**Testdrove a '06 Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor**

[cawimmer430]

I was able to take a brand new E200 Kompressor with the sports package for a long drive to Landshut. The bad news? I had to bring a customer with me to the dealer over there so that meant I couldn?t really drive my way or stop to take nice pictures on the way, especially since the guy next to me turned out to be such a sour old grandpa. [:blackeye:]  



The car was the base model European E-Class, the E200 Kompressor with a supercharged 1.8-l 4-cylinder and 163-horsepower (240 Nm / 177 lb/ft). I was really interested in seeing how this car drove since I had experienced the same engine in the C-Class and SLK-Class. A 1.8-l engine in an E-Class? Yes, that?s what I was thinking. Even worse, it was brand new with only 75 km on the odometer, that?s 47 miles. That meant I couldn?t really hammer it?but I did anyway! [:bigsmile:] Incidentally, there?s also a black T-Modell S211 E-Class with the sports package in the showroom, but that?s an E350.







Well we got going with me behind the wheel. Didn?t talk much to my passenger since he seemed so grumpy. That meant it was going to be a quiet 45 minutes to Landshut. The interior was dark since this E200 Kompressor was an Avantgarde spec model. The sports package added chrome to the pedals and footrest as well as the new steering wheel, which actually doesn?t look so bad in real life. Didn?t like it when I saw it in the first pictures of the E-Class sports package. What struck you early on was the communicativeness of the steering wheel. Compared to our E320, the difference was like night and day. Sadly, the steering feel was to direct, so that in curves, every movement can be felt, which sucks for limousine style driving. I was trying my best to make the old guy next to me not feel a thing, which is possible in our E320, but here, I needed time to adjust and get to know the steering.



The suspension was hard and seemed capable enough for sporty driving. I wasn?t able to really drift into curves with the sour old bastard next to me. Comfort sucked. Yes, in a Mercedes-Benz! The suspension was so hard, every little bump on the road could be felt. Even on smooth well-paved roads, the suspension was noisy and very nervous. The good handling and low body roll of this car came at a price I suppose: the lack of comfort. I suppose the 18? rims and low profile tires also played their part. The seats were relatively comfortable though, but were still designed for sporty driving with their excellent side grip. The guy next to me commented on the poor comfort as well, so that meant he felt it too.







I was of mixed opinions about the engine. It was smooth and refined, but I felt it was a little underpowered in the E-Class. When driving at a relaxed pace, the engine didn?t feel underpowered and responded nicely to driver input. I had to overtake a few trucks so I did either a kickdown (yes I know it was a new not run-in-yet car!) or shifted manually on the 5-speed automatic transmission. A kickdown saw the car accelerate decently. Nothing slow, but nothing particularly fast either. The E220 CDI I drove recently would kill this thing though. That?s when the old geezer next to me said a word after what seemed like an eternity. He commented on how this thing isn?t very fast. Eh, no sh*t Sherlock, I can see that! [:bigsmile:] Here?s my overall opinion on the engine. Drive it relaxed, it drives nicely. Ask for quick overtaking power and it?s a little underpowered. It got the job done, but it needed a little more time than something torquier like the E220 CDI.



The 5-speed automatic transmission was as usual very smooth and responsive. Shifting manually was fun because the E200 Kompressor pulled nicely in 2nd gear even while going uphill. Other than that, I just wished for an engine with a little bit more power and torque. The supercharged 1.8-l is a wonderful 4-cylinder engine, but it?s not the best performer under the hood of the W211 E-Class.



The rest of the drive was spent cruising to Landshut. It would have been pleasant had this car not had the sports package. I really didn?t like it to be honest. I felt that Avantgarde spec E-Classes, like our E320, handled sporty enough without sacrificing comfort. This E200 Kompressor was very uncomfortable mainly because of the suspension. Handling was however top notch but I felt that the regular E-Classes handle well enough for most keen drivers. This is especially true in Europe since US-spec Mercedes? are softened up suspension and steering wise to offer a cushier drive.







