Polarized Impressions of W210 Are Interesting - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

shertex · #1 09-10-2014, 05:07 PM

As the owner of two W210 diesels, I've noted with interest the polarized impressions people seem to have of them. Unlike other MB diesels, where impressions seem to be consistent (e.g. a 90-93 300D or an 05-06 CDI), impressions of the W210 seem to run from "Best car I've ever owned" to "Worst car I've ever owned." Regular participants on this forum can think of particular representatives of each.

All very subjective and anecdotal....but interesting nonetheless.

My periods of ownership (one year with the 98, three months with the 99) don't give me much perspective. I'm sure I'll have some definite impressions five years from now. So far I'm pretty pleased.

Jeremy5848 · #2 09-10-2014, 05:23 PM

Our '96 E300D certainly has been a "good" car for the ~45,000 miles between odometer readings 249,000 and 296,000 (2007 purchase to today). The only significant maintenance has been the rebuilding of the transmission due to a front pump seal leak that refused to stop. The engine neither leaks nor uses any oil and I seldom look at the car (my wife's DD) between annual oil changes (every 5,000 miles). Boring, in other words. To an engineer (me), something that never breaks is no fun at all.

Jeremy

uberwgn · #3 09-10-2014, 05:34 PM

We've owned a couple of W210 diesels. I feel they're going to be remembered on the "good" list. It's a car that is still pretty straightforward to work on.

alabbasi · #4 09-10-2014, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

My periods of ownership (one year with the 98, three months with the 99) don't give me much perspective.

Really? You can't get perspective after owning a car for a year?

shertex · #5 09-10-2014, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alabbasi

Really? You can't get perspective after owning a car for a year?

I simply meant that my period of ownership is relatively brief compared to others on this forum. Yes, I have my own impressions and they are entirely positive. But I don't think I've owned the car long enough to speak authoritatively about long-term reliability, maintenance costs, etc...

alabbasi · #6 09-10-2014, 05:58 PM

I think that after a year, you should have a good handle on your car. I'm a big fan of the W210, I've owned them for over 10 yeas, but figured out I was going to be a big fan within the first 20 minutes of driving one

shertex · #7 09-10-2014, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alabbasi

I think that after a year, you should have a good handle on your car. I'm a big fan of the W210, I've owned them for over 10 yeas, but figured out I was going to be a big fan within the first 20 minutes of driving one

Oh, I absolutely love the car....especially chip tuned!

gatorblue92 · #8 09-10-2014, 06:00 PM

I have never owned one but they are getting into the "cheap" territory as they age. I'm fairly certain I will pick one up one day. Most likely a later W210 wagon.

dieselbenz1 · #9 09-10-2014, 06:29 PM

5 plus years of ownership with a w210 my first real repair will be soon on rear brake pad warning came on last week outside of the constant rust issues which don't excite me in the least. Very sweet ride and I enjoy the acceleration but prefer the build quality of the w124 the most.

shertex · #10 09-10-2014, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselbenz1

5 plus years of ownership with a w210 my first real repair will be soon on rear brake pad warning came on last week outside of the constant rust issues which don't excite me in the least. Very sweet ride and I enjoy the acceleration but prefer the build quality of the w124 the most.

The rust issues are a given depending on where one lives....I just assume I'll be paying for rust repair now and then. But that's impressive that your first repair in five years is brakes....and that's really just periodic maintenance anyway, to be expected. Wasn't aware there was an indicator for the REAR brakes....that's good to know.

GregMN · #11 09-10-2014, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

impressions of the W210 seem to run from "Best car I've ever owned" to "Worst car I've ever owned."

I've got one of each.

tjts1 · #12 09-10-2014, 06:54 PM

I really appreciate the ergonomic improvements on the on the w210 vs the w124 and the additional interior space. With carsoft 7.4 and a cheap obd2 tool there's nothing I can't diagnose and fix. I wanted the 722.6 and no smog check which limited me to the 1997 model year. Turbo would be nice but I already have 603/5spd manual which is quicker. If that car ever fails me, I'll pickup a 95 or 96 (not too picky about the chassis) and swap in my 5spd, 603T injection pump and turbo charge the beastie. 722.4 cars are much more manual swap friendly.

