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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans
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Looked on the European websites and the car looks pretty impressive. Is the same engine as the new SLK (0-60 in just over 7, 7 speed transmission)
Does anyone have an idea what the pricing for this car will be and how much different it really is from the E320.
Thanks for the help.
Also, I'd vary my speed for the first 1k miles or so as suggested by habitat1. I believe that is fairly SOP for any new engine.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
http://www.greatlakes.mercedescenter.com/mbcenter/b/preowned/vehi- clespecs.jhtml?poVin=WDBJF65J6YB071242&listIndex=10&pageN- - um=2
I'm interested - I'd like to think it would be good for another 100,000 miles. However, what kind of repair issues am I likely to encounter during that time? I'm a gentle driver but roads in Western NY are in pretty rough shape.
I went to a car show, the new A6 has much better interior quality and presence compare to E class.
I had a 96 and did the plugs on mine. It is actually pretty easy. I changed mine at 85K and although they say they are good till 100K don't believe it! At 85K they were on their last gasp with gaps that opened up at least .008 inches.
I also changed the wires at that time too. You may want to consider that also. Be prepared for an outrageous price on the wires. There are only 3 and the wholesale price (through a friend who is a parts distributor) was $65... Ouch! But you might want to wait another 10-15K miles before doing it. Chances are yours doesn't "need" it quite yet.
On the top of the engine there is a black plastic strip running down the center of the engine between the cam banks. There are approx. 7 screws holding that in place. Once that is removed you see three coils and 3 wires going to three plug holes. The coils sit on top of three plugs and the three wires go to the other three plugs. (There are smaller wires coming from the engine management computer and going to each coil. Ignore those.)
Remove one of the wires and then remove the coil. (It pops up just like pulling a wire off the plug.) You can then remove two plugs and replace them and re-install the coil and wire. (The plugs sit pretty deep into the holes so you may have to use a long needle nose plier to get them out after loosening them.) Repeat two more times and you are done, after replacing the plastic cover. Just be careful you don't strip the screws holding the plastic cover down. The screws are going into aluminum in the cam covers.
Once I had replaced the plugs and wires the engine seemed to gain pep, power, and smoothness. Good luck and enjoy..
I picked up my new E320 yesterday and can't begin to tell you how much I love this car. It rides like a cloud, yet handles exceptionally well. Beautiful, very quiet, extremely solid and fun. Some of you in earlier postings were asking about pricing. I leased mine. List price was $54,860. My lease was $2000 total out of pocket (fees, first payment, etc.), and $594/month for 39 months. Probably not a great deal, but it seemed to be the best deal I could find. My car is Pewter with Stone interior, and included the following options:
Navigation
Heated Front Seats
Entertainment Package
Sunroof Package
Rear Seat Package
I really wanted the Rear Seat Package for my trips to Home Depot! The only car I could find in New Jersey with this package had Navigation. I didn't think I'd use the Navigation, but it works well and is fun to use. The best part is that even if you don't have the system activated, it still tells you which street you are on in the multifunction display. Pretty cool.
Overall, this is one great car. I looked at the BMW 5 series (did not care for the interior), the Audi A6 (a nice car but the lease was $780/month) and the new Acura RL (didn't like the ride quality but the interior is gorgeous and nearly everything you can imagine is included).
I do have a few questions about the car and would appreciate your advice:
1. My dealer is including all weather floor mats, and recommended black because he said the beige ones aren't very attractive (a yellow beige). I don't expect any all weather (rubber) floor mat to be that attractive, but does anyone have the MB beige all-weather floor mat and is it really that bad? I think the black might look weird with the stone (light beige) interior.
2. I would like to add the MB Satellite Radio to the car, but the antenna would be an ugly black box on the trunk. Just wondering what other options I have. Would love to integrate it with the display, but I'm sure that won't be possible unless I purchase the MB satellite radio -- expensive at $900.
