416to212

I'm in the market to buy a used 25-35K 2005/06 E320, E350, or E500.

How do these cars do for 10 years of service? How many miles can I expect the E to last without being too costly to maintain?

I've done all the maintenance on my past cars but will I have problems working around the computers in this car? Will a simple oil change no longer be simple and is it true that an oil change takes 7 quarts?

I'm in Queens, NY so if any one has any secrets on where to buy a second hand E I'd love to hear from you. Can the used car dealerships in Long Island City be trusted?

Sorry, tons of questions and most would be answered if I did a thorough search but I'll learn as I get used to this forum.

BTW I'm coming from a history of sports/sporty cars; RX-8 and RX-7 were my favs so far. I hope this E Class won't kill all the fun of driving!

Barry45RPM

You wanna ENJOY your car? If I were you, I'd buy CPO from a dealer with an extended warranty. These cars are very expensive to repair. Their computer systems are way beyond the typical computers found on "regular cars", and they are way over thought & over engineered. They can make MB Techs eyes spin. If you want an enjoyable ownership experience, no matter what your mechanical skills are, buy CPO'd with warranty from an authorized Dealer. Your initial costs will be higher, but your long term hit will be much gentler.

Honestly, Yeah, the car takes a bunch of quarts of Mobil 1, but you only change it once a year at 12K miles, so its not an outrageous overcharge. Its a wash.
The basic car is built like a tank, all the loose gear needs TLC & regular maintenance.

dieselsrule

I bought my 05 e320 cdi 2 1/2 years ago. I do all my own maintenance, but check your manuals. There is more to maintenance than just changing oil. From my earlier research, I think my car should be relatively trouble free for 200-300,000 miles. You do need to replace belts, hoses, spark plugs on regular basis. also keep an eye on brake pads. If you need an service computer, may be more than you can work on anyway. I don't have one, They seem to run about $3-4000 on Ebay. I did buy a service manual on CD's on Ebay for about $10. It was well worth the investment. You can also check these forums for advise on many DIY fixes.

Dema

How can CPO make car better? People reported like CPO cars have obvious problems, so it doesn't look like a dealer inspect a car thoroughly and fix all possible problems and then give it CPO tag. Also, if a car still under warranty regardless of having CPO all problems have to be fixed under the warranty.

dieselsrule

My '05 E320 was a CPO, and came with an ADDITIONAL 2yr/100,000 mile powertrain warranty on top of the factory 4yr/50,000 warranty

Barry45RPM

CPO doesn't make a car better, usually only a better used car makes it to CPO. If a dealer CPO's a car it comes with more buyer protection. Its just peace of mind for you. These cars are very complicated, & their repair parts are expensive. An E Class car with a warranty is just a safer bet.... usually. If you're a gambling man then it doesn't matter.

416to212

Barry I appreciate the advice about buying a CPO car. Problem is that there are a lot of great deals to be had from private sellers. NY seems to have a lot of great low mileage E in the $21-$25,000 range. The CPOs I've seen don't run any lower than $30,000.

I've heard that the E is a great car but it costs a lot to maintain. My friend says he spends $600-$800 on regular maintenance every year. Does this sound about right? Any known problems I should be aware of when searching the used market? Any problems that would leave me stranded at the side of the road?

Though I don't consider myself a gambling man, it's hard to pay up to $7000 more for the same model car just because it's a CPO. The dealership warranty does sound nice though. Is the warranty very comprehensive or do they nit-pic the repairs?

Clinton Horn

I have an older 211 but the mileage is pretty low (35,000). I have maintained it for two years and here is my two cents.
1. Brakes - full set of German stuff including sensors about $120
2. Oil (8-8.5 qts at $6 / quart, fleece filter about $15 ). Good for 10K or so
3. 12 or 16 plugs (two per cylinder). 100K life
4. Tires (Michelin Greenies) about $165 / tire plus junk fees. ) Maybe 40K if you drive conservatively. Sixteen inch
5. All fluids are expensive - Tranny oil $16 / quart needs about 8-9 during a thorough flush?
6. Anti freeze- don't know but probably double / triple Prestone. Has a special ph to reduce plastic decay.
7. Ball joints ( I believe they are $60-75) each plus tool to get them in.

I have been monitoring the site for several years,. The highly optioned cars (pano roof, GPS), V-8 Radiator on the older cars, ball joints, and rear brake pads all appear to give less than average service. The electrical problems appear to present themselves pretty early and I don't see as much complaining about that as before. They are sensible cars, comfortable, reasonable power even with the 6 and REALLY fuel efficient on the road. (I made a 650 mile trip over the weekend and AVERAGED 29.7 MPG. I doubt that you will find the handling as crisp as your previous vehicles but then you must find some aspect of the ride attractive?

416to212

Clinton - that is exactly the kind of break down I was looking for! Oh and thanks for the headsup about the highly optioned cars.

Now that I'm about to move into a sedan I figured why not pick somethings roomy, luxurious, quiet, and well appointed. I didn't count on the great mileage. My RX-8 gets between 15-18 MPG (city or highway), getting anything over 20mpg would be cake for me!

Tummy

We just bought a 04 E500 4Matic CPO from MB of Manhattan for about $23k, 24,000 miles. It's a bit older, but great condition, low miles, new tires and brakes. I don't think it's a great price, but feel much better having a car that's been checked over by a MB dealer and with the CPO warranty. I also bought a 2005 SLK350 CPO from them back in March. The V8 feels much faster than the V6, IMO. Our E feels as fast as our SLK350.

I think MB Manhattan has reasonable prices, but they don't negotiate as much compared to other NY/NJ dealers. The car market has greatly deteriorated since then though and there are a lot of good deals to be had if you're buying now or in the near future. Nobody wants to buy a used V8 or V12 right now. I'm on the lookout for a good used 2007 S550, but if I brought home another car this year I would get killed.

Barry45RPM

Unless I'm mistaken, MB Manhattan is a "Company Owned Store".