Correct Pricing for 02E430 and 03E500
 

My beloved 95E320 suffered a catastrophic transmission/differential failure after striking some road debris last weekend and has been declared a total loss. :(

I am looking at newer options but am not sure what the fair pricing is and hope you gents can help:

03 E500, 120K Miles, asking $11,800, clear Carfax, super clean.

02 E430 4Matic, 72,000 miles, asking $10,800, well maintained, clean carfax with dealer service history

02 E430, 145,000 miles, asking $6,500, sport edition, clean.

Are these within the scope of realism?

Everyone has their $.02, and it seems universal that we say the prices are too high (See also Life of Brian, gourd-haggling scene). I think KBB/Edmunds/NADA sites give reasonable reference points that you can adjust based on deferred maintenance for the particular car.
The W211 there is the 1st year. I would avoid it for that reason, and because of the electro brakes they had through 2005.
The 4matic V8 will get pretty bad mileage, so bear that in mind.

My vote would be for the 2002 E430 4Matic. The early W211s are very problematic, especially the first year. 2002 was the last year of the W210 so they are the most refined and have all the updates. Up here in Canada that E430 4Matic would be priced right in line to what I see advertised. If it checks out okay after a thorough PPI I would pull the trigger.

Thanks. I should add that the $10K E430 is a 2001 model.

Eric,
Does that mean you have solved your "limp home" problem? ;)

I use Autotrader.com for pricing info. My dream car would be the 2003 CL600, a V-12 with dual turbos and 490 HP. It would pass everything except a gas station.
Anziani

Ha ha -- yep, in the worst way. :D

I went with the '01 E430 because of the low mileage and ridiculously long and anal service history by the original owner; he took it for dealer servicing for every imaginable problem or non-problem.

This is my first V8, and my first 21st-century Mercedes, so let's see what surprises are in store for me ahead. :)

You will love the E430. We have a E420, the last year of the 124 design and it is a dream to drive. Gas mileage suffers a little but you probably have a 5 speed that should help. Happy motoring!
Anziani

I am looking forward to it. I only drove it on the test drive and it felt nice, except 4Matics don't seem to accelerate as quickly as RWD vehicles. I guess I will have to get used to that.

At least you will have the sure footedness of AWD with all that power in the snow/wet.

My E430 has been the best car I've ever owned. I'm sure you'll love yours.

It is fast, quiet, smooth riding, and dependable. There are virtually no weak spots with this cars, with the exception of the spring perches if you live the in the rust belt.

I routinely get 19.0-ish in mixed driving, and I can return 25.0 mpg all day long in 100% freeway driving doing 75-80 mph.

The only weak spots are the rear window regulators, the CPS and brake stop switch sensors.

Did MB ever fix the W210 rust problem or are all model years the same in that respect?

I just don't think W210's ever got the same rust proof protection that W124's got.

It's not a problem out here in So. Cal. My neighbor is a long-time Mercedes dealer tech, and he's never even heard of a rust problem on W210's, much less seen one.

So there you go.

Thanks for the info.
I'm also in California and would love to pick up a W210 wagon but even though the local cars might not suffer the same fate as the rust belt cars, it still makes me uneasy knowing MB didn't rust proof these cars to their usual high standard. If there is a model year that is better or worse I would like to know about it.

The early 210 diesels are the ones that typically have spring perch problems, its very rare for any of the other 210's.

Well, so far I am loving this car.

The V8 is great and I am discovering where the power kicks in. Bose sound system is excellent. And the interior is cavernous -- a lot more spacious than my previous W124 cars.

I am actually looking forward to rain and snow to test the AWD.

I experienced the brake switch issue briefly, last Friday.

Exiting off the highway and braking firmly, the ESP/BAS/ABS lights illuminated. Restarted and no change -- and got locked into "P." After manually releasing the shifter was driving with the lights on and apparently less engine power but it did not feel like limp mode. After about 15 minutes I heard a metallic "ping" from the brake pedal -- apparently the switch's plunger unsticking itself. I must have pumped it too hard. No more lights thereafter. :)

A serious human error that happened today is a massive brake fluid leak at the front passenger wheel. Apparently, during the last brake service, someone wrapped the brake line outside and around the steering knuckle instead of routing it to the inside area. Every time the steering wheel was turned the brake line was stretched -- until it finally ruptured. Feeling the pedal sink to the floor is not fun. And because the car was always dealer serviced, I have even less confidence in them.

