the plug as expected. Mobile app shows the time when 100% charge will be achieved.
- navigation seems quite good (I got wide screen) and includes some clever stuff for example the car decides when to use EV depending on the map and route and elevation data, so you don't have to manually save battery for the city.
- HUD is great in full color, shows usual stuff including speed or navigation directions but also radio station names and song titles while you go next/prev station/song. Can scroll through the lists while still looking at the road.
- gas mileage is 6l/100km, mainly because start/stop is handled by electric, while motorway cruising is handled by engine where it is most efficient.
- I got home charger installed for convenience (and for the future), so that when I unplug and drive away I don't have to worry about mobile charger (I usually left it there on the ground) and also no more extension cord in the rain.
As much as I enjoy PHEV, if I can afford it, my next car might be a full EV. Just waiting for those prices to come down and it needs to have at least 6.5secs acceleration, no 8-9secs for me.
And what was against BMW?
Very thorough
Thank for review, i have less than 10km to work with charger there, so it seems perfect for me.
great video thanks
Thanks - very interesting. Think you’ve convinced me
A few days later and I bought a 2016 model absolutely jam packed with every extra possible.
It’s amazing. Just wish we were allowed out more.
Think I will take it on a big European Tour as soon as we can.
So enjoyed that mate. And I knew that, quick take of was looming. 😅
Perfect video men
I have an older 2016 with Premium plus pack so bigger wheels and tyres and you are correct it loves to eat tyres, I find MO spec Yokohama to be the sweet spot, I run winter tyres for the snow.
I have the same (2016) model. Same colour as this one but with detailing changing all of the chrome to black. Wheels upgraded but low profile tyres that i don’t like. Only disappointment is the boot room. Have to drop the seats to get the golf clubs in.
Great video mate, looking to buy one and found this very informative, cheers
May very well be my next car
Explain well, Thank you
If you have never ran winter / all season tyres, once the appropriate weather hits those tyres will come into their own, they will firm up, however you should run the same up front in the event of cornering on a wet/icy/snowy (below 5c - 7c) B road front might lose grip and rear grip will drive you straight on.
Agreed - running the same type of tyre front/rear is the right thing to do, but my comment still stands that the loss of grip/traction on the cross climates is significantly less than the primacy in the summer (wet/dry roads). Will be interesting to see how this winter goes when the cross climates get fitted to the front.
Excellent review, very clear and informative
I’m a Taxi driver, Lots of stop start driving, typically cover 100 miles a day (local roads, dual carriageway), speeds ranging 30-40mph
If I drive purely on Hybrid mode, I don’t have time to plug in
What mpg could I expect?
Thanks
The car is most efficient in the 30-50mph range. Without any charge you should be able to av. between 40-45mpg.
Very helpful and informative. Just been viewing a 350e estate and you have made my mind up I'll be ringing the dealer in the morning. Learnt more in your video than watching certain other Car review sites
Oh that’s great, thanks for your comment. I did two follow on videos about the C350e which you may also find interesting including a Q&A from viewers and some “bits” that I don’t like 👍🏻
Are you sure you're not a Mercedes salesman..? Excellent review! I'm sold..!!!!
Haha - no, I can a sure you that I’m not. Glad that you liked the review. 👍🏻
@@FastandFun I second that! Great review, how often do you goto the garage for fuel?
Fresh Press very difficult to say as my usage is not consistent. For the last 2 weeks I’ve done short journeys of no more than 25 miles from home so used little fuel. But the week before I travelled 200miles (motorway) in the morning which was nearly all ICE.
@@FastandFun Thats pretty good doesnt sound too bad at all then. I was looking at C200 but that 290bhp with the instant Battery 🔋 power seems very tempting. Sounds as though C350e is like having ⛽ Petrol engine with Diesel fuel economy 😆.
Bought an identical car, its a DREAM ❤ Q CAR 😊
I think the rear tyre wear issue is due the the massive torque figures (600 Nm) which is 100% there from 1400RPM. I have the C250 CDI with a 'mere' 500Nm of torque and I realised if I want my tyres to last I have to not wheelspin at all ever which does take some deliberate effort.
I know I'm 3 years off in the future here but I'm looking at getting one of these maybe and wanted to chip in!
