Buying advice - E Class 1996 on
Discussion
I've a shortlist (getting shorter) for my next daily commuter and an E class is looking like a good choice.
Can anyone offer any advice with regard to what model (E200, E230, E320 & E300D etc) and what they are like to live with regarding fuel consumption and general performance and garage bills and common faults?
Many thanks
Can anyone offer any advice with regard to what model (E200, E230, E320 & E300D etc) and what they are like to live with regarding fuel consumption and general performance and garage bills and common faults?
Many thanks
I've got a '97 E320 V6 Avantgarde saloon, which averages 27 mpg in my normal pattern of use, but on a long 85mph run will do 32-33. The V6 started in '97. So far it's only needed one service and that was around £400 for the bigger of the two normal services at a dealer (car still has FMBSH). A set of good 16" Pirellis was £450.
No problems so far in 15 months except for some suspension bushes which needed changing when I got it, as it was knocking over bumps and had irregular tyre wear at the front. It's a nice car - I originally bought it intending to trade it in when I got my SLK, but I liked it so much I kept it.
I believe some have premature rust under the window seals, although mine doesn't have a speck of rust on it. Anything with cloth will be difficult to sell, and there are desirable options such as heated seats and fully automatic climate control which don't affect the price all that much. They are built for mileage, so don't let that put you off. Mine's done 105K now (8K with me). It cost the first owner £48K but I only paid £6K for it. At that price it's a lot of car for the money, and the performance/economy compromise is very good. It's quicker than most people would expect.
It's not really a sports saloon, even with sports suspension, but actually the grip level is high and the brakes excellent, it's just that the steering lacks a bit of feel. It's an accomplished cruiser though, which is what it was designed for, and would be a pretty good vehicle to commute in I should think. The price will be higher if you must have silver.
No problems so far in 15 months except for some suspension bushes which needed changing when I got it, as it was knocking over bumps and had irregular tyre wear at the front. It's a nice car - I originally bought it intending to trade it in when I got my SLK, but I liked it so much I kept it.
I believe some have premature rust under the window seals, although mine doesn't have a speck of rust on it. Anything with cloth will be difficult to sell, and there are desirable options such as heated seats and fully automatic climate control which don't affect the price all that much. They are built for mileage, so don't let that put you off. Mine's done 105K now (8K with me). It cost the first owner £48K but I only paid £6K for it. At that price it's a lot of car for the money, and the performance/economy compromise is very good. It's quicker than most people would expect.
It's not really a sports saloon, even with sports suspension, but actually the grip level is high and the brakes excellent, it's just that the steering lacks a bit of feel. It's an accomplished cruiser though, which is what it was designed for, and would be a pretty good vehicle to commute in I should think. The price will be higher if you must have silver.
I'm on my third. I've had an E320 early one with straight six. An E55 and now an E430 estate. First one had Advantgarde suspension which tightens things up a little. AMG was obviously on a different level. The E430 is an Elegance and a bit softer.
I have always found the sub 280's a little under powered. I've driven the early E200 and E230 which were four cylinder models. Try different ones and see what you think. The estate & diesels hold a premium over the petrol/saloons. The E320cdi as an estate makes a very good car. Mine will only do about 8-10k per year so being a big petrol makes no difference to me. The £3-4k saving at purchase and fuel cost difference off set the 20-24mpg I'll be getting.
As stated above. Front ARB tie bar bushes are prone. Easy and cheap to replace. Keep it serviced properly (I'll be going specialist) and it should last for years. I've seen cars with 300k+.
Overal they are a comfy quick mile muncher. The non AMG cars are no 5-series chaser in the bends but grip well and softern out the ripples. Go auto & leather and resale should be easier. Memory seats and climate are also nice to have.
Good luck
Paul.B
I have always found the sub 280's a little under powered. I've driven the early E200 and E230 which were four cylinder models. Try different ones and see what you think. The estate & diesels hold a premium over the petrol/saloons. The E320cdi as an estate makes a very good car. Mine will only do about 8-10k per year so being a big petrol makes no difference to me. The £3-4k saving at purchase and fuel cost difference off set the 20-24mpg I'll be getting.
As stated above. Front ARB tie bar bushes are prone. Easy and cheap to replace. Keep it serviced properly (I'll be going specialist) and it should last for years. I've seen cars with 300k+.
Overal they are a comfy quick mile muncher. The non AMG cars are no 5-series chaser in the bends but grip well and softern out the ripples. Go auto & leather and resale should be easier. Memory seats and climate are also nice to have.
Good luck
Paul.B
As mention above the W210 has got rust problems,so double check under the door seals,boot seal and boot lock areas,if there is any ,its not the end of the road ,if the car has got a full MBSH and about 1998-(not sure on the cut off date)you can claim it on warranty as long as the car has not been repair before and the rust has not been caused by an impact(stone chip),hope this helps.
a11lvj said:
As mention above the W210 has got rust problems,so double check under the door seals,boot seal and boot lock areas,if there is any ,its not the end of the road ,if the car has got a full MBSH and about 1998-(not sure on the cut off date)you can claim it on warranty as long as the car has not been repair before and the rust has not been caused by an impact(stone chip),hope this helps.
