I currently drive a 1998 Mercedes S420 and I very much love driving it especially on a long road trip. However as many of you know, this big body W140 is rather sluggish in town and it knows how to drink premium gas!! So I'm thinking about getting a W210, I've always loved the looks of this body style and now the price is much more attractive than it used to be. I found this one for sale by a dealer in my town. I went to look at it and it is in very good condition just like the pictures and it also drives good. The only thing I found out wrong is that it has a couple of minor scratchs but the dealer said that it will be taken care of on Monday. So .. *sign of relief* The thing that I like the most is that it's got low miles for the year and that I won't have to pay shipping charges or airfare if I were to get it. How much do you think this one will go up to. I was looking at a few of them on eBay and there are a lot of E430's with Sport Package whereas this one does not have. Does it make a big different as far as driving and price of one with Sport Package and one with out? What should I expect to pay? The dealership has the asking price of $18,990 on the lot but I'm sure they will work with me a little.
Man, that thing looks really, really clean and less than 40K on the clock? Wow. Only problem is that unless you get it for a song, you can't do a proper pre-purchase inspection with a qualified indie, so while they do give the 3 month powertrain warranty, you could still be buying some problems. Ahh, now that you've posted up more details, see if they will let you have an indie inspect it. That will cost you a couple hundred but then you know whether it's worth bidding into the higher limits for cars in this class.
I like that they bill themselves as being "the source" for cars, but don't know that "smoke silver" is really DESERT SILVER. Boneheads. They have the vin, can't they read?
Of course, being in Missouri, it's also possible it looks so great because it's been heavily detailed following a flood, etc.
If the price stayed low I'd be tempted, but this will probably bid out higher than the cautions warrant.
Depending on how much of a gambler you are and how far the bidding goes, it might be a good deal, but you never know what is in the deck.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
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Vehicle: E-ZGO 53 HP., 99 E 430 sport, 04 E55 AMG, 2008 Tahoe LTZ Sold Porsche to Brother
Location: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado/Panama
Posts: 643
The sport is some plastic and larger tires and wheels not much to it, If you want a smooth quiet ride don't get the sport. On the other hand if you want a sporty ride don't rule out a E55 huge bang for the buck. E430=275HP and E55=349HP.
E-Bay cars scare me.
Vehicle: 2001 E430 Sport in Desert Silver and 2002 C320 Sport Wagon in Arctic White
Location: Germantown, Maryland
Posts: 1,510
I have that same car dressed in Sport. If you have good tires on the car it is very smooth and quiet. I have PS2's. The Sport Pkg was a 4k option when new. I would pay as much as 17k for that car.
PS- The HVAC display is going out
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E430 Sport
2001 E430 in Desert Silver with Sport Package, COMAND, Xenon Lights, Rear Sunshade, Heated Seats. Added K40 Stealth Radar, 30% Tint, XM Radio! www.premierbasement.com
Last edited by acarter53 : 05-11-2007 at 04:14 PM.
Vehicle: 2001 E320 - Brilliant Silver/Ash: MBCA member
Location: The Mountain State
Posts: 6,363
The car is clean, no question about it. I'd suggest going to JD Powers and plugging in the mileage and options to see what they say it's worth. The 430 engine is nice, plus it has heated/ventilated seats which are a nice option.
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Ich liebe meinen Mercedes-Benz!
Vehicle: E-ZGO 53 HP., 99 E 430 sport, 04 E55 AMG, 2008 Tahoe LTZ Sold Porsche to Brother
Location: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado/Panama
Posts: 643
Quote:
Originally Posted by acarter53
I have that same car dressed in Sport. If you have good tires on the car it is very smooth and quiet. I have PS2's. The Sport Pkg was a 4k option when new. I would pay as much as 17k for that car.
PS- The HVAC display is going out
Sorry, the standard E 320/430 is smoother and quieter than a sport model. It is not so much the "goodness" of the tires, it is more about the size. The sport has low profile 45 series tires AKA Low Aspect with a Z speed rating. Most high speed Z rated tires have aggressive tread patterns that tend to howl at speed, and have very little side wall to help cushion ride.
Here is the disclaimer straight from Mercedes Benz.
** Lower aspect ratio tires and accompanying wheels provide substantially increased treadwear, increased tire noise and reduced ride comfort. Serious wheel and tire damage may occur if the vehicle is operated on rough or damaged road surfaces or upon encountering road debris or obstacles. These tires are not designed for use on snow and ice. Winter tires mounted on appropriately sized and approved wheels are recommended for driving in those conditions.
I'm an e-bay nut; my last two MB's I bought 400 miles away. This car looks GREAT at a reasonable price. Am always appreciative of sellers comments that are on the money and not full of BS. From your comments it appears you'll buy directly from them rather than wait on the auction that may yield an as yet grossly unknown price. An indie inspection will be well worth the money, letting you know current as well as future needs.
Not to throw too big a wrench: an E320 will give you another 2-3 mpg's & still seem quicker than your S420.
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'87 300E: sold after 11years @ 230k & still on the road somewhere in rural Tennessee.
'94 C220 with 93k totalled 10/06 by hit & run broadsiding monster truck: not a scratch or bruise for me
Vehicle: 2001 E430 Sport in Desert Silver and 2002 C320 Sport Wagon in Arctic White
Location: Germantown, Maryland
Posts: 1,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yacht Master
Sorry, the standard E 320/430 is smoother and quieter than a sport model. It is not so much the "goodness" of the tires, it is more about the size. The sport has low profile 45 series tires AKA Low Aspect with a Z speed rating. Most high speed Z rated tires have aggressive tread patterns that tend to howl at speed, and have very little side wall to help cushion ride.
Here is the disclaimer straight from Mercedes Benz.
** Lower aspect ratio tires and accompanying wheels provide substantially increased treadwear, increased tire noise and reduced ride comfort. Serious wheel and tire damage may occur if the vehicle is operated on rough or damaged road surfaces or upon encountering road debris or obstacles. These tires are not designed for use on snow and ice. Winter tires mounted on appropriately sized and approved wheels are recommended for driving in those conditions.
You are correct to an extent, how ever some tire companies have gone trough great pains to create a W, V, Z and Y rated tire that can be quiet. The size of the side wall is not the only contributing factor anymore. The noise has been reduced by changing tread patterns and using softer compounds. Trust me I have purchased my share of loud performance tires in the past. I had to pay $200.00 + per tire to get a tire on my car that am as smooth and quiet as possible. My trade off is that my tires well be toast in 20k. I see that you have a 99 E430 Sport. You should try the PS2’s. You would be amazed. The set of Goodyear F1’s that came on the car, Very loud and I felt every stone. I’m just saying that tire technology is getting better.
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