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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans
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Comments
If you think that you will encounter deep snow (or drifts as you mentioned), I recommend the M-class. If not, go for the E320 4-matic. The E320 4-matic is great in the snow, but one has to watch out for the depth of the white stuff because it is possible to get high centered (and subsequently stuck). This is why I leave the car at home and take the ML when I have to go out in the morning before the plows do their thing.
The ML's extra ground clearance (8.4 inches in all vs. the car's 5 inches) will be extremely useful for driving in deep snow. A brushguard with a skidplate can also be installed to deflect any debris that may be hidden in the snow (main reason why I got mine). Not only this, but the 4WD low range gearing (which multiplies torque by 2.64 times) will help you to push through any deep snow. Hill climbing in the snow is also easier with low range activated.
FWIW, I haven't encountered any crosswind stability problems with either vehicle. Both track well in strong winds.
Good luck with your decision. Both are great, IMHO, and you can't go wrong with either.
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
However, I can see 2 reasons for extra clear coat-
1. You are really lazy or cheap, and will neglect you car totally until it is time to sell or trade, and you can have the paint buffed out without going through the clear coat, or
2. A real reason - For those having a car re-painted, if you have a couple of extra layers of clear put on, and then have the car color-sanded and buffed, a $600 paint job can look like a $3,000 paint job - I have seen this done!
I love my 00 E320 Oo=|=oO
and my wife loves her 00 ML430.
Either way, you can't go wrong.
P.S. I'll steal hers when it really snows hard.
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
What d'ya expect from rookie MB owner(s)
The car I now have is the Acura TL with navi. The navigation system is just wonderful. Like mbdriver, it saved me a lot of valuable time (not to mention stress) while going to a new place. Also, during unexpected traffic jams, the navigation system can let you see the map of your immediate are so you can take the necessary detours instead of guessing where this or that road may lead.
I also think the navigation system makes you a safer driver if you use it correctly. Instead of straining to read street and road signs to see where your next turn should be, the navi will verbally tell you where to turn next, taking the guess work out of finding an address. You can pay more attention to the road. I think every car will have one in the near future.
Good luck
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#248 of 272: good deal (glenster) Sun 19 Nov '00 (08:26 PM)
call Glen at Beverly Hills LTD. He has excellent
prices on cars that he has in stock...usually
within 3% of invoice!
His E-Mail is glen@beverlyhillsltd.com
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
Thanks too for the responses about winter tires.
It does make sense to have an extra set which will extend the life of the original equipment tires. Since my car came with Continentals, and not Michelins, I don't know if mine are as good. Although my car is a '99, it wasn't put on the road until March,2000 so with only about 12,000 kilometres on the tires, the treads still have a lot of wear left, but of course they aren't designed for winter conditions.
There is the additional expense of the extra set of wheels, however. How much should I have to pay for a set? If someone answers this question, please specify whether the quote is in US or CDN dollars as there is an astounding 57% premium on US dollars over Canadian dollars right now, making a rather considerable difference in the price.
Also, does anyone know of a site where various brands of tires are compared, such as the two mentioned in the responses....Pirellis and Blizzaks?
Thanks once again for your help.
By the way, I polished my car with a few coats of Zaino before the weather turned cold, and I love the result. What a glorious shine! And it was easy, although a bit more time consuming than I expected. Now my husband wants me to do his black Jaguar, but he'll have to wait until spring.
Elaine
As for tire brands... I ran blizzacks on my 97 Acura RL and was satisfied with the winter performance. Of course the RL was front wheel drive.
For my new 00 E320 RWD I decided to go to the Michelin Alpin.
I did a lot of reading and found that the Michelins were rated as good if not better for snow traction, plus they wear and handle a lot better on dry pavement.
We just had a 4" snowfall and I didn't have any problems.
Price for the Michelins is about $100 per tire (US). The blizzacks are about $90 per tire (US) however I don't think that they'll last you as long as the Alpins.
Europarts.com carries the Hella E-class xenon kit for 1,250....I'm going to purchase mine as soon as possible. Do you guys know if the headlamp washing system was required, that isn't included in the kit.
Thanks....and good luck
No, the high pressure headlamp washing system is not required in North America. MB fits it to all of their cars with HID Xenon headlamps because the system is mandatory for all passenger vehicles in Europe (has been for nearly 30 years) since dirt on the headlamp lenses can cause glare. With the extra bright light from the HID bulbs, the glare is exacerbated by the dirt. But, I don't think that you should worry too much about it.
Let us know how the installation goes! Good luck!
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
Go to www.ebay.com and click on "Automotive," then select "Parts and Accessories." When the two "search" boxes appear at the top, select "Parts and Accessories" for the left box and type in "Mercedes" for the right. Then, click on "Search" and you should be there. Good luck!
Park them next to each other and there's a definite difference.
The black is a very deep black which I think tends to shine a bit more. The Obsidian is almost a grey black, doesn't seem to project quite as deep of shine.
Still, I like the Obsidian on my E. Wanted something a little different than basic black.
Also, I don't know what climate you live in, but black interior will be pretty hot.
Unless you really love black, I'd consider Oyster, Java, or tan (can't remember what they call the tan)
All of those interiors will be a little cooler plus provide a nice contrast to your ext.
