Koolwipski

I currently have a 1992 400E, 100,000 miles, very fast, smooth good looking car.

I am itchin' to buy a 1998 - 2000 E430 Sport (or maybe not a sport - I dont know)

ANy advice regarding a good model year, packages, etc... would be helpful.

There are a few for sale here in Texas.

Thanks
Steve

slk55lvr

I have a 2001 e430 4matic that I absolutely love, but they do have their problems. I would consider anything before 2003, and you should get a really good price on one.

Wood'sBenz

The sport package really doesn't add anything to the car beyond aesthetics. For '98 / '99 this amounts to tasteful sideskirts and larger 17" alloys. I have a '99 E430 and if I had it to do all over again, I'd look for an affordable '00 - '02 E430. You'll get the updated front / rear bumpers, sideskirts and standard 17" wheels along with the other post '00 updates.

Good luck.

hubert

Check mine out its little more money but all those upgrades are worth almot $40K. I'm asking $26K the way it is on pictures and $24K on a different set of wheels.
Thank You

Musikmann

I agree with Wood'sBenz here. The 96-99 E430s are also called "Pre Facelift" and the 00-02, "Post Facelift". The front fascia looks better and the standard factory wheels are also wider I believe - 7.5 or 8" - these let you go up to a 235 tire. I think the earlier ones (pre-00) were 7", except for the ones equipped with the sport package.

Another thing you might consider: 2002 SE - special edition - AMG wood trim, and a few other goodies (mostly appearance). I'm looking for one of those myself.

One last thing, the pre-99 have an obsolete phone set-up. As far as I can determine, there is no practical way for me to install a working digital phone in my 98.

Cheers,
M

Koolwipski

Thanks for the input - this is the info I was looking for. I had no idea about the pre / post 2000 model differences.
Steve

ZombieW210

1997 was the only year the DOHC 4.2 M119 was used for the W210 chassis. In 1998, MBZ switched to a 4.3 SOHC setup.

Musikmann

It looks like W210s ran from 1995-2002. Did they make an E430 in 95-96, and if so, what engine did those have?
Thanks,
M

ZombieW210

In 1996, first year of the W210 chassis, you can only get the Inline-6 E320, In 1997 MBZ carried over the M119 DOHC V8 motor from the W124 only in 1997 hence the E420. E430 was offered in W210 body from 1998-2002. I hope this clears things up.

Here a response from a old thread, for more detail.

The 4.2 liter (the 119 design) made 275 horsepower, and 295 pound feet of torque. The 4.3 liter (the 113 design) has the same peak numbers, but the 4.3 liter makes this peak torque over a wider rev range. You asked specifically about the E420 and the E430. That's interesting, because in the 1998 press kit, MB compared the 119 engine against the 113 in that same chassis. According to Mercedes-Benz, the zero to sixty times decreased from 6.7 to 6.4 with the 113 design in the E. It's not the extra 100cc of engine that made the difference, because but the fuel economy increased as well. According to MB, the 113 design costs less to manufacture, is more powerful, gets better fuel economy, weighs less, has lower emissions, and has 45% less internal drag.

Musikmann

Thank you ZombieW210,
Yes, this DOES clear things up, at least in my mind.
Musikmann