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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

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Comments

  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    donald02, you might want to delete your post after receiving the e-mail. Posting e-mail addresses publicly can result in getting a lot of spam e-mail!

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  • breynolds2breynolds2 Member Posts: 4
    The E is a nice looking car but cheaply made inside and the reliability ratings are not good compared to other luxury cars!
  • chaim3chaim3 Member Posts: 4
    Have a 2000 E320 bought new. At about 56K and 2.5 years into ownership, and YES out of warrenty, my air conditioner was not producing cool air. The re-cycle air button was also stuck in the "on" position. Turned out to need a new evaporator with a repair cost of $3,600!!! Fortunately M-B picked up the labor $2,400 leaving me to pay for the parts $1,200. Aside from some rust forming on the edge of the sunroof, the car at 67K has been OK. I'm just bracing myself for the next malfunction that will border on the absurd regarding cost. For older E's the dealers have realized a gold mine.
  • landinggearlandinggear Member Posts: 22
    My lease comes up in a year and I would very much like to know if the 2003 has GPS (Command?) available as an option. I'm NOT referring to Tele-Aid but to the system a la Magellan, in which you input a destination and the computer gives you a moving map and voice prompts to guide you there.

    If this is not now available as an option, does anyone know if it will be on the 2004 or 2005 models?
  • merrelmerrel Member Posts: 45
    Have my new E320 for 49 weeks and this Tel-Aid expires in 3 more weeks. I am not renewing. Don't use it and don't buy the idea that if you need it once, it's worth it. Carry a cell phone. For $240 per year I can go to the Palm restaurant almost 3 times and enjoy myself more. I called Tel Aid once for directions and they wanted $3.50. Are they kidding?
  • boo20boo20 Member Posts: 85
    The 2003 E class has a CD ROM based navigation system (as an option). This is one area where MB has lagged behind the competition. For 2004 it will be DVD based and you will not have to swap out CDs as you travel.

    merrel: agree that Teleaid is a ripoff. After the free first year I stopped the service. Many other people were commenting about this when it was first introduced in the 2000 model year. It's worth maybe $100 a year at the most IMO.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,497
    the above comments on the (monetary) value of Tel-aid and On-Star. If one is heaven-for-bid in an accident where the airbag deploys, the service will notify the authorities of the occurence, location, etc. This is perhaps its only value. It's like insurance, a tremendous expense and there if you need it, but not comprehensively or exhaustively complete. For making calls and reservations, I also much prefer the cell phone.

    When I used the service to call about warning lights going off on a DTS Cadillac I once had, they told me..."to consult with my authorized dealer" about it.....no dah! The service IS worth about $5-10 per month and should be included during the 4yr. warranty period with the E-class IMO.
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    To those of you who e-mailed me on how to purchase a new Mercedes, I apologize for taking so long. You see, we had a hurricane here on the east coast last thursday which shut off my power until just a few minutes ago. I'll respond to your e-mails by tomorrow noon.

    Don
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    The next time you are at your MB dealership (this probably is an all too frequent occurrence) ask the dealer-principal to read his current copy of Automotive News. You know the one that your "sales consultant" should be reading but it cuts into his free time ...This $5 per copy weekly is the bible of the industry and is the furthest thing from a consumer report magazine or a buff book.

    Ask for this week's (September 15) issue. The Page One lead article is "Bugs Bite Mercedes Quality". According to the article "This is the first time Mercedes-Benz has acknowledged the wide spread quality problems." The article goes on about a 2000 vehicle buy back of E class vehicles, M-B's ranking Number 15 (BELOW Chevy) in the JD Powers 90 Day Initial Quality Study, etc. etc.

    M-Bs Joachim Schmidt, head of worldwide sales isn't upset. "We have problems but ...we are very successful in terms of sales and we are very successfull in terms of brand awareness." Later he says "Our image is great". Fantastic he seems to be implying. As long as we can pump these units out to gullible nouveaus, we're all set.

