Today we took my mom to our local Benz dealer since it was her birthday to see if she liked any cars, We looked at used since she wont shell out the cash for a brand new one (u have know idea how cheap she is) and we found a E430 with all but navi and xenons, It was desert silver. But we are not sure, We may just wait and buy it as a Christmas present. So anyways what are some of the problems with the 00-02 range, E320 or 430. Thanks in advance.

 

Since you mom is cheap she will not care if the car is V6 or V8. Save some money and get the E320. I would definetely get the Xenon is possible, especailly good for older drivers. Don't look for Nav, she will not use it. No real problems with the cars. Good Luck.

 

Don't be so sure. My mom is 76, and when I showed her my E, the thing she liked the most was the Navigation System. I would never buy a car without Xenon and Nav. Save money and buy the E-320, but get the Nav. My 2000 has been very trouble free.

 

how is the 320 on power though, she has a chevy express right now so im sure it will be faster than that, but she said last night she wants a V-8, maybe i just wont tell her the 320 is a six. But Navi she may need cuz when she drives to chicago without my dad we get lost almost everytime. Xenons I want but I dont know about her she could care less about that. We will see though, we found a Black E430 there last night, but it had a huge scratch on the back above the tailight. But I am gonna wait until I find the perfect one for her. But it has to be at no more than 45,000 which should be easy to do. I will just keep looking for a while.

 

I was very hesitant to get the E-320 because I thought it would be slow, but when I went for a test drive I was very surprised at how well it did. It will not win any drag races, but you can cruise quite comfortably all day long at 85 mph. Also, on my last long trip it got between 26 and 28 mpg on the highway!

 

Being fascinated with a Comand system does not mean one will use it. It may be be a waste of money and finding a E320 with Comand is difficult to do.

The Xenon is easily sold as a safety feature.

 

The E320 is fast enough and is better on gas for long trips. If you spend $45K on a Christmas gift for her, what are you going to get her for her Birthday?

 

I am very happy with my '02 E320. It does surprisingly well at the lower rpm's and cruises like a mercedes should at 80-85 mph. Ofcourse, it's not a drag car. Save the money and get the 6. The gas mileage is excellent, 18 mpg around town, 24 mpg on the long haul....not too shabby! Especially with gas prices here in So Cal.

Joe P.