Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

drew_ · August 2001

FYI, the '00 E-class was fairly extensively updated (both interior and exterior), so you may want to consider that over the '99 model.

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

jgwaltney · August 2001

drew,

thx i totally agree and am trying hard to locate an '00 esp., given that at year-end there should be some cars coming in where people are moving into new '02's off lease,etc. - no luck yet
from research, thinking that will need to spend approx. $38K for '00, any thoughts?

(btw, agree with several previous posts - you are so knowledgable and helpful, the ideal host for a forum - congrats on a job continually well done)

valueguy · August 2001

Well, I tested the Esp system today during a hard rain. The car performed as expected and the ESP light came on as you described.

My original ESP switch was much more sensitive.
I like the way the system works now.

jean7of9 · August 2001

Thanks for the note. I'm glad you had the chance to test the system.
Jean

microrepair · August 2001

Gee, my 96 E doesn't have an external antenna. I imagine lots of other features that were "new" on the 97 are probably also on the 96..

drew_ · August 2001

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/mercedeschat.html

merckx · August 2001

I just got the 2002 brochure-the wheels for the E320 are really sharp! I usually hate such a "sporting" alloy on a sedan,but on the black Benz in the photo they look great.I couldn't disscern any other changes-has any one else?

hto · August 2001

E320 uses 215/55HR16. For zero (0) plus sizing, the next tire size is 225/50HR16. Does anybody have an experience with this? How does it effect the car handling, the trip computer calculation? Does it look good on the original wheel?

crobert2 · August 2001

Some comments were made in the past about small chips
in the paint on the front of the car . I have a 2000 E320 and the
color is black. Any ideas on the best way to remove these?

hjborn · August 2001

I too have a black 2000 E320, and I've picked up a couple of small chips in the paint. When I took it to the dealership after the first one, they said MB's are susceptible to that because the paint is very hard. Don't know if they know what they're talking about or not, but it sounds reasonable. Anyway, they touched it up and it looked OK. When I got the next one, I bought a small touch-up kit from the parts department, and did it myself. I didn't do a perfect job, and neither did they, but you can hardly see it from a couple of feet away. At least it will keep it from rusting. A body shop of course could do a better job.
I seem to remember someone some time ago mentioned something about a "specialist" of some sort who can essentially get rid of them, but we don't have anyone like that around here that I know of.

itchmay · August 2001

Hello all. Last year, I reported to the group about my experiences in buying a 2001 E430 from Fletcher Jones with the AMG E55 package added on by CES of West Los Angeles (which added everything but the $15,000 engine upgrade). It's 10 months later, and here are my impressions and observations. (1) This remains a great car, and I have absolutely zero regrets. It looks great, feels like a bank vault on wheels, and has had NO repairs, and NO defects whatsoever. I have 8,000 miles and have never been back to the dealer. (2) I did drive a E320 the other day, and it feels almost as fast as is built (obviously) to the same high standards as the more expensive brother E430. I now I wonder if it makes more financial sense to buy a less expensive E320, and save the extra $10,000 - $15,000 or put it as a down payment on a TT, Boxster, or SLK. I think a E320 with AMG wheels and big tires will still look mighty fine, for a big savings. (3) The Tele-Aid system is useless. I have never used it once, except to show off for a girlfriend or my mother. I do not need to pay a yearly fee for the ability to have the car automatically dial 911 for me when I am unconscious in a rollover accident. I will take my chances. (4) If you tint your windows, be careful and be forewarned. The built-in antenna system is greatly impaired when tinting is added, and my AM reception is awful. (5) My only real beef: The audio system. Vastly inferior to BMW, Lexus, Infinity, Jaguar, to name a few other high-end vehicles I have sat in. There are supposedly multiple speakers all over the car, but I cannot tell. A completely mediocre sound system in a $60,000 car is really a shame.

merckx · August 2001

I'm glad you're enjoying your new Mercedes so much;I've been a Mercedes admirer since high school.Your Tele-Aid comment struck a nerve-I bought a Catera several months ago,and I also have not touched my On-Star.I really objected having to take what was a $400 option the previous year.Sure,unlocking my car or summoning help after air bag deployment is nice,but such unlikely events.
Mercedes come with more and more former options as standard.The Command on the S-class was finally too much-I'd get about as much joy taping two $1000 bills on the roof.It'll probably be standard on the 2003 E-class.
I would pay gladly for Merceres quality,but all the "luxury" turn me off.I came so close to buying a new 1981 240D as my first car-I'm sure I'd still have it today as a weekend car...