    Gee, it seems to me that to plunk down the cash (or, more likely, to sign the lease documents) to get into one of these things is beginning to sound like Not A Good Idea. And to do this for "status" reasons? Might as well put a bullseye on your chest as a "fish" easily taken by the fake-rolex crowd offerring off shore tax shelters, resort time shares, and unregulated hedge funds (sorry about the oxymoron).
  • landinggearlandinggear Member Posts: 22
    What month does MB generally release the new E-class?
  • landinggearlandinggear Member Posts: 22
    I have one year left on the lease of my Mercedes Benz E-320. At what point should I start looking at for a new car at the dealer?

    I figure the possibilities might be either a leftover 2004 or a new 2005.

    Any thoughts on this subject will be appreciated as this is my first car leasing experience.
  • boo20boo20 Member Posts: 85
    I think that the new Es come out in October.

    blockislandguy: I remember visiting an MB dealership in the early 90's when they were losing money and getting their butts kicked by Lexus. The dealer at the time told me "do you really think that this is going to continue? MB is the greatest car company in the world and has been in operation for 100 years. They won't allow this to continue."

    And, sure enough, they changed their model lineup and are now selling more cars and making more money than ever, criticism from nonowners (and some owners) notwithstanding. MBs main problem with their cars is a lack of consistancy in reliability. As they are spending a billion dollars a year repairing these cars under warranty I'm sure they will soon do something to change this.
  • pathdocpathdoc Member Posts: 126
    I am not in the Auto field and subscribe to Automobile News out of interest. I could not believe the comments made (see #5255 above)in the article blaming all their problems on electrical glitches due to their desire to be at the forefront of technology. I have had numerous Mercedes and still have an older 500SL,560SEC and 560SL as well as a 99S500. I made the mistake of getting a 430 ML in 1998 and that was the most troublesome vehicle I have ever owned. When I got rid of it last year it still was a rattle trap since they could never fix all of the build issues. I currently have an XKR that has been virtually trouble free. I am thinking about upgrading the S but would have to see an increase in reliabilty.I think they have more than just a reliabilty problem with electronics. P.S.( I just had the door handle of the S500 come off in my hand and last year my wife had to replace the transmission in her 35,000 mile E320 station wagon).
  • buster6buster6 Member Posts: 134
    I read on another site that MB just announced a new "hidden incentive" on 03 E class cars. The edmunds incentive page does not reflect this info, does anyone know what the amount is or how long it runs?

    Thanks
  • ong2000ong2000 Member Posts: 19
    cdbry:

    Thanks for your response! You told me that you got bad experience from Fairfield Mercedes Benz, could you tell me more specific? How good is the after sales service at this place?

    The salesman at Mercedes Benz of Greenwich looks ok too me, I met him last week, but I heard their after sales service is bad, which is very important to me.

    Other Benz dealer in Fairfield county would be in Danbury, which I didn't visit yet.
     
    I want to buy a 2004 E320 with a good & honest sales & service before and after the sales. Still undecided in this matter. Any advise from anybody out there?
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    Congrats to pathdoc. I get a kick out of the fact that at least one other non-automotive retailer type besides myself reads the Automotive News. At $135 a year it ain't cheap but you do keep current in the field. Kind of like his M-B dealer reading JAMA (Journal of the American Association) if he wanted to keep up with what pathdoc was up to!

    But that raises another subject; why are automotive retail types so poorly read? Most salesman don't even read their trades -Ward's Dealer Business, etc., let alone general business magazines or even their regional ones (e. g., Boston Business, Maine Biz) from which they could pick up leads.
  • pathdocpathdoc Member Posts: 126
    Thanks for the complement. I read numerous auto magazines because I love autos and have a passion for the hobby. I think many (most) auto sales personnel could care less about cars except to make a living. They could just as well be selling appliances. I know a local exotic used car dealer who told me that to him they were just used cars and had no special meaning. I will often visit a car dealership out of interest to look at a new model and am appalled at how little the sales person knows about his product not to mention the competition. If I play dumb but ask incisive questions I am amazed at the uninformed answers I get.
  • clemboclembo Member Posts: 253
    The Navigation system on the 2003 E Class is not CD ROM it is DVD. I have had my car with the Navigation system for two months now. It is a replacement car as my first car could not be retrofitted for the NAV system as originally promised. At least MB took care of the situation properly with giving new cars to the people like me who were affected.

