tougehooker

Hello everyone,

I recently bought a 2002 Black E320 with 43700 miles on it.

Clean title.

It doesnt have a cd player... but the car is in perfect shape, paint is perfect as well as interior, and seems mechanically perfect... so far.

I have been reading through the forum on troubling issues with the W210, and now im kind of regretting the purchase.

How much do you guys think this car is worth?

I am thinking about selling it now to trade up for maybe a lexus GS300 or an Acura TL. I dont know what i got myself into with this MBZ thing. Am i making a big deal?

Chris_H

You'll see the same discussion of problems on a Lexus or Acura forum. Don't let it scare you. There are a large number of W210's out there. The vast majority run for many years with no problems. I do recommend regular service at a MB dealer, because MB does have (free) fixes/updates/recalls to address some of the problems described in this forum. For example, during the last service on my 1997 E320 the head light switch and wiring were updated to address a daytime running light problem (frequent burnt out lightbulbs).

You have just bought one of the safest car out there with fairly low miles. Enjoy it. Stop reading about problems that your car will most likely never have.

JohnAMG

All cars will eventually have some kind of mechanical problems. My experience with the W210 E-class has been exceptional. I had a 1996 E320(30K miles), 1988 E430 Sport(48K) and have 2002 E55(35K), and these cars were practically problem free. On any forum, people only report problems and you don't hear anything from happy owners like me. remember this forum represent only a minority of Mercedes owners and vast majority are happy. Just go ahead and enjoy your new car and stop worry about it. Japanese cars are obviously more reliable but after owning both, IMHO German cars are lot more fun to drive and plus no one can say my car is a rebadged Chrysler like Lexus=Toyota, Acura=Honda.

John

djf1

All I can say is that I'm extremely impressed with the built quality of my 97 E320. I bought this car with 105K on the clock and it still drives like new! No squeeks, no rattles, it feels like it was carved out of a solid piece of rock. Having seen the records of the car the reliability has been great.

tougehooker

yea thats the thing about car forums... you only hear the bad news. Yea people have been telling me that benz's are as tough as tanks. I can see why they say that after driving it around.

thanks for the input. most likely im going to keep it, dont wanna sell it and buy another car again and go through that hassle.

Alexbenz

it comes down to luck really.......i've been around cars all my life but noticed for example the 210 body.......like mine i havn't had problems but some have had so many problems, can't say it's how well you take care of it but that does play a role but i say mostly on your luck of the draw.......over-all the older german cars were a lot better bugt reguardless people will still buy a mercedes because of its status symbol.....

Z06EATER

hey don't sweat it te w210 are one of most best built models, out there, i have a 97 e 420 that baby is fast, bulletproof engine, i've never had any probs with it, it's got 94,000 miles on it now, and it still runs like new, so don't wworry, ur in a good spot

tougehooker

yea the car feels really solid... yea i guess its nice having a benz.

I guess if i pay the extra cash for maintenance, the car will last for quite a long time.

Even though the 320 only has 190hp and 230? tq... the car pulls hard and its such an easy daily driver. Im used to driving a fwd torque-less accord, torque-less miata (but the lightness makes up for that), and a turbo-lagged wrx, all those cars take too RPM to get going... but the benz just goes effortlessly.


oh yea by the way... i plan on doing oil changes myself and did a search already, but how much do those oil drain pumps go for?

And when you buy the filters online, do they come with all the rubber o-rings that are required?

lexrex

E320 HP is actually 221, not 190.

My 98 E320 has rather high miles, about 121,000. I've owned it since 100,000. I bought it with a bad A/C compressor, and had that replaced. In the 20k miles I've driven, the only part that has broken on me is a rear window regulator.

As far as maintenance... I've changed all the spark plugs and had a shop flush the transmission fluid, replace the front shocks, and replace the front ball joints. I consider these maintenance, rather than repairs.

My advice: keep your car! The Lexus GS300 may have a very slight edge in reliability, but it's not nearly the car the Benz is. At 100,000 miles, the Lexus interior will look ragged and worn. At 100,000 miles, the Benz will still look brand new. Go to a used car lot and compare the interior condition!

Yes, the filters come with all the rubber rings. Make sure you buy a fleece, rather than paper, filter and use synthetic oil that meets the MB 229.5 spec.

RobertG

Enjoy the car, I've driven many cars and this one really makes me feel safe and comfortable while doing 80mph( on the highway)

01BlackE320

I bought my 2001 a few months ago with 60k miles. The prior owner took great care of it and it's been great. I've put on about 4k miles. I was surprised how many things were replaced by the dealer under warranty (they gave me all the receipts) like Catalytic converters, Steering Rack, motor mounts, various sensors. Hopefully they got most of the bugs out. I've driven about 4k miles and my only problem is that the driver seat moves a little when I brake or accelerate.

My wife loves the car which is good because she drives it instead of her suburban and we're saving a ton on gas.

The E320 gets very good gas mileage, it's roomy, comfortable, quick, looks and handles excellent and can be found used for a fairly low price.

tougehooker

how can you tell if the motor mounts are going bad? I also hear a squeak/cracking sounds when i go over speed bumps and when parking. I read somewhere here that it could be sway-bar bushings... would I be covered under warranty? I have 44k miles.