3. Ditto for cell phones. Has anyone installed an aftermarket cellphone kit? The MB kit is $1000 or so plus some outrageous amount ($2000?) for the cell phone that works with the kit. OUCH!
Any advice on floot mats, satellite radio and cell phone kits would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tony
I own an '03 E500 with a sport package and wonder if I can have the portion of the '05 package that deals with the exhaust installed on my current car as an aftermarket add-on?
Any advice on how I can obtain an answer?
What dealership did you purchase from? Looking for almost identical model, but with the 4matic. Also, what is the mileage allowance on your lease?
As for the phones and sat radio, I'd like to know as well. Thanks.
I got mine at Globe Motors in Fairfield, NJ. They definitely had the best pricing. My mileage allowance is 12,000 per year.
Note that the lease price on the 4matic, even though the car is only $2500 more, was about $250-$300 more per month (around $800-$850 per month). There are no lease specials right now on the 4matic. You'd be better off purchasing a 4matic.
I orignally wanted the 4matic, but couldn't justify another $300/month for it. The regular E320 is awesome in the rain -- I couldn't make the wheels slip today even though I really tried to. I'm sure the 4matic would be better in snow, but the non-4matic version is more fun to drive in most weather. I work from home most of the time, so it's not an issue if it snows. But if you need to drive to work everyday, the 4matic would be better.
I haven't heard anything about the cell phone kits or satellite radio. Have you considered the new Acura RL? It has 4 wheel drive, and all the toys you could want. I didn't like the ride that much (too harsh), and the exterior is boring, but the interior is beautiful and packed with every available option.
Tony
When you say erratic, at what point does that happen?
If the car is sitting at a traffic light it might increase from the engine heat. If it's sitting in the sun, it can go up 30-40 degrees.
Mark
I was looking to get a E320 4matic? Is this a 4matic and who is the dealer?
Thanks/John
jonnywayne@hotmail.com
2. Get the OEM Sirius radio installed. I was one of the 1st to do it. I have the black antenna on the trunk lid. Thats the price you pay for being an early adopter. You will NEVER listen to Broadcast radio again! Think of it as a Badge of Honor. You next car will have the next generation of antenna. This antenna will not hurt your resale value any, since given the choice between 2 cars identical in every way, the next buyer will choose the Satellite equipped car. It will be more mainstream by then anyway.
3. Wait for the '05 MB integrated phone to be available. These cars are not designed to be fooled with by aftermarket people. (Hell, the MB folks have a hard enough time understanding the convoluted German Engineering) You will be opening a can of worms you won't be able to close. I have the '04 w/ MB V60 integrated phone w/ Voice & can tell you it works flawlessly every time. The Voice ID is virtually bullet proof. I only use voice on a certain few numbers, but using the "phone Book" feature is EZ. These are extremely overly complex cars, the less undocumented stuff you do to them, the better.
Have you thought about a C230/C220? The new body style came out in 2002 and I would think the earlier models would run close to $20k or less. To me, even the previous style C-class is nice looking.
You compared the Mercedes to the Lexus in your previous post. Lexus are great cars but just don't have the "look". Even as a Mercedes ages, they seem to get keep their "panache", especially if they are kept clean and waxed regularly.
My old style 1991 560SEL had such a distinctive look. It was 9 years old when I traded it.
Good luck on your search! Mark
Sean, the engine sizes sometimes correspond to the numbers and sometimes they don't. For instance, my friend who bought the 2002 C240, had a 2.6 liter engine. The S600's are actually a 5.8 liter engine. Otherwise, most of the new Mercedes automobiles match the existing badges for engine size.
Before 1994, Mercedes used the "number" in front of the letters. A "300" was the current "E" but might have a 2.6 liter engine. The old "C-class" was the 190e... so, "190" was the designation because it listed an "E" too as the next model above.
If I'm not mistaken (I'm sure someone will correct me), but the letters back then meant either "E" for engine and "D" for diesel. A 500 SEL would be the "class" (and maybe engine size) but the S was the "top of the line" and "E" was for engine, and "L" was for Long wheelbase. Remember the "300 SDL", for the diesel? If the "L" was missing, it was a short wheelbase.