mac2002 · August 2001

Read that someone on the forum was told by their Mercedes dealer it would cost $80 to rotate their tires. Are they serious? I just had my Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd's tires rotated (10,000 miles) at Discount Tire in Las Vegas, NV. They charged me zero, nada, zip. I had never been to the place before, and I asked them why they don't charge - said they just wanted to do something that maybe would make me a future customer. Very upbeat attitude there. Another option - Costco or Sams Club - they have good prices for tire rotation. Of course if you have bought your tires from them, they usually offer lifetime free tire rotation. The little stuff usually adds up!

chappye430w · August 2001

I own a 2001 E430 4Matic. I came with stock 17" aluminum 5 slot wheels and Pirelli P235/45/ZR17 94W M+S tires
I would like to put larger chrome wheels and tires on this vehicle.
What is the largest wheel/tire combination that will fit?
Has anybody done this?
I do not want to get incorrect readings from the speedometer/odometer/on-board navigation if possible...
Thanks for any input!

Chris

macbest · August 2001

The Command system has a calibration feature that allows you to dial in the exact tire you put on the car. This allows the system to be adjusted for different tire sizes, rolling radius, etc.

johnny2000 · August 2001

To Whom it may concern,

Here is the link for the new 2002 E class rims. Thought about sharing it with this forum enthusiast.

Cheers

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/mbd/pdf/E-aussta280301.pdf

drew_ · August 2001

Those are the rims? They look like the Sport Package wheels. Wow, very nice and definitely a lot sportier. Too bad it took them till the end of the model run to decide to change them!

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

mkbrown87 · August 2001

We are comtemplating buying a used 2000 E320. It has less than 9K miles, and are asking $43K. There is 1 option that I would like, but it doesn't have--zenon headlights. I spoke with the local M-B dealer, and they can retrofit, but it is costly. Without having to go through 2200+ previous messages, I have a couple of questions.

1) Is there a less costly retrofit option for the zenon headlights, and is it worth it?
2) Is there an aftermarket floor mat for the Java interior which is darker (thus hides the dirt better)? We have a 5 and a 6 year old, and I know what the standard floor mats will look like after a month.
3) How does the long term reliability of the vehicle stack up (after 50K)?

We used to own a '97 E320, but this seems to be a much better vehicle than that one. Thanks in advance.

jures · August 2001

i have the same setup on my 430 4matic, i would not go thru a winter on larger tires, do you find that the pirelli tires are noisy?, they are very loud to me, i had a 320 4 matic w/continentials that were very quite. roger

macbest · August 2001

The rims shown on post 2217 must be for the E320; I have a 2002 E430 and they are the same as the e430 from 2001.

greasykid1 · August 2001

Had a 99 E300. ( now have Lexus LS). Bought rims from Tirerack--nice 5 spoke design--and mounted 225/50/16's. Almost no differance in ride but much better handling & more fun to drive. Tried Perellis & they were terrible. Have to give them credit as the factory bought them back. Changed to Bridgestones. No problems. The 225/50/16 should be the OEM tire.

Go for it!

charles62 · August 2001

Has any one had problems with rotors on their 97 E-320. I had to replace my pads and rotors in April and since then I have had to car in 4 times for brake problems. Any suggestions?

hto · August 2001

what is the wheel size, 16x7.5? Thanks.

tendons · August 2001

I have the xenons and they're nice to see light up but I don't think they throw that much more light to be worth any substantial money. Like 3-400 would be o.k, anthing in the thousands I think would be wrong to do.I had a 93 500E which was still going strong with no real difficulties at 110 k, but I don't know about the new ones.Sorry.

elcue1 · August 2001

To mkbrown87: I replaced the factory bulbs on my 94 E3230 with xenon bulbs I found on eBay under auto accessories. There are two vendors. I paid the higher of the two (about $20 per pair) because they seemed to be a little brighter. Installation was fast and I notice the difference. Probably not as effective as the factory setup, but good value. Did same for my 97 Altima.

steven36 · August 2001

Itchmay #2212: Don't understand your complaint. My wife's '01 E-320 has ungraded Bose CD changer and it is beautiful. Much better than the system on my '98 E-320. We like clasical music so maybe lack of boom boom base is your objection. I don't know? We love the sound from the bose system.

bargamon · August 2001

I have subcribed to C&D for 15 years now and enjoy most of its writing. This month they have $55k sport sedans in the camparo.