    The NAV system is very good, not as easy to use as some others (Acura, Lexus) but it does have good features for finding places in unfamilar cities and it is much better than the older CD based system.
  • wolverine11wolverine11 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know if the 2004 E320 is going to become an E350 with higher displacement? I heard this from a dealer today but can't verify it. Also, has the problem with brakes been fixed during the 2003 production yr or was it put off till 2004?
  • ong2000ong2000 Member Posts: 19
    wolverine11:
    I asked the same questions to a dealer in CT too, and he said that he will know within a week, at the same time he pointed out the ML 350 for 2004, with an engine size of 3,724.
    Go to the MB USA website for this engine spec.
  • ggaraiggarai Member Posts: 1
    I've been reading a lot of posts about NAV system, electrical Gremlins, other issues with the 2003 E Class. Does anyone know whether in the second year of production these problems will have been fixed?
  • ong2000ong2000 Member Posts: 19
    Edsoto,

    what we have experienced with our C320 2001 at the MB Greenwich:

    1. We need 3 weeks in advance to make appointment for the first service for oil change and we don't get a loaner car, because you need to reserve the loaner car at least 4/5 weeks in advance. Thats what they say at the time I call for a service appointment. Is this normal ?

    2. Steering wheel off center. They said they will fix it the next time I bring the car for service, they said it's just a small job. I trust them, and I brought the car 13 months later to the dealer for fixing the steering wheel, odometer was around 9000 miles. Brought the car Friday morning, no loaner car, get the car back on Saturday, they need 2 days for doing it?

    The bad thing is that they want to charge me a couple hundreds dollar for doing the job because I brought the car 1 month too late " for adjustment you should bring the car within a year". I explained to the service guy that the steering was off from day one I got the car, but he won't give up. After I complain with the service manager, then they waved the charge.

    I observed that their service area is too small, so they can't accommodate enough cars for service.
    On the other side they are selling the new MB a lot its like "selling hotdog".

    After sales service is important if you get a car with problems. Shouldn't happen to MB.
  • EdsotoEdsoto Member Posts: 42
    Well, at MB Greenwich, I did have to wait for an appointment.

    At MB Manhattan, the wait is about 2 weeks. When I was there last (Early July), MB Manhattan said that they no longer take drive ins - You MUST schedule an appointment. Ugh.

    The Steering issue was the worst - but more attitude than problem. If they showed that they cared and couldn't fix it, I would have been upset, but not angry. MB Manhattan at least seems like they care somewhat about your happiness.

    And thats why I bought the car to begin with!

    (PS- Where did my posts go???)
  • r1_97r1_97 Member Posts: 181
    have to put up with this poor service.
  • EdsotoEdsoto Member Posts: 42
    I kept a cool head at MB Greenwich: Even though I was thinking of making a scene at each of these visits, I didn't. Knowing what I know now, even though I got a good price for my 2002 E320 from them, I should have known you get what you pay for! I would have paid the extra $2000 or so and purchased the vehicle directly from Manhattan MB (Thats another story).

    I felt that MB Greenwich just didn't care. I brought the car there about 5 times:
    1st: No car wash. Service Rep said sorry. Other cars did that got picked up that day did get washed.
    2nd: Service Rep: "This will get fixed on Friday." Friday came and went, so my Saturday morning was spent at the dealer.
    3rd: Same visit as above (Problem not resolved): I wanted PHONE menu to show up. Mechanic says sure, it takes 5 minutes. Some how, I ended up waiting until he got back from lunch to this 5 minute job). It is only my time.
    4th: The steering was off on the car. SIMPLE: Star on steering wheel at 80 - the car drives straight. I was told for about 5 miles of driving with a mechanic that it was the crown on the road, the cars don't drive themselves, Tire pressure, blah, blah, blah. I wish I taped all of this! This mechaninc did not want to admit there was a problem. (MB Manhattan finally fixed this). MOST ANNOYING THING - It took 3 visits before I gave up!
    5th: 2 out of the 5 loaner cars were from the rental place across the street. This is after having your name on the reservation list.

