To buy or not to buy? 1999 E300 turbodiesel edition - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Benzasaurus · #1 07-08-2015, 09:56 PM

I'm just posting to see what people's general