Good honest review. Cheers for that. Looking at this for my next car, albeit likely to be 2016 registered. Are you using XL rated tyres on the rear axle to accommodate the extra weight? Cheers
Thanks for the comments - no, the tyres are just standard Michelin
My 2016 PHEV Mercedes spend weeks in the dealership for repairs from rewiring, air suspension problems and alarm wailing
Nice honest review. I have been driving mitsubishi outlander Phev for nearly 3 years now and it's great car but when towing caravan it's just not powerful enough. Do you know what's the towing capacity on this Merc?
Thanks. The towing capacity is 1600kg. I hope that helps 👍🏻
those bonnet gaps look like a heat sink feature, to reduce the fan coming on automatically after you park with a hot engine in summer. I might be wrong...
Great video and very informative. I'm thinking of getting a 2016 / 2017 model but I've heard that the air suspension can give trouble and would be an expensive fix. Have you had any issue with the air suspension or have you heard of issues with air suspension on the C Class models?
I’ve had no issues with mine in almost 3 years and 77,000 miles. All makes/models have known problems and think the few that do experience these problems are always very vocal.
Mercedes is the best ! Unfortunately I have to consider it only in second hand ,as even so it's a economic stretch. But I'm sure it's a nice car .
Great video, I’m just about to bay one like this, just with different interior; don’t like this black plastic.
Good decision, the black plastic certainly shows all the marks. It’s great that you enjoyed the video 👍🏻
Great review. I really wanted to buy this car, until I found out the battery warranty only last 60k. Too much risk, as they cost around 6-7k to replace!
Hi Stephen, by coincidence, this Friday I’m releasing my latest video - ten most hated things about my C350e. And without spoiling it, No.10 talks about this very specific point.
@@FastandFun I look forward to it! I felt sorry for the Mercedes salesman. Based on your review, I was ready to buy there and then until I asked about the battery warranty.
@@Stephen-gn2br it’s really going to make these difficult to sell on the second hand market. Values will have to be affected by this 😬
Hi Richard, great video. Have heard horror stories regarding the replacement of the hybrid battery. Can you shed any light on cost etc? Cheers
Nothing official. I’ve heard that costs are somewhere between £5-6k!
Sold !!!
Great video! Considering to get this as the next car. Do you know how long the batteries last before them needed to be changed? Is it common to change them in this car?
Hi Parminder, I haven’t done much research into battery replacement however, on my other video of the car (Mercedes C350e Questions & Answers) there’s a comment from a viewer that says MB have told him that the battery needs replacement every c. 5 years at a cost of £6k. I don’t know whether that is true or not or whether any other viewers have changed their batteries. It would certainly be worth investigating further. Sorry that I can’t be more helpful.
Hi Richard and thank you for doing this video. I am really interested in one of these models and I wonder if I could pick your brains. Please excuse my ignorance here as I have never run anything except straight diesel or petrol. In charge mode I am assuming that the engine charges the battery as opposed to plugging in to the mains?. Would it achieve that on say a 30 mile run or would the engine charge be so expensive in fuel it would negate buying one of these plug in hybrids? I ask because I live in a flat and our complex currently has no plans for any charging points. I am also self employed so have no office as such to park up and charge during working hours. Is it impractical for me to be looking at a plug in hybrid or should I look at a straight hybrid due to the restrictions of mains charging ? I would really appreciate your advice.
Hi TheSkip66, I fully understand your predicament. Firstly, there’s no point in using the charge mode unless you are traveling into a highly congested city centre where there is a congestion zone and e mode is needed. However, there are plenty of free charging points if you search for them which you could use when shopping etc... If the batteries are fully depleted then you’re correct that the car will act as a hybrid. In hybrid, the car will charge under braking/coasting but only small amounts, so expect only around 37-40 mpg. I hope that helps. 👍🏻
Throughly enjoyed this. Thank you very much, very informative.
Can this car be run without ever using the charging port? Is it suitable for someone who lives in a flat in London?
Yes, the car can be run without ever charging and will therefore act like a more traditional hybrid vehicle. By doing this, you are losing out on those initial Elec miles/range which would be so beneficial in a large city like London.
Thanks for the review. I’m looking at buying used and watching the video and reading all the comments I’m about 50% persuaded. One question though. On average how far do you drive before you need to refuel? I understand that the the hybrid has a tiny tank so this might be a deal breaker.
Nice review, clear and concise. I'm looking to buy another car due to the ULEZ coming in in October here in London, and I've been looking at Hybrids, currently Lexus, as they, as part of Toyota, have a well proven track record. A used 350e estate is around the same money as a good spec Lexus IS300h or a CT200h, but the estate is more practical and i like estates. The main caveat for me is that i don't have access to plug in and charge over night, either at home or at work, so would I really benefit from this car economically?
