Alex22
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2017
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 7
- Your Mercedes
- 2003 E320 CDi Avantgarde (w211)
Some context
So in August last year I bought a 2003 E320cdi with 162000 miles on it with no service history, one category D insurance claim from 2013 and a dead battery. I went into it thinking it'd surely be a suicidal purchase, as I paid a grand total of 1600 pounds for it. I own 2 other cars, a 2013 Kuga and a 2011 6 series, however this was my first Merc.
And I planned to drive the hell out of it, use it as a daily beater till it falls apart. However, the only things I had to change on it was a brake rotor, front brake pads, tyres, one xenon bulb and one oil change. The car otherwise is in almost perfect shape cosmetically and mechanically (excluding an SRS light which has been identified as a software glitch).
The internet's opinion
However, last week, I decided that I'd fancy going on a nice, long drive across Europe... In my 2003 E Class. Of course, these cars (pre 2006) are treated like the bogeyman by the car community and some Merc fans. From simple software glitches, all the way to gearbox failures caused by fluid mixing with coolant. In theory, according to the internet at least, driving nearly 1600 miles would be suicide and I'd end up stranded on the Autobahn, waiting for roadside assistance to come get me.
The trip.
Fortunately though, I had no need for that. As I managed to successfully complete a 1590 mile journey in less than 1 1/2 days. Yes, I may have only slept one hour, but it was worth it.
To be hones though, the worst part about the trip was after I'd entered Romania, where I only had 100 miles of motorway. After that, it was all rural roads which looked (and felt) like they had never been repaired. I had to dodge potholes left and right for 40 miles. It was not great. Especially since I was extremely tired (again, one hour of sleep).
Let's get back to the e320 however. This car did not even require a windshield washer fluid top up throughout the entire trip. The only real 'problem' I had with it was the ESP defective warning popping up after I had hit a few potholes. It went away after a restart. Needless to say though, this car is the most reliable car I have ever owned, even besting my 2 other newer cars.
I am now going to be driving around Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary for the next 5 days before returning home.
Conclusion
My only real takeaway from this is that you should not trust what everyone else says about these cars, and I hope this proves that pre-2006 (especially the early 2003 with the leaking radiators, like in this case) E Classes are not the unreliable rust buckets they are made out to be by most.
*Cough*
- Radiator was not replaced, still hasn't leaked.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/i...he-list-of-unreliability-of-2005-w211.118044/ - None of this has happened.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w211-e-class/1720223-sbc-hydraulic-unit-warranty-about-expire.html - Car still has the original SBC unit, never replaced.
Here's to another 176000 successful miles.
So in August last year I bought a 2003 E320cdi with 162000 miles on it with no service history, one category D insurance claim from 2013 and a dead battery. I went into it thinking it'd surely be a suicidal purchase, as I paid a grand total of 1600 pounds for it. I own 2 other cars, a 2013 Kuga and a 2011 6 series, however this was my first Merc.
And I planned to drive the hell out of it, use it as a daily beater till it falls apart. However, the only things I had to change on it was a brake rotor, front brake pads, tyres, one xenon bulb and one oil change. The car otherwise is in almost perfect shape cosmetically and mechanically (excluding an SRS light which has been identified as a software glitch).
The internet's opinion
However, last week, I decided that I'd fancy going on a nice, long drive across Europe... In my 2003 E Class. Of course, these cars (pre 2006) are treated like the bogeyman by the car community and some Merc fans. From simple software glitches, all the way to gearbox failures caused by fluid mixing with coolant. In theory, according to the internet at least, driving nearly 1600 miles would be suicide and I'd end up stranded on the Autobahn, waiting for roadside assistance to come get me.
The trip.
Fortunately though, I had no need for that. As I managed to successfully complete a 1590 mile journey in less than 1 1/2 days. Yes, I may have only slept one hour, but it was worth it.
To be hones though, the worst part about the trip was after I'd entered Romania, where I only had 100 miles of motorway. After that, it was all rural roads which looked (and felt) like they had never been repaired. I had to dodge potholes left and right for 40 miles. It was not great. Especially since I was extremely tired (again, one hour of sleep).
Let's get back to the e320 however. This car did not even require a windshield washer fluid top up throughout the entire trip. The only real 'problem' I had with it was the ESP defective warning popping up after I had hit a few potholes. It went away after a restart. Needless to say though, this car is the most reliable car I have ever owned, even besting my 2 other newer cars.
I am now going to be driving around Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary for the next 5 days before returning home.
Conclusion
My only real takeaway from this is that you should not trust what everyone else says about these cars, and I hope this proves that pre-2006 (especially the early 2003 with the leaking radiators, like in this case) E Classes are not the unreliable rust buckets they are made out to be by most.
*Cough*
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/i...he-list-of-unreliability-of-2005-w211.118044/ - None of this has happened.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w211-e-class/1720223-sbc-hydraulic-unit-warranty-about-expire.html - Car still has the original SBC unit, never replaced.
Here's to another 176000 successful miles.