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Recommend a Used Mercedes

4K views 42 replies 14 participants last post by  Kajtek1 
#1 ·
Today someone rearended by beloved 1999 C280. I'm certain it was totalled. So, it looks like I'll have to find a new car, and a used Mercedes is one of the more attractive options to me.

I'm looking for some recommendations for used sedans that are a particularly good value. I'm not familiar enough with the lineup to know which years and models had reliability problems, besides avoiding the Chrystler years and going for facelift versions. Can you recommend some years and models that are reliable and have relatively low maintenance costs? Also, where would you recommend buying from?

Let's say under $20k, lower would be better.
 
#5 ·
Value-vise I don't think you can do better than W123. Those kept up are still selling close to original MSRP 30 years ago. ;)
Coming from 1999 C to newer higher class you will have a lot to learn about electronics and programming.
Better buy SD with the car.
I like our W211 wagon, but still cry for W210 that we drove for years without spending more than $100.
 
#6 ·
I don't mind vintage, but since I'm buying used it would probably make more sense to buy a model that hasn't kept its value, but not for functional reasons.

What's SD?

Thanks for the advice, Noodles, that kind of yearly model analysis is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Are there significant differences between, say, a 2008 and 2009? Also, since I'm also considering Lexus, what are you referring to with the high maintenance cost? I thought that the point of going with them was low running cost at the expense of style, handling, and design.
 
#10 ·
I bought an '05 S430 4matic 4 years ago. Nothing really unusual going on except the transfer case chatter that was solved with a fluid change and the blower motor fuse meltdown. The following are the items I have fixed on mine:

Fuel Pump ($85 part and 20 min. labor)- done on the week I bought it.
Crank Position Sensor ($90 part and 20 min. labor)
Voltage Regulator on Alternator (about 2 hours plus $45 part)
Right front axle (bent-prev. owner damage)
Front Brakes
Blower motor regulator and rewire job ($55 regulator and $135 blower motor, fuse link-40 amp and small roll of wire, 2 splices)
Left front axle was due to be replaced but car was wrecked 2 weeks ago.
 
#12 ·
I agree too. Find a low-mileage E350 from 2008 or (preferably) 2009 with a decent service record and you can't really go wrong. Get it inspected before purchase if you are at all nervous about it.
 
#31 ·
I had sold my c280 after 14.5 years of service. I was thinking of Lexus simply because my Camry has been problem free and I want less headaches as I get older.

I find the E class very appealing though...cheaper and more abundant on the used market compared to the Lexus I'm looking for (LS 430). What issues are common with this particular model that I need to look out for?
 
#14 ·
The SBC brakes were ditched for 2007-2009 and changed to more conventional ABS system.
2009 only had the COMAND upgrade with improved navigation.

By the time the 2008-2009s were on the road the soft balance shaft issue that could eat up the
upper engine was no longer and issue. If looking at a 2007 please post the VIN in the W211 forum
and a member will check the engine number to make sure it is one that is past the problem range of engine numbers.
 
#16 ·
Kinda jonesing on this one, if you're cool with the colour scheme and don't mind flying to Houston:

Mercedes-Benz E Class 2009 E350 4MATIC AWD Panoroof Nav Heatseats AMG P2 | eBay

It doesn't have ventilated seats but they don't work very well on Mercedes of that era anyway



Really nice wheels IMHO and P2 Package but you may not need/want 4Matic and/or Pano Roof there in LA. Marked down from $21,980 to $17,990 and I'd offer even less than that.

There's also this one closer to home (in SD):

Cars for Sale: Used 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350 in Sedan, San Diego CA: 92111 Details - Sedan - Autotrader



Of course you have to do your own 'diligence' wrt the dealer, accident history, etc etc.
But it's a good model overall if you're looking for a sedan in that price range.
 
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#19 ·
Opinions will differ of course; here are mine. The E550 is a wonderful car, and many swear by it. Its maintenance costs (and fuel consumption) will be slightly higher than the E350 (it being a V8) but of course its acceleration will be better too (the E350 has all the power I ever needed though). 550s are also typically better equipped in terms of features, but there are exceptions.

I can't remember if Airmatic is standard on all the E550s of these years or not, but I personally steer clear of any active suspension (e.g. Airmatic or ABC) particularly in a car which is more than three or four years old. They perform wonderfully when new but become maintenance headaches (expenses) once you near your warranty expiration date. And note: many if not most extended-warranty policies specifically exclude active-suspension components.
 
#22 ·
I would steer very clear of a Benz from 1996-2008. There cars were pretty much crap and built by monkeys for the lowest bid. Do not even think of the W220 bodies, as they do not hold value and the quality is on a par with a Korean car. Until the 2005 models, Mercedes built Chryslers and would not recognize that the quality had fallen so far. It took until recently for the quality to return. Sadly, the parts are no better than Toyota or Datsun.

The last really good S class was the W126, and the last E that was built by Germans was the W124. Best of that line would be the 1994-95 sedans.
 
#26 ·
I just bought 2008 Bluetec with >160k miles as well.
Amazing car. Less worry with no airmatic and no SBC, but still have to get used to 7-sp downshifting and affecting braking.
Pretty hard to make smooth stop.
Now black car for California is another story. After driving black for 8 years, I went back to white one.
 
#27 ·
BTW I noticed in 2008 MB installed dummy gauges.
I drive with scangauge that shows engine temperature changing from 177 to 215F, yet the cluster gauge is glued at 85C.
There are some reports about Bluetec seizing due to bad oil and I wonder if dummy gauge simply gave too late warning.
 
#33 ·
Arrgh. Jaguar does this too. The gauge is no better than a warning light. A tad infuriating to those of us who actually like to monitor our car's health. (Though, it doesn't explain this...)

OTOH, MFRs were discovering that people kept adding oil to their crankcases when their oil-pressure readings dropped. Finally the engineers insisted that oil-pressure gauges be removed since there are too many idiots driving cars nowadays. MFR cost cutters were only too happy to comply.
 
#29 ·
How he knows it is actual value?
There is reason why they are called "dummy gauges"
I just bought full climatronic for Bluetec, so should have another confirmation from it.
This is just site observation that should not affect normal use, but if you have vehicle that is very sensitive to something, accurate monitoring is crucial.
I bought ScanGauge for Ford 6l but with Bluetec questioned reliability, I might use it here as well.
So far looks like I can't read MB oil temperatures, but will keep on trying.
 
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