Kevin Sheth

Hello all,

I hope everyone is doing well during this pandemic crisis. I came across a lot of used 2017 Mercedes Benz E300 4-Matic (Sport) listings on the internet. They are offering this particular model for around $25,000 (USD) with mileage varying around 30,000 to 40,000 miles and some even under 25,000 miles for the same price range. My question to all the experts here is,

• Is it worth buying? (Considering the price, model year, mileage and features)
• I checked with an online dealer and they said they do have 125 point inspection done on the car and that they don't allow us (as the customer) to get the car inspected externally by a mechanic. I mean should I trust their inspection? They seem pretty reputed.
• What to look for in terms of potential failure points and hidden damages in this used car specifically, that are commonly reported for this model year?
• Is this model year E class reliable? I know that's a vague question and that it depends on the condition and the driver but I just want to know in general.

Thank you so much everyone for your inputs. Cheers!

-Kevin

Cerave

I bought a low mileage 2017 E300 late last year. I love the car overall.

however, even though it was certified, the brakes had rust spots on them that caused significant vibration upon braking over 40 mph. Silly me, I didn’t test drive the car on the freeway. The dealer refused to replace the brakes but we finally compromised on me paying labor only.

I don’t regret my purchase at all. I had a C43 AMG before this and although I do miss the raw power once in a while, the E300 has plenty of power for my needs. I never wish that it had more power. I only miss the C43 when I think about how it use to push me back in my seat on acceleration. To be honest, it had too much power for everyday use.

the E300 is quiet and comfortable. It’s like a night and day difference. Of course, the AMG isn’t made to be comfortable but I’m glad I got rid of it.
I love using CarPlay on the E300. Google maps works great. And with the COMAND update, I can control it with the right steering wheel touch pad OR the circular knob.

I’m not sure what things you should look out for but from what I read on these forums, the car is fairly trouble free.

I would have your dealer update COMAND and the navigation before purchase (although I don’t even use the stock navigation it’s nice to have it updated). And I would test drive the car on both local roads and highway and brake semi-aggressively to help expose any flaws.

mercedes.fan

When looking at cars try to find a 2017 built in 2017, after they worked out some kinks after initial release. Would also try to find one with the dual screens as the car will look modern for longer. Otherwise just test drive properly and look for strange noises and vibrations, the engine in the 300 is fairly old and now kind of proven so wouldnt worry much about that

Cerave

I should add one dislike about the car. The auto start stop is harsh. When the car starts up again it shakes. It’s not terrible but it’s not a pleasant startup.

the V6 variations are better. But I could do without the whole start/stop feature. There’s a button to disable it but it needs to be pressed with every drive.

ua549

There are third party products that will disable start/stop until it is re-enabled, i.e., make the selection sticky.

dukester34

is it a Mercedes dealer

Kevin Sheth

Hi Cerave,

Thanks a lot for your insights and having someone go through a similar experience really helps! I am going back and forth with a dealer to fix a test drive and inspection however based on the current situation I am a little reluctant to proceed forward with the test drive and meeting anyone in person for that matter. The car I found has 30,000 miles on it and also has manufacturers warranty for like 9 months. However, the catch is that it is not from a certified Mercedes dealer. They say they have extended warranty programs but it's hard to say how much of a help that is going to be. Also, you mentioned about updating COMAND, I hope that a non-Mercedes dealer may have access to this process.
To be honest, I am sold on those big 12 inch screens in the E class rather than those tiny ones in C class.
Cheers!

Kevin Sheth

Hey dukester34,

Nope it's not. It is a Kia dealer but they said they have extended warranty, I don't know if that's going to help as the car that I saw had some 9 months or 20,000 miles remaining in warranty.

Kevin Sheth

Thanks a lot for your reply. I will keep that in mind while doing the test drive. I tried finding the one with dual screens but no luck so far! Seems like not a lot of people bought it with Premium 3 package.

kingscorpian27

True, however dual screens are very hard to come by. At that time the were for the much more expensive P3 option. Very few dealer ordered cars had them unless it was a special order. Any 2017 E300 for $25K would be very basic. I purchased mine new fully loaded in 2017 and still loving everything about it

I said to my wife yesterday that it will be 3 years soon and I still love the car. She said that’s a 1st, I have never kept one for more than 3 years because I am technologically driven and always wanted the next best thing.

There are not enough changes even with the upcoming 2021 model that would make me want to change it

cetialpha5

It may qualify for the MB extended warranty. Check with the vendors in the extended warranty subforum. You'd need to give them the vin to see if it qualifies. Sometimes when the car is sold by an MB dealer to another dealer, that means it no longer qualifies. You can usually get up to a 7/75k warranty or a 7/100k MB warranty which is better than any aftermarket warranty. Then you can decline the dealer 9 month warranty and push for a lower price.

Personally if it were me, I'd get either the 2016 E-350 or an E300 that has the P3 package. Those are pretty hard to find though as they were in short supply when they first came out. The 2016 had the 302hp v6 whereas your 2017 is just the turbo 4 with 241 hp. Less power than the older W211 2006-2009 models which had 268 hp.

_c350_

Hey op

did you end up getting the car? What do you think of it?

Cmatrix

I bought a CPO 2017 E300 in 2017 with 2,000 miles on it. Other than the mileage, it was like new. I do a lot of driving. It is now 2022, and I still own it with 175,000 miles on it. The only problem I have ever had with it is the turbo dying at 100,000 miles. When I bought it, it came with a four year unlimited, mileage warranty. Happy to say Mercedes honored it, and replaced the $2000 turbo under the warranty at no cost to me.

Currently, at 175,000 miles, the car still runs like new. Other than maintenance and spark plugs a few times, I’ve had no problems. The hardest part is the fear of eventually something going wrong with such high mileage. But I guess I will deal with that when it happens. This is one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.

cetialpha5

You can get up to 2 years of additional CPO coverage in addition to the first year that comes with it. There's several vendors mentioned in the extended warranty subforum that will discount it. If the CPO isn't expired yet, I think you can still buy two additional years. The CPO picks up after the first 4 year factory so you basically could have had 7 years with unlimited miles coverage.

kingscorpian27

Wow, that’s fantastic, looking forward to keeping mine for at least 10 years. Purchased new in June 2017 and now has a little over 32K miles with extended warranty and pre paid maintenance. I have done quite a bit of software/hardware upgrades/mods to keep myself interested which I love it even more daily.