E320 cdi Estates

[Defector]

Hi all,
I am considering buying a W210 E320 cdi estate as i think it's probably the best estate i could get for sub 10K price.
I would appreciate if someone could give me the measurements of the load area of a E class estate with the rear seats folded. I'm particularly after the length of the floor area as i sometimes have items which are just over six feet long. The estate certainly looks bigger than a BMW 530d which i was also considering but which is now second choice.
Are there any inherent design weaknesses like the turbo on the 530d which i may have to be wary of? They dont seem to produce motor magazines like they used to in the days of 'Motor' and 'Autocar' where there was a full page of all technical information including all internal diagramatic dimensions.
Many thanks

Mo

 

[stumpy]

You can get 6ft lengths in the boot

 

[jberks]

Mechanically the E320cdi is fairly bullet proof. But check out the 210 rust issues before buying and make sure its a good one.
Get a good one and the 320cdi is a fantastic motor.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

You won't be disappointed.

Nothing is perfect but the 320CDi estate is the best available all rounder. Power, economy and load lugging par excellence.

The Avantgarde is quite a firm ride, but the handling is sharper for it, if you want supreme comfort go for the Elegance. Anything over 16in (standard) wheels will harden the ride up considerable, especially in Avantgarde spec.

The internal loading measurements are 72-76ins (lenght) depending on position of front seats. Funnily enough I had a 3ft wide mattress to transport the other day (no witty comments please) and it went in a treat.

As JBerks says do your homework prior to buying re the rust issues and make sure you get a good spec. Low milers with good specs are difficult to find but worth the wait.

Hope this helps!

 

[Defector]

Thanks very much for the info. very useful, funnily enough i will be moving the odd single bed every now and then so now i know!

Mo

 

[television]

As everyone says, they are a good buy and there is plenty out there for sale right now, don't rush its coming to the best time in the year to pick up a bargain, even from a MB dealer.

malcolm

 

[Blobcat]

The engine is amazing, apart from the rust make sure that the rear seat fold as there can be a problem with the catches - pls have a search on the forum.

 

[benzo]

Low milers with good specs are difficult to find but worth the wait.

If well maintained mileage shouldn't really matter. Great engine.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Have a look at a few things;

Rust, pull back door seals and check underneath all of them.

Air con, make sure it works and blows cold quickly. To be honest I found the aircon system in the state barely adequate when driving in France so you need it in top condition. Condenser radiator, under the cover behind passenger side suspension strut, prone to failure and expensive.

Glow plug light, make sure it goes out, if not then glowplugs are kaput. They don't usually last beyond 65k. They can break taking them out so not a diy job. Expensive but once done they are fine.

Rear suspension can leak, if you can get a look behind both rear wheels do so, check for fluid leaks.

Transmission, make sure gear changes are ok.

Make sure all gadgets work, and that all warning lights go out too. Especially ABS etc.

A knocking at the front is most likely drop links, cheap and easily replaced, life 25-50k. Ball joints will go too, about 90k or so and more expensive.

MAF will go too, kills performance stone dead but an easy fix.

You see no comments about the engine, its a gem. At 116k never a problem with the engine but plenty of other issues.

Suspension, classic is more comfortable, Avantgarde is harder. Avoid alloys over 16", uncomfortable ride. also, be warned about spare wheels, in steel, never use the bolts holding on the alloy wheels, they are too long and will destroy your brakes because they go through the disks and foul the components on the inside.] My peugoet spare is a steel wheel with some spacers welded on by Peugeot so this safety issue does not arise].

Check service records, better to have stamps, especially for Mobilo. You must have a service stamp not more than 2 years back. You will need this for rust treatment, otherwise MB will not honour it.

If you get a service book ask for confirmation the last A or B service was carried out. This is good if you get something going wrong afterwards and which should have been dealt with under the service. Either way it is worth getting a specialist with diagnostic equipment to check the car out for faults etc.

There is no such thing as a rust free model, just one where it has not yet appeared. Plenty of threads on the subject. Doors, rear tailgate and possibly front cross member on the cdi.

After that, enjoy the drive.

 

[ShinyF1]

I've just bought a W210 E320 CDI Estate [2000 X] - labrador green with black leather - and am delighted with it

MB have agreed to deal with the rust around the tailgate release [every car I saw had it here] and the doors are all clean [I have an internal bill to MB for warranty work to 4 doors including wax treatment].

Spring cups, front crossmember, bonnet and wings are all clean.

With the doors and tailgate 'done' by MB, are they likely to suffer rot again [let's assume MB will have replaced them] and after how long?

 

[jberks]

if its just a bit of surface rust I doubt they'll replace. They normally rub down treat and respray.
I had all these areas treated on my W210 and never saw another trace of it.
Admittedly I only kept the car for a further 2 years but there was no sign of re-ocurrence in that time.

 

[entropymatters]

Has your car got a full Mercedes service history or has any work been done by independent specialists? I was under the impression that the bodywork warranty requires a full MB service history.

 

[jberks]

Has your car got a full Mercedes service history or has any work been done by independent specialists? I was under the impression that the bodywork warranty requires a full MB service history.

You do need this technically -so the service stamps from the dealer are mandatory. Indies can do everything else though (diagnostics, brakes etc)

 

[ShinyF1]

My car has full MB history [B service just carried out] prior to buying, all with same [supplying] dealer.