The first choice was the BMW 540. They love Bmw's and this is a great car. They love cars that drive fast and corner the best. Knowing how they think, "sports" being the object, then naturally this is the sportest of the group. My objection to this choice personally was that it is a sedan, and its back seat and trunk don't measure up. Also, the 540 is a needy car that needs tweaky repairs. Its expensive also.

Number two was the 4.2 A6 audi. IMHO a great design with a great interior. Last november there were none to be had and could not test drive. I like audi's, and the quatro v8 is nice at about 55k. I streched my budget and paid only 51k for my 01'430. A great price at the time. nice interior room and trunk but questionable resale.

Number three was the lexus gs 430. Was not a consideration for me. Generic styling, small interior also. NIce engine and sporty, but the chorme wheel boyracer look with the spoiler is not my taste. I did not like the interior and felt it was not well made. Was never a consideration.

Fourth place, and just a point over the E430 was the new q45. the magazine contricts itself over this choice in its opinion. NOt fast but has lots of power. Lots of tech toys but feels its over kill. Styling over done in the interior. Was not available last fall. I would have considered it if I were to lease and they had a good deal, but they did not and I did not lease.

Fifth placem the E430. They had a sport version with zenon and GPS, this sucker was 63k and the most expensive. They use that against it. They generally commented "been there, done that" in that its a fine car but nothing new or exciting, and with new version out they would wait to get excited. Also talked more about the teleaid than anything else. Rock solid and well handling, but would not say anything bad or really great. Im obviously bias here, and feel it should have least placed 3rd in the comparo.

6th place was the Jaguar. I did not consiider this offering as its back seat and trunk was not sedan enough for me, but I think the exterior of this car is just great, and the interior is ok. Nice car in my opinion, but not sporty enough for the writers.

7th was the Cadilac deville sedan. The snobs don't like front wheel drive anything. ITs heavy and does not have tight bolstered seats. It was not going to win. It also had only 4 speed auto. They liked its power, comfort and cargo. Interior was also ok. Funny, this car except for its lack of sport most likely acomplishes the sum of the parts equal a very good car. Not for me, but its a caddy for petes sake and it does a great job in hitting its purpose. Why did they not use a sport seville in its place?? A deville a sports sedan? Dumb choice to place it in this group.

While my beloved 430 did not finish first, this report does nothing to diminish my choice. ITs performence figures were excellent in the group and one thing that is not highly considered, but is very real is resale value and safety. Those are important right?

If sports with some utility were my choice, I think the M3 would rank up as my first choice. But I need to carry people, do it safely and preserve my value.

For those considering a purchase of an E class, I just thought I would offer 2 cents worth.

w210 · August 2001

I have been a Car and Driver reader for many years too and I honestly think their reporting is not as good as they used to be.

With the X Type having the best emergency lane change numbers by far, they didn't even bother commenting or explaining.

And I noted that they rated the 540i having more comfortable rear seats than the E-class? I find it misleading too as tight and uncomfortable rear seats was the reason why we stayed away from the 5 and got the E.

bobhobbz · August 2001

I'd be at the dealer to find options for getting CD for the '01 E430. One is to get the harddrive version of GPS, with one CD slot (so I heard); the other is to get whatever integrates with the built-in controls. I have seen comments here about the slowness of factory GPS, so not inclined to get it. Anyone here has experience with aftermarket CD, not from dealer, but do integrate with the controls? How about the GPS? For $600 I can get the upcoming GPS V, b/w, no sound, not integrated, but portable.

merckx · August 2001

I also have been a reader for many years,and I thought their comments on the E430 absurd.The back seat-the BWW is not even close,and is about the biggest problem with the car-it kept me from buying one last spring.
They are "bored" with the E-class??How can one take this comment seriously?I definately would have picked the Benz.A standard Deville at about $37,000 is an excellent buy-boring to drive,but so comodious,relaxing,and with very pretty styling.For many of the same reasons,I like the Infinity a lot.The only car I like other than the Mercedes is the Lexus LS430-it is not as much fun to drive and is just a little too flashy inside,though.