The E200 Kompressor seemed like an ok car for European conditions. On the one hand, it drove nice enough if you cruised at a relaxed pace. On the other, the engine wasn?t well suited for quick overtaking sprints. Or maybe I am just spoiled by driving an E320 all the time. [:P] I suspect the E200 Kompressor would make a great city car for those who don?t want a diesel or don?t drive a lot and therefore do not need anything above the new E280 (replaced the E240).





PHOTO ALBUM: http://www.imagestation.com/album/index.html?id=2122785570

[BMWDave]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

[cawimmer430]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!    

[BMWDave]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P    

[Raghavan]

The sport package looks very nice.

[cawimmer430]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P  

Not officially, I just made some cards for myself since I will need them if I get caught taking pictures of peoples cars in London or here.  

I was so excited getting to drive the E200 Kompressor with Sports Package, until I was told I had to bring someone with me. Man, that ruined everything. In my mind, I already had selected a nice spot en route to take some nice pictures...but with this guy with me, no can do.  :angry:  

[BMWDave]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P  

Not officially, I just made some cards for myself since I will need them if I get caught taking pictures of peoples cars in London or here.  

I was so excited getting to drive the E200 Kompressor with Sports Package, until I was told I had to bring someone with me. Man, that ruined everything. In my mind, I already had selected a nice spot en route to take some nice pictures...but with this guy with me, no can do.  :angry:

Have you ever gotten caught without the business card?  perhaps I should make a few of those myself  

[cawimmer430]

The sport package looks very nice.

Agreed. Love the rims and the sports package makes the E-Class an even better handler: at the cost of comfort. But if you can live with that, that's fine. Me, I want the best of both worlds, and our Avantgarde E320 offers just that.

US-spec Mercedes are softened up suspension and handling wise. Euro MB's tend to be more responsive steering-wise and are a little harder suspension wise.    

[R33 GT-R]

Wimmer, party on young fella.



PS.  Give Claudia my love.

[cawimmer430]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P  

Not officially, I just made some cards for myself since I will need them if I get caught taking pictures of peoples cars in London or here.  

I was so excited getting to drive the E200 Kompressor with Sports Package, until I was told I had to bring someone with me. Man, that ruined everything. In my mind, I already had selected a nice spot en route to take some nice pictures...but with this guy with me, no can do.  :angry:

Have you ever gotten caught without the business card?  perhaps I should make a few of those myself

Many times! I always managed to talk my way out of it and tell the person about the website. They usually wrote it down or tried remembering it and that's where I got the idea of 'Hey, I need a business card for credentials!'  

Some people got pissed at me for taking pictures, but others didn't mind and even opened the door so I could take interior shos!    :D  

[Raghavan]

PS.  Give Claudia my love.

:o  :o Does your wife know about this?!  

[cawimmer430]

Wimmer, party on young fella.



PS.  Give Claudia my love.

Will do R33!    

[BMWDave]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P  

Not officially, I just made some cards for myself since I will need them if I get caught taking pictures of peoples cars in London or here.  

I was so excited getting to drive the E200 Kompressor with Sports Package, until I was told I had to bring someone with me. Man, that ruined everything. In my mind, I already had selected a nice spot en route to take some nice pictures...but with this guy with me, no can do.  :angry:

Have you ever gotten caught without the business card?  perhaps I should make a few of those myself

Many times! I always managed to talk my way out of it and tell the person about the website. They usually wrote it down or tried remembering it and that's where I got the idea of 'Hey, I need a business card for credentials!'  

Some people got pissed at me for taking pictures, but others didn't mind and even opened the door so I could take interior shos!    :D

Not bad at all.  I'm always afraid of just taking pictures of parked cars, since people might think I'm trying to steal it or something.  I think people understand if you are taking pictures of exotics though...everyone knows why you are taking the picture.

[cawimmer430]

I'm not liking that wood trim, but the sport package really does lend a very nice appearance to the exterior.

Sorry about the grumpy guy...he must have been annoying you the whole time :P

Yeah the guy next to me was annoying. I tried talking to him but he sounded grumpy and didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Sucks when you have to drive people like that. That girl I picked up in the C220 CDI was hot and very nice. I gave her my Automobear card and told her if she's ever coming to M?hldorf, she should tell me in advance. Hope she emails me!  

