Hello everyone, I have been a lurker lately in these forums shopping around for either a w210 and w211...so now i have narrowed down my choices.

1. 2002 W210 E320 4matic special edition with 78K miles
2. 2003 W211 E320 with all recalls done and 74K miles
3.2003 Audi A4 1.8T quattro with 81K miles


I understand that the E and the A4 are in separate classes in terms of space and power but i don't mind the differences.

I am looking for reliability, safety, and upkeep costs.

Please dont say get a toyota camry...I am aware that all of these cars will be expensive to maintain, but i am looking for the one that should have the least problems.

I understand that this is a Mercedes forum and so i don't expect much info on the A4 vs the 210 or 211.

Thanks for your time!

 

audi is a tractor,so rule it out.The w211 run away at any cost,simply the most recalled platform in Mercedes history.Unlees you are a glutton for punishment then purchase it
Leaves the w210 .Why a special and why 4 matic?What is you budget and I have leads on several,that I will be going over stem to stern and delivering to members around the country and teaching them basic maint and modifications.
Inspect,inspect,inspect
Did I say inspect
last question.Are you going to be learning how to diy?or do you have deep pockets and can afford to have someone else perform your repairs and routine maint.?
Tell us what it be
and we can tel you if you should become a member of the club

 

The DIY is easy to learn. A new person to this car with a little patience , some basic common sense and an interest in how things work can perform many of the repairs that are needed in this or most cars over their life time. The Mercedes W124 (1986-1995) and the W210(1996-2003 wagon and 2002 sedan) are well engineered and pretty straight in their design and approach. You can learn to do it yourself. Proper care and diligent routine maintenance will keep these cars running a very long time. The safety factor is high. The W124 is better built than the W210. The W211 was supposed to be a complete improved rebuild of the W210. However the first two years were fraught with flaws and recalls. An 05 or 06 W211 would be a safer choice for that model. Thw124 go for the newest you can afford due to features and more equipment but it is built like a tank (read excellent) for quality and durability.The W210 was built to a price point rather than built to a design idea and then priced like the W124 was. The W211 started to go back to the way MB used to build cars which was by design first and then price for the market. That is why the W210 was on average 6K cheaper that its predecessor. As OH Lord says do your due diligence in inspection and look at how it was kept up. If the floors are not clean and the engine bay is not then there's a good chance the car was not that well maintained. Check the underside of the oil breather cap for yellowish varnish to see if there was proper oil changes made. A dark build up would suggest that was not routinely taken care of and so it might be for the rest of the car of the car. Check the dipstick for varnish build up too. Do this with any car used you may consider for purchase. As for the Audi I think they are nice looking cars but I have no experience with them but would consider them if build quality is good and their respective forums seems to think high enough of them. Best wishes and welcome here anytime. BTW where are you located? Go to some of the summer meets coming up and ask respective owners of their experiences. Ther is a very big one coming in the Pittsburgh area the first part of July, Pittsburgh Vintage Ganrd Prix, as an example. Good luck and welcome.

 

Heres the answers to your questions!

why a special and why 4matic?-4matic because it snows a decent amount here in PA. Special because my closest dealer has one, and the rims look pretty nice...with that said, i don't NEED a special edition.

Budget-around $10K-$13K

DIY-willing to learn, but my handy skills arent great

Deep Pockets-willing to pay for maintainence and repairs, however I dont want to shell out huge bucks for big repairs.