    I thought the nice guy approach would have helped me along. That if I didn't complain loudly, that I would get treated well. Boy, was I wrong with that approach!
  • EdsotoEdsoto Member Posts: 42
    Also, the time with the finance guy should have told me something is amiss after the sale!

    He gave me a list of 'after-sale' options to buy (Radar detector, car detailing, etc) from a Xerox copy that must have been through the copier a thousand times (Very blotchy, not lined up). This came across as very tacky.

    Also, at the time, from the finance guy's desk area, you could see all of the salespeople's sales on a wall. Tacky!

    Then the extended-warranty discussion came into play... All I had to ask was "If the cars are that good, then why do I need an extended warranty..." Conversation did not go that well after that.

    Needless to say, I was with the finance guy for a total of about 3 minutes!

    Watch out.
  • cdbrycdbry Member Posts: 3
    I didn't mean to bring any negativity to this discussion about dealerships in CT.
    I don't want to get into any details (Mercedes is fully aware of what happened) except to repeat to you, if you're looking for a dealership that you CAN'T trust, you now know where to go, from my last message to you.
    I'm sure that you will choose the right dealer to buy from, since you are taking your time with the research.
    Best of luck to you!
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Of course there's the option that you can buy a car that's put together right when it leaves the factory and stays that way while you own it.

    Being in 15th place reliability-wise means that you have lotsof choices above MB. This helps you avoid the dealership issues.
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    Footie, you just don't get it and never will. People don't buy (correction, LEASE) these things because they are good cars and a value for the money. In fact by all empirical measures, they aren't. Nooo, signing paper for one of these indicates that you are of a different social order than the rest of us. With a lot more discretionary time during the business day to visit a MB service department than a serious person really has.

    While the Germans are laughing all the way to the bank, the MB driver's employer/employees/vendors/clients/customers/patients/etc. are just LOL at the insecurities expressed in such a move.
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    I agree that if you're looking for a very reliable car you don't look at MB. But if you're looking for a durable car that will still look and run good when it has much more than 100K miles on it, then MB qualifies. In my humble personal opinion, the difference between reliability and durability is how much the repairs cost as a percentage of the current value of the car. Since the MB cars start life as expensive toys, it usually makes sense to repair them until they are really old and worn out. That isn't true for many of the inexpensive cars on the market.

    I'm not a card carrying member of the "different social order" (higher?) and therefore my current E320 may be the one and only MB I ever own because I am now retired and unless my investments skyrocket back to where they were 3 years ago, I'm doomed to own a lower strata car in the future. But I bought the 96 E320 (exactly 5 years ago today, by the way!) for it's ride, handling, solidity, and perceived durability. It's been a great ride so far (125K miles) but not without some expenses for repairs. And MANY sets of front brake pads.!!

    Given the recent apparent decline in quality, if I were to have the funds, I may opt for something other than MB, something that is nearly as solid and luxurious and much more reliable. Even though I have the free time, I don't want to waste it in the MB service department.
  • cartesiocartesio Member Posts: 36
    It's easy to see where you are coming from. Our experience (2002 E320, 2003 Jaguar S-type) has been quite the opposite of "conventional wisdom."
    The MB has had annoying habits, one of which (but not the only one) is an uncorrectable lurch when slowing down at, say, a stop sign. The Jag, on the other hand, has been smooth and perfect. Both have about the same one-year mileage.

    There seem to be real reasons for the realignment of marques in quality surveys!

    Happy motoring...
  • houstonmerchoustonmerc Member Posts: 65
    Can the E500 be ordered with integrated phone (Motorola)? This is shown as an option but I thought there was some problem with the 2003's with getting the phone. Thanks.
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Just to get the auto industry's take on the inside story of the issues bedeviling MB go see Detroit News autoinsider today...

