Reliability of E320 vs W123 300D T - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Cr from Texas · #1 07-17-2008, 09:45 PM

I'm in the market for a new car. I'm keeping the 83 300D as a daily driver and replacing the family (long trip) 97 Lincoln Town Car.

I've got 25 years of recipts for repairs to the 300D. I'm afraid to add them up but exluding routine maintenance, I've probably spent less than an average of $500 a year on repairs to the 300D over the last 25 years.

Would I be greatly disappointed if I bought a new E320 diesel and expected a similar service life over the next 25 years?

engatwork · #2 07-17-2008, 09:55 PM

Try to find a 300D 2.5 turbo

. You will not be disappointed if you find the right one.

Cr from Texas · #3 07-17-2008, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

Try to find a 300D 2.5 turbo

. You will not be disappointed if you find the right one.

In what years were these made?

engatwork · #4 07-17-2008, 10:13 PM

Early 90's up till '93 I think. You get the good, solid 124 with a modern five cylinder turbo diesel.

Hatterasguy · #5 07-17-2008, 11:26 PM

Since the W211 is still new its yet to be seen how they will hold up for 25 years.

But they are quite nice and if you want a new car its hard to go wrong with one.

husk · #6 07-18-2008, 12:04 AM

The amount of electronics in these cars is stagerring. You are much better off getting a W124 or a W210 as these will be much easier to fix. The W211 is not DIY friendly and will require several trips to the dealer to troubleshoot.

Jeremy5848 · #7 07-18-2008, 12:48 AM

As the current owner of a 123, 124, and 210, I can definitely say that the electronics really took a leap between the 124 and the 210 cars. Our 210 is a fine car and my wife is happy with it but it's clear that diagnosing problems can be a real challenge -- witness our recent battle with the ignition switch. My favorite would be a really nice 1987 300D with a #22 head on its 603 engine and a few gadgets taken off of a late-model 124 like the door skins. Another possibility is the 300D 2.5 mentioned earlier. Smaller engine, less power, still nice.

theref · #8 07-18-2008, 11:53 AM

So I am intrigued by your statement about the door skins. What advantage would they have? I must admit that I have not looked closely at the later version doors so I am drawing a blank on an upgrade.

dwayneb · #9 07-18-2008, 12:35 PM

My wife and I are the lucky owners of an 05 E320CDI and a 93 300D 2.5. Both are outstanding automobiles. I have no problems getting my wife to drive the 93. It has very reasonable power, looks great inside and out, and is extremely civilized. I used to have an 83 300D and she wouldn't drive it. The 93 gets around 30mpg and has gotten as high as 34 on a recent trip. The E320CDI is a BEAST! It is powerful, fast, and economical. Our average over 7,000 miles is 32.5. On a recent 1,000 mile trip, we averaged 36 mpg.

I have faith in our forum that as more of us get the newer diesels, we will learn how to troubleshoot them and repair them just we have all of the older ones.

If budget decides for you, absolutely get a 90-93 300D with the 2.5. I had to search for months to get mine, but it was worth the time.

Hatterasguy · #10 07-19-2008, 09:47 AM

I remember being on this forum when the E300D's were just about new, very few people had them and no one knew much about them. Heck very few people knew much about SDL's.

Now the forums knowledge covers a lot more.

Jeremy5848 · #11 07-19-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theref

So I am intrigued by your statement about the door skins. What advantage would they have? I must admit that I have not looked closely at the later version doors so I am drawing a blank on an upgrade.

This is a swap that some forum members have done. The later W124 door skins have wood trim, look nicer, and can be swapped into the older cars, e.g., the 1987 300D Turbo. I've not looked seriously myself but it's always in the back of my mind, should a late 124 car with a Navy blue interior drop dead in front of me somewhere.

Jeremy

DieselAddict · #12 07-19-2008, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I remember being on this forum when the E300D's were just about new, very few people had them and no one knew much about them. Heck very few people knew much about SDL's.

Now the forums knowledge covers a lot more.

Yup, few people here own a CDI or newer. There are other MB forums out there who have more CDI and Bluetec owners. You can also check out Edmunds for consumer reviews. I generally find those helpful.

My W210 hasn't given me much trouble with electronics. Only the ignition switch doesn't recognize when the key is out but that doesn't really affect anything.

Cr from Texas · #13 07-19-2008, 02:23 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I've been shopping for a CDI and the price seems inflated. Probably due to the current $ vs. euro exchange rate. I'll probably watch a few months to see what happens to the $ relative to the euro. The wait also may open other options as the rumors of other manufacturers bring diesels to the US market seem realistic.

Hatterasguy · #14 07-19-2008, 02:24 PM

What prices have the dealers given you? Should be in the mid to high 50's with a couple options.

Cr from Texas · #15 07-19-2008, 02:31 PM

That's right for list but the supply is limited, no discounts, and the one I checked with had some mandatory dealer installed high profit items bumping the price to almost 60k. I think the list price should go down if the $ improves relative to the euro. I'd pay high 40's for the base car as I prefer no sun roof and my mobile (easy to take with when flying) GPS.