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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans
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Comments
Also, tires make a HUGE difference in the ride of a car, as much as shocks and more than springs. I have the Pirelli P-Zero Rosso from Luke at Tirerack. They are absolutely quiet, great in rain, and are very sticky. They are supposed to last 25k miles. I have 5k on mine and marvel at the tight yet comfortable ride in comparison to the original Michelin and the very hard and noisy Dunlop 8000 I had last.
Dzuba, I was trying to remember when I purchased my first Mercedes... it was in 1993, I bought a 1991 560 SEL with the rear foot rests... cool car! I was 35.
Happy Motoring! Mark
Depending on your driving style, you should be able to get 60K miles out of a set of tires.
Yes, Mercedes has a CPO, it's called Starmark.
I shopped around. Most dealers wouldn't come off MSRP. I finally found one on the web and dealt with their Internet purchasing agent over the phone. Fortunatly they were the dealer down the street from me.
It is a great, well built, solid car in all respects. We had the 96 E class, and the new 2003's are much improved in every respect. I also feel it has much more interior room than the outgoing model. The person that felt headroom was an issue, did you lower the seat? I know it's a simple question, but I can't believe you felt the old model felt roomier.
I shopped around. Most dealers wouldn't come off MSRP. I finally found one on the web and dealt with their Internet purchasing agent over the phone. Fortunatly they were the dealer down the street from me.
The blizzaks, are, paradoxically, quieter than the F1's! I keep the tranny switch on "W" when the Blizzaks are on, since treadlife for winter tires is also less than all season jobbies.
After the comparison, I couldn't wait for the F1's to wear out, which they finally did. When this happened, I switched over to Bridgestone Potenza S-03's. Rain perfomance matches the F1's reasonably well, they are MUCH quieter, and cheaper, to boot. The tread design isn't as sexy, but who really cares? I've done all my tire purchasing for this car from www.tirerack.com and have had good service from them. Most local tire dealers do not stock tires appropriate for the E430 performance, and tirerack gets you tires much faster than special order from any of the normal local sources, I found.
I notice that Goodyear is advertising a new F1 design here in the states. In the photo, the "parabolic" grooves in the tread are much more "streamlined" on the U.S. versions than those that came on the car. Perhaps they're quieter, but who would want to bother doing the experiment!
On an entirely different subject, comparing the E-Class with the BMW 5-series: to me, at least, there really isn't a comparison. I'm a 6-footer and occasionally have more than two passengers of similar size. The 5-series is much smaller inside than the E-Class, to say nothing of the trunk, and the E-Class is designed for the 95th-percentile male adult. The 5-series seems much smaller than the E-Class, which may partially account for it's sporty aura. And, so far as I know, the AWD option is not available on the BMW. Thus, disqualified before considered, at least for me. Just another opinion for the discussion, of course.
Thanks
The new E Class seems to be the perfect car, especially since I won't buy a car with a sunroof.
However, does anyone know if the E320/E500 are available with a fold down rear seat? Most of the magazine tests mention this option, but the MBUSA website does not.
Thanks.
Mark
CCE182: Thanks for the tire opinion.
M.
Maybe it's time for a test drive!!
Wayne
The car is very smooth, fast, quiet, and solid felling. It handles great. I have notice a slight drift to the right. Not sure it is the problem that other have posted about. There is no ticking noise on my car or any problems. On mostly a highway trip, I averaged 24.9 mpg. Not bad considering a big V8 and i was going between 55 and 75 mph most of the way.
The HK sound system is very nice but not as good as i imagined it would be. I'd like to see more ability to adjust the sound to my personal taste (other than base & tremble and some other minor options).
The cup holders are way to small and not designed well. I guess Europeans don't "get" the cup holder thing.
The wipers worked great on my trip. They did not skip or jump and were very quiet.
The standard seats are very comfortable. I was in them for 4-5 hours at a time and they still felt good.
The fit and finish is excellent as is the leather, wood (I know it's veneer), and other interior items.
I thought there was good road feel from the wheel although it might be a little too much for my taste.
I don't like the ash tray on the dash. I would like to have that as storage space for those of us who do not smoke. Just seems like a waste of prime dash space for us non-smokers. As option for storage or an ash tray would be good.
Climate control seems to work fine. Don't know how to use all of it but then all you need to know is set it on auto and leave it.
The bixenon lights are great. Much brighter than normal lights.
The pano roof is a must have IMHO. I've gotten lots of compliments on it. It makes a big impression. No more noise than a normal sunroof and it has an electric cover for both roofs if the sun is too bright. The pano roof is my favorite option.
Now if the DVD-Nav would just get here!
I have other comments that I'll post later. Bottom line is that this is one of the best cars i've ever owned. It is expensive but all good things are. I would not hesitate to buy this car again or recommend it to family or a friend. If you have one on order you did the right thing. If you are thinking about buying one, all i can say is that you won't regret it if you do IMHO.
From other forums Fremont, Ca dealership offers $2100 off MSRP (or had offered to someone)
Would love to know the dealership if possible mgriffin4.