    "The recent launches of the E-Class sedan and Maybach super-limo have not offset a 26 percent drop in M-Class SUV sales, a 15 percent drop in sales of C-Class cars and a 31 percent drop in sales of the C-Class sport coupe worldwide."
     
    Merging with Chrysler has really put a damper on MB's ability to deal with it's own problems..
     
    Per the DETnews article "Publicly, Mercedes executives say their plans have not been affected by Chrysler's cash burn -- estimated by analysts at more than $1 billion this year. But privately, executives say Mercedes is slowing down technological innovation, its hallmark for the past century."

    Tick ... tock ...
  • blockislandguyblockislandguy Member Posts: 336
    Microrepair, nice post. This may surprise you, but I agree with you completely and think that you have the right idea. For someone like you who is probably driving relatively fewer miles per year than before you retired, a well maintained, well broken-in MB is a thing of joy. Keep it well maintained (Mobil 1, synthetic ATF, maybe even Blizzak tires come winter) and you'll have a lot of fun. (Keep it well waxed and it should even attract some ladies.)

    This is IMHO a much better alternative than the Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car which seem to appeal to a lot of retired people. Not only is one paying for a tremendous depreciation hit but to me it would be psychologically painful to have to put maintenance money into one. Not so with a MB that you had some history on and wasn't being driven 20K per year.Finally, after working all your life, to have to drive around in a car with a padded (Landau is it called?) roof doesn't do justice to the effort you put in. Your MB sounds like a well cared for English shotgun that you don't to have to use hard every day.
  • EdsotoEdsoto Member Posts: 42
    For whatever reason, my 2002 E320 - with all of her service visits so far (there has been a few too many), is my 'Gullwing' and all the fantasies that go with it.

    The MB "Timeless" commercial is the perfect example of the allure of these cars: It starts and ends on a Hollywood backdrop... you can take it from there ;)

    If my car lasts about 12 years, it paid off. Figuring that I would have purchased 2, 25 to 30 grand cars in that timeframe.

    One thing to remember is that, as in any big company, each MB car is unique to its owner, but just a model number to its manufacturer. I see an individual "My Gullwing...", they see trends with model W210...
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I called my dealership today and was told that an E-class turbodiesel will be available in the US sometime this coming spring/summer. Supposedly an E320 turbodiesel; although I thought I had seen previously that they were looking to bring the E270cdi over.

    Anyone heard anything?

    Also, for any 1998/1999 E300 turbodiesel owners out there: how has your ownership experience been? Repairs/maintenance costs? Problems? Would you get another?
  • msgreenmsgreen Member Posts: 67
    have heard rumors of either a 3.5L or 3.7L V6 possibly for the '05 model year. Anyone have anything more definitive?
  • merckxmerckx Member Posts: 565
    Glad to hear from you...keep the Benz posts comming. I wish you still had your Catera;you added a lot to that board.
    Happy Motoring,Indeed!
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    Have an opportunity to purchase a Starmark 2000 E320 with 41000 miles, Moon roof, Bose Stereo, and heated seats for 36400. Is this a good price? Trying to get into the luxury market and do not like the new BMW 5 series. Seems high for a 4 year old car with only 1 month left on the original 4/50 warranty. Very clean car, but if purchased what should I expect to go wrong? Scott
  • cduongcduong Member Posts: 70
    This should be less than 30K to be reasonable
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    Have an opportunity to purchase a Starmark 2000 E320 with 41000 miles, Moon roof, Bose Stereo, and heated seats for 36400. Is this a good price? Trying to get into the luxury market and do not like the new BMW 5 series. Seems high for a 4 year old car with only 1 month left on the original 4/50 warranty. Very clean car, but if purchased what should I expect to go wrong? Scott
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    Would you go with the extended warranty?
  • EdsotoEdsoto Member Posts: 42
    Did you know that with cars, the individual parts of the cars are worth more than the car itself? And that does not include labor costs to install those parts...

    So - Warranty is everything! I have an extended warranty with my insurance company and that is the only thing that gives me piece of mind later on.

