Best bet for an E320

[dbgrate]

My past 2 Benzs have been a 240D AND 300SDL.....I'd like to switch to an E320 and mmy price range is 2001,2002,or 2003....kind of a dumb question,BUT,is there a "best" model yesr among those 3 years? Thanks for any help!!!

[Impala]

2000-2002 are face-lifted model years for W210, and have better crash test results compared with 1996-1999 W210. Given similar conditions, maintenance, mileage, etc I would go for 2002, for the updated parts which supposedly are improvement over earlier years.

2003 is the first model year for W211. Newer generation E-Class, however first model year ... I would prefer subsequent years'.

[suginami]

I would avoid the 2003 E320 at all costs.

It was the first year of the W211 chassis, and was a nightmare.

Any of the 2000 - 2002 E320's are the same and have all the updates that the W210 chassis received.

[RichardM98]

I believe the 2003 sedan is a W211 but the wagon was still a W210.

On safety even the 98 W210 got 4 stars for front and 5 stars for side impact. Only one rating is better 5-5. These are generally quite safe cars.

Not every unit of a given model/year is a terrible car. In fact most are just fine. The important thing is to inspect thoroughly THE CAR you intend to buy. Use a good indy MB mechanic if necessary. It's money well spent. Examine the maint. records. No records? That's a red flag. Some missing records from a car that has had multiple owners is maybe only a 'yellow' flag. Buy from a local private party who has owned the car for atleast a couple of years. No flippers! Get the VIN number and go to a local MB dealer and have them print out the VMI (Vehicle Master Inquiry). It's free and will tell you how long the vehicle was under warranty and if there were reoccurring issues. I prefer a car which has been under a 100,000 mile factory warranty since the owner will likely not hesitate to address issues.

As you may know the E Class is the most popular MB so there are plenty to choose from. So be picky.

Set aside some money ($1K-2K) from your budget for after-sale issues. Also, if you don't want to do maintenance yourself, it'll cost a little extra to have an indy or dealer do it for you.

Good luck.

[dbgrate]

Thanks for the advice..think I'll focus on 2002.

[jlomon]

Originally Posted by suginami

Any of the 2000 - 2002 E320's are the same and have all the updates that the W210 chassis received.

This would be my choice as well. Have any one you select inspected by a mechanic who knows MBs before you seal the deal.