Going to look at a 1993 320e tomorrow with only 58,000 original miles. We're talking less than 5000 miles per year.Owner says car is perfect. I have owned several benzes and currently own a 85 500sel and a 79' 300cd. Both of these cars were low mileage one owner automobiles. The other two owners had service records. This owner doesn't, but with 58,000 miles there should not be many records. Do you agree? Anyone who owns a 300e or 320e please chime in and give me your input. This guy says that he can show me his carfax report. I think this will be important info. I have been looking for a w124 for quite a while now. The owner only wants $6,500.00 for the automobile. Every other car in this class was going for at least $9,000.00 and had at least 140,000 miles on it. This could be my best deal maker yet. Please give your input. Thanks in advance.

CHECK IT OUT without delay...this could be a good bargain. I know age plays a part in wear/tear of components, but you can never go wrong with a pristine, low-mileage example.

I agree. I was thinking that if the low mileage is correct can I be fortunate enough to get a mint interior/exterior etc. The owner swears by the car and even went as far as to tell me that the original floor mat plastic was still on the mats. I will let you guys know what I find.

Facelift did not come until 94/95 E320..much nicer car.
Also, wire harness and head gasket are weak links that low milage means nothing.
I would check to see if both have been done...if not, you will be doing them.

I will be asking about these items. I will also try to convince him to let me take it to my independent mechanic which is in the same town as he is. This is exactly what I need to hear the good and most certainly the possibly bad. This car is exceptionally underpriced in my opinion. Is the head gasket and wiring harness the only biggies to look for?? Good stuff. Keep it coming. Thank you all.

Make sure the A/C works as it should.
A leaky A/C evaporator is a major repair (at least 20hours of labor)
.

The a/c evap is another.

The problem with these big ticket items is that they were all changed/modified with newer designed parts b/c the originals were faulty. The harness was made from bio-degradeable insulation, the head gasket was changed to a newer style with inserts , and the evap line fusion was fixed for leaks.
So, thse show up regardless of low milage..I would much prefer to buy a E320 with twice the milage that has had these modification already done than a low milage that had none of them done...
...the oddity of these 104 HFM engined cars is that they could rack up a ton of $$$ to do these few changes, but once done , they are Excellent cars and will go 250/300K with few problems.
those are the magor concerns , but there are others ..ASR can be a pain, but that one may not have that. { All the better, in my opinion]
Take a good look at the 94/95 body style for a comparison.. the front end does not have the dated look of the 93 boxed nose, and this facelifted style still looks Benz b/c the 140 and later C class used the samr style..plus the benefit of better lighting [ Euro style lens/lamps]
.. Car Fax and spotless floor mats mean nothing to me when looking at a 124 ..you want to know if the mods have been done, for sure....

Jack...............
I was not repeating your message, I was writng while you answered..


........and yes,Definately chck the a/c....

Now I will definately have to take it to my indy. mechanic. Can he tell if these items have been changed? What is the cost if I need to get them done? Can I justify paying $6500 and replace these items if all of the other cars are selling for at least 10 grand w/150,000 plus miles. and still may need these items replaced? Just a thought. Gotta go to work now. Thanks to all.

Just love our 124's. Neither one has had the wiring harness yet, but did do the evaporator in the 400 a year ago. I would gladly buy another one if the right deal came along.

__________________
95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

I used to own a 1993 300E (3.2).

The exterior modifications occurred in the following year (1994), along with the badge change to E320. However, the 1993 300E (3.2) has the same engine as 1994-1995 E320's, along with the same chassis code (124.032). It is interesting to note that although Mercedes didn't change the badge in 1993, they did so in the rest of the world, where this one model year was known as 320E.

The interior updates, however, did take place in 1993, so the interior of this car is the same as 1994-1995 cars: passenger side airbag (taking the place of the glovebox), a flip-down armrest with a compartment for small things like sunglasses (and could also have housed the factory phone), and a console box with a sliding wooden door underneath the armrest).

There are arguments for and against the updated grill that 1994-1995 models have, but the single best thing 1994-1995 cars have is the headlights. They are fantastic looking, and put out significantly more light.

If you do go ahead with this car purchase, the first thing I'd do is buy Hella or Bosch OE euro headlights.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Also get a VMI from a dealer as that could tell you if some of the previously mentioned weak spots were taken care of.

I love my 93 300E. I bought it from the local Benz dealer almost four years ago, and the harness and the AC had been taken care of under warranty, and were noted as such on the VMI. My head gasket is original, and still in good shape.

I have 126K on it now, and have averaged about .10/mile for maintenance.

Check carefully for rust as well, even though I see your in NC.

Just a wonderful vehicle, and at $6500, this could be a killer deal.

Let us know how it works out.

__________________
1993 300E
1999 E320 Estate

Good posts so far.

I also own a 93 300E. I had the wiring harness update, the A/C evap replaced (under warranty) and a whole host of other issues addressed that are anomalies specific to this model. Right now, the indie has it for the head gasket, so I expect to get many more miles out of it.

For a low mileage car, I would fear the impending $$$ needed for those repairs, but at the same time, the pristine paint and interior is hard to pass up. But knowing what's ahead is half the battle, and probably many years before those issues crop up.

BTW, only the W124 cabriolets are fetching $10K or more. Most high-mileage sedans have fully depreciated to around $3K...

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

No service records on such a low mileage car gives me pause that it may be an odometer rollback. Try to establish that the mileage is authentic by inspecting carfax, service booklet stamps, etc. The missing service records is a concern because they are a good way to establish that the odometer is accurate. (Each receipt will list the date & mileage, along with verifying that required service has been performed.)

As other have mentioned, many problems occur with age more than mileage. The big items on this model include: engine wiring harness, Electronic Throttle Actuator (ETA), radiator (broken neck syndrome), headgasket (oil leaks), and a/c evaporator/vacuum pods. Minor annoyances include the outside temperature display going out, engine misfires due to bad coil connectors and/or incorrect spark plugs.

Great car (I own a pristine example with 115K) but it has several well established and expensive problem areas. Find one in which these have already been addressed and you will be a happier buyer.

- JimY

That would be a steal at that price assuming the car hasn't passed thru the Time Tunnel

A co-worker has a 1993 with 55k miles. It is "new". I know he'd never sell it for anything close to the price mentioned here.