    Get the Warranty. All you to hear is that this small part costs a thousand to repair and fix (not under warranty)!!!
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    If that car were for sale here in New England, Edmunds says it would have a dealer sticker of $33,811 with the Starmark warranty. 41,000 miles is just about right for a "normal" mileage; seeing as it is nearly 4 years old.

    I did a quick search of all dealers within 100 miles of me and cars roughly comparable in mileage are advertised at $32,900 to $38,000. Some have heated seats, others have Timeport; all have moonroof and tele-aid.

    The price your dealer is asking would be excellent if you can talk them into extending the Starmark for an additional 2 years.. For a total coverage of 59,000 miles and 37 months. When I bought mine (2 years old exactly to the day) I opted not to get an additional year on the Starmark. I ended up with 62,000 miles and 3 years and the time ran out before the mileage did. Fortunately, nothing serious happened between 85,000 and 100,000 miles so it paid off for me to avoid the extra $900 or so for the extra year. But it's a gamble you might not want to take especially having only 13 months of coverage. At 76,000 miles MB paid for all new bushings in the front end, (shocks, sway bar, tie rod ends, etc.) which would have cost me about $1000... And replaced the outside mirror switch in the console at 82,000, probably another $150 or so.
  • merrelmerrel Member Posts: 45
    I have a 2003 E320 sedan with regular factory installed headlights. These are NOT HID, NOT ZENON and not the up-graded blue's. Sylvania sells aftermarket H7 bulbs which they claim are brighter than regular-type factory installed bulbs for about $14 per, $28 pair. Anyone have experience with these H7's? Do they work? Are they brighter? Please RSVP your answer to: [email protected]. Many thanks. PS- I rarely use the EXTRA brights.
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    This is a great board, what I've learned here over the last few days is that I can expect major headaches with an E series. Even the new models have major issues! I am a Military Officer and travel extensively, I cannot afford to have the car breaking down. I am not independently wealthy, I live on a Federal salary and have three kids. I love the looks of this MB E320 and I always wanted a MB or BMW. So, I called Acura today to get the latest on the new TL ($33,000). This Starmark MB E320 asking price is 36400, which car would work for me?
  • pathdocpathdoc Member Posts: 126
    Although I am a Mercedes enthusiast and currently have five MB's and belong to the MB club in your circumstance I would recommend the Acura. I have friend who has a 3-4 year old 3.2 TL and it has been pretty trouble free except for an intermittent squeak. I think the dealer experience and sales experience with Acura is inferior to MB but that can vary by dealer.
    You didn't mention what year the MB is which is crucial since in the last few years the first couple years of a new model have been troublesome.
  • hewokkahewokka Member Posts: 1
    I'm considering buying a 1998 E320 from a dealer. It is immuaculate inside and out. Has 56,000 miles, blue opal color. Dealer offering 100 mile warranty and asking $27,500. Should I do this?
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    I put year 2000 in the subject. So, the Acura is the way to go, I think you're right! I love the classic lines of this car and the interior is so beautiful, but I can't afford to be in the dealer all the time. I drive a Honda Accord now with 150K and I can count on one hand the amount of times I had to go to the dealer other than normal service. I am 46, and I want my next car to be entry luxury at least!
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    The TL and the Lexus ES300 are competitive choices. You should go drive the Lexus also.

    Here in Boston you can buy either of these cars for $500 or less over invoice. NOBODY pays sticker.

    This and their very, very low problem levels is one of the reasons why they are such great values compared to a MB.

    Most Lexus and Acura go well into the hundreds of thousands of miles with nothing like MB maintenance issues and remain every bit as solid and great driving.

    My mother-in-law drove her Acura legend to 258,000 miles before passing it to her grandson. My sister has had back to back Acura's - Legend and RL - 160K on the former and in the 80's now on the latter. No problems like you hear here on the MB boards.

    Enjoy your choices. If you want something sporty and fun to drive, try the G35 from Infiniti. It's all grins and very comfortable. Infiniti shows up right behind Lexus in the low defect, long durability championship. MB is 15th.

    Good shopping.
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