It's time for me to start looking at replacing the 1995 E300. This car has been great to me but it has stage 4 body cancer due to all the salt that is spread on the roads here in Wisconsin all winter. The engine has 400,000 miles on it and still runs just great.
I plan on looking for something in Florida or some other state that does not have harsh winters where they use road salt.
I want something with a turbo this time around and I am not fussy about body style.
I am looking for something that is fairly easy to get at the glow plugs. on the '95 E300 you have to disassemble so much stuff just to get at them and then they break off as soon as you put a wrench on them.
I am thinking between 1996 to 2005.
What car would you guys recommend and why?
Thanks.

2006 E320 CDI

Because anything other isn't an upgrade.

W210's in Wisconsin won't last 2 years.

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Allen Kroliczek
Oak Grove Autosport | Oak Grove Autosport
01 G500, 82 300TD, quite a few more.....

X2 on the CDI. You will thoroughly love this car.
I've had the '95 W124, '99 W210, and now an '05 W211. The CDI's are getting very affordable, but harder to find in any color other than black, gray or silver. If one of those colors suit you, there are many more to choose from.

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)

LOTS of parts for sale!


EGR block kit
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/355250-sale-egr-delete-block-off-plate-kit.html

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

I love black, that is what I have now!
What does CDI stand for?
I am leary of anything that is all computerized ,my mechanical skills are limited and there are no Mercedes mechanics anywhere near me.

CDI is Compressed Diesel Injection

Actually, CDI stands for common-rail direct injection.

x3 on getting a CDI. If you look around you can find very nice examples in the $7k range.

Glow plugs very easy to access.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 156k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 173k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 143k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 67k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

X4 on the e320 CDI. Go with 2005 which had more options as standard, early production had the split center arm rest and recirculation for heat or ac when you turn car off for short periods of time.

These are very sophisticated vehicles that are great road cars that obtain get high mpg with unbelievable acceleration and torque.

Take your time and find a nice clean example with low miles.

These cars can last.....I've seen some for sale with over 400k miles.

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-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991

X5 on the CDI,

they are nice - please tack on about 2000 to the price to take care of the brake pump on them as they have an expiry timer built into them.

The airshocks are getting affordable so thats a bit easier when they fail.

But the true colors of the CDI are when it accelerates, its like riding a tidal wave of torque.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

If only MB imported some CDI wagons.

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I have driven W210 models that were equipped with CDI engines - they were more brute than the W211 and dont have the stuff that breaks down in a W211.

too bad none in the USA.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

the downside you will have that to do almost anything on a W211 - you will need a scan tool. The W124 is pretty simple but electronic testing is longer as its oldschool.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

That would be so cool to have a '96 E class CDI wagon.

I agree, try to find a good, low mileage '95/'96 CDI E class.

__________________
Jim

I think you mean '05-'06

__________________

All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)

LOTS of parts for sale!


EGR block kit
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/355250-sale-egr-delete-block-off-plate-kit.html

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

LOL, only off by a decade but yea, 05/06.

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Jim

For those with the 2005-06 CDIs, the car sounds great, but I was wondering if you could share your experiences of the cars' general reliability? I had read that Mercedes went through a dark period from about 2000-2006 and had produced a lot of lemons with many electronic gremlins.

I have also thought about upgrading from my '95 E300, but was afraid to mess with the reliability I enjoy now. This car is slow, but has been 100% on the reliability so far (owned for last three years).

__________________
1995 E300 200k
1981 300GD unknown km