jj86gn

Hello,

New to the forum. As the title states, I have been looking at replacing my 97 528i with a newer vehicle. I always liked the Mercedes wagons and found a 2002 E320 4matic here in Pittsburgh.

I spoke with the guy and he is the second owner and stated that all service was done by a MB dealer. Plus he has the records to prove it. Only thing wrong is the rear pass window won't move, (Regulator??) and some pixels on the console go in and out. (just like my BMW)

Anyways, what does everybody think, should I take the plunge for $6000???

Here's the link

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/3469081052.html

jj86gn

Sisco89

Definitely the window regulator which can be bought on ebay = $60

Pixels on the console... im not too sure how easy or how hard that is to replace. Mine goes out once in a while and all i do is Fonzi the dash and it comes back on :P



Doesnt look too bad for the price but 6k seems a bit too high for the mileage it has. I would pay a mb mechanic to take a look at it before purchasing. Overall if the carfax is clean and the title then i still would offer him less than 6k.

Problems always arise days after the purchse. If you are mechanically inclined to do the repairs yourself then a w210 is as simple as any other car.


here are some better deals just 4 hours away...

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3536660453.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3525557415.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3525093643.html

armanchosbenz

I agree merc wagons are great...just tonite with 3 inches of snow i was blasting through the unplowed streets like it's a sunny day in july.
But, i agree it's overpriced with that kind of mileage.Mysuggestion keep looking and be patient and youll'e find a better one.

jj86gn

Thanks for the input gents.
What would be a far price to offer if everything checks out???

jj86gn

Well,

I'm going to look at it Friday. Anybody know what I should offer the gent???

Sisco89

Dont pay more than 5K, At least thats what i would do. You have to think about resale when you purchase any vehicle unless you want to keep it for a while.

Would someone pay 5k for a car with 160k miles? Especially since everyone thinks these cars are expensive to own (which they really arent)

jj86gn

WELL??

I took a look today and I must say I'm somehwat disappointed with Mercede's QC. Wasn't in bad shape but there were several things I noticed right way.

1. Rust on the upper door around both rear window on the shiny black part of the frame (Can't think of the correct name)
2. The broken plastic handles to lift the 3rd seat (Looks and feels cheap)
3. The fit and finish on the middle console (Wood panels didn't line up, gaps between them)
4. Leather wrapped on pass front pull handle comming off.
5. Doors and interior just don't have the old Benzs feel. (Tinny door closing sound, dash and surround feel plastic)

Now I'm speaking from knowing the 80s/early 90's Benzs but did this lack of QC and use of cheap material happened during the Chrysler merger??

But he did have a big stack of records on services done since he owned it at 30K. All done by Bobby Rahal Mercedes so that's good news. Still undecided. Have this weekend to make a decision. Comments anyone?

tbone006

WOW ... i am looking at a 03' 4-matic wagon here in Seattle and they are asking $10k with 123k miles on it...super clean but it that way too much ???

CLK550AMGpkg

Benz's level of quality control did, in fact, take a dip in the late 90s during the Chrysler merger. However, the issues you report seem more reflective of the car's serious age (160K miles), rather than quality control. With all the things you noted as cracked, broken, or misaligned, I'd say those 160K miles were some pretty rough, very dutiful 160K miles. The car probably functioned as a family car with messy kids or as a dirty, heavily-used utility vehicle.

I have an '02 E320 wagon with 172K miles and aside from the extremely minute bit of rust just beginning to form underneath the rear windshield frame, it's as solid and pristine as the day I bought it 10 years ago. And my doors still have that trademark closing sound of a bank vault even after all these years. The quality claims with these cars are exaggerated grossly out of proportion. The only main problems are rust-prone water-based paint and cheap window regulators. A w210 isn't as robustly built as say... an early 90s w140 S-class, but they are still extremely durable cars in general. From a mechanical and structural standpoint, they're simply bulletproof.

I would definitely keep searching for a more well-kept example before totally giving up on an E-class of this era. Hopefully you find one with less mileage, better interior condition, and a better price.