Hello fellow MB-enthusiasts!

This is my first post on this forum, which I have been a "passive" member for as long as I can remember, but now finally have registered a user! The thing is that I realise now that I have "upgraded" from the trusty (and slightly rusty) old w124 to w220 probably will (but hopefully not!) encounter some tricky problems in the years to come... It seems like a lot of it is already covered in this epic forum, but I have one question I can't seem to find the answer to, and it is really simple (I think):

Are there any difference between 98-00 and 00-03 models? I assumed it would be either pre- or post facelift as with the w124 (except the midlife crysis in 1990), is there a similar "midlife crysis" for the w220 in 2000? The thing is, when looking for aftermarket parts and so on it's very often listed from 00-03 and 03-06, or simply 00-06. Rarely I see fitment for <00 models. I know the ebay-sellers and so on may not be experts on the model years, but then again it could be something else to it? If so, what are the main differences on 98-00 and 00-03?


Sorry if this information is already avaiable, but if so I would be happy if someone could enlighten me with a link

Thank you!

 

Yes; the MY 2003 (North American designation of MY; cars made in late 2002, which may have been marketed in Europe as '02) was a facelift version. As to external appearance, the facelift version had a different slope to the front, a very slightly different grille, a slightly different front bumper; it had clear headlight lenses, tail lights with four narrow clear stripes instead of two wider ones, and a wide-screen (but still CD-based) COMAND. You can see sales brochures with photos at http://www.ragtop.org/mbbrochures/index.html For more detailed differences, see http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...l#post10079489 (the model year designations in those discussions will be North American).

 

Thank you for your very informative post, however I'm already aware of the differences between pre- and post facelift, my question is whether it's an "pre-pre facelift" from 98-00? Or is 98-03 basicly the same? I Guess the 98-model is a super special pre-release European model that no one knows so much about..? My car is of course "born and raised" in Germany before being imported to Norway some years later.


Sorry, I should probably informed that the car in question is an European model and not American. Maybe wrong forum for my topic..? Anyways, thank you so much for the information this far!

 

First of all, there is no such thing as a '98 W220. Yes, in Europe sales of the W220 started in mid to late 1998 but as a '99 model. This chasis was then carried overseas about a year later and sold as a '00 model. Basically you won't find any differences between the '99 - '02 model years. As Skylaw already mentioned, the major changes and improvements first saw the light of day with the unveiling of the facelift in September '02 (model year '03). '04 - '05 european W220s ('04 - '06 North America) differed somewhat from their '03 predecessor with the most notable change being the introduction of the new MOST based NTG1 COMAND infotainment unit.

 

dido 1986 is correct, and you're in the correct forum; we have members from all over the world (as does BenzWorld). In answering, I had assumed your car was a European model.

It is common for folks in Europe to refer to an "XX Plate" - referring, I believe, to the date of manufacture that (in North America, anyway) is affixed to the drivers side door jamb. In most of Europe, an MB made in 1998 would have a '98 plate, but would have been sold, as dido said, as a 1999 model. In North America and elsewhere it would be sold as a 2000 model (production of models for export outside Europe was actually begun in late '99).

So, in Europe you can have a car referred to as a '98 plate, or a '99 model, while in North America, Asia, and elsewhere it is referred to as a '00 model. In each case, it is the same car. There are no visible differences. There is no "pre-pre facelift" model. However, (referring now to North American model years), the '00 model used 16 inch wheels; in 2001, they began using 17 inch wheels with the same styling, but one could see the subtle difference. The difference was not sufficient enough to constitute a "face lift."

dido 1986 is correct as well regarding the designations of the later model years. Regarding the '06 North American model, contrasted to the last European version being '05 - MB had problems producing sufficient numbers of the W220's successor, the W221, for simultaneous global introduction. The first W221s were released in Europe in late 2005, as a 2006 model year. Production of the 2005 W220 continued for export outside of Europe, but was designated a 2006 model. Except for a single wiring harness that was standard equipment in '05 but optional in '06, and different wheel spoke styles on some versions, the '05 and '06 W220s were otherwise identical cars.

So folks who are supplying parts or add-ons for those cars have quite a task in describing them. Many parts were common to all models, from the '98 Euro plate to the '06 North American version. As the buying information I gave you the link for shows, there were significant differences in electronics depending on the fiber optics bus used (which did not correspond to the face lift). Many mechanical and electrical parts and some body parts will apply to the whole range of production. Electronics and some body parts (as mentioned in post 2 above) however, will not.