Folks,

I have an opportunity to buy a 2003 E320 for $37K (might be able to negotiate a grand or two down) with the following color combos/options:
- midnight blue exterior and cream leather interior (seller says full leather is an option - doesn't seem so from the Mercedes website but maybe it was in 2003)
- sunroof (is this an option?)
- heated seats
- 4-zone climate system

The car has 28K miles and seems to be in great shape. I plan to take it to a local MB dealer for a pre-purchase inspection. Anything in particular that needs to be checked with this model year (I think the build date was in october 2002)?

I've been looking for a 2003 E for a while now and I am really serious about the car. In your opinion, does it seem like a good deal? Book values (KBB and Edmunds) are far apart and come back with slightly lower values but just by looking at cars.com and autotrader.com they seem inaccurate.

Thanks guys,
Sergiu

 

yes, its a great deal, justs make sure you take a nice, long test drive and listen closely to the engine/chassis and make sure there are no unusul sounds. Sunroof was an option, usually came with the H/K system (upgraded stereo) as an option package. Full leather is also an option (but I'm not really sure how you can tell if a car is equipped w/it because it basically looks the exact same as the standard leather inserts) 4-zone climate control is a great option that makes the dash look better IMO, not too common on the 320s. 37 is an awsome deal (if you can get it down to 35, then you are getting a whole lot of car for your money)...I would also check carfax and dealer service records on the car to make sure its not a manufacturer's buyback or lemon car, etc. Dont forget to check the wheels/tires and brakes. Also, you should be under full factory warranty. GL E320 is a great car!!

 

Thanks a lot, makes me feel a lot better about the car.

Now, as far as inspections go. I called the local MB dealer (Sovereign Motor Cars in Brooklyn) and they said that the seller can bring it in and they would just read the codes and write up a report. Obviously that's not enough, I should tell them to drive it, check the wheels, tires and breaks (as you said). Anything else? How much should this cost?

Thanks again
Sergiu

 

the dealers in my area charge around 1-2 hours of labor to do a full pre-purchase inspection on any used car you are considering (which usually amounts to around $150) and will provide a full report including any issues on the car that may need attention. They check everything, including cylinder compression. Pre-purchase inspection is worth the money IMO, definately something you will want to do before spending that kind of money on the car!!