2007-2009 W211 vs earlier W211 years: Any Major Differences?
 

My '01 E430 got rear-ended last week and you can guess what the insurance company said. :(

Now I am looking to replace it with an '07 to '09 E550 or E350. In my search I have come across earlier models ('03 to '06) that seem nice but I am leery of them because of things I have read, e.g., air suspension issues.

Because my E430 was largely trouble-free, I am apprehensive about everything I see, fearing inheriting someone else's problems. Any thoughts, suggestions and anecdotes would be appreciated.

Sedan or wagon? If you want reliability and ease of maintainance get an 04-05 RWD E320. M112/722.6 is by far the most reliable drivetrain they put into the 211. Avoid 03s. 722.9 found in E500/E350/E550 is not maintance friendly like the 722.6. There's no fill tube and the TCM is built into the conductor plate and coded to the car. The M272 and M273 intake manifold is failure prone and can sometimes send it's components into the intake. Avoid anything with airmatic. It is very expensive every time anything fails. That includes shocks, airbags and sensor.

SBC brakes on 03-06 cars are covered under a 25 year unlimited mileage extended warranty. The fuel tank on all non PZEV 211s is covered under a 15 year unlimited mileage warranty.

Sedan.

So would the '05 E500 not be a good choice? (I was looking at one moments ago.)


My E430 was M113/722.6 and trouble-free, so I'd like to keep that going.

It really depends on your preference. Pretty much all the E500s had airmatic. All the RWD E500s had the 722.9 and the 4matics had the 722.6. if you're ok with airmatic and the 722.9 go for that option. The nice thing about the 211 is the huge variety of drivetrains and options available.
Strictly speaking the only cars to avoid are the 03s and and 06/07 m272 and m273 because of the well documented balance shaft problem. Outside of those it depends on your tolerance for expensive repairs. I would've loved a RWD E500 wagon with a 722.6 and coil springs but MB never built that combination. A RWD E320 wagon was the next best thing.

Right now I am relying on this for 722/6 guidance:
* 2002–2005 W211 -- (all models except 2004-2005 E500)
* 2006–2009 W211 (4-cyl and 4-matic only)

As for engines:
2008-2009 E350 should be ok (?)

Airmatic makes me nervous also but I am not finding a list of specific models that have it.

Airmatic was standard on all the V8s (E500/550/55/63) shipped to the US AFIK and optional on the V6 cars.

08-09 E350s have good balance shaft. Like the E550 and E500, RWD E350s got the 722.9, 4matics had 722.6. The only RWD/722.6 were E320 gas, E320 CDI and E55 AMG.

It's becoming less confusing now.

I just started searching today but right now my top contenders are/were:

2007 E350 4MATIC
Has 722.6 Trans
Has had fuel pump issues in the past; seems to be common issue on these cars. And it's M272 engine number is before balance shaft issues were resolved, so it is likely out.

2005 E500 4MATIC
Has Airmatic suspension.
Has M113/722.6 engine/trans.

So far I have not found an 04-05 E320, but I am still looking.

Looks like the choice is between:

2008 E350 4matic
2007 E350 4matic

Both are low mileage (~60K) and essentially identical, except the '07 has a push starter on shifter and is a 1-owner car. The '08 is 2-owner.

Any noteworthy differences is reliability and features between the '07 and '08 versions of this car?

Don't get the 07 it if it is in the balance shaft failure range. Other than that pick your poison.

I ran the VIN and the 07's engine is definitely in the safe zone.

Test drove it a second time and it seems a little hesitant on the initial up shift to higher gears. Considering it's the same transmission as my e430 that's a little bit unusual, probably not the best comparison. Otherwise it's a wonderful car.

Will also be driving the 08 again and then will make a final decision. There is a substantial difference in price, about $1,400.,with the 08 being higher, with slightly higher miles but seems to drive more smoothly than all the other cars I've driven, including the 07. It also has the 18 inch 10-spoke wheels which I actually like, but am not sure are worth the premium.

The 07 hesitant shift is likely a worn lock up torque converter damper. It's a component built into the valve body on 2000+ 722.6. It feels like a rough 1-2 shift when the trans is cold but it's actually the torque converter not locking up properly. The 722.6 lockup TQ is used in all 5 gears. It's a cheap, easy part to replace if you are doing the conductor plate. Sonnax makes a kit for it and its on my to do list for my 04.
https://youtu.be/LdF5DnGwz7E
FF to 6:30.

Is there documented service history? Can you get VMIs? Pick the one that’s had better care. Or if you’re me, pick the one with more options :)

Sixto
98 E320s swdan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

Actually, the '07 had a multi-page dealer service history on CarFax. I did not look in detail but plan to next.

After all I have read about the balance shaft and intake manifolds on these cars, I am understandably apprehensive. Also, what's with all the fuel pump failures? About 90% of the VINS I ran showed fuel delivery issues.

The factory fuel tank on ALL W211s will leak at some point from the driver side fuel level sender/filter housing. The leak is worst when the tank is full. Usually you can smell gasoline but rarely drips on the floor. MB got sued over this and NHTSA opened an investigation. They settled out of court and in 2015 MB extended the fuel tank warranty to 15 years unlimited mileage. If you smell gasoline from a 211 the dealer will install a new fuel tank complete with pump, sender and wiring harness free of charge. I had mine done in December with 4 months left on the 15 year warranty. Diesels are excluded and PZEVs are limited to 15y/150k.
https://imgur.com/a/6CaNUZv

This is good to know.