Because this was something that should have been noticed when the car was inspected and sold by the dealership, they will be covering most, if not all of the repair cost.

Otherwise, I love the car.

Too bad about that brake hose. Hopefully it was just a fluke mistake on the dealer's part. What kind of mileage do you get with the car?

In combined city/highway driving I am getting as much as 19mpg right now. Have not taken it on a long highway drive yet.

It's a great car but stop & go commuting to work in a V8 is not the best thing, fuel-wise.

That's what I'm getting consistently in mixed driving-19 mpg.

If I go on the freeway it climbs quickly to the low 20s.

In 100% freeway driving, you'll get 25-26.

That is actually reasonable considering it is a V8. Is yours AWD as well?

Nope. Just a regular E430.

It's actually my second. I previously had a white 2000 E430, and it got exactly the same fuel economy.

UPDATE:

Over the past year the care has performed well, with only minor maintenance issues such as one oil change and replacing light bulbs. A year ago I purchased a new rear window regulator but have yet to install it because the small rubber wedge I inserted to keep the window shut has worked so well, and I keep forgetting there is a problem. Fuel economy has been excellent on interstate highway drives, but not so spectacular locally.

I had my first B-Service today and was told I need a 4-wheel alignment because camber is off and the outer edges of my tires are wearing fast. Also perhaps a new left tie rod because mine has minimal play that could apparently negate the effects of the alignment. Finally, new front pads and rotors.

I have always done my own brakes so I assume this task will be as described in the W210 DIY that is on this site(?) So the rest sounds like routine maintenance.

Back when you wrote this I was doubtful I would see that because my mileage numbers never got there and yesterday I discovered why: A faulty crank position sensor finally quit and stranded me (at home) but 2 hours later all was repaired.

Since the beginning of this year the car felt a bit sluggish and I was spending way too much time at the gas station. My best combined city/highway mileage was about 13-14 mpg and best 100% highway was about 21 mpg.

After the new sensor was installed, my combined city/highway mpg (based on commute to work) is 22.2mpg and I will find out this weekend what the all-highway mpg is when I drive to the Delaware beaches. (I am expecting that to be at 28-30mpg, which is about where it was when I got the car.)

This sensor could perhaps be my most costly repair when I consider that 1/3 of the ~600 gallons of fuel I have purchased since the beginning of 2013 has gone to waste (~200 gallons @$4=$800.00) plus $200 for parts & labor for the new sensor.

I've found that I still consistently average 19-ish if I drive fast (75 mpg).

If I keep it at 65 and under, my average climbs to the 20.5-ish.

Eric,
I solved my limp home problem by selling my CE to my mechanic. I then took a quantum leap forward and bought a '97 CL500. Wow, what a car! It will be my last. I thought my '95 E420 was spectacular but this car exceeds the 420. And the surprising thing is that I recently got 25mpg on a 300 mile trip. However, around town is sort of "sucky".
Anziani
'97 CL500 140K
'95 E420 130K

I noticed a slight drop in mileage above 75, however, today I managed 23.6mpg on my ~26 mile commute. I am not cheering too enthusiastically, however, since much of this is on the highway.

Getting rid of the problematic vehicle is apparently the only permanent solution. :)

The CL500 is an awesome car. I don't see many of them but the ones I do see are in outstanding condition. All the S-Class amenities without the extra bulk.

UPDATE 2
Over the past 6 months, both secondary cats began rattling. My original intent was to have them cut out and have aftermarket replacements or straight pipe installed.

Because an empty converter housing is, for all intents and purposes, a straight pipe, earlier this week my tech dropped the exhaust, gutted the secondary cats, and solved the problem (and improved performance).

I should add that the sound of that V8 with no mufflers is simply wonderful; don’t know why MB chose to tune it to be so quiet.

They sound dirty when they don't have a muffler. Post a video up. It's been awhile since I've heard a V8 Benz not muffled.

Man, this wouldn't fly in California.

Unfortunately, I overlooked the chance to video record it. :mad:

With the car on the lift, he repeatedly air-hammered the faulty cat material, then started/revved the engine to blow out the debris. Very simple and effective.

Yes -- California would not allow this, and I originally did not do the work since i was concerned about the rules here (Virginia). But the secondary cats are behind the O2 sensors and thus irrelevant for emissions testing, which I passed easily. :)