You guys have cards for Automobear?  Very cool!  I'll speak to Dan about making CarSPIN cards :D  :D

I bet it was pretty awkward with the grumpy guy.  You should have made him sit in the third row :P  

Not officially, I just made some cards for myself since I will need them if I get caught taking pictures of peoples cars in London or here.  

I was so excited getting to drive the E200 Kompressor with Sports Package, until I was told I had to bring someone with me. Man, that ruined everything. In my mind, I already had selected a nice spot en route to take some nice pictures...but with this guy with me, no can do.  :angry:

Have you ever gotten caught without the business card?  perhaps I should make a few of those myself

Many times! I always managed to talk my way out of it and tell the person about the website. They usually wrote it down or tried remembering it and that's where I got the idea of 'Hey, I need a business card for credentials!'  

Some people got pissed at me for taking pictures, but others didn't mind and even opened the door so I could take interior shos!    :D

Not bad at all.  I'm always afraid of just taking pictures of parked cars, since people might think I'm trying to steal it or something.  I think people understand if you are taking pictures of exotics though...everyone knows why you are taking the picture.

Exotics are easy, but I've been caught taking pictures of mainstreamers and POS econo boxes.    

[BMWDave]

[mazda6er]

 Oh man, that was good. Can't resist pics of those elusive Kias!    

163 hp in a Benz?!#$%*#%*# That f*cking blows, especially considering I've got 160 hp in my 6 and it probably weighs a bit less.

[R33 GT-R]

Wimmer, party on young fella.



PS.  Give Claudia my love.

Will do R33!  

Tell her if she ever thinks of studies abroad we can make room for her at the homestead.    

[Colonel Cadillac]

I have a feeling your review would be a bit more positive if senior grumps was not sitting next to you. You would have taken the turns and taken advantage of the sporty suspension setup.  

[Colonel Cadillac]

That E200 with the sports package is sexy! I would think a E350 4matic would be a good replacement for the Allroad in a few years. I don't think the parents will want another Audi, sadly, the service is "too expensive and dreadful". It's a shame, because I really like the new A6 3.2 Avant.  

[cawimmer430]

 Oh man, that was good. Can't resist pics of those elusive Kias!    

163 hp in a Benz?!#$%*#%*# That f*cking blows, especially considering I've got 160 hp in my 6 and it probably weighs a bit less.

It's a good engine, but it shouldn't be used in the E-Class. The only reason this model exists is because of some markets where there is a tax for anything above 2-liters. Hence, the 1.8-l engine was fitted in the E-Class destined for countries like Japan or Korea for instance. It's not bad in the car if you drive relaxed and all that, but when you hammer it, there's not much to show.

[cawimmer430]

Wimmer, party on young fella.



PS.? Give Claudia my love.

Will do R33!  

Tell her if she ever thinks of studies abroad we can make room for her at the homestead.  

:D  

[cawimmer430]

That E200 with the sports package is sexy! I would think a E350 4matic would be a good replacement for the Allroad in a few years. I don't think the parents will want another Audi, sadly, the service is "too expensive and dreadful". It's a shame, because I really like the new A6 3.2 Avant.

If that guy had not been next to me, I would have been able to have some fun in the car...and take better pictures!  

BTW, the comfort supposedly was poor because of excess tire pressure. I asked Mr. Schultz why the sports package is so uncomfortable and he told me it's actually quite comfy, but he suspects that the E200K I drove had excess tire pressure.  

[850CSi]

I saw a few E200 Kompressors on the Autobahn in Turkey. Most of them had Deutsch plates, though. The Turks still buy E320's even though they have $8/gallon gasoline.

[cawimmer430]

I saw a few E200 Kompressors on the Autobahn in Turkey. Most of them had Deutsch plates, though. The Turks still buy E320's even though they have $8/gallon gasoline.

E320's aren't that bad with gas. We achieve 7.7 / 8.2 per 100 km with ours on a regular basis. And we don't even drive like saints most of the time!

The funny thing is, E240's are slower and thirstier than the E320's!