JLP

Sorry you are correct............... I meant to say the 500E W124 Curb weight (lbs): 3927 was heavier than a E350 W211 Curb weight (lbs): 3760

nantucketsleigh

Engine was slightly tweaked version of SL500 with different intake runners and exhaust which gave it a bit more torque. Body in white was sent to Porsche for assembly. Sent back to MB for painting. Brakes were MB from SL and E coupe. Suspension specific to 500E. From 500E site: "The M119.974 engine in the 500E displaced 4973cc or 303 cubic inches. This engine made 322 horsepower at 5700rpm and 354 lb-ft of torque at 3900rpm. Torque band is flat as can be with 90% available as low as 1500rpm. By approximately 1200 rpm the 5.0 mill was producing more torque than even the 4.2 M119 cousin did at its peak! Long intake runners, variable valve timing on the intake cams, silicon crystal cylinder liners, alloy construction of block and heads, antiknock control, a 10:1 compression ratio, and a CAN computer system to harmonize all of this made this engine the strongest in Mercedes' lineup save the V12."
Over past 15 years I have owned 3 Porche's, 5 BMW's, 3 Merc's as well as several others. My 1992 500E is the only keeper. It has been virtually flawless, (power steering pump & motor mounts) and is still fun to drive.

CynCarvin32

The suspension in the front is lifted for a R129 SL so its not really unique to just that car but it is the best of the W124 cars.

medici78

If you want a collectible, the 500E is the one to get. I plan on adding one to my stable as it was my dream car back then. Times have certainly changed. Today's E350 is more than capable of giving it a run for its money and now the E550 is considerably faster, let alone the E63 (or E55). Regardless, the pedigree of Porsche and M-B is what makes it collectible in my eyes.

vixapphire

Given today's cars' build quality, today's e350 may be able to give the W124 E500 a run, but probably not for its money!

Holson

My favorite car of all times, along with the Ferrari 355.

I wanted to replace my pristine E420 (W124) with a 500E but I just could NOT find a nice one.

I gave up and settled for a CLK55. No doubt a quicker, better handling, better equipped car... but.. it's no 500E.

Someday I have money for a toy/collectible car, I'd have one next to whatever E-class AMG can offer.

McBear

The 500E was both built on the Porsche line [same line as the 959] and "tuned up" with mods to the suspension, computers, etc.

The car you are thinking about was the Hammer. and it was on the 300/400 body which is much different than the 500 body.

Having owned and driven both the E55 and my two 500E's I can pretty much assure you that unless you prefer a more "camry like" drive, the 500E is the one to drive as the daily [or cross country] driver.

McBear

I don't mean to correct you there but a 500E is not just a 300 with flares. It has a completely different suspension, different rearend, tranny, obviously bigger motor, different computers, only 3 panels on the exterior are the same. It sets lower, wider, and a bit longer. The interior is completely different. Other than that they are just about the same.

And I am not sure how you drive but having owned both, I find the mileage to be just about equal. Now at over 50, with a bunch of years of racing, I know how to run a car hard or light but the 500E is a much tighter car than the E55. It was one of the reasons I dumped the E55 [that plus the many electrical gremlins that the W210 enjoys]. The E55 is a very nice car but it lacks character of a "special". There were only 1504 500E's brought into the US over 4 years. You don't see 20 of them at every meet. That is a good thing.

And as for the dubious Porsche connection, read up. The car had both Porsche design help in suspension and electronics and the car was built on the 959 line. It moved between the Porsche and Benz plant 18 times from start to finish.

McBear

Actually a discussion on the "lore" of which cars were built at Porsche and which were not was laid to rest at the MB Classic Center earlier this year. ALL the E500E cars, from 91-95 [Europe got them before and after us] were built on the 959 line. There are photos of the last cars being prepped as the Audi RS was also being prepped on the same 959 line. The MB guys said it would have cost a fortune [and killed the car] if they had actually changed the production line over to the MB plant. Keeping the tooling at the 959 facility was much cheaper.

McBear

To answer your original question, with 142K miles, if all the documentation is good, and the wiring harnesses have been replaced [nortorious in the 93-94 benzos] I would look at $12-13K at a counter offer. Print out the last 5 or 6 ebay auctions that have sold in that range with those miles. By the way, that is not bad mileage. The tranny will most likely need looked at but otherwise, the car will just need normal maintenance. It costs no more to operate than a 300E or 400E. I get nearly 20 mpg average with the car and the insurance is much less than a E55.

fireice

I bought my E500E for over $75,000 in 1993. It is now worth $8,000 to $10,000? Mercedes have terrible depreciation. At today's price the E500E is obtainable by almost anyone with a job and it's hard for me to consider the car "special" when the Scion next to you is worth more.