Just an opinion...Please, no hate mail from owners of black interiors. ;-)
Seriously...my Black exterior/Ash interior E430w4 is beautiful when clean, but if I had it to do over I would swap for the mirror image...Brilliant Silver ext./Charcoal interior...both much lower maintenance colors.
Still, a spotless Black MB is pretty sweet, when it's looking its best.
Black is hard to maintain. Much prefer it to the Obsidian, which can look sort of purple in the sun.
Comes down to personal choice, though.
Muddog
Black/dark exterior - beautiful, in fact gorgeous when clean -- BUT difficult to keep it that way (every spot of dust seems to show)
Brilliant Silver/light exterior - also beautiful, but not as dramatic as a black or dark color -- AND easy to maintain (dust - even dirt - doesn't seem to show)
Charcoal/dark interior - dramatic, some believe elegant when clean -- BUT, surprisingly, seems to show dirt more readily than light colors, absorbs/retains heat in warm climates and, for some, depressing and not cheerful
Java/oyster/ash interior - bright and cheerful, cooling effect in warm climates, easy to maintain -- BUT shows dark colored stains more readily, subject to darkening with age
Again, personal decisions! My choices for my '00 E320 was Brilliant Silver with ash interior -- I'm too lazy to keep a black/dark exterior spotless, and the charcoal interior was too dark and depressing for my taste (and particularly my wife's). We actually preferred the java interior but didn't want to special order. After almost eight months of ownership, NO REGRETS! We love the car, and it always looks good.
No further comment on interiors. ;-)
P.S. Whatever you choose...It'll be cool! :-)
Word of caution concerning the Xenon bulbs: After I replaced my original bulbs, some humidity started to sneak into the light assembly with water droplets condensating inside the front crystal. The dealer traced the problem to the back cover of the light assembly which is not sealed adequately. There is a delay of 4-5 weeks to get those covers.If you replaced those bulbs recently check your light assembly before you lose the bulbs which are no longer in production.
Jean
WRT bulbs, one of the M-class owners had his Hella Optilux bulb go out. He contacted the company which he purchased the bulbs from (same company that you got yours from), and they replaced it for him free of charge. Apparently there was a bad batch, which is why production has been haulted for now. There are alternatives to the Optilux bulbs, BTW.
Also, for those of you with the halogen headlamps, if you're more interested in brightness and not so much with whiteness, there are also new bulbs (from Philips) which apparently work well from what I've heard from real world experiences. They are supposed to put out up to 50% more light than the stock bulbs (about 10 to 20 metres further down the road). They are not cheap though, at US$80 per pair for the H7 bulbs.
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
Jean
Your service technican was correct to leave it alone since other things are also inspected/changed at Service A/B besides the oil and filter. Resetting the FSS counter now would unnecessarily prolong this interval. Simply go in when your FSS tells you to or when the counter is close to zero and you should be just fine.
Good luck...
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
Any suggestions would help.
thanks
Of course the ML won't handle like the E-class. It's not supposed to! FWIW, I've taken my ML to a few advanced driving/autocross events and it has surprised many people (mainly BMW owners - including a couple of X5 owners - being BMWCCA events) with how well it does. I can assure you that there was no snickering from them after my runs on the track. I plan on attending the next BMWCCA-organised advanced driving school event in March '01.
With every vehicle there are compromises, and it's just a matter of whether the positives outweigh the negatives for yourself. If I couldn't, I wouldn't be on my 3rd ML right now! Is it as good as the E-class overall? No, it's not, but it's close. I'd say 90-95% the quality of my E320 4-matic. That's pretty darn good since the ML is tens of thousands less than an E320 4-matic. For me, it was balancing safety (top priority), handling (on wet/dry/in snow), quality, passenger comfort (for 5), cargo capacity and price. I'm sure that Gary (parfive) will agree that his choice was a sound one.
Regarding the whine, how are you guessing when the transmission is "quite warm"? My guess is that the whine is coming from the fuel pump. Next time, listen for it around the rear of the car (around the rear wheels). The power steering can make noises, but if there is a problem, it is more likely to be groaning occasionally when the front wheels are being turned.
Remember to remove the Blizzaks immediately after the snow season is over. These tires are extremely soft (which is why the tracking is not as good) and wear quickly on dry/wet roads. My Michelin Arctic Alpins + wheels are still sitting in my garage. I don't expect to have to mount them till late December.
Good luck...
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
If that's not enough to protect you. Then you've probably been in an accident bad enough that you'll be hearing bagpipes.
As for the accent piping...no.
Take the Pakistanian towels and use them when you jump out of the shower. Won't cause swirl marks on your skin. ;-)
The ash interior (light gray) of my '00 E320 does not have contrast piping on the interior seating. Other colored interiors may have it, particularly charcoal, but I'm not certain. Hope this answers.
Thanks
Jack
They said somehting about changing it for 01?
P.S. I own a 00 ml430 also - and for 01 did mb add 2 spark plugs per cylinder.... did that increase power?
Drew/aling
Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
The 2001 gear selector also seems to offer a slightly more precise feel as you manually change gears.
I need help! Thanks
Thanks for your response.