[Old Otto]

hi guys,
1st time on this forum, i have an 83 300sd and have found the w126 forum very helpful, so i would like to throw something at u.

im lookin at a 2001 e320(no 4matic) black w/black leather interior, pristine condition no dings or dinks. the previous owner kept up with keeping the car serviced at every 10k miles and the catalytic converter was replaced at 74k miles.

the car has 97k miles on it, im told they are all highway and the asking price is $16k. the car is currently at a dealership in NJ, Intercar,Inc.
anyone ever deal with this dealership?
and anything i should be concerned with inre the e class in particular?

thx,
gordon

ps
my friend works for a mb dealership as a mechanic and he says that he doesnt see any major problems with the e class. he warned the only issue really is when something goes wrong the parts can get a little pricey.

 

[Carlo$]

sounds like a good deal to me, i tought all 320s had 4matic

see if u can get extended warr (even if U pay additional), definetely have it chkd by a reputable mech. i've been told e320s are the most reliable mbs.

http://xrl.us/price

 

[E300POS]

I don't think I've ever heard the W210 described as the most reliable in the MB lineage even by MB fans.

Have you scanned through this and other websites to get an inkling of possible problems? Things like rust. Have you had any recent cars where rust was a problem? Not only rust in place like door panels below the trim but in structural components like spring perches. Or how about window regulators that fail dropping the glass into the door. Or sunroofs that fail. Ask your MB mechanic friend how much his dealership will charge you for a non-warantee replacement of the AC evaporator or compressor. I just paid over $2K at an independent for the evaporator. I replaced the compressor 6 or 8 months ago. In another post about A/C repairs, someone posted the bill would be over $4,000 for the repairs. Numerous transmission failures have been reported here. They aren't cheap either.

EDIT... I copied the post from the other thread. Many here have posted similar feeling regarding the continued decline in MB quality...

"I am the owner of a 2001 e430 sport wtih 42000 miles, I also experienced problems with my ac not blowing cold air, took it to the dealer last week and to make a long story short, its going to cost approximately $4000 to fix, thank God for my extended warranty, I am the second
owner and this car has been to the shop 6 times since I,ve had it. I am very sorry I bought a mercedes and if I had to do it all over, I would have definitely purchased a lexus instead. Sorry for the long post.."



If you're a person of means, purchase if you wish. If you can't afford to throw a lot of dollars at frequent repairs, I would shy away. The allure of the three pointed star, though, is very strong. Read some of the posts where discussion of MB or DC quality is mentioned in the header. I suspect you've already made up your mind. I'll also bet you'll be back here in less then a year with expensive horror stories. BTW, just for fun, take the car to another car dealer and act like you want to trade it in on a new or used Lexus or Infinitu. Even a Honda accord. See how much they'll give you for it. The other dealers know all about the QC issues at DC and profit from it daily as DC customers jum ship.

 

[Carlo$]

appreciate ur input. my wife has a 500sl & I agree w/U

shes had it for a yr & has been to the shop about 10 times, luckily we had extended warranty that just expired. we have decided that if something big happens again we are just going to dump the car. good luck w/yours

 

[dnewman]

Hmm, I've got a 2001 E320 4Matic I bought new. I have 82,000 miles on it and have not had any problems since the warranty expired. During the warranty period I only had 2 problems. The dealer replaced the Rack and I had a slow leak in the AC that had to be fixed. I've just had to do the normal maintenance stuff since. I have owned Many other makes including Lexus, Audi, Nissan, Toyota, and on and on. My E320 is by far the best car that I have had the pleasure of owning. Sorry to here that a few others have had bad luck and are not happy.