mlrtime

Hey all, been lurking for awhile and thinking of buying. I come from a long line of MB owners. My grandparents last 5 cars have been various E classes, they currently have a 97 E300 Turbo Diesel and a 04 E320 CDI. My dad is also driving a 97 E300 TD. They unfortunately had to buy a 02 X5 because of the poor performance of the ML.

My last car was an 89 300TE that my grandfather bought in 89, was passed down to my mom, and then finally myself. I loved the wagon even though it was neglected in NYC for a year and I had to sell it.

To get to the point, I am considering buying a 2002 E320 4matic wagon. I wish I could get a diesel version but we know they don't exist here. I've been trying to do as much research as possible but I thought I'd ask here for things to look out for.

The other cars I'm currently looking at are a 02 A4 Avant (looks better IMO), or a new Subaru outback . However, I'm heavily leaning on the E320.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.
mlr

auto-mark

We have a 1999, currently with 80k miles. Basic drivetrain is typical Mercedes, i.e. solid. Some have had problems with the harmonic crankshaft damper, but ours is fine (so far). Self leveling shocks in rear may leak, look for that. The usual electrical/electronic gremlins that seem to plague Benz's of this vintage (mass air flow sensor, cruise control switch, remote CD player, etc.) are indirect but still things to watch out for, as these aren't cheap fixes. MB came out in around 2001 and stated that these were all to run synthetic oil from then on - so see if the records show such and hopefully reflect regular oil changes and other desired/required services being done. Find one ideally with warranty or Starmarked or whatever, if possible. This saved us $000's the first year or so, covering some of the above issues. Expect 18-25 mpg, depending on conditions and driving style. Other than that, the usual well-cared for car is obvious preferable to the alternative. Good luck.