As well as above, check front crossmember for rust - it gets missed even at MOT as its covered by an undertray. I saw one on a ramp last week, the car looked in good condition but the cross member was rusty beyond belief and required replacement.
Top of front suspension towers also can be an issue.
You can run it into Merc and ask them to do a corrosion check but they will charge you for this.
There was a very interesting article in Saturdays Motoring Section of the Telegraph about Merc UK and how it is trying to rebuild its reputation. One of the topics covered was the rust problems.
One good idea I've seen re the crossmember is to remove the plastic undertray and either install spacers on the screws for the tray, or put spacers on the crossmember. This is because the design of the tray allows standing water in certain positions, which just happens to give the crossmember a good soaking
As others have said watch out for rust. I own a 300TD and for such a big car 0-60 in under 9 seconds is very impressive, and it will do 40mpg at 75mph on the motorway. Make sure you get either elegance or avante garde, classic has a very poor spec. Don't buy a manual either, they're unpopular.
As others have said watch out for rust. I own a 300TD and for such a big car 0-60 in under 9 seconds is very impressive, and it will do 40mpg at 75mph on the motorway. Make sure you get either elegance or avante garde, classic has a very poor spec. Don't buy a manual either, they're unpopular.
Kentish said:This problem was solved on the later models of the previous generation, so rust is an age-dependant issue.
To be honest, I had no idea about potential rust problems.
As much as I like the E class, this has now put me off so I do appreciate all your comments here as this was not even a problem I had considered on a modern car - especially one as expensive as a Mercedes.
I owned a W210 '99 E300TD for nearly 7 years which I've just sold after 117K miles and replaced it with new E280CDi . Probs I had with the E300TD included -
1. Auto box started slipping at about 70k miles - topped up the g/box with appropriate transmission fluid which fixed the prob ,despite the fact the g/box is meant to be sealed for life - just break the seal in engine compartment and top it up.
2. Front drop links needed replaced at approx 100k - cost £90 to replace inc parts/labour - makes a huge difference to ride quality.
3. LCD display (oddometer/outside temp/clock) started to go wonky from about 90k miles.
4. Rust on Front wheel arches and boot lock - The W210 model is much worse for rust resistance vs the W124 model it replaced (I still own a higher mileage immaculate W124 E320 Estate).
5. I had AMG alloys with 235/45 tyres fitted and it went through tyres (X4) every 10k miles irrespective of what brand of tyres I had fitted. So save yourself some money and use cheap 'no name' brands.
6. Replaced all discs once ; front pads twice and rear pads once.
7. Returned 28MPG doing general running about - 35mpg on a run.
It cost me £42k new and I sold it to my Brother in Law for for £6k - the same amount as the dealer offered me as a trade in. Apart from depreciation it was cheap and reliable motoring .
>> Edited by toby tucker on Wednesday 12th April 22:00
>> Edited by toby tucker on Wednesday 12th April 22:10
>> Edited by toby tucker on Friday 14th April 06:27
1. Auto box started slipping at about 70k miles - topped up the g/box with appropriate transmission fluid which fixed the prob ,despite the fact the g/box is meant to be sealed for life - just break the seal in engine compartment and top it up.
2. Front drop links needed replaced at approx 100k - cost £90 to replace inc parts/labour - makes a huge difference to ride quality.
3. LCD display (oddometer/outside temp/clock) started to go wonky from about 90k miles.
4. Rust on Front wheel arches and boot lock - The W210 model is much worse for rust resistance vs the W124 model it replaced (I still own a higher mileage immaculate W124 E320 Estate).
5. I had AMG alloys with 235/45 tyres fitted and it went through tyres (X4) every 10k miles irrespective of what brand of tyres I had fitted. So save yourself some money and use cheap 'no name' brands.
6. Replaced all discs once ; front pads twice and rear pads once.
7. Returned 28MPG doing general running about - 35mpg on a run.
It cost me £42k new and I sold it to my Brother in Law for for £6k - the same amount as the dealer offered me as a trade in. Apart from depreciation it was cheap and reliable motoring .
>> Edited by toby tucker on Wednesday 12th April 22:00
>> Edited by toby tucker on Wednesday 12th April 22:10
>> Edited by toby tucker on Friday 14th April 06:27
toby tucker said:
5. I had AMG alloys with 235/45 tyres fitted and it went through tyres (X4) every 10k miles irrespective of what brand of tyres I had fitted. So save yourself some money and use cheap 'no name' brands.
