I'm hoping I might get more help here in this forum. We are looking to get a newer car and I am currently looking at the 2004-2006 E320 CDI's. I have driven a couple of them now and I really like them.

I have been doing some searching on the internet and some reviews are good and some are absolutely horrible. Talking about electronics problems, bad seats, etc....

Is there any serious downfalls to buying one of these cars? I'm looking for the good and the bad. I would also like to know what to expect in the future.

We are looking for a comfortable "road car" that can get good MPG on the highway.

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Internet reviews will ALWAYS be bad. A person is far more likely to seek out a review site or forum to write a rant than a rave.

Just remember that for every unhappy customer writing a bad review there are dozens of satisfied customers happily driving along.
Like this place. A thousand members asking how to fix their problems is nothing compared to the 3+ million diesels MB has sold over the years.

Exactly.... That is why I would like to hear from owners from this site. I have searched and found some info... here. I guess I am just looking for a little more. Especially from the owners. What to look out for etc....

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Search for "Valeo radiator problem"

as far as i know the electronics should not be causing a lot of problems. I think the main reason that people say this car has electrical problems is that there were issues with the advanced braking system. I read somewhere that there was a recall which should have taken care of those. But with any car that has a lot of options and electronics you will at some point see problems.

Dear Snookwhale

We have a 2006 E320 CDI that we purchased new. All I can say is WOW!!!

We have approximately 85K on the car and except for very routine work -- oil changes (Mobil 1 5W-40), breaks, tires-- the ONLY item that was replaced were a set of glow plugs -- I had 1 go out but since the car was in the shop I asked them to replace them all and be done with it.

I can't brag enough about the service that I have received (Fort Wayne Mercedes, German Concepts -- both in Indiana and Mercedes of Ann Arbor MI) and believe me if you find a car that is 1/2 of what I've experienced with this one --you will be very happy. 99% of the mileage is highway-- with average speeds as recorded electronically at 55 mph. Also fuel economy around town is in the low 30mpg but on the road I got as high as 38 doing 75mph with 4 people in the car. You can almost always count on 34mpg

I have followed the owners manual regarding maintenance with the letter -- oil changes at 13K -- I know I will start all kinds of discussion with that-- however, I have had an oil analysis done and the oil results after that mileage was almost like new. Of course the soot content was high -- DUGH but viscosity, moisture, metal content were perfect.

I'm not a small guy 6'1" around 210lbs and I fit very well the the seats-- If it weren't for the kidney function I could drive for hours on end.

Down sides -- I wish the drivers arm rest was a little more padded and that it had bluetooh.

I say go for it!

3pointstar

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To me, it depends on what you want to come out of pocket for in a pre-owned car. All things considered, the 2008 E320 Bluetec model year is actually a better buy right now. And a better long term play. Also, it depends a lot on the mileage range you are looking for. The 2008s have fewer issues than the 2006es. That's a fact.

Less than $23,000 and less than 100,000 miles. This will basically be a road car seeing between 700 to 1200 miles per week.

What issues are you talking about between the 2006 and 2008? These seem to be a lot of car for the money.


That is good news about the seating arrangement. I was worried because I saw some bad seat reviews on various web sites. I'm 6'1" and 225lbs. I feel cramped up in the 300D. I'm never truly comfortable driving it and drive my truck most of the time as a result.

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

My brother purchased one new - I think it's an '06, might be an '05. He doesn't exactly drive the wheels off it, but has been using it daily since new. He's not mentioned any maintenance problems, so it seems to be quite reliable. I know it will deliver about 37MPG on the highway - just amazing considering the size, comfort, and power.

The newer cars have the V6 diesel and 7 speed transmission, as opposed to the inline 6 and 5 speed in the older CDI cars. In practice there doesn't seem to be much difference in fool economy or performance. The newer engine is completely devoid of diesel rattle, where the inline 6 does have some. In '07 the cars lost the SBC brake-by-wire system. I don't think SBC is a problem - my personal car has it - the conventional brake system eliminates one more possible, and very expensive, repair as the car ages out past 10 or 15 years.

Basically, buy whichever offers the best value based on the blend of age, miles, and price. I think the earlier posters point was that the 07/08 cars seem to be a better value, in his opinion.

Any of the new Diesels are very good machines. Fast, quiet, great mileage, and pretty durable it seems. Recent (over the last decades or so) manufacturing improvements across the auto industry have made nearly all engines very long lasting with proper care and modern engine oils, so Diesel longevity is not necessarily the advantage it was once thought to be.

So, from the engine perspective the greatest advantage of a Diesel is fuel mileage and, from my personal experience, when there is a fuel shortage, Diesel is always available with no lines. I have been driving Diesels since the early 1970's and have lived through two fuel shortages and because Diesel automobiles are almost freakishly uncommon, they enjoy very little change in availability when the Saudis shut the tap off.

The Bluetec models (I have the ML version now) come with an added maintenance requirement that I am not on top of yet. My first service at about 13,000 miles required a flush and refill of the system that was not a bargain. If that is the norm, a flush and refill every 13,000 miles I will have to buy the equipment to do it myself. Also, the ML has no spare tire so they put the world's worst rated tires on the vehicle (literally, rated #61 out of 62 tires that fit on the vehicle, with the #62 being the non-run flat version of the same tire, at Tirerack).