No you wouldn’t benefit. In fact, it potentially could be worse as theres 200kg of batteries in the boot to carry around which will effect the mpg. You will get some regeneration of the batteries through driving but not enough to make much of an impact on the mpg.
@@FastandFun Thanks for the reply. That's pretty much what I thought which is why I'm leaning more towards a hybrid like Lexus, its just a pitty they don't have anything that's an estate other than their SUV's, which is more than i want to spend.
Hi, thanks for the video. My current commute is around 8 miles. I assume that I will get to work on elec, but drive home on fuel unless I manage to plug it in at work? It is a B road but presumably, if I'm on elec for those 8 miles, it won't charge the batteries through braking etc.? Hopefully that makes sense.
The car will always charge the batteries under braking whatever mode you are in. If your return commute is a total of 16 miles on a B road I’d expect you to get 13-14 miles on elec with only a couple on petrol assuming that you can’t charge at work.
Great video, very informative.
I also own a C350e. Mine's got 18" wheels and pirelli runflat tyres and it's come the time to switch them out. Wondering if yours also has runflats in, because mine doesn't have the compressor.
Personally I've been anticipating this change because I don't really fancy the runflats. Might switch them for regular tyres and get the tyre inflation kit.
Shark00n1337 my 350e runs normal tyres rather than runflats, which I much prefer.
So how is your c350e now?. Any issues with the batteries failing and what distance do you achieve on electric-only driving? Thanks.
@@leonlester3924 Hey! It's doing great. Almost up to 50k kms done.
No battery fail warnings or anything like that. I get around ~15kms of electric driving. Not much worse since new.
However it's recently developed some sort of weird vibration, more noticeable under braking. I fear it has something to do with the regen. Need to go to Mercedes to get it looked at.
@@leonlester3924 So I appear to have jynxed it. Started to feel some vibration on the steering wheel and extra noise in the cabin. Got quoted 770€ from Mercedes, stating it needs new front brake rotors. It's at 48k km, seems a bit soon no? Apparantely then thinned out fast, not sure how as I do very relaxed driving mostly on 'comfort' mode...
@@leonlester3924 Aaaaand she's gone. Major battery malfunction. Quoted 30.000€ to fix with Mercedes. Needs a new high tension battery.
Thank God it's still under warranty
Great video,just bought myself one yesterday,how long it take to charge the battery when its depleted?
About 2 hours on a standard 3-pin plug
Richard, sorry, another question: what does it cost, roughly, to charge at home? I' 'm trying to understand whether 5-6 hours of charging cost is with the 10-12 miles or so...
I worked this out a couple of years ago. It’s obviously dependent upon your energy tariff, but it’s around 65p for a full charge from empty, so is definitely cheaper than fuel 👍🏻
is the boot accessible by button on keyfob or do you press button on car (non premium spec)?
Hey Richard I'm looking at buying one of these. What would you say the mpg would be on a 35 mile round trip half in town and half on an A road?
My usual commute to work is 32 miles and I get over +20 miles on elec only with an average mpg of c.65-70mpg.
I am on the cusp of going for one. Thank you this has been really informative. I like your mentality! Any thoughts on degradation of battery life over time?
Sharon, I’ve not seen any degradation in battery life over the last 2.5 years but don’t have any knowledge about battery life over multiple years. Sorry.
Hi nice video, just wondering how are the batteries now after 2.5 years? Any batteries issues? I am planning to buy a 2017 or 2016 c350e model with 80k miles, do you think its good idea ? Thanks
Thanks - it’s probably worth checking out my other videos that explain about the battery condition. I saw an amount of degradation over the 3 years and 80k miles.
Great video it is very informative! I'm looking to buy one of these, could you let me know what the service costs are and is the mercedes dealer any good. I currently own a lexus and their dealers are very good. Thanks
Hi, my 350e is on a lease system with all servicing as part of the package so unfortunately I can’t give you any incurred servicing costs. However, the service provided by my local MB dealer has been excellent and as you would expect from a premium manufacturer.
@@FastandFun Hi, thank you for the quick reply.
Would you advise to get the 350e hybrid or the 2.1 diesel?? I'm not too sure I don't have a charging port available for that at my house. And do about 60km a day at 80kmph... thanks if you can reply
You don’t need a charging point, just access to an external 3 pin socket. If you don’t have access to external elec supply then I’d personally go for the diesel.
Hi, nice to watching your video, can you explain how expensive is the service plan ? Thanks.