hto · August 2001

It also stated that the E430 sound interior level at idle speed is 46db, while all of the others are averagely at 42db. I think this is a mistake. The back seat of the 540i and its trunk is a trash. Also Motor Trend had the same comparison with and they still think 540i is better than E430. I believed that it's just depended on the personal taste. They are all very close to have a recount. For me, I rather take the E430 than 540i even it doesn't have the best handling.

w210 · August 2001

Agree, problem with the 5-series is its lack of rear seat and trunk space. I find it absurd to have a mid size sedan exterior with a sub compact interior. I would rather have a 3 series for its handling over the 5. The 5 is much more expensive, doesn't handle as well, and only has marginally more interior space than the 3 series!

EPA rates the 5-series as a sub compact which I pretty much agree. And did anyone mention about the 540i's poor mileage?!

And I wonder how much we can rely on C&D's numbers, the Jaguar S Type can do the quickest emergency lane change and has the second highest grip, yet it doesn't handle as well as the others. C&D should have done some explanation there I think.

haspelbein · August 2001

I love my E320, but one of its afflictions is definitely the burned out light bulb behind the LCD multifunction display. When this occurs, a part of the LCD display will be dark. (You might still be able to make it out, but that part of the display is normally not legible under daylight conditions.)

Unfortunately, I know two other instances where this has happened, so it appears to be a rather common occurrence. (also see post #2149)

As my car is out of warranty and my mother-in-law was in town, I took on the job myself. (read: I wanted to spend some quality time in the garage.)

After 30 minutes the interior was slightly less appealing than before:

It took me about 10 more minutes to put it all back together, and I was able to enjoy the usual amber glow of my LCD display.

I don't know if I would do it again, but it sure was interesting to hold the instrument cluster in my hands.

If somebody needs some info on how to do this simple job, I'd be glad to advise.

parbo · August 2001

I am nearing my first year of ownership, and I have to decide about purchasing the MB extended warranty. I am not sure that I will keep the car more than four years, but you never know. Am I taking a big risk not buying it? Will it help with resale if I have it? I am so undecided, so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

mbnut1 · August 2001

Good to see an owner who isn't afraid to take his car apart

drew_ · August 2001

Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/mercedeschat.html

valueguy · August 2001

My clock continues to lose time every month. This requires me to set the clock ahead a few minutes every 1-2 months. Then, I have a clock that keeps reasonable time. I have been reluctant to have my dealer fix the problem as I am concerned about the repair causing a rattle or squeak.

Does anyone know what the repair entails? I have had this problem since day 1 or, was it really day 2?

I purchased the extended warranty just in case I kept the car for 5-6 years. The electrical system of my M-B continues to be the car's achilles' heel.

loubapache · August 2001

<<
the E430 sound interior level at idle speed is 46db, at idle speed is 46db, while all of the others are averagely at 42db.
>>
This is a big mistake by C&D. I wonder how credible the rest of the article is.

46 dB is more than TWICE as loud as 42 dB. To be exact, 45 dB is exactly TWICE as loud as 42 dB. I wonder how they measure these things.

The deciBel level is a logarithm scale. When the sound intensity doubles, the deciBel level only increases by 3.

Bo

mbnut1 · August 2001

3 dB is a 41.2% increase. 6 dB is 2 to one increase

loubapache · August 2001

dB = 10 log (I/Io), where I stands for intensity (Io is the intensity at the threshold of hearing).

If the intensity is doubled, dB = 10 log (2) = 3 dB.

Bo

kenyee · August 2001

There is also something strange about measuring sound w/ dB readings. The "3dB = 2x" rule does not apply. It's actually less. Of course, I can't remember how much :-P

bargamon · August 2001

Interesting note about the Audi. the one they tested they have put 20k miles on it and they beat the **** out of it to remark it was still relativly tight with not to much more cowl shake since it was new. What in gods name do they do to these cars? I think these guys take it to the max. In normal day to day I doubt many of even come close to beating these machines. Yes they are sport sedans, but not race cars. Why take a Deville out and compare to a BMW? I think the BMW is tuned for this and usually wins in the camparos they do.
I know people that love to drive and do it often, have plenty of money and love their deville's. In fact I don't mind when they drive me because they are comfortable to be a passanger, and I enjoy driving them. and yes a lot fo car for the money.