Also, including the E 60 AMG a total of 10,479 E500E's were built Vs. only 500 AMG's per year.

Lastly, Is there any "lore" with a Chevy Cavilier because it's built at the same plant as a Corvette or a Ford Focus because it's built at the same plant as the GT40? If anything the E500E is a bit of a poser, because it was built at Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. If you want a Porsche buy a Porsche. There is nothing similar between a 959 and a E500E other than the dirt they drove on. My Summer car is in the garage.

vixapphire

hi,
when you tire of the "non-specialness" of your E500, give me a call and I'll take it off your hands!!!

Jim's500E

Fire&Ice man..... you ever been to Bowling Green, KY?...all they make there is Corvettes. And what do you think your cookie cutter AMG is going to be worth 15 years down the road. Your 2001 E55 is bottoming out faster than the 500Es did; thats' a fact. Cars depreciate, you must know that better than anyone....one can pick up an 80's Ferrari for under 10gs too..what's your point?

You obviously are so mis-informed on so many fronts that perhaps you shouldn't comment on ANY cars anymore. BTW, 500Es were built in the Rossle Bau (the Witch Kitchen bldg.) at Porsche and thru the limited build contracts with MB and Audi, practically saved Porsche back then.

Show some respect for the last true 100% coach-built car by the ur-Mercedes...that you yourself were foolish enough to shell out 80gs for a new one. ...and then proceeded to give to a 16 year old to total...

FLYNAVY

riiiiiighhht because the only thing that makes a car special is an exorbitant price tag

I do agree w/ you that if you want a Porsche, buy a Porsche.....nice collection by the way

paul928

Check this week's Autoweek; there is one for sale with much lower mileage

bzliteyear

i ck'd online and only saw 2 for sale
al unser's green 8k one w/o prices and in new mexico, and another one in CT but he's asking around $35k. not that it's not worth it, but for that price there are many cars i'd rather own that i can drive regularly. after all, it's not like living in SF i can have a 5-car garage and can just keep a spare car inside for show/nice sunny days.

C43AMG

..... ........ ......

paul928

It looks as if you at least have a four car garage. So what attracted you to the other e500 in the first place; the price or the car? If it was the price, how about a new Honda Civic. The price is right, you would get a new car warranty, they're great city drivers, they don't take up much garage room and you get great gas mileage. Actually, if you check Craigs List, you can probably get a good used Honda Accord for even less than the 500E with a zillion miles.
BTW I had a '94 500e, the last model year back in the day; it was a great road car and for its time very powerful and fast. Traded it in on '99 E55 when they first came out.

CynCarvin32

its kind of true. These things are everywhere and everyone seems to have one or two. Back in the day the rare limited production cars were only seen once in a while but now there is an AMG everything (even a mini van) and that makes the name plate far less impressive. C36's were rare in 1995 but come 2000 there were buckets of AMGs everywhere.

I cant go 5 minutes i bet without seeing an AMG I bet.

vixapphire

nope, they make the Cadillac XLR's there too.

Germancar1

I'd still buy it!!!! You got any more pics of the E500?

M

C43AMG

I agree with the 2nd half of your statement, but "as unique as ford" ?

nantucketsleigh

Kind of interesting to see the kind of emotional discussion of the 500E seems to stir up after 14 years. I can understand it. Even people with no interest in cars tell me that my 1992 is one of the best looking Benz's they have seen, not realizing the car is lower wider with different fenders than other 124's they have seen. With regard to the driving experience, in many ways it seem less sophisticated than current E's but is still great to drive. I have a 2006 E500 and have driven an 2003 E55 extensively. At 80-100mph the 500E seems to be better planted. Perhaps it is the slower more heavily weighted steering and stiffer shocks, nevertheless, the experience is best described by Automobile Magazine which listed the 1992-94 E500E among the most significant 50 cars saying that driving a 500E "still makes the driver feel he can go out and conquer Poland."

regor60

Well I guess LA is the center of the universe as far as AMGs are concerned, 'cause here in wannabe LA, Atlanta, I see very few

regor60

Not constrained by political correctness, is that magazine