Hi, I’m really sorry but my lease deal is all inclusive so I don’t know.
@@FastandFun no problem ✌
What happens if you left the charge cable in by accident and started the engine, does the car tell you or notify you that the cable is still attached?
The car tells you that it’s still connected so prevents you from starting the engine
So in the winter time, i make my way to work in the morning with a fully charged battery, which will be flat in around 10 miles just when I reach the motorway, the engine kicks in. It will start up from freezing cold and deliver enough power to drive 70miles per hour around 2000 rpm without any warming up? Or if I am travelling 12 miles far, the petrol engine will run only for 2 miles without warming up to operating temperature? I have concerns about the engine lifespan is such conditions.
Andras Racz i don’t know whether there is any impact or not other than modern engines are now built to such great tolerances that I’m not sure that there’s any detriment to an engines lifespan by being used on/off as in a hybrid. Only time will tell. I suppose it’s no different to buying a normal combustion engine car that’s been used predominantly on very short journeys. Only time will tell for sure.
I am wondering the exact same thing as i live in Finland. Of course there will be severe wear even on a modern engine if it starts cold under heavy load do not belive anything else. I think in cold climate it is just necessary to have the engine running all the time from start of journey to the end of journey and let it heat up under no load for some time.
Great video, i want to buy a used one, i expect you have traded it now. Did you still like it after time.
Thanks. Yes, great car but it was owned through a company car scheme so there were tax breaks with running a PHEV. As a second hand car I’d probably buy either petrol/diesel only.
Regards charging - can you set a timer for off peak?
Enjoyed your blog
No, but the cost of charging is small due to the size of the battery pack. My routine is that it gets plugged in (and left) all the time when it’s at home as it’s so much more cost efficient in EV mode. Pleased you found the video useful.
Hi, I have bought one of these great cars and I use a mechanical timer plugged into a standard socket and set it to come on between 1am and 4.30 am. It works fine and is fully charged in the morning.
@@carlos369UK thanks. I ended up buying the Kia Optima which had a bigger battery which was key.
Ive been looking at these and i always look up the mot history to check if there are common faults. Nearly every mot had the comment 'pitted brakes' or ball joint/ link issues. Do you think the brake regeneration causes this?
AHH just watched further, those extra 200kgs obviously take their toll on the pads
@@MrSmoothasf for sure the added weight has an affect on the brakes, suspension and tyres.
Great review man, just a question, I live in an apartment block where no charging point available, should I still consider this car? Cheers
Thanks. Personally I wouldn’t. You really need to be able to charge at home. And then it’s great for short journeys on “e” mode but with the flexibility of a 2.0 turbo ICE for longer journeys.
@@FastandFun yeah I thought so too, it's a shame that I can't get access to charging point.. I'll get one of this if we can get a charging point here for sure, thanks for the reply 👍
can you check the battery health on these? plus does the extended warrenty cover anything to do with the battery?
No, there’s no health check on these that I’m aware of. I also don’t have any details about the extended warranty. Sorry
Thanks for the excellent review. Can I ask - does the aircon run on the high voltage battery? IE can you sit in the car stationary, without the engine on and have AC cooling and heating?
Yes you can 👍🏻
@@FastandFun awesome, thanks for writing back. Have you ever tested how long it can run on battery? I presume a few hours. Thanks
@@FastandFun oh, also does the car have any app functions like with Tesla where you can remotely turn on the AC or open the doors ? Thanks 😊
@@thedoble no, I never tested how long you could run aircon on the battery for (never had a reason too). Regard remote operation; there is a Mercedes’ app that you download and you can select pre-heat (useful in the cold winter of the UK), remote open windows/doors, check battery state/charge, and lots of other features.
@@FastandFun Thanks again!
Excellent review.
Do you know why your car doesn’t have blue brake callipers in front and the headlights also don’t have the ‘hybrid-blue’ inner part like in other C350e? Is this something spec-related thing?
The original 350e ‘s did have some minor blue bits around the car (eg brake calipers) but that changed just prior to my car being built (Mar ‘18), so any car after that date won’t have any blue bits, pre -2018 will have them. Hope that helps 👍🏻
Richard Dobie
Thanks very much for your quick response! 👍
I knew that there was a facelift/model refresh around 2018, including additional features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but didn’t know that they also changed the brake calliper and headlight look, now there is no difference to the standard models, can’t see the point.
Mine unfortunately doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, do you know if it’s possible to add it via an update?
