Should I buy an E-Class?

[JonWill]

I was about to buy an E-class estate for under £9K, and was chosing between an E240 (00X) and an E320 (99T). However, having read several threads here and looked at the JD Power survery I am not sure if this is advisable ... and I test drove a Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo estate recently which was very exciting ...

Question is - are the problems with the E-Class real - and if so, what should I look for when I test drive the ones I have identified. And if I do decide to go with the E-Class, should I go with the 320 or the 240 - are the running costs significantly higher for the 320?

Thanks in advance,

Jon

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

If you refer to the thread still active today called '2000 E Class Buying Advice Please' you will be better able to make up your mind. Do bear in mind though that some people only come onto the forum because they have had a bad experience with MB. So some subjectivity has to be applied when making your decision.

There are good and bad cars made by all manufacturers but if your unlucky enough to buy a lemon made by MB it may cost you a lot of money. Taking time to choose and find the right car is the most important decision when buying MB.

 

[JonWill]

Thanks for this - hadn't spotted that thread!

 

[John McPherson]

Hi,
I bought an E200 2000 Avantgarde saloon in October and I'm very pleased so far.

John.

 

[Retired]

I've got a 98k mile E240 estate owned from new. Only thing I've spent money on apart from regular servicing / consumables is a new air mass sensor last week and some front suspension components (can't remember what they were but it didn't cost much). Seems to me it should be good for a few miles yet. Not exactly a ball of fire in the acceleration stakes but is happy to cruise at around 100 - 110 mph on my trips to Germany.

Car has suffered from the E class tin worm which has been treated foc.

 

[SL Boy]

I have a 2001 E320 Cdi estate, purchased new, which has now done 62,000 miles. Only two problems: a hole in the intercooler and climate control sensor, both replaced under warranty. Very happy with the car. I think it was just young enough not to be affected by the rust problem. I asked dealer to check this at the last service at all was reported ok.

I believe the post 2000 cars are likely to be rust free.

 

[robbo]

I'm not so sure, I was chatting to a guy at an MOT center last year who was getting his 2001 51 reg E240 MoT'd. He mentioned that it had just come back from MB after having a couple of weeks worth of rust warranty repair work covering many areas, some of them quite serious.

 

[jberks]

I had an E240 for 5 years and was very happy with it.
Some are good, some are bad. You just need to check it over. The important bit is to ensure that it has full dealer history. If so, any tin worm will be repaired FOC by MB. There are horror stories of new shells etc but mine wasn't too bad. Sure there were a few spots but MB fixed them and got rid of a few scratches at the same time! (Think of it as a free respray every now and then). You couldn't tell anything had been done and the quality of the work was first class with no expense spared. e.g. small patch of boot lock rust - resprayed boot, rear wings and roof to blend in.

Check the top of the doors under the seals, wheel arches, boot lock and front cross member. Once repaired, no rust returned so if MB will fix it, it's not necessarily something to worry about.

You can get rust with mercs from around '97 through to early 04, although it started to reduce from 02 on. So, 97 or 2000 and you are well in the zone.

There are no cost differences in running a 320 against a 240. Fuel consumption is the same, the engine is basically the same etc. Insurance may be higher though. The 240 is a lovely sweet engine but not exactly a performance machine in the E, but they do cruise beautifully. Clearly the 320 is more lively. Expect 33-36 on a run and 20-26 round town.

Parts are not cheap. Air mass meter £220, plug leads £230 (never found out why!), plugs (60k) £100 etc (for factory parts obviously) so if you are on a tight budget, clearly the saab as a cheaper car in the first place, will be cheaper to run.

The Saab is a lovely motor ..... until you drive the merc I'm afraid! The saab is just another car, bit better than a Vauxhall or Ford, but still a vectra based tin box. A merc is something special.

 

[JonWill]

Thanks - I've done it!

Thanks for all your help - and I've taken the plunge. Picked up a 99 E320 estate today. Which is lovely - drives like a dream, and with enough widgets to keep me going for a while.

Slight problem with the Autochanger - but I've posted elsewhere on that!

Look forward to joining in the discussions.

jon

 

[Ian Brown]

I was about to buy an E-class estate for under £9K, and was chosing between an E240 (00X) and an E320 (99T). However, having read several threads here and looked at the JD Power survery I am not sure if this is advisable ... and I test drove a Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo estate recently which was very exciting ...

Question is - are the problems with the E-Class real - and if so, what should I look for when I test drive the ones I have identified. And if I do decide to go with the E-Class, should I go with the 320 or the 240 - are the running costs significantly higher for the 320?

Thanks in advance,

Jon

Look out for rust before you test drive they are very bad for front cross members see photo

 

[television]

Look out for rust before you test drive they are very bad for front cross members see photo

What year and milage is the one in the photo Ian thanks.

Malcolm

 

[Ian Brown]

What year and milage is the one in the photo Ian thanks.

Malcolm

I am sure it was a S reg 1998 with 130,000mls

 

[jberks]

Yes this has been known, but its not that common. If it has gone, MB will often sort it anyway as it shouldn't, but its an expensive jig job to replace so not a back street garage job. However, I had the dealer check mine during the service last year and it was fine. Most are. Still worth checking though.

 

[Seeker_UK]

My other half took a 300TD out for a test drive last week and it seemed to snake left and right across the lane as she drove it at 50-60. Was this likely due to the crossmember being knackered?

 

[johnmc]

Hi,
My W210 had rust on the cross member, doors, wings and bootlid. All replaced. Had faults with melted light housing (no explanation) and the air mass sensor went at 30kmiles.

I'd recommend you got a W211 to avoid some of the hassle.
John

 

[Tony Blair]

Mercedes have gone down market since Chrysler got involved. Surly most of the older members on here will remember the old Hillman avenger, minks and hunter all made by Chrysler and these were rust buckets also what can they expect when they use foreign metals that is not treated properly

 

[big x]

Yes this has been known, but its not that common. If it has gone, MB will often sort it anyway as it shouldn't, but its an expensive jig job to replace so not a back street garage job. However, I had the dealer check mine during the service last year and it was fine. Most are. Still worth checking though.

On pre-mobilo life cars 96-oct 98 MB seem to be charging some people for this.

adam

 

[television]

I am sure it was a S reg 1998 with 130,000mls

Looking at that photo the metal is Sh-- even a moggy in the 60's lasted better tham that, reminds me of the day of the Alfa Suds where the A piller could rust through in 14 months. the metal is very poor quality, I am not sure if the paint helped much, one or two blisters and the rust is working hard

Thank very much any way

Malcolm

 

[clive williams]

...., reminds me of the day of the Alfa Suds where the A piller could rust through in 14 months. the metal is very poor quality,...
Thank very much any way

Malcolm

Can't let that one go Malcolm. The reason that Alfas had such a terrible rust problem in the 70's was two fold:
1) The metal wasn't poor quality it was higher carbon steel steel (for strength), which rusts more readily.
2) The bodyshells were made by an outside supplier who stored the bare metal shells in a leaky warehouse for sometimes months before they were shipped to the factory. The factory occasionally then tipped the water out before immersing it in the primer tank - they were the good ones. It was also common for surface rust to be smoothed over before painting, leaving the problem to fester.
When Alfa was bought by FIAT at the beginning of the 80's they did a Jaguar (amazing considering FIAT's reputation) and read the riot act to the suppliers such that the rusting stopped almost overnight. I have a 1984 Alfa GTV6 in storage that is completely rust free having been part of the FIAT regime of quality control from this period.

Clive

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