So far I've had to fix:
bad ac clutch coil (was blown for years)
K40 resolder
Water pump
Clean out the clogged intake
GP relay loose plug
Minor rust

Pretty good for a $3000 220k mile car.

Graham · #13 09-10-2014, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

As the owner of two W210 diesels, I've noted with interest the polarized impressions people seem to have of them. Unlike other MB diesels, where impressions seem to be consistent (e.g. a 90-93 300D or an 05-06 CDI), impressions of the W210 seem to run from "Best car I've ever owned" to "Worst car I've ever owned."

It could be that the negative impressions may have more to do with the W210 chassis than it's power plant whether it be one of the diesel variants or the V-6 gas engine.

No doubt that bad spring perch design and other rust prone components gave the W210 a bad rap. But I have never heard anything bad about the power plants. We have the V-6 gas engine and at 220k km, it is rock solid.

The main problems we have had, have been failed A/C evaporator and condenser (evap very expensive to fix and not done) and a failed ABS pump (also very expensive, but solved with a low cost used unit). Most of our rust repairs were done under warranty and since then, just a couple of touch ups which any car of this age would need in our climate.

We were offered $2500 on trade in for our 98 E320 and market price is not much better with non working A/C. Crazy really considering what a good car it is. (Our car is otherwise pristine)

Nevertheless, any buyer should know enough to do most repairs themselves so as to keep out of repair shops. Carsoft, EPC and WIS are a big help! And to give credit where due, so is the BW W210 forum. Unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), this keeps prices down

Mxfrank · #14 09-10-2014, 08:12 PM

As I've mentioned before, I owned a '99 E320 4matic wagon from new. It was my third Benz, as I've also owned a '79 300CD and an '87 300TDT. I picked up an '87 190DT in 2002, to replace the 300CD which was finally killed by the WTC. The '99 wasn't the worst car I've ever owned, but it was the worst Benz. It was trouble before I even took ownership. I had bought it because a friend of mine bought a new E320 and I really liked it. When I bought mine, I called him and told him I had bought a car just like his. "You mean the Lexus?" "No, the E320". "That POS went back to Mercedes two weeks ago...it spontaneously combusted in the driveway, and I forced them to take it back." Then shortly after it was delivered, I received an invitation to join the class action for engine sludging. And then I began to have my own bad experiences.

I had the wagon for 12 years, so it's not like it didn't work at all. But it was always trouble. If not treated just so, it bit. Maybe a window riser would crap out. Maybe the CPS would die and leave you on the roadside. Maybe the cats would start sounding like castanets. First warm day each year, the A/C was sure to fail. And then there were the defective lamp warnings. Always something. Ten years ago, you could go online and find dozens of sites like "myE320sucks.com", but they seem to have dried up as the cars disappeared from the road or went to more tolerant owners.

If you really want to own this car, move to a warm climate, keep the car in the garage, avoid bad weather, get a AAA towing package, use a lot of wax. It may be that there were good examples and bad examples. It may be that the survivors have been painfully sorted out by determined owners. But I've always believed that the real character of a car is baked in. With the 210, Mercedes set out to get better margins on it's mid range cars, and they succeeded at the expense of everything else that they were known for. It's a clear step down in quality from the 124, and in comparison to the 123, it's just a caricature.

engatwork · #15 09-10-2014, 09:09 PM

Quote:

It's a clear step down in quality from the 124

I agree with this.

I have turned the 98 E300 into my "daily driver" and still have the two 95 E300s. It is a lot easier for me to find a comfortable seat position in the 95. Can't really seem to find it in the 98. In addition, the 95 feels like it was carved out of a solid chunk of iron verses the 98 which, to me, has somewhat of a Nissan Altima feel. The performance of the inter-cooled diesel running out on the interstate makes me forget all about the uncomfortable seat

. I have two customers with the 98/99 version and both cars are currently at around 300k miles and still going strong.

Now with all that said, we do tend to take the wifes 05 E320 (230k miles) wagon when we go on a trip

. Only thing that would make it better is if it were a diesel.