And one more thing, did you notice any significant difference between ECO and Comfort mode, either in full E-Mode or hybrid?
I had apple car play as an option which I thought was just a software upload. Surprised it’s not a available on the older 350e’s.
No there’s very little difference between eco and comfort other than I don’t think that the eco assist (double tapping of the accelerator) works in comfort, it has to be in eco.
Seventeen miles is your max range record? Wow!
40-45mpg, that’s a lot better than 33-37mpg I get with c250d
Oh a lot more Power, more equipment as well
Excellent
The worst fuel consumption I’ve ever had was when I “booted” it up the motorway for +300 miles and returned 37mpg. It very rarely dips below 40mpg 👍🏻
@@FastandFun Thats great im gonna buy one instead of a diesel
I am so tempted to buy a used C350E but the many reports of 6-10 mile range on the batteries plus the very worrying reports of battery life not being more than five years has dampened my enthusiasm. Also the second-hand prices of these cars seem abnormally low, seeming to agree with the reports. Are these reports valid please?
It would be better for you to take a look at my later videos that go into the battery life and battery range in much more detail.
@@FastandFun Thanks for a quick response. I'll have a look at them and hope that it helps me decide.
I've now watched the later videos and read further comments about this model. Sadly I'm not convinced that it's a sensible car to buy.
How much is the resale value of these PHEVs? I am very afraid that after 6-7 years of use no one will buy them as 3rd, 4th... owners considering the cost for batter replacement or decreased capacity
It’s a good question. Only time will tell but all PHEVs and EVs suffer from harsh depreciation because of the uncertainty over battery life. Consumer confidence is low.
Hi Rich from Finland.
I´ve had this same car for 6 months now and I absolutely love it, my first Mercedes❤.
Last longer motorway trip that I drove, I tested the ECO mode for the first time in high speed and I found out that it charges the battery while your going motorway speeds (with petrol), the E-Range started to rise, it doesn`t do that in Comfort mode, I didn´t know that.
Do you know what gives the charging power to the battery´s? If it uses the petrol engine to charge it (like on CHARGE-mode) it´s not so ECO anymore because it takes more fuel.
Cheers!
-Janne
Hi Janne,
The car never charges the batteries using the engine unless you select CHARGE-mode. The car charges using the regenerative system; takes the kinetic energy from moving into the batteries. That’s why when you lift off the accelerator you will feel some slight resistance as though you are braking lightly - this is the re-gen putting energy back into the batteries. It occurs mostly when you brake or when going downhill/coasting (off the accelerator). It happens all the time in eco-mode but the faster you are traveling (motorway) the greater the regeneration! Hence why you see more battery charge on the motorway than on the normal road.
Hope that helps 👍🏻
@@FastandFun Thank you for your answer, That clears it! So other words, always drive with ECO-mode😃
@@jannehintze6008 Moi, onko mersu ollut luotettava? Vähän kuumottaa noi hybrid akut ja niiden kestäminen pitkän päälle...
@@kullipetteri Moi. On ollut kyllä upea ja luotettava auto, sähkömoottorin kantama vain turhan lyhyt, en silti takaisin bensaversioon vaihda koskaan, ihan jo pelkästään kiihtyvyyden takia😃👍🏼
@@jannehintze6008 Kiva kuulla että olet nauttinut, nyt on alkanut houkuttelemaan bemarin kilpailija 330e, täytyy koeajaa molemmat ensin 😊
If you are in sportplus and want to get of line quick as you said. Do you need to have full charge on the battery? since in sportplus it combines the 2, is it slower in sportplus if the battery is empty?
Hi, yes it will be slower in Sport+ if the battery is depleted because it’s the batteries 80bhp that gives you the extra kick off the line and takes the car from c.200bhp to 280bhp. Hope that helps 👍🏻
@@FastandFun Ah thank you very much sir!
Bit different here. I use comfort and sport. Rarely eco or +... Sport is almost as good as sport+ but with kinda better gear changes. Comfort vs Eco then, difference is in regen charging. In eco car coasts freely, but with comfort it uses braking to charge battery..
Funny how we all seem to use the different settings - each to our own I suppose. Although the car re-gen under braking/coasting is the same in eco as it is in comfort.
@@FastandFun no, mine does not charge battery in eco mode by itself. In comfort there is significant 'motorbraking', in eco car rolls freely.. though im not native english speaker so this could be issue with language also.. tuned my car today with quantum tuning - now it's fun in S+ and also beast at dynomode :) just have to be really careful in dynomode, there no abs, powersteering etc.