PS: Glad you like the car. I think the Pano Roof is great too. As for the stereo, turn off the logic 7 for a while and then turn it back on. You will appreciate the difference!
It just turned 1,700 miles and I have been loving every one.
Take care!
Interesting impressions from your new E500. Is this your first E-Class or have you experience with an earlier version?
I've a 2000 E430 4-Matic and am certainly going to wait for that option (not available on 2003's yet) before I even think about an upgrade.
Interestingly, my son and I were at the Boston Auto Show last evening, compliments of M-B. We went to their hospitality suite, ate some 'dervs, watched their new E-Class ads on a big screen, and received a little gift bag that held, among other thing - - (drum roll) a plastic M-B HotMug (that is, a cup).
We spent the rest of the evening viewing cars and used the M-B cup as the "standard" for assessing cup holders. This was humorous and interesting. Most striking was that the E-Class cupholder wouldn't hold the cup that M-B was handing out to those special folks they invited to their hospitality suite! And that was just with one cup. If you try to put both of them in at once, fuggiddaboutit (or, bring a sponge). Such irony!! None of the German cars were much better. I guess Germany doesn't believe in using cups in their cars.
Other than that, we couldn't get too close to the E-Class since there were always 4 people sitting in it. It did draw some attention!
Speaking of ashtrays, most folks were trying to put their sunglasses in it. What sort of coin holder does the E-Class have? I made a liner for my front ashtray that will hold perhaps $10 in change 'cause I'm not a smoker, either. BTW, I don't recall paying road tolls in Germany, either, although I'm sure they have 'em. as well as parking meters.
One vexation with the radio in my car is its lack of FM sensitivity. The Nissan Maxima that M-B sometimes rents for me during service episodes has a radio perhaps twice as good as in my M-B. Multiple trips to M-B service have failed to address the problem. Any chance the new radio is better? Do you have a comparison for this? Dealer as much as said that M-B doesn't care much about it's radios - - perhaps because they can't figure out how to fix it.
You may find the HVAC system a little different if this is your first M-B. At least on mine, if you hit the front defrost button, the system immediately goes to full blower, full heat, clearing the windshield 'fer sure, but also mussing up your hair, melting your plastic eyeglasses frames, and leaving your feet cold. I think this should be labelled as a "fog panic" button. I finally figured out that the best way to get continuous, lower levels of defrost by going to manual operation, directing the air to the glass and your feet, and then adjusting the temp and blower to your taste.
When you were describing the windshield wipers, you did pluralize that word. Does that mean that there are now two blades instead of one? The single one doesn't do a very good job, Pep Boys and NAPA do not carry blades for it, and that's always been a weakspot in the design. Perhaps they have finally fixed this.
Enjoy your new car! - - and give us another report after 5-10k miles!
Just curious. Mark
PS: I agree about the cup holder. The good news is that it holds my Coke can without a problem.
Thanks
Removing the cluster is pretty easy. I believe I still have a short write-up somewhere. You essentially extend the steering wheel all the way out, remove the lower dashboard cover on the driver's side, reach behing the cluster and push the instrument cluster out. (The cluster doesn't use any fasteners. It's just a tight fit.)
I took the following picture and numbered the fasteners and connectors, but I still have to look up the detailed steps. (Sorry, I did that quite a while ago.) I promise to follow up shortly.
Lavelle Clark
0. Extend the telescoping steering wheel all the way out and down. If you forget this step, you'll have a fun time removing the cluster.
1. As with any work on the electrical system, disconnect the battery. (Remember to have your radio security code handy.)
2. Take off the heating vent (#2 in my picture) by turning its plastic screw 90 degrees.
3. Unscrew the screw at the hood release (#3).
4. Unscrew the plastic screw at the very end of the lower dashboard cover (#4). (located near the accelator pedal)
5. You have three screws remaining on the underside of the lower dashboard cover. Two should be clearly visible and easily accessible. One, near the center console, is quite recessed. I used a 6' extension for my 1/4'' drive to get to it. (#5)
6. Now push the whole cover TOWARDS THE PEDALS. This should cause the plastic clasps at the center console and the dashboards to release.
7. You may now slip the cover out of the car, or just lower it onto the hood release. Either way, you can now reach through the opening and behind the instrument cluster.
8. Reach through the opening and behind the instrument cluster. You should be able to push it out. Make sure to push it out evenly and not angle it in any way. It's a tight fit, but there are no fasteners.
9. The instrument cluster is connected with two electrical connectors. (#1) They have grey clasps that rotate around the connector. This rotation can be used to release or set the connector without the risk of bending the pins.
10. Remove the instrument cluster from the car.
11. The light bulbs are easily accessible at the back for the cluster. The bulbs are available at your MB dealer.
12. Installation is the reverse of the removal.
13. Enter the radio security code after re-connecting the battery !
Good Luck !
Clark217
Thanks from all of us for that instruction sequence..
Now, on my 96 E320, some of the bulbs in the concole are burned out or the connections are intermittent. I can't always tell where the tranny is at night.. Do you have instructions for removing the center console panel?
Many thanks in advance,
Fred
I am in the market for a used MB, 99 or older, but the reports I see shows a lot of unhappy MB drivers. Please share your thoughts..
