New"B" with questions!
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1
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From: Guam
1973 Buick Centurion 455 cu Convertible
New"B" with questions!
Opportunity to buy '92 500SEL or '92 300 SEL presented itself this weekend both were priced around 18K, 500 had 31K miles, 300 had 30K miles. 500 interior has "minor" discrepancies, 300 immaculate. Same Owner of both cars.
So excited stayed up until 430 am browsing this forum and others like it. But during that browsing found some disturbing info....ie (maybe i misinterpretted)
MB's are'nt as reliable as I once thought (maybe eng/drive train are reliable) especially "ac evaporators" (500 AC mysteriously "stopped" working on my test drive", owner said it worked fine day before. but is willing to have it fixed.
My question is should I wait until some of this enthusiasm wears off and look around more or is 18K for 31K miles too good of a deal?
Thanks in advance for reply.
So excited stayed up until 430 am browsing this forum and others like it. But during that browsing found some disturbing info....ie (maybe i misinterpretted)
MB's are'nt as reliable as I once thought (maybe eng/drive train are reliable) especially "ac evaporators" (500 AC mysteriously "stopped" working on my test drive", owner said it worked fine day before. but is willing to have it fixed.
My question is should I wait until some of this enthusiasm wears off and look around more or is 18K for 31K miles too good of a deal?
Thanks in advance for reply.
Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 166
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From: Hartville, Ohio
Both cars sound like a great deal. Although the price is a bit too much for both. If I were you I would look at car values on www.kbb.com and you'll find out that they aren't really worth that much. Try to get one for a lower price and if you can I say buy it!
DOMINIC
DOMINIC
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,660
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From: Charlotte, NC
2000 CLK430
kelly blue book numbers are HIGHLY understated. The value of a car is going to be significantly higher than Kelly Blue book. KBB is used by dealers to calculate trade-in values, it DEFINITELY caters to the dealer....just a little info on a common opinion of KBB quotes....
Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 166
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From: Hartville, Ohio
Yes I understand that as well. Although it does have a consumer section for those buyers that are either buying from a dealer or another person! < Also Dante's Inferno if this helps you any I would buy a 92' MB 500SEL over the 300SEL if I had a license and if I had the money! >
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,660
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte, NC
2000 CLK430
Originally posted by Dominic
Yes I understand that as well. Although it does have a consumer section for those buyers that are either buying from a dealer or another person! < Also Dante's Inferno if this helps you any I would buy a 92' MB 500SEL over the 300SEL if I had a license and if I had the money! >
Yes I understand that as well. Although it does have a consumer section for those buyers that are either buying from a dealer or another person! < Also Dante's Inferno if this helps you any I would buy a 92' MB 500SEL over the 300SEL if I had a license and if I had the money! >
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 210
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From: Chicago
S320W
Before buying a 92 w140 i would be a little reluctant. It was the first year this model line was released in the united states. The mileage is great, and definately the V8 5.0 engine is a better buy than 3.0 inline 6. If kept good, it can last you for years and years to come.
AC problems in these cars are huge. Remember that, these problems can go away temporarily by doing some temporary thing-a-ma-jig with the ac system (thats what dealers do to sell their cars). If its an evaporator issue, you must get it checked first by an mb dealer and then ask the seller to get it fixed.
It is possible to have such low mileage compared to the year of the car, but i would also get a carfax report on it before buying it.
W140s are great cars. I love all of them. But the one you are trying to buy has few things, it may or may not effect ure buying decision:
The 92 W140 has older headlights, older grill, older rear lights and older wheels compared to the newer w140s. Also an older body style which indeed is a slight bigger and heavier than the 95-96 or 97-99 body styles.
AC problems in these cars are huge. Remember that, these problems can go away temporarily by doing some temporary thing-a-ma-jig with the ac system (thats what dealers do to sell their cars). If its an evaporator issue, you must get it checked first by an mb dealer and then ask the seller to get it fixed.
It is possible to have such low mileage compared to the year of the car, but i would also get a carfax report on it before buying it.
W140s are great cars. I love all of them. But the one you are trying to buy has few things, it may or may not effect ure buying decision:
The 92 W140 has older headlights, older grill, older rear lights and older wheels compared to the newer w140s. Also an older body style which indeed is a slight bigger and heavier than the 95-96 or 97-99 body styles.
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 419
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From: Sunny Naples, FL
2018 GLS63 AMG
good information. I would pick the 500sel over the 300sel. The 300sel engine baywas updated in 1994 and the 500sel engine remained basically unchanged till 1999. With such low mileage I would look for any fluid leaks. Goodluck!
Last edited by leloz; Dec 8, 2002 at 12:51 PM.
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Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
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I would get the 500. The 300 may look better but performance wise, the 300 is dissappointing. I have a S320 and getting the transmission warmed up in the morning is a beast. The weight of the car + small displacement from the engine puts a lot of strain on the transmission. The 500 is a better buy all around: You get premium wood, a stronger engine, and best of all, the pride of having '500' on the back of your trunk. Hope you make the better decision and good luck.
However, these are my querks with the W140 (and you may encounter these issues as well)
1) Because of the weight of the car, this punishes breaks. If you are a heavy break user, plan on replacing pad yearly. Also, rotors will not last very long.
2) Window control modules often go out for no apperant reason. When you press the "auto up" button, the window reaches the top and then bounces back down a little, forcing you to hold the button until it goes up.
3) Headrests simply stop working after long period of no use.
4) Light clusters in the dash need to be replaced.
5) Temperature display gets dim, needs to be replaced.
Other than these issues, the W140 is built like a tank. The engine is built for life and the body of the car is very solid and durable.
However, these are my querks with the W140 (and you may encounter these issues as well)
1) Because of the weight of the car, this punishes breaks. If you are a heavy break user, plan on replacing pad yearly. Also, rotors will not last very long.
2) Window control modules often go out for no apperant reason. When you press the "auto up" button, the window reaches the top and then bounces back down a little, forcing you to hold the button until it goes up.
3) Headrests simply stop working after long period of no use.
4) Light clusters in the dash need to be replaced.
5) Temperature display gets dim, needs to be replaced.
Other than these issues, the W140 is built like a tank. The engine is built for life and the body of the car is very solid and durable.
Last edited by internet_mafia; Dec 9, 2002 at 12:00 AM.
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 11
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From: northern california
S500, benzo
500. or 300
well to be honest with you I wouldn't buy either of those cars, seeing that I bought a S500 for the same price but a 95 S500, you shouldn't even be looking at cars that old for 18k, you can find a S320 in the mid to late 90's for that amount.Another thing is, I would be hard pressed to believe that a 92 anything has only 30k of miles on them.
