I'm looking at purchasing a 2005 E320 next month for my Father's birthday, and would love to hear the pro's and con's from those of you who actually own one.

Can't change the radio presets using the steering wheel buttons. In practically every other MB model you can.

However on the other hand, the Active Headlights are awesome.

Pro:
- Interior is very sexy. Especially Black leather seats with Walnut Trim. I think this looks better than the Birds Eye Maple trim.
- Exterior is damn sexy.
- Handling is a good mix..somewhere between refined luxury and sporty.
- COMMAND is easy to use.
- 13000kms and no problems, except for some whistling noise from the vents which will be checked out.
- Wind noise at high speed is well insulated.
- Power is just enough for city driving. Though the E500 would have been nice...
- Get it in Tealite Blue (Platinum Blue) and it'll look very sexy. In Black it's just elegant.

Cons:
- No bluetooth.
- Can't play MP3 but I believe the 04/05 models can.
- Passenger headrest rattles when seat is unoccupied. There is a fix to this but I haven't gotten around to it.
- Not as powerful as the E500 :p

The one thing I love the most is the one I use everytime I drive. The wood steering wheel is fantastic!

I don't love or hate anything about it. It's only a car.

The things I don't like include the radio presets thing, the carpeting on the door sills and dead pedal, the unlit light switch (all minor) and the rough, noisy ride that the OEM Continental tires give on poor roads (more serious, but newer W211s come with different tires).

The things I like include the comfortable seats, luxurious interior, exterior styling, decent handling (for a heavy car) and (surprise!) reliability, so far.

Well said, DWP!

The thing I love MOST about the E class is the fact that mine is ARRIVING IN TWO DAYS' TIME!!! Woooooooo Hoooooooooooo

It looks great but sounds like a tractor at low speeds

Where on earth are you sitting to ACTUALLY hear the ENGINE noise at low speed??

Unusual for me to disagree with anyone BUT sounds like a TRACTOR at low speeds!!! I suppose you also get covered in black soot from the smelly exhaust??

320CDI two decibals louder than a 320 petrol at tickover, so I suppose they sound similar to a .......???????

Anything over tickover then the CDI is quieter (I am so cross with myself for not retaining the article where the two vehicles were scientifically tested.
None of this, """my car is quieter than your car nonsense"".

We had one member who had his CDI for a number of months before his wife realised the car was actually a diesel. (and no, that was not the first time his wife sat in the car)

There, I've had my monthly moan. Sorry if I went OTT

Regards
A suffering John
In sunny Torquay

Love the wife, love the children, like the car.

Steady John!

When I say low speeds - I am referring to side road driving in built up areas. 20- 30 mph. To me, it is MOST definitely a high diesel 'clatter', Cruising at 40mph + fine. Perhaps I have a problem with my car?

Two thousand apologies, too much pain and not enough patience. Sorry about my rant

It sounds like you have a problem, but I would recommend you try a test drive in another 320CDI. Or a louder radio

Again please accept my apologies
Regards,
John

I like that statement.

Hi Maestro:
We own both a 2003 E 320 and a Lexus 2003 ES 300.

We have had one minor issue with the Lexus. The E 320 has been in the shop many times. The Benz still has glitches with the radio display (including having the radio lock up at times), the wipers chatter even only a few weeks after installing new blades, the air conditioner gets a musty smell unless the defroster is activated before turning off the car or the REST feature of the climate control is activated after the car is turned off (I hear the 2005 no longer have the REST feature). We are in Florida; humidity may not be as much of an issue where you are. The brakes on the E 320 have a feature called SBC. When you open the door, a pretty loud pump makes a buzzing sound (this may be better in the 2005's). The SBC brakes are likely safer in an emergency and work well on the highway, but are touchy in the city. I prefer the standard brake setup that the Lexus has since it feels better to me. We get intermittent error messages from the Tele-Aid system. The brake pads had to be reinstalled as there was a rattle and it also felt like one front caliper grabbed before the other (this was fixed). The cooling fan for the radiator/ AC condenser is super loud during hot weather. It is not too noticable inside the car, but it will scare a pedestrian near your car.

I should say we have the base E 320 with steel springs. I think it rides fine, but you might want to test the Airmatic suspension. We tend to keep cars for 7-15 years; we didn't want the air suspension because who knows how reliable that is over the long haul.

The E 320 is a better drivers car. The E 320's exterior styling is much nicer than the ES 300 (of course this is subjective). The interior is also nicer, although we just bought a 2005 Lexus ES 330 (based on the experience we have had), and they changed the wood color on the interior to a much lighter color which makes it look better to us than what the E 320's interior has.

The Lexus requires oil changes every 5000 miles as some Toyota V-6's have developed oil sludge in the engine. I like doing the oil changes myself so frequent oil changes are not a big deal for me. Some people don't like the way the Lexus automatic transmission behaves as it seems to me to sacrifice performance for incredible smoothness. Some people dont' like the way the MB auto transmission performs. It holds gears for increased engine braking much like a manual transmission. This is something I like but you can search the board and get other opinions ( about this and everything else I have said).

I leave you with this. I like the Mercedes but it is hard to justify an extra $20k for it over the ES 330 in my opinion. If your dad loves MB, the cars styling, or is more interested in driving performance (handling), get the MB. If your dad likes more of what I would call traditional American car handling which is soft and not great in a performance sense but is more comfortable over bumps, get the Lexus. If reliability is really important, get the Lexus.

Even better, why not ask him what he wants? What is your dad driving now? Maybe he wants a Mini; maybe he wants a Hummer. Regardless, I suggest he test drive the car he ends up with. Hope this helps.

William
2003 E 320 44,000 miles

Hi William...

The list of "things that needed tweaking" on your E20 read awfully long... *gulp*.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the host of problems that plagued my C-class experience wouldn't be transferred over to the E-class ... or frankly speaking, the E (arriving in ONE DAY'S TIME *wooo hooo*) will be my last MB experience.

Love the car, hate the waiting...

Love the kids, Love the car...no choice but to tolerate the wife (supplier won't give refund :p )

Just remember... The wife will someday look like the 'supplier'

Regards
John
A sunny morning in Torquay

Just watched Valentino Rossi win the World Championship. What a rider, what a race.

That, my friend, is a classic quote! LOL.

GOOD Luck with the new car

Regards,
John
Dusk in Torquay