Very usefull video, I am looking at buying a second hand c350e and this is where my question comes in. What is your capacity of the the HV battery after 60000 miles, do you notice a drop in capacity or is it pretty much the same as new?
I have a couple more videos on the C350e that go into more detail but after c.80k miles when it was returned the range had reduced by c. 30-40%
@@FastandFun Thanks for the quick reply, I will have a look at those videos!
Hi mate very informative video thank you,I am looking to buy a 2nd hand c350e 19plates which done over 115k purely motorway mileage,what's your verdict on battery do you think it has detoriated ? Thank you
@@RezaulKarim-mn5yf on the motorway the battery does very little as the ICE will do the majority of the work.
@@FastandFun30-40% is significant when there was so little range to start with. Shows that a secondhand one is just dragging around useless weight.
With full battery charge how much mpg could you expect over say a 120 mile trip on eco hybrid mode? Thanks Rich good video
It would depend on the roads. If 100 miles of the route is sat on the motorway at +70mph it’s going to be c. 40mpg, where as if it’s A and B roads driving around 50mph you will see close to 50mpg.
The mpg differs so much depending on distance, speed, terrain (hilly), driving style, etc, ....you could drive 20 miles at 40mph and av. 99.9mpg (max default value) alternatively you could be sat on motorway at 85mph and av.38mpg for the same 20 mile distance. Hope this helps
How is this hybrid mode? Ive seen it can do between 20-30km with a full battery, does that mean only eletric or both engine and eletric? How does this work? Meaning to buy one myself, but i dont completely understand this hybrid systems
There are four modes which can be selected by the driver; elec only (a range between 10-15 miles), engine only, battery charge (engine running for car power and charging) and hybrid (the default setting where the car calculates whether it should be on battery or ICE). I hope that helps
Does the car change often between electric and gas, with hybrid, like it can reach more than 10-15 miles without charging up battery again? Its hard to find an answer on that question, ive been researching alot, i only with this only eletric mode, ive heard that you can drive it cheaper than a c180 f.ex, but is it so bad that i will need to charge very often? (Even if i dont drive only eletric?)
Thanks for answer and your time.
@@Keven1 in hybrid mode the car will continually switch between elec and ICE normally using the ICE for acceleration and uphill and the elec for maintaining your speed. When you slow down or go downhill the car will re-generate some of the energy back into the car.
Obviously the time spent in elec mode will differ depending on how much charge remains in the car. By c. 10-15 miles the majority will have been used but as the car re-generates some energy back into the car then it is still able to switch between both modes, but there will be less time on elec.
Hope that helps
Something i am wondering with plug in hybrids. Is how much they cost to charge and how many times do tou charge them per tank.
I am lookong to change from a 2018 2.4L mitsubishi l200 getting 28mpg average
How longs a piece of string? You just can’t say.
Scenario 1: you only drive 10-12 miles per day, charging when you return home after every journey. You’d (in theory) never need fuel.
Scenario 2: You drive 300 miles per day, the first 10 miles or so mostly on electric then switching to the ICE for the majority of the journey. You’d be filling a tank of fuel for every charge.
So in other words, less you use the car, shorter journeys you do, far more will be on electric. More miles you do, more fuel you will use. Hope that helps.
@@FastandFun I live in Norfolk so cover quite a few miles daily in my personal vehicle. Luckily I have a company van for work now
Typically I do a 64 mile round trip a few evenings a week.
Another evening often a 30 mile round trip.
A few mornings per week I do 16 mile round trip to drop my son off.
Then Sunday often out and about and finish with a 25 mile round trip taking him to his gym class.
Then a few times a year we head off with our caravan in tow to Cornwall or somewhere. Which is 370 miles. Spend a week driving around there and then the long tow home again.
Would you think I would be better just sticking with a diesel or petrol car in this instance. My truck is a 68 plate and what £ I expect to get for it I would be looking at somewhere between 2014 -2017 phev's having looked on auto trader and ones that are big enough for my family's needs. I plan on only spending the money I get for the truck on a replacement vehicle I do not want finance on a brand new vehicle.
@@steviemayo2076 there’s a niche market for PHEVs. Family that live in a large town or city, spend much of the time doing short journeys (on electric) but want the flexibility to drive long journeys without any range anxiety.
I dont see that with you. I’d suggest that a good modern diesel or petrol would serve you better. You have to remember that when on petrol your driving a round with 200kg of dead battery in the boot with a PHEV.