The complaints you hear will be found on every message board from Honda to Yugo. The recently launched C class and the M class seem to have more than their share of growing pains. I think the E class is the most reliable of the Benz-- this makes sense because it has the highest unit volume and has been refined for decades. Stick with E class and you'll be fine. But, stay away from 1st year models if possible. We had a 1992 320S (1st year) that had radiator, suspension, transmission and other problems that cost over $7,000 in repairs between miles 75k and 90k. I was SOOO glad to turn it in at 95k at age six.
The Japanese cars in my experience have more proven electricals and climate control, and conveniences like cup holders. But they do not have the solidity to go past 150k without rattles and shakiness. Add to this the superior ride of both Mercedes and BMW, and the differences are quite notable. Even the 320 S with 95k miles we turned in seemed like brand new in every respect: ride, lack of rattles, condition of leather, paint and other hardware.
The Lexus may be close, but only your test driving will confirm this. Honestly, as much as I love my E 320, I know people very happy with their Lexus as well. I don't think you can go wrong having narrowed your choice down to these two. Good luck.
M.
I haven't had a reason (yet) to pull the center console myself, but I'll see what instructions I can find. I promise to follow up.
Martin
I was the on ewho mentioned the lack of headroom in the '03 w/sunroof. The first thing I do before getting into ANY car that has power seats is to lower the seat right to the floor. I did that in the '03 and still had less headroom than in my 96.. Now that I think about it, I believe that the seat doesn't go as low as the seat in the 96. Otherwise, the cabin does have more room, especially for the driver's legs.
Someone else recently complained about the single wiper blade on the 96-02 models. You DO NOT need to buy 25" blades at MB prices. A couple of years ago I got fed up paying $10-12 just for a single blade refill and bought a 24" Trico blade arm assembly at my local auto parts store. The replacement blades are now only $4-5 dollars (available everywhere!) and you will never notice the 1" less of swept area since most of the difference is at the bottom of the blade and you are mostly looking at the hood of the car through that space.
I checked my manual, and it only described the removal of the center console (or rather the shiftgate and the surrounding veneer in your case) for the manual transmission E.
Since there is no shift boot to get out of the way, I would try to lift up the veneer off the center console until you can compress the clasps for the shifter gate from underneath.
The veneer is supposed to come out by removing the ashtray, pressing the front plastic clasps of the veneer inward, and pulling it up.
Sorry I didn't have more information for you. Please let me know if you're going ahead with the replacement of the bulbs. I'm now curious myself.
Martin
1. Her service stinks. The people are not responsive. A plastic part came cracked. It took months to be replaced.
2. A light fault frequently comes up on her dashboard. I replaced the broken bulb and still got the same problem. When she took in the car, MB re-replaced the bulbs saying my bulbs were not MB brand. As she left the shop, the fault light returned anyway.
3. I removed the original license plate advertisement. The dealer keeps replacing the advertisement. It should be my choice to advertise the dealer. Dealers are welcome to pay me for the privilage.
4. The accelerator and the brake seem to start and stop suddenly. In other words, they are hard to control. I think they are set like a sports car, rather than a luxury car. Our Lexus was more gradual.
5. The headlights do not automatically turn off when the ignition key is turned off. Even my older Subaru has this feature. I understand the newest MB's have this feature, but it is very annoying not having it.
None of these issues hurt the car's excellent reliability. When I pay this kind of money, I expect the whole package. If the Lexus LS-430 had all wheel drive, I would trade in the MB E320 right now.
2. Unfortunately, that's common problem. Many times, it's not the bulb, but the socket or harness.
I actually went as far as buying a multimeter and measuring the electrical resistance of most of my lights. It's a pain, but it got rid of the problem.
3. My dealer doesn't do that. It's very inconsiderate. I hope you have a choice.
4. Yes, the accelerator reacts faster in the newer E-Class. My '96 E-Class still has the 'mushy' feel to it. I drove a '98, and it reacted much sooner. I have not idea why it was changed. I'm wondering if it is configurable, as it is a drive-by-wire system.
5. Stupid, I know.
I'm a little over 6' 3" so maybe that's enough to get near the roof. But I don't know which roof was on the car I sat in. Is the Pano roof the only option or is it also available with a standard sunroof? That might make a difference also.
haspelbein:
Martin, I may try removing that veneer panel this weekend. It appears to be a bad bulb or a bad connection for the backlighting for the tranny gear selection. When I get to it, I'll post my progress.
Thanks for the hints..
It wouldn't be hard to spend 130K to get the ultimate E-Class rocket, with all the doodads they have for it; suspension, brakes, exhaust, wheels, interior trim, etc.. not to mention the engine bay goodies. Hmmm, Christmas is coming..!!
Thanks
I replaced the ones in the multifunction display the last time, as they burn out the fastest. (The display is always on.) I paid less that $5 per bulb at the dealer.
By the way, which bulbs are so expensive ?
In any event, if it is important to you, you can buy the Canadian daylight-running version that has an auto-on feature. The only problem is you won't be able to turn off the lights during the daytime.