Mine had some crappy Falken tyres on it for a while, and the grip level and steering precision were terrible. Cheap tyres are a false economy. The difference with a new set of Pirellis is remarkable.
toby tucker said:
7. Returned 28MPG doing general running about - 35mpg on a run.
That's very interesting, as it's not much better than my E320 petrol which has averaged 27mpg in general use and does 32-33 on a run. Given that diesel is more expensive, and that diesel cars fetch a premium, it looks as though the 300D and 320 petrol are comparable in terms of running costs, but incomparable in terms of performance and refinement.
steve-p said:
Mine had some crappy Falken tyres on it for a while, and the grip level and steering precision were terrible. Cheap tyres are a false economy. The difference with a new set of Pirellis is remarkable.
Well I guess for me at least , it wasn't false ecomony and @ £67/corner for a 'no name' brand tyre (marshalls' ) it outweighed £125-£150/corner that I was paying for Pirelli's/Bridstones . I never thought the roadholding or steering on my E300TD were anything other than excellent even with no brand tyres (Marshall's).
steve-p said:
That's very interesting, as it's not much better than my E320 petrol which has averaged 27mpg in general use and does 32-33 on a run. Given that diesel is more expensive, and that diesel cars fetch a premium, it looks as though the 300D and 320 petrol are comparable in terms of running costs, but incomparable in terms of performance and refinement
....Errr, I don't think that anyone buys a E300DT for its performance , albeit it's no slouch off the mark with ~180BHP and a 0-60 times in around 8sec. The TD engines are long lived and according to my local Merc dealer the E class diesels are very popular as a 2nd hand buys and hold their value much better than their petrol equivalents. As per the same dealer, E320 petrol engined cars are difficult to sell on 2nd hand.
And I also don't agree with you that the E320 petrol is neccessarly more refined - sure it's quieter at speeds below 20mph - but there's really no difference in cabin refinment/noise levels in normai driving conditions (and I also own a E320 124 Estate). My E300TD was optioned up with £12k of extras and it was still £3k cheaper vs. the equivalent E320 when new, so I believe I got better value for money and better residuals both in percentage & in absolute terms .
>> Edited by toby tucker on Thursday 13th April 14:08
Might as well stick my two-penneth on here too.
Bought my 240 back in 2001 with 41K on the clock. Sold it 3 weeks ago with 164K on it.
Faultless to drive, economy averaged around 27mpg. Best I got was 32 on a run.
Very reliable car - only things replaced were mass airflow sensor twice (at 98K and 162K). Not cheap from the dealer as the part is £260 alone, and the aircon condensor rad. That was my fault for not running the aircon enough. Oh, and the PCB in a headlight unit failed too - that was about £120 for a new unit.
My car had rust on it - MB replaced the boot lid and the front wing FOC, and also resprayed the front end for me at the same time. Check anything you look at, particularly around the boot button, front wings, wheel arches and door seals. MB are well aware of this and should repair anything (although you may need to contribute on an older car). The cross member has already been mentioned, mine was fine.
Other than that, nice to drive - mine was an Avantgarde so less wallowy than an Elegance model. Cruised at 90 all day long, in relative silence. In hindsight I'd have gone for leather, but the cloth was very hard wearing.
I drove a W210 E55 a while back - that was one hell of a car. If I could have gone for a newer car at the right money, I would have done.
Recommended.
Bought my 240 back in 2001 with 41K on the clock. Sold it 3 weeks ago with 164K on it.
Faultless to drive, economy averaged around 27mpg. Best I got was 32 on a run.
Very reliable car - only things replaced were mass airflow sensor twice (at 98K and 162K). Not cheap from the dealer as the part is £260 alone, and the aircon condensor rad. That was my fault for not running the aircon enough. Oh, and the PCB in a headlight unit failed too - that was about £120 for a new unit.
My car had rust on it - MB replaced the boot lid and the front wing FOC, and also resprayed the front end for me at the same time. Check anything you look at, particularly around the boot button, front wings, wheel arches and door seals. MB are well aware of this and should repair anything (although you may need to contribute on an older car). The cross member has already been mentioned, mine was fine.
Other than that, nice to drive - mine was an Avantgarde so less wallowy than an Elegance model. Cruised at 90 all day long, in relative silence. In hindsight I'd have gone for leather, but the cloth was very hard wearing.
I drove a W210 E55 a while back - that was one hell of a car. If I could have gone for a newer car at the right money, I would have done.
Recommended.
The original CLK has a rust problem too, and it's not uncommon to see it on the S-class either.
Something to do with some sort of metal stretching process or something I remember reading
.
Anyway, they messed up and are at least fixing cars that have rusted - but just imagine how many E-classes have been sold and how much that is going to cost
.
Something to do with some sort of metal stretching process or something I remember reading
. Anyway, they messed up and are at least fixing cars that have rusted - but just imagine how many E-classes have been sold and how much that is going to cost
.toby tucker said:
1. Auto box started slipping at about 70k miles - topped up the g/box with appropriate transmission fluid which fixed the prob ,despite the fact the g/box is meant to be sealed for life - just break the seal in engine compartment and top it up.
Changed my fluid a while back, I wrote a how-to on the subject:
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread
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