E240 - Advice required please

[stevewilliams]

Hello all,


I'm looking at buying a 1998 E240 second hand.

I have *not* owned a MB before, and as such dont know what their little quirks and issues might be.

With a 1998 E240 I just want it as a long distance cruiser that my wife will use as a run-around with the kids. We regualarly will go on 200 mile trips on some dodgy B roads and a bit on the motorways.

It also has to take a baby seat in the back seat and be able to have an adult sit in the front passenger seat without having their knees under thier chin.

A few questions for you experts :

(1) Is it a generally reliable vehicle?
(2) On average, how many miles before engine or gearbox give troubles?
(3) How much do they cost to get serviced?
(4) Are they long term a car worth owning reliablity wise give I will put probably 10,000 miles per year on it on the next 7 years.


Many thanks,

Steve.

 

[jberks]

Hi Steve,
I had a 2000 E240 for 5 years. It was generally trouble free. The only problem I had was plug leads which caused a poor idle and the air sensor went. Whilst I paid a daft amount to fix, this can be done more sensibly.
Engines are good for 200k+. Gearboxes can do similar, but the 5 speed ones are officially sealed for life and never need an oil or filter change. Follow this advice and you'll be lucky to see 120k. Plugs are £100 a set but only need doing every 60k.

As a long distance cruiser they are unbeatable. Around town, a bit unwhealdy and thirsty though.

Servicing costs are around £250 for an A service and £450 for a B at the dealer. Around half that at a specialist. Dealers charge £100 per hour so the cost can get silly if there are any extras.

Now the achileas heel of the W210. Rust. Yes rust. Do a search on the forum on E class rust and you'll see a lot of horror stories. (probably enough to put you off altogether). The truth is that all E's of that era do rust to some extent. MB fixed a lot of them FOC but have generally started to get awquard after 8 years or so and especially if the car doesn't have FMBSH, which many 1998 ones don't.

There are good E's and bad ones. Mine was pretty good, but still went in for bits here and there every year. I never paid a penny for this but some people have had claims turned down. Once done, the area remained clean and if you get one that has been fixed properly, or a good one, then you have a truly great car, but get a bad one and it could be a real nightmare. Though a bad 1998 model should be an obvious rot box by now. Read the threads on the subject and then you'll know where to look - but wheelarches, boot lock, tops of doors and the front cross member are the worst offenders.

I do actually recommend the E, I'm on my second, just choose carefully.

 

[Blobcat]

I echo jberks' reply above. There are a lot out there so pls try a few before commiting.
As for space not many cars have as much passenger space as an 'E'. You will be able to have a child/baby seat in the back and a basketball player in the front if you want .
If you can stretch to it I would recommend the face lift 210 (post '99) as although they can be some of the worst with rust the interior was updated quite a lot. There are examples out there without rust.

 

[stevewilliams]

Thanks lads......I'll take the thoughts on board.

Are they significantly better cars to drive than your standard vauxhaul
(...please dont hit me... ;-) ) - I've never driven one you see.

I'd have thought they'd be heavier and more unweildy too - do they handle like slugs or are they agile?

Cheers,

Steve

 

[jberks]

They aren't what I would describe as agile. That's not really what they are built for. It's really a big comfy armchair, quiet, smooth and a cut above. That said, hussle it and it will surprise you. You have to trust it as you don't get massive feedback but the grip and directional stability is actually excellent. The 240 isn't the quickest thing out of the blocks. In some ways its the worst engine in the range as it has the performance of a 200 and the economy of the 320. If you find an identical 320 at the same price, buy that. The main advantage of the 240 should be the purchase price and possibly cheaper insurance, but you'll save nothing on fuel or maintenance. However, it will happily truck along at over 100 all day and the refinement is fantastic. Long runs I would get over 35 but around town it could fall into the teens. Mid 20's would be the average.
There is something about a merc, that none of us can put into words, partly solidity, image, quality, quietness and the way other motorists treat you I guess, but they do spoil you for anything else. You certainly wouldn't be rushing back to a Vauxhall.
I was starting to get a bit critical of my E. There are a couple of minor niggles. Had a Vauxhall for the day and that was enough to remind me what is so great about mine!

 

[Blobcat]

Build quality and structural integrity are how I would describe an 'E'. I came from a long line of Vauxhall's and the difference is chalk and cheese. I was in my wifes Accord Estate yesterday (Ikea duties ) and although it is 5 yrs younger than my 'E' and has all the toys it is not a patch on my 'E'. Although the Honda is well built it is a lot more flighty and nothing like as smooth.
With a Mercedes you will probably drive slower, yet get there in the same time and in a much better frame of mind.

 

[Seeker_UK]

If you find an identical 320 at the same price, buy that. The main advantage of the 240 should be the purchase price and possibly cheaper insurance, but you'll save nothing on fuel or maintenance.

