buying a MB E320

T77911S · 02:43 AM

where have they been hiding this car! what an amazing automobile!
i found a 2000 e320 wagon with 147k for $5k! it is owned by a mercedes dealer mechanic. he bought it from a customer and now is selling it because he is moving.
this car is exactly what we have been looking for. something with space, it has the 3rd seat and gets 30mpg. the jeep has been killing us on gas.
i found a 90 300e with 60k original miles for $4k that i would like to get if i could sell the jeep in time.
or, maybe sell the jeep an finish the 3.0!!!

sc_rufctr · 06-13-2011, 03:56 PM

Sounds good but the link goes to a blank page. I've been shopping for an E class to replace my daily.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

where have they been hiding this car! what an amazing automobile!
i found a 2000 e320 wagon with 147k for $5k! it is owned by a mercedes dealer mechanic. he bought it from a customer and now is selling it because he is moving.
this car is exactly what we have been looking for. something with space, it has the 3rd seat and gets 30mpg. the jeep has been killing us on gas.
i found a 90 300e with 60k original miles for $4k that i would like to get if i could sell the jeep in time.
or, maybe sell the jeep an finish the 3.0!!!

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/2422353879.html

Sounds great if it's in good shape. My '03 320 was getting spendy in the repair department after 5 years/60k miles (especially the front suspension). It had the sport suspension and a brake system they no longer use, which may have been the problem. I liked the car a lot.

T77911S · 06-14-2011, 02:43 AM

he deleted the link.

it is in very good shape. he has done all the services and changed all the fluids, and since he bought it from a customer, he must have known the car was taken care of.
whats more, a rear wheel drive car and it does not have a timing belt. who would think in the the days of front wheel drive and Tbelts every 70k or so.

it has 2 very small dings, on e by the front grill and one on the door. im sure my wife will add a few more.

slow&rusty · 06-14-2011, 02:58 AM

That is the W210 chassis, and the first time a V6 was used in the E-Class. Neat car but quite rust prone (surprisingly), so be diligent about checking the typical rust / hidden areas. Mechnically \ electrically cannot be beat. Good luck.

sc_rufctr · 06-14-2011, 03:39 AM

There were some problems with the introduction of water based paint, mainly affecting the earlier cars.

It's easy enough to spot but check the spring perches front and rear.

T77911S · 06-14-2011, 04:07 AM

i have not heard about the rust problem.

i was told they fixed all the problems with the cars in 99, and that the best ones are the 99-02 years, so hopefully that is one of the things they fixed.

javadog · 06-14-2011, 04:10 AM

Some of the engines burn oil. Have a close look at the oil change frequency, especially when it was new.

JR

EarlyPorsche · 06-14-2011, 04:40 AM

Is it just me or does it seem like $5,000 is a sizable chunk of money for a car with 150K on it?

kaisen · 06-14-2011, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

Is it just me or does it seem like $5,000 is a sizable chunk of money for a car with 150K on it?

It's just you

5String43 · 06-14-2011, 07:53 AM

Sounds good, but be careful - we had a '90 E300. A very nice car, but it was nowhere near as solid and reliables as subsequent BMWs have been - that means it was very expensive to maintain. We're both very happy we made the switch - not that the Bimmers are cheap to maintain, either.

ben parrish · 06-14-2011, 10:14 AM

98 E320 Wagon Here with 150k on it. Burns a little oil and a few common issues. Look at benz world for more specific issues. If it looks good, sounds like a good buy. We have had ours for four years and still love it.

sc_rufctr · 06-14-2011, 03:34 PM

The oil burning at 150k is a concern. The old Benz straight 6 would be fine for well over 500,000kms...

Are we talking a lot of oil?

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

Is it just me or does it seem like $5,000 is a sizable chunk of money for a car with 150K on it?

It's not "a" car it's an E320. $5k might be a lot for a Civic.

javadog · 06-14-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Are we talking a lot of oil?

Mine burned enough at 60k that I didn't want to own it anymore. It was a 2000 E320 wagon. I think the biggest problem was that the original owners did the first oil change at 17,000 miles, and the second one way too late, too. MB had a system that monitored the quality of the oil and told you when to change it. I thought it was a poor idea.

JR