Newb here, so go gentle.

I'm looking at a '96 with 120,000 miles. The car is for my wife. I've spent some time perusing the board, and can tell that this model year can be fairly reliable. Are there any specific warnings i should heed?

Dark royal purple paint, light tan interior, AMG rims. The outside gets about a 9 outta 10 and the interior probably a 9 as well. It has most of the features i've seen those models having.

Attached a couple pics that i took with my phone. Comments welcome, and advice appreciated. Selling price is fairly set at $13,000.

Keith

 

Just my opinion but I think it is overpriced, especially for the miles. I would sell my 97 E420 for $13k and its only got 97k on it.

From what I've seen in my area that car with 120k miles should sell for $10k or under. Of course if it is really absolutely perfect it might be worth a little more. Keep looking, that one will be there if they are firm on the price.

 

'Nother pic

I do agree that it's a lot of miles. That is one thing that worries me. I'm surprised it's in the condition it is in. I'm wondering if it was used as a corporate car.

Here's the vin.

WDBJFS5F1TJ011745

 

Welcome to MBWorld Forums!

I purchased a '96 E320 in Dec 03 and have absolutely zero regrets. This was a third "fun" car for me.. er, ah, I mean my wife and me. I looked a long long time and landed a one owner, non-smoker with all books and records dealer stamped for service work and only 59,000 miles.

I am sure you will get a wide varity of responses, but here are a couple of things I have learned about this model. Some of these notions have come from the dealer, others from reading this board, and others from personal experience. While not all may agree, here goes a non-exhaustive list:

Pros: Inline 6 engine tends to be more reliable than the v6 that took over from '98; Less electronic "stuff" to malfunction than on some of the newer models; oldest model you can get and still enjoy the contempo stying of the euro headlights; a very solid larger sedan with some nice safely features like side airbags, anti-lock and trac control, reasonable price.

Cons: Two words, "Lamp Failure"; Less electronic "stuff", e.g. can't use the remote entry key from anywhere but right in front of the car; As good as it might be, the car is nearly 10 years old; styling was updated in '00 and redone with the advent of the W211 model; Sometimes difficult to repair unless you are acquainted with euro cars, and almost always expensive in comparison to US models.

Generalizations: Mechanically, it is a very well engineered and very solid car. It strikes a good combination between sports car and sedan. Electronics tend to be a week spot and can prove difficult to repair. Parts can be expensive, but service at a Stealership can require a 2nd mortgage.

I would not worry about the miles so much with this as many other makes on the road today. However, you should be prepared for the 'normal' things such as brakes, shocks, tires, etc. This forum has been a lifesaver allowing me to actually enjoy some simple things like brake replacement and tracking down a few pest like my Buddy "Lamp Failure".

As you can tell, ours is not a daily driver, but it is sheer pleasure to take out. We enjoy it very much and for us allowed us to have a little fun, while not jeopardizing our kids college education or forcing me into a second job.

With respect to miles and cost, you might look around at Auto Trader or EBay just to get an idea about just how many miles these things can take. I have seen several with >200,000 and just look great. Price is another thing to consider, but you will have to come to your own peace with that. However, 18 months ago I paid very close to your price and 1/2 the miles. The last good deal I saw was a local wholesaler who sold a '96 320 with 96,000 miles for $9,000. I would consider that price better than average, IMHO. Maybe this is the one, maybe it is not. Don't fall in love with it! Take your time you will be glad you did.


Best of luck,

 

High mileage is not a big deal on these as they will see over 200K easy.
Depending on where the car is from, it may have some rust problems.
You need to check for that. Price is relative to what you think the car is worth. Even at $13K, I think these cars are good bargains.

Not sure if Lamp Failure is as common as Top Jimmy has mentioned, I certainly have not had that problem.

In general, the car is solid and is the easiest to work on from the W210 family.
But expect about $1000 per year in maintenance and unexpected repairs.

 

Thanks for the opinions so far. I'm probably going to have a prepurchase inspection done with a benz/bmw mechanic here locally. I trust the guy as he's done some work on my bimmers in the past.

It'll be good to hear what he has to say. I'll keep y'all posted.

Ruff

 

as the 96's are not MB"S finest hour. Lots of issues: wiring harness, leaky cylinder heads (oil, not coolant), electronics (lamp failure modules), wiper motors, windows. And I would disagree that the I6 is more reliable. The V6 is way smoother and does not have the wiring harness or cylinder head issues. And the build quality on the 98 up cars is better, materials too. I'd rather have a 98 with 150k than a 96 with 80k. And don't be misled about the durability of these cars. 200k is do-able, but not without getting into your pocketbook. These are not the Benzes of previous years; they do not have the raw materials, build quality or durability of the old 124, 123, or 126 cars. A tranny will be your first major purchase, and if this car doesn't have some serious receipts for regular tranny service, you're not far from one, probably around 140-160k. Depending on what you do, that's going to be anywhere from $1800 --3500. That does seem a bunch of $$$ for a 96. It might be a great car, but they're going to need to prove it to you for that kind of $$$. Hope this helps.