I'd go further than that. If it doesn't bother you, go for a 300DT diesel (or CDI if in your price range). Better perfromance than the 240, better economy and probably cheaper insurance and servicing.

If you want an e-class petrol a 230 will give you nearly all the performance for better economy and cheaper servicing too. The only disadvantage (if it can be though of in those terms) is that it's a 4-banger not a silky smooth V6.

 

[stevewilliams]

Thanks lads...you have kindly provided a wealth of information. I love the internet for this. In past times before buying a car I used to hassle the mechanics at dealers to get the inside story but nothing beats knowledge fromt hose who actually own them.

Sound slike a E240 ( or 320 ) would do the biz. Yes I have heard that their dynamics are good and probably a bit less feedback. I knew a chap who bought one of the monsters ( a 500 series 4 door ) and it weighed in at 3 tonnes due to being an ex embassy car with BULLET PROOF ARMOUR. Nuff said.

My wife asked me "why a merc" and all I can think of is if they put synchro on reverse it tells you something of their need for integrity in build to get politicians out of harms way. Sounds like they would even be tough enough to handle Ikea duty too ( he he ;-) ...maybe a satellite tv and bar fridge could help as the wife pokes aroiund 15 floors of "Oh darling look at this".........kill me now...... ). Sadly my wife know sweet bugger all about cars. I do recall an ad once where a family survived a 100 mph head-on and are shown next to their crumpled merc. That did it for me, as we do a lot of country driving and with hedgerows and a tractor.....well........ Now all I have to do is find a decent example of what I need and go from there.....any suggestions of what to look for in used models that would make them a no-go?

Cheers lads,

Steve

 

[jberks]

Just drive a few so you can tell good from bad before you make a decision.
A service history is a must - Indie specialist or dealer is fine, so long as the knew what they were doing. These cars are quite complex in places. Looked after they will go forever, abused and ignored, they can become troublesome money pits.

 

[Blobcat]

abused and ignored, they can become troublesome money pits.

Are we talking about cars or spouse's here

 

[stevewilliams]

Er..yes...um...er....

 

[jberks]

Are we talking about cars or spouse's here

The cars clearly. The latter doesn't need to be ignore for this state to occur!

 

[swift]

http://www.eclassbenz.com/node/17

I've got a 98 e240.

If you buy an E with a sunroof, check it works (duh). If you buy said car, never use the sunroof again. Cost to repair is £1200 and they like to fail.

If i where to buy again, i would pick up an e320 instead.

 

[AdrianDW]

General List of faults to look for

Steve,
like you I was a Merc virgin until last September. Bought an 200MY E240 from a known source. I've had a few teething problems with it, and its cost a packet to keep going, but suffice it to say that I would be very very reluctant to drive a lesser marque again. In fact probably anything less than an E would seem rough. With the help this forum gives, and talking to other people (like independents), this is a list of the big things to look for when buying:
Rust - 'nuff said already, other than if its not a real old car, and it has M-B service history, you should be able to get it resolved under warranty.
Cats - notoriously bad. One pipe per cylinder bank with two separate elements in each. Around £700 per pipe, plus fitting, from a dealer; much cheaper online, but not the quality. Mine is currently running sans both rear bits (stainless pipe brazed in), and I think it breathes better and runs more economically! Whether it'll pass the emissions on the MOT remains to be seen...
Gearbox - sealed for life, yes - if you can afford to have a 100k mile "life", and pay Merc a mint to replace. Get the fluid changed every 60-70k, runs smother, lasts forever.
Suspension - ball joints and roll bar links / bushes seem to have service life of about 40-50K.
Electrics - check everything works before buying! Dashboard clusters seem to be an issue, and locking mechanisms (which are pump powered), but when you put all this complex stuff in a car some of its bound to go wrong. Electrics just seem to be ruddy expensive!
Otherwise I've done 20k in mine in nine months, and it goes like a dream, 30mpg + on decent runs at 80mph, and that feeling we all get from MB ownership - no matter what it costs or how often we whinge! Just understand that you simply cannot run a big beast on Focus money!!

 

[johnmc]

Hi Steve,
I drive a W210 2000 model. Everytime I get in a different car I realise how quiet and smooth the Merc is. The car has been reliable, never let me down in almost 6 years now. But, it has suffered from numerous niggles, worst of which is the rust problem, and some electrical gripes. See the bodywork thread on E-class rust. It's superbly sized from my three teenagers (they still moan, but that's because they're teenagers). Most cars today have electrical gripes, Vauxhall being a prime contender for worst, so don't let that put you off. The rust might though.

Check everyone works, and if I were you I'd check the rust issues out myself based on the thread information in this forum, but I'd also ask the dealer to verify and sign that the paintwork is either as it was when the car left the plant or that there's a Merc history for rust repairs. Claims on rust get rejected if some non-Merc bodyshop has had a go at painting the car, invalidating the factory warranty. You'll sleep better as well as enjoy a nice drive!

Bye!
John