I drove a turbo audi and can say that while its is quick, and a very nice car, you can feel front wheel torque thru the steering. I hated the cherry red lighting at night. Too fruity!

THe magazine uses a subjected weighted system which never makes sense to me.

In any event, I love the car, am happy with my purchase.

I agree with many, the 3 series bmw is a better car than the 5. Perhaps if I were shopping and did need the room I would pick a 3 series over a C class. C class is great car which uses its space more effiecent. But in terms of sport, 330i's are nice.

haspelbein · August 2001

I don't see as much a problem with squeaks, as I see with the overall effort to get a new instrument panel.
For all I know, parts of the instrument panel are not sold separately, with the exception of the light bulbs.
I've also read that a new instrument panel needs to be set up before installation, but I never had to go through this myself, so I can't say for sure.

If you take a look at post #2234 you can see that I had the instrument panel removed. It is actually not held by any fasteners at all. It's just a perfect fit into the surrounding dash, and I would not expect any squeaks.

So, if your car is under warranty and the clock bugs you, I would go for it !

I would agree that the E320 has trouble with minor electrical problems. Fact is, I just had to pull the harness that holds my rear brake light this morning. I noticed that the rear brake light got dimmer and finally the dreaded "Lamp defective" message popped up. The bulbs were fine, but I replaced them anyhow. The contacts of the harness holding the bulbs are corroded.

Easy and cheap to fix, but just plain annoying.

mark156 · August 2001

Valueguy, I too had the slow clock in my 2000 E430 sport. I like things to work perfectly so I had mine fixed. It seems to work correctly now with no squeaks etc.

Because the dealer had to order a new instrument cluster (they thought they had one in stock when I set up the appt.) they had me take my car back home. So, while I had my car it had turned 10,000 miles. When I went back to the dealer for the instrument cluster installation, my mileage was back to 9,800, the exact mileage it had when they ordered the part. I got to see 10,000 twice! Mark

hto · August 2001

MB has an setup option, which will automatically adjust the clock to the atomic standard clock from the satellite. I can do that through the navigation system menu. I'm not sure if it has the option on the one without the COMMAND.

mbnut1 · August 2001

I stand corrected
dB=20logY/X for other applications such as in control theory but in the case of sound intensity it is 10logY/X.

svinaik · August 2001

Just checked the 2002 E Class pricing on the MBUSA site. MSRP has gone up again and infact apples to apples, My 320 wagon MSRP has gone up by almost $ 2200 since I bought in August 2000 (MY 2000) with pretty much no change whatsoever in the car.

Base E320 MSRP crossing $ 50K with destination & metallic paint.

Add to it the decline in german exchange rates in the past year (Gain to Mercedes as the cars are built in germany).

M Class (MY 2002) & Lexus LS430 (S Class competitor) seem like a steal. Just wanted to share.

microrepair · August 2001

My 96 E was in need of new tires so I researched and found that on Tire Rack the people who had bought the Yokohama AVS db model have been giving rave reviews especially the folks with BMW's and MB's.. Great wet and dry traction, extremely quiet and very good tread life. But they don't come in the standard E size. So I used one of the online calculators and determined that I could go with the 225/50-16 and hardly impact the speedometer. I ordered the tires last night and got a call from one of the Tire Rack reps this morning suggesting that I should go with the 225/55-16 size because the 50 profile has a lower load rating. And the E isn't exactly a lite weight auto. The 55 profile is just as different from the 215/55 but in the opposite direction so that the speedometer will still be off by 1.5%; just slower rather than faster.. I OK'd the change and should have them on the car in about a week. I'll post my impressions a week or two later.

hto · August 2001

Actually, 225/55 is closer to 215/55 than 225/50. If you can have a picture of it after the installation. It would be great.

pompano73 · August 2001

Hi All !!

It's been some time since I posted, glad to hear everyone seems to still enjoy this fantastic car. I went and had my windows tinted, the summer in south florida is intense and I have to say "knock on my wood console" no scratches. I did it at my dealer and they did a great job. I have one issue though, the vent for the rear doesn't seem to blow much air, anyone else have this problem? The dealer put a new a/c blower in last week for the front, could that have affected the rear? By the way, saw the pics for new E, I like it glad it's not a huge change, my 2001 will still look good for the next 4 years.... Not so crazy about the dash. Talk to all of you soon!!!

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles