Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

dennett

No third seat, check the new Autoweek, it has a 1 page article on it. It's about the size of a 3 series wagon, the E wagon is way roomier inside but also much more expensive.

44264

1. One click from SmartKey unlocks all doors or driver's door only? Your choice - can be programmed to the two individuals keys separately.

2. Do you like the headlights to stay on after you have taken the key out? (I don't). Even if you do, you can program the number of seconds to have it stay on.

3. Do you like the radio to get louder automatically when you speed up? I don't and had this feature disabled.

4. If your garage door doesn't have the rolling code feature, you can bring the garage door opener and have them program it for you, saving your headache.

5. If you're lazy, you can get them to properly program to your liking the auto-dipping right exterior mirrow when the car is in reverse.

That's all I can think of for now..

sshowitt

Take the car outside to look at the body, in the showroom the lights can hide flaws. Look at each body panel, mirrors and glass for any scratches.
Look over all the interior panels and seats for any cuts in the leather. I say this because once you drive it off the lot, any cosmetic flaws are ususally yours. When we recently purchased a new ML430, I noticed a scratch in the center console wood as well as a small cut in the lower dash panel. I pointed this out and the dealer ordered the parts and set up a repair date, no problem

merrick2

I'm ready to buy an -class unless a change is coming for 2002. Does anyone know what's coming next year? Would appreciate knowing before I invest in a car that will be obsolete next year . Thanks merrick2

livetodrive

My dealer told me the new 2003 E-Class will be introduced in Europe in the Spring of 2002, and in the US in the Fall 2002. By scrolling up to previous posts, you will find links to websites referring to the new body style. The current model was modernized for the model year 2000, and so has most, if not all the features found in the new C class, and many features of the new S Class.

By the way, the E-Class doesn't become obsolete. Like fine wine, I hope the one I ordered but have not yet picked up will age gracefully.

imdad

Folks, need feedback on using the right cloth material to wipe my Black E2001. Every time I wipe water marks or dust using "soft" mateial towel, I end scratching the paint. Thanks for the help.

mbdriver

Just returned from a week's vacation involving a road trip in my '00 E320 on interstate highways. Several experiences are worth sharing.

First, the groaning sound in the steering that started two or three weeks ago has completely disappeared. I did nothing to correct the situation except to drive the car. Has anyone else had a similar development?

Second, at an almost steady 80 mph, I was pleasantly surprised that I averaged 28 miles per gallon of fuel! The odometer just turned 5000 miles, and I plan to change to Mobil 1 soon.

Finally, the multiple coats of Zaino on the brilliant silver paint worked wonders. I ran through several rain storms and had to leave the car outside every night (it's garaged at home). Except for the build up of brake dust on the wheels, the car still looks like it was just washed. The water beaded beautifully and seemed to slide off. BTW, the windshield wiper worked perfectly -- no streaks or smears.

This is by far the finest automobile I've ever owned or driven!

parfive1

Here's the latest on my groaning wheel.
1. Took it in the first time..they lubricated the boot. Didn't fix it.
2. Second time...they modified the boot. Worked for a few days, then the groan came back.
3. Third time...they replaced the clock? glock? spring (whatever that is) for the SRS in the steering wheel. It's been four days, no groans yet. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

livetodrive

OK, I'll bring a cd to check our the cd player. I was thinking of Janis Joplin (Oh Lord, won't you buy me... a Mercedes Benz)!

microrepair

If the spy shot link in #`1147 is an accurate photo of the 2002/3 E-class, I may replace my 96 with the last "old" style 2002 avaiilable. The new style looks like a 94 Mustang... Ugh...

dcman2

folks,

I am mulling over a purchase of current year E320. I saw a couple of posts in the past that indicated that MB will be offering a 5k discount starting in June in view of the upcoming changes for 02 model year. I also saw another post that indicated that dealerships in San Diego already started offering a 3k dicount. Can someone confirm this? I am in the DC area. Any info you provide will be appreciated. If the discount is real, I can wait a little longer-not necessarily in a hurry to get one. Thanks.

johnny2000

I live in the Los Angeles Area (South Bay) and a local MB dealer has informed me about the discount on the current E Class model line. The discount is $500 to $1000 off Invoice. The E 55 AMG is excluded from such a deal.

The discount can go up to $5 to $6 k depending on your option packages. Also if one wants to get the COMMAND center it won't cost more that invoice which is $1355 instead of the MSRP of $2195.

The question though remains : Is it worth it considering that the newer model will have:

* curved roofline
* lowered front end
* rear end and dashboard a la S class
* stretched wheelbase
* increased cabin space
* improved ride quality
* electrohydrolic brake system
* Active Body Control (ABC)a la cl class
* Airmatic suspension system
* knee airbags...total of 12
* option of 6 spd manual
* front end resembles that of bmw and lexus

food for thoughts....cheers

yahoo2

In reference to item 3, Mobil 1 0W40 or 15W50, why and what are the differences between these two? Also, since dealer specifies 15k oil changes (I do them every 5k) will syn. oil at 5k intervals lengthen life?

If this has been discussed already can someone please point the way.

On a different note, based on info here and other research I ordered Philips Vision Plus H7 and Premium H1 today from fosmo.com. Not a bad deal at $80 for 2 pairs of H7 and 1 pair of H1. The stores here in Los Angles have PIAA H7 at $150 per pair. Looking forward to seeing the difference.

Thanks for info

rowlandj

Would you be so kind as to put up your results of the light changeover. I am considering the same combination and I would appreciate your opinion.

On another matter, are things like the pressure bleeding of the brake system and other types of maintenance included in the free maintenance program. Or is it just the A and B items that are covered?

Thanks to all for an interesting board.

drew_

Mobil 1 0W40 is usually not available except in MB dealerships that are located in colder parts of North America; it is not available in auto parts stores. Mobil 1 15W50 is good to -39 degrees Celcius, so it should more than surfice for most people.

A 5K change is absolutely unnecessary (and a waste of money, IMHO) since synthetic oil does not break down like normal mineral oil does. Changing to synthetic every 5K will make a negligable difference in engine life. You should watch the FSS counter as to when you should go in for a service, and not simply what your dealership tells you (i.e. 15K). Besides, all '00 and newer US MB vehicles will get synthetic oil as part of the free 4 years of scheduled maintenance.

drew_

drew_

Please join us in our inaugural MB Tuesdays chat tonight at 6-7pm Pacific. All MB owners and fans/enthusiasts are welcome to drop by. Don't miss it, it should be great!

Click on the link below to get to the chat:
/direct/view/.eea6e59


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

andrew36

I have a 'oo Mercedes E320 with RWD. It is Obsidian Black with a charcoal interior. It is really hard to keep the black clean but I don't mind b/c I am a car enthusiast and I really don't drive it much at all. (I got it last March and I have only 3,500 miles!) It is SUCH a waste.
However, I would like to keep it in superb condition b/c I might as well.
- Is it really necessary to wax the car? (b/c it has the factory clear-coat)
- After I wax it once, do I have to wax it again every time I wash it?
- I know pretty much all of you will reccomend Zaino, but what else is there that is good?
- What other procedures must I take to ensure that this car stays like new?
Thank you VERY much in advance -
- Hank

vs4

I have few questions on E430:

1. Could some one provide me with Invoice price of Special Option package.

2. Invoice price of Parktronic

3. Dealer is quoting me $2550 for 8 years/100K premium warranty. Can I get better deal than this, please provide contact information.

4. I have ordered E430 with Xenon lights, can the dealer install daytime running lights on this? secondly if yes, can he do that without voiding the Manufacturer's warranty.

Thanks in advance.

drew_

Just a reminder that the MB chat starts in about 20 minutes. See you there:

/direct/view/.eea6e59

phatwheels

Hey DCMan2, I just purchased a 2001 E430 Sport from a DC. metro dealer at $100 below invoice. I also purchased the staggered 18' monoblock wheel package ( a $2500 upgrade if ordered from the factory) for $1400, a total savings of $5200. I pick the car up Friday as they are awaiting delivery of the wheels. My sense is that because I purchased a car from them last year, it was the end of the month, and the car had been sitting on their lot for a while, they were just as motivated as I was to do a deal.

jimc14

We have a 2001 E430 sport with less than 1000 miles but I am interested in learning how the computer is trained to insure top performance after proper breakin. Any direct help or referances would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Jim

cartesio

Just a bit of physics here: -40 C and -40 F are the same temperature, coincidentally. Therefore, if an oil is good to -39 C, it is actually good to (approximately) -39 F also.
So much for the lesson!
Happy motoring...

drew_

Now that I didn't know. Thanks for the info!

drew_

Thanks for dropping by everyone, and making our first ever MB Tuesdays chat so successful. I learnt a few things tonight, most notably about the MB phones and voice recognition.

Hope to see you all again on Friday in the Fridays Freeways chat, or in next Tuesday's Edmunds.com Editors and MB chats.


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

sshowitt

vs4, go to my profile and e-mail me, i can hook you up with a dealer that discounts the warranty.

jures

drew, are the mb chats being recorded in an area that we who could not attend be able to access when we have the time? this would be a good thing to keep for a week, then over write it when the next chat occurred. thanks roger

stevejjjjj

I know that they are made of high performance and luxury cars but don't you think that Mobil 1 15w-50 is too "thick"? I use 5w-30 as recommended in the manuals.

Steve

pompano73

Hey guys, I have had my 01 E320 for about a week now, and I regret not getting the phone with voice command. The dealer wants to charge me $2,400 installed. I don't want to pay that, do I have any alternatives(aftermarket product elsewhere) that would be comprable or should I bite the bullet and just get the package? Any help would be great.

stevejjjjj

Brought in my '00 E320 to dealer today about clock running 3 or so minutes behind every month. Dealer ordered a new instrument cluster and will bill MB parts and labor of +/- $2000. Ouch!!! I am most concern with rattle in the dashboard once this new unit is installed. If that was the case I rather living with the fact that the clock needs to be adjusted every month. Dealer assured me that no rattles will occur. What more can I say about my dealer's service?

macbest

What I would say about your dealer's service is this is how they make their money. This has happened to me a number of times where something small to be fixed under warranty ends up being incredibly expensive because of what they end up replacing. What concerns me is the cost that this ends up costing the cars overall. Mind you, I don't blame the consumer, we just want our car to be "right", but these expensive fixes have to be paid by the consumer, ultimately.

I have noticed that a certain dealer in the bay area seems to take a complaint by the customer and then does other things that are not specifically requested. I saw this by mistake when the sheet that goes to the on site warranty person stated things like "the customer has been complaining that this isn't right and wants it fixed". I never complained about this particular fix at all!

To me, the service department makes a TON of money by charging MB for sometimes, unwanted and uneeded fixes.

Is MB oblivious to this?

sshowitt

Macbest, remember that the dealer does indeed get rembursed by the factory, also the mechanics get paid on a job basis, so by adding on the work, the mechanic is happy, the dealer is happy, more sales and keeps the personal busy and in the end the customer is happy that he gets things fixed without a hassle. In the end as you say, we all ultimately pay for it. I look at it as if they had put it together right originally, they would not have to pay alot more to get it right later, thats what a warranty is all about, which is figured into the price of the car anyways. imho

c320buyer

Does Comand give you voice control for the radio and cd without the phone option installed

bad10

I have a set of original MB 16" chrome wheels off my e420 that I would like to sell. The rims and tires only have 10K miles on them and are perfect. The tires are michelin MXV's. Anyone that might be interested can e-mail me at BAD10@pacbell.net. I am in the San Diego area. Thanks

dman12

I have an '01 e430 w/ 18k miles, and today both of these warning lights/messages went on as I pulled into a somewhat steep driveway.

I went into the parking lot, shut off the car, and turned it back on a few minutes later. These lights/messages didn't come back on after I did this and haven't come on since. I didn't notice anything different about the brakes or steering before or after the lights came on, so I'm wondering if the computer just had a glitch of some kind. The car also handled fine when I drove it later.

Has this happened to anyone before? Also, should I take it to the shop immediately?

Thanks.

taison

It happened to me once and I did the same thing as you. I pulled over, turned the car off and then turned it back on a few minutes later. I have not seen the warning lights come on since and that was one year ago.

bargamon

you mentioned you pulled into a steep drive. If you were going down and stopped hard, or the tires slipped even slightly on gravel or sand, the computer must have sensed the car was doing something extreme, and did what it was supposed to.

I don't think it was a misfire, but instead it was looking out for you. These cars are smarter than we are!

peterd320

dman12 & taison, I have a 00 E320 with 10.5K, last year the same thing happened to me twice, both times I was going down a steep grade that was slippery and was keeping light pressure on the brake pedal to keep the car moving slow, and the warnings came on at the bottom of the grade, both times I notified the dealer right away, the first time they check the system and found it OK, by the second time they had similar complaints from other customers and they just replaced the ESP control unit, so far so good, both times the car felt OK (brakes), the dealer said if I had a real problem with the system, the warning lights would not clear when the car was re-started. Enjoy the car, it a fine automobile.

Pete.

mbdriver

If you're asking whether COMAND allows you to control the radio and CD player with voice commands (without the phone option), the answer, I believe, is a flat "NO! If I'm wrong, I've missed using that capability for almost a year in my '00 E320. BTW, I've never regretted getting COMAND. It's helped me get oriented on several occasions (I never get completely lost!).

drew_

...starts in less than 15 minutes (5-6pm Pacific/8-9pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/freewaychat.html


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

beecee21

After months and months of setbacks, I finally got the correct retrofit kit for my 2000 e320. I was wondering if anyone has completed this install? If so, are there any suggestions you could make?
Thank you

dman12

Thanks for the feedback guys. It would be great if my car had warning lights for crappy stock picks. Or my portfolio had an airbag.

Thanks again.

D.

acorby

Hello,

After reading this board for some time and learning alot I have started the purchase process for an 2001 E430 RWD. I have been able to negotiate down to Invoice ($52200) by email for the car I want (Silver/Ash E430 w/E2 and heated seats) with 3 dealers.

My question is - I have read a lot about the pending discounts for the 2001 E class models, as much as $5000 off MSRP and/or 1000+ off invoice. Is there an exact time when this promotion is going to start?

This would take my price down to $50,500. I don't want to make a $2000 mistake if this promotion is going to start soon.

Thanks in advance,

Alex

ricripp

Ale,

Even with a miss on the additional $2K, realize that it was not long ago that there was no negotiation. I paid full MSRP for my 430 sport (less than a year ago) and trips to multiple dealers did not change the price tag.

Good luck on getting the lowest price possible - you will be satisfied with this awesome vehicle.

macbest

Can you tell us the three dealers names and or email addresses. At that price, I'd like to inquire also. Thanks!

bargamon

prices may drop, but what may happen as stocks drop is the color and equipment you want may not be their when that happens. Alot of times the leftover stock is highly equip cars that dont move because of 60k stickers on them, and have undesirable colors, or combos. The 430 is also not produced in the numbers of the 320, thus limiteding your choices further. Does not mean you get lucky. I think a small diff in price vs what you really want is not a big deal. I have the exact car you are looking at. Wait 2 weeks till end of month and I bet they take another 1k off. You need to call the bluff and walk away. Also depends on trade in issue.

I have almost 4k on mine, and love the car! Good luck!

acorby

The dealers most willing to deal are in Arizona. Schumacher and Phoenix were both at invoice for the car. Denver as well - but they only have the black interior color combination.

Selection is not a problem - my local dealer's lot is jammed with E classes - I counted over 45 E320s and 9 E430s and that was only in the front lot.

Ricripp - I did run into MSRP in two of my inquiries, I guess it just depends on the dealer.

I think in this price range a lot of people are going to wait for the new model. Personally I like this body and by now they have almost all the niggles worked out. Figure I will look at the new one in 4-5 years.

Has anyone on the board actually seen $5000 off sticker? Or purchased an E430 at these prices?

Regardless, I am going to get mine in about 4 or 5 weeks.

Thanks again,

Alex

jamesr88

I know I have read about this on this thread some while back, but was not having the problem at the time. My car 00430sport will not accept a full tank of gas usually 18-19 gallons. Today I slowly filled to 21 and after removing hose, spit back out of the tank. Is it air lock? Do i need dealer servicing or is the problem simpler to fix?

pt1224

I can help you with the best price on the car.
Also on The gas tank situation, fill the gas tank to the top and when it stops, do not top off.
if the gas gage is not working properly due to fuel detergents, you should have that checked, and replaced.( warranty item )

geoloh

I am seriously thinking about purchasing an 1999 E320 with low miles and the 4 Matic option (AWD).

Can anyone tell me if there is anything (good or bad) I should be aware of regarding AWD on this model/year of Mercedes.

Thanks for the help.