Mark
1997 E320 57K 17,300
1998 E320 66K 17,999
1998 E430 64K 19,350
2000 E320 61K 23,997
2001 E320-4matic 51K 24,990
I wish 2005 E320 1,000Kmiles 53,250
seems a 1998 E320 would be in my range.thanks Sean
Maybe next spring the 2000 or newer "E" can be had for $20,000.
Mark
Other neat upgrades in 2000 were a foolproof trunk remote opener (on my 96, I accidentally opened the trunk instead of the rear window a couple of times; most embarassing while moving!), the tilt down right hand rear view mirror and the 5 speed automatic w/touch shift. I bought a 2001 last April and am still learning about new features/upgrades almost weekly. It is a really significant step up, so if you can wait until they come down to the 20K range, I say wait..
But keep in mind that starting in 98, the "320" is the newer V6, also an improvement over the straight 6. So a 99 should be in your price range right now.
Good hunting..
To get your money out of an extended warranty, you would have to have an unusual breakdown. But, if you absolutely want a warranty, the manufacturers warranty is that way to go.
Mark
As far as reliability the only thing that concerns me is the bad marks they give the C class in electrical system but seems like that would be something figured out early in the cars life. Thanks for talking to me, gotta go to the C class peeps, Let me know what you think about C class MB...later, Sean oh all those Mercedes Holidaycomercials making me more anxious!
As for something to look out for - if the price seem way below market, check the history of the car and, in any event, have an unbiased professional give it a thorough inspection. It's good insurance. If you buy from a dealer with Starmark (warranty) you'll pay extra but this also is good insurance. If not, just be prepared for some unexpected high maintenance cost.
I'm on my second E320 and never regretted the purchase of either. Happy driving in '05.
I understand that it's hard to avoid with wide tires, but can be minimized. Most folks say rotation is the answer, but in my experience that only spreads the scalloping to all four tires. I recently put new tires on my C5 Corvette (which had really bad scalloping on the inside of the front tires) and had it aligned by someone I could talk with. Since I don't flog it much, I don't need all the negative camber up front, so we took most of it out. Your problem is the outer shoulders which could be too much positive camber and/or excessive toe-in. I would suggest you contact an aftermarket Corvette or other specialty car garage (NOT a Chevy or OEM dealer!!!) and get a referral for a place that can set up your MB to your driving habits and check out existing tire wear. A good alignment person will drive your car and talk with you before even putting your car on the rack. We replaced a Catera that ate through tires at an alarming rate with an 04 E320. I've been watching the tires closely and, just to be safe, have been rotating them @ 5k mile intervals as well. And I should heed my own advice and take it in for alignment before a tire problem develops. Good luck.
Vic
So, last week I decided to get an alignment; I had "slightly" side-swiped a curb thinking that's what might have caused the misalignment. Well, under further examination and maximum adjustment on the machine, I needed two bolts per front wheel to maximize adjustment.
The fellow that I have been going to for 20 years for tires, etc., said that all cars have space for the bolts but no car maker includes them. The bolts allow for additional adjustment to the wheel. My front drivers side wheel was ever-so-slightly angled out at the bottom which cause my car to pull right. Once the bolts were installed and adjusted, it goes straight down the road. The bolts were about $15.00 each.
Mark
Not a lot of space or reliability for the money, but hey it's a great advertising billboard for Mercedes.
IMHO:
Just remember, it's how you like the way it drives, how you feel each day, how confident you are in it's ability to deliver you to your destination that matters.
"Status is NOT in the eye of the beholder, it's in the mind of the buyer".
Owning a Benz is a lot like being in the clutches of the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1989. You feel like you are really top dog, what with your investments in your military and resulting swagger. Unfortunately, you are being laughed at by most of the rest of the world because your approach to the market is dated and your product is flakey.