 

I ran the auto check report on your car and find that this car has fail the smog test. see below. If you need complet report, please send me your e-mail address.

08/05/1996 HILLSBORO, OR Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:9621846002)
09/19/1996 HILLSBORO, OR Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
06/26/1998 HILLSBORO, OR Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
12/02/1998 HILLSBORO, OR Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:9833600230)
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL (Lien Reported)
12/29/1998 CA 38,392 State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
07/01/1999 CA 38,703 Motor Vehicle Dept. ODOMETER READING FROM DMV
08/10/1999 FAIRFIELD, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
08/12/1999 FAIRFIELD, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Lien Reported)
09/13/1999 HILLSBORO, OR Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
07/05/2002 CA 74,713 State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
05/14/2003 FAIRFIELD, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
05/25/2003 FAIRFIELD, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Lien Reported)
09/08/2004 CA 111,526 State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
09/23/2004 CA 112,087 State Agency EMISSION INSPECTION
09/29/2004 CA 112,098 State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/04/2004 CA 112,184 State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
11/15/2004 CA 112,246 Motor Vehicle Dept. ODOMETER READING FROM DMV
12/23/2004 UPPER LAKE, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
01/25/2005 CA 113,796 Motor Vehicle Dept. ODOMETER READING FROM DMV
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
01/25/2005 CA 113,800 State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/04/2005 MIDDLETOWN, CA Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE

 

easily fixable, but another 6-800. Might have already been done if it's a conscientious seller...

 

A MAF is about $300 and you can change it yourself in 15 minutes.

Most of the problems that Allen refers to are W210 wide problems such as rear window regulators and lamp failures... The older W124 models in 94 and 95 had more issues with the inline 6 than the 96 and 97. It is almost 10 years old so you should look for oil leaks just because of the age of the car. The V6 is not a better engine than the inline 6. It is just different.

 

I'm with E-Klasse.... I'm going to have to disagree with you here. First of all, the I6 in the W210 E-class does NOT have the wiring harness problem that affected the '95 and earlier cars. Mercedes fixed that problem after 1995.

There seem to be a lot fewer problems with the 722.3 transmission in the 1996 than the electronic 722.6 found in 1997+ cars (I6 and V6). Sure, it's not as smooth and doesn't have the 5th gear, but it seems to be less problematic as long as the fluids are changed regularly.

My father has an S320 with the inline six. I have the E320 V6. The V6 may be smoother at idle than the I6, but there is no comparison between the two at higher RPM. The I6 is silky smooth at high RPM and has a better exhaust note than the V6. The I6 is inherently balanced by design, whereas the 90 degree V6 requires a counterrotating balance shaft to offset vibrations. And at 120,000 miles, his (original) head gasket on the I6 is seeping a bit but does not yet need to be replaced.

Both are great engines, and both have their share of minor problems. For example, the I6 has head gasket issues, the V6 has harmonic balancer issues. But the I6 has an established track record for high miles that the V6 does not have. Just look on eBay...it's rare to find an M112 V6 E320 with 150k+ miles because they're too new. I'm amazed that someone would prefer a '98 with 150k miles ("not far from transmission failure") over a '96 with 80k miles given that the '98 has a shorter track record and a less durable transmission.

The rest of the problems -- lamp failure, windows, etc -- are endemic to all W210s, not just the '96.

$13,000 seems a bit high. I looked at a '97 with 120k miles asking $10k before I bought my '98.

 

Nicely stated Lexrex.

 

i bought mine for 12,000
98 e320 w/ 80000 miles about
last year 7/04

 

lessee...better fuel economy with the V6, yes the I6 is smoother at higher RPM, (but why would you want to rev it there?), as the V has more torque sooner. Harmonic balancer repair, IF it's not covered under goodwill or the newly announced TSB, about $150 vs. $1200 ish for cylinder head gasket and associated repair...and 96/97 210's do still have wiring harness issues. My dealership has replaced a few for me under goodwill warranty. Oh, let's not forget the key debacle either. To me, all that sounds like the definition of "better". Also, no matter how you fall on the engine issue, there can't be much argument that any deeper production of the 210 is better than an earlier one. The quality of materials, vinyl, plastics, and leather, is better on the 98 up car as well. Hey, I'm not saying you shouldn't own a 96 or 7, I have owned several, it's just that given a choice, that's what I'd rather have. Also, the $$ that this guy wants for that 96 is super steep, so it better be all there inside and out.

 

Right on the money!