Also from my personal experience the 7 speed transmission is significantly better for both fuel mileage and performance. I have changed the transmission fluid in my 1998 E300 TurboDiesel every 60,0000 miles - at first over the advice of the service manager at the MB dealership, and now at the recommendation of MB for that transmission. There is also a scheduled transmission fluid change for the 7-speed transmission and there has been from day one for these. The 5-speed units that have been in service for more than 60k miles may never have had the transmission fluid changed, and this transmission has a poor reliability record that may or may not be attributable to the MB "sealed for life" view of this transmission (no fluid changes for the life of the transmission, which is not something to be proud of if the transmissions last less than forever, and especially not if they only last for 80k miles to 100k miles). If you select a car with the 5 speed, I would research the service records and look for transmission fluid and other static seal services (apparently this transmission has a record of failed electrical signal lead seals that transmit fluid into the electronic box that runs the unit, which does not work better or very well at all when filled with transmission fluid).

As far as the rest of the electronics in the car, MB went on a "reliability through simplification" campaign for the '05 "C" class that was pretty successful. I am not sure if this was done for the "E" in the same time frame or not, but I would guess that later models were likely the beneficiaries of some hardware, software and simplification upgrades. You should research the specifics on this as there were issues with the "C" class that make earlier W203 models a real pain in the rear to own (I don't think these are engine and transmission issues, but they can affect any of the rest of the electrically operated or controlled features, from windows to radio to wipers, etc.) and I am not certain these were as bad with the W211 E's. But, later models were better.

Good luck, these cars are a pleasure to drive and there is nothing better than filling up and noting you just got 35+ mpg in a car that is as refined and truly luxurious (meaning reliability and economical operating expenses to some of us old farts, not vibrating seats and gadgets to hand you seat belts) as an "E" class machine (an ML in my case lately and I routinely get 29+ mpg in combined city and highway driving, with an overall average for the last 11k miles of 26.5 mpg that includes trips up and down the local mountain canyon roads in Boulder County).

Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Brakes, as stated above, and the advice of an MB diesel expert I trust. I posed the question to him recently, relating that I could buy an '08 for just not that much more than an '06, so which would he buy? He answerred; there were fewer issues with the '08. That's all I needed to know.

I am looking for a very low miled '06 or '08 - that limits my selection of '06es, but not '08s. The low supply of very low miled '06es are very close in dollars to many low miled '08s. That's where the value aspect comes into play.

When your budget is $23,000 or less, that is not going to buy a very low miled '06. I would rather pay more to get a low miled one, but not when it is similar or just under the price of an '08 with low miles.

I would agree that the W211 CDI is a lot of car for the money.

My E300TD does not have enough legroom for me, but it was close to enough to live with for me when buying mine 11 years ago. The E300TD is more comfortable on an all day drive than my '83 300SD was. When the CDI came out, I test drove one and was impressed with the legroom, and increase in area of the driver's cockpit area. I too would like to upgrade from my 300.

Here's an '06 with 67K miles for $23,998 you might want to snatch up. Good price and good miles, if you don't mind the Charcoal (Black) interior.

Carmax will transfer/ship it to your nearest Carmax at a nominal cost:

CARMAX
Houston, TX.
2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 4D Sedan
Premium Package, Navigation System, Sunroof(s) more...


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2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 4D Sedan

Premium Package, Navigation System, Sunroof(s) more...
No-haggle price $23,998* Estimate monthly payments

Quick Glance

• Miles67K
• Drive2WD
• TransmissionAutomatic
• ExteriorSilver
• InteriorGray
• EPA Mileage27/37 MPG
• Stock #6664778
• Be the first to write a review
• VINWDBUF26J96A867491
• Free History Report

Transfer this Car

Regarding CarMax.

About 8 years ago in an act of desperation and in an effort to avoid bankruptcy I drove my money pit 300SD/81 to CarMax for a quick sale. They offered $800 and I accepted and received roughly $600 after all the fees and deductions.
What a relief to get rid of that ****.
Seven years later I received a certified letter from an auto junkyard somewhere in south Texas near the border giving me an official notice the “MY” car has been towed to their yard and how much I owed them etc.

Be very careful when dealing with CarMax, I learned that they typically do not change the title when they buy a car from individuals, it saves them $$$. I would not deal with then no matter what, but if the car is awfully tempting take a lawyer with you to avoid future surprises.

Vahe

Thanks to everyone for all the info.! Hearing these things are invaluable to me when shopping for a car. Especially from the people that own and drive them every day.

So, it looks like I am going to hold out for 6 to 8 more months, sock away some more cash and then start looking for a 2008. I was not aware of the brake system's being that different. That sounds like a biggie if we wind up owning the car for a long time.

__________________
AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Snooky: I agree with skidrow. If you can stretch to 2007 or 2008 you will get a Bluetec V6 oil burner instead of the straight 6, better fuel mileage (I get 32 mpg in mixed country-town driving and have seen 37 mpg on a non-stop 250 mile trip. I have had no corrective maintenance in 2 1/2 year and it has torquey power galore. The only downer is the MB navigation subsystem. Any $150 Garmin is better.

The urea injection issue did not appear on E320 in 2007 or 2008 although I think it was on ML320 in 2008.

All that said, I still wish my wife would have been satisfied with a nicely restored 123 300D.