Well the time has come for me to try to talk my dad into a 300te 4matic. Both my mom and I have 300e's and he drives them whenever he can. Right now he has a Subaru Outback because he needs its for checking out vineyard properties so he needs all wheel drive, hence the 4matic. I just about have him talked into it with all the clutch/transmision problems hes had with his outback but the one thing I need to know is how much ground clearance the 300te 4matic has. If it is the same or even a little less than the Outback that would satisfy him and then I think hell be ready to make the jump in the MB world. Any info would be greatly appreciated and hopefully within the next few months we will be a 3 w124 family.

brockley

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89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

The ground clearance on the 300TE-4matic should be roughly the same of your W124s sedans. (+/- 0.5 inch at the most).

Now, if your dad is tired of clutch/transmission problems with his Outback, get him ready to enter the nightmare world of the 4matic system.

Do a search on the Tech Help section on the 4matic system, it will help you to put in perspective what is really a very complicated, unrealiable and extremely expensive to repair 4-wheel drive system that was subsequently discontinued due to all the aformentioned reasons.

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A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

Ok, thanks for the info. Maybe it would be better to just stick with a regular 300TE? One of the ones i am looking at just had the transfer case replaced so would that mean it would last longer or just that it had problems in the past? Also, wouldnt any 300TE 4matic still on the road mean its 4matic system is running fine?

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89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

Not exactly, the system can run without being at 100%, it even has a handicapped mode where it lets you drive the car without the benefits of the 4matic (hence, why buy it?), similar to a failure to the A.B.S system, where you still have regular braking power without the advantages of the A.B.S.

Anyway, my M.B. tech advisor has always told me horror stories about the 4matics. In any case, if your dad can upgrade to a E 320 T, it would be a much better proposition than the 300TE, it has more power and some worthwile minor upgrades in the interior.

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A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

The 4matic has a higher ground clearance than the w124 sedan.
Also the 4matic has sturdier feel to it since it is heavier then the sedans or the non-4matic wagons. The exact ground clearance number i am not sure of but i have noticed that is sits higher than our other wagon when I have parked mine next to our other e320 wagon.
As for the 4matic system, the biggest worry is the transfer case which can go bad and are about 2k. Mine was replaced at 72k by the dealer for free and my car now has 176k on it with out a problem. As mention if it does go bad you car turn it off and drive the car as a rear wheel drive.
Do a search on the board using "4matic"; there is some useful info available.
Good luck.
PS: I did have a outback and like it; sorry to hear about your dad's problems with his.

Thanks for the info. I think the main problem with the Outback was the maunal transmission option. If he had gone for automatic he wouldnt have had any problems. It was something to do with the transmission housing that cause it to shimmy and made the clutch rattle. A friend of my dads bought the same car like 2 days after my dad did and had the same problem but Subaru wouldnt do anything about it.

If you could get me the exact ground clearance Id really appreciate it.

Thanks.
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

I will try to get you the ground clearance for the 4matic.
If I cant, trying checking with a local dealership or even you mechanic; it should be in their manuals.
My outback was a automatic and it worked just fine.

Yeah, I havent heard any problems with automatic Outbacks. Oh well.

Thanks again.
brockley

__________________
89 300E Pearl Grey Metallic
7 Spoke 16" staggered wheels (SLK)
215/55/16 Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires
Euro Headlights
Smoked Corners
Smoked red/clear tail lights

1987 300e Black Metallic (mom's car)
8 hole 15" wheels (C Class)
Clear Corners
Red/Smoked tail lights

Our 1995 Legacy started hanging up in third until it was driven for a few miles, but I sold it...

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

I measured the car this afternoon using the oil pan as the lowest level and got 7 1/2 inches of ground clearance.
I believe this is similar to the Outback.

I was thinking about getting a 4-matic for my wife as a replacement for our Tahoe. Now with the horror stories I've read I'm thinking otherwise. The Tahoe is just too big of a vehicle for her to drive by herself but it's super for the both of us on a long trip. I would like a MB 4X4 but the ML's are too ugly and the G-wagens are too expensive. Coincedently,we did look at the Subaru's but found them too cramped and lacking storage space.
Looks like we're going to keep the Tahoe.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I've had a '91 4matic te for about 8 years - I drive the 500e in the summer. Many times I've had to drive around SUV's stuck in the deep snow. With the 4 Nokian all season tires it's about unstoppable in snow. Gas mileage is just plain awful - 10-12mpg. For a week or so after switching from the 500e I have to put my foot out the door onto the pavement to verify that I'm moving. It has only standed me once (ironically, at the bank) when the cracked distributor finally died. There's nothing like going up an icy hill, passing stuck suv's and seeing that yellow light come on that tells you all four are working.

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1992 Black 500e
1991 Black 300te 4m
1992 Black Renntech 620sl
1979 Porsche 911sc targa

Get a post 95 4matic and be happy.

Well, as far as gas mileage goes, the worst we got with the Tahoe was 15MPG and we usually average 18MPG and the best we've gotten was 21MPG and this is with a 5.7L V8 in a vehicle that weighs 6500 lbs. We've never been stuck in any snow we've been in with it. In addition to having 4-wheel drive it also has a low range.
I'm not sold on a 4-matic yet.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I think it comes down to whether you want a "station wagon" (i.e., car platform) or an SUV (truck platform). The 300te drives like a car. My daughter drives an Infiniti qx4 - it is a wonderful machine, comfortable, nicely finished, but it is still a bit more truck like. I've driven 4wd mini-vans (Chrysler) which are also nice rides.

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1992 Black 500e
1991 Black 300te 4m
1992 Black Renntech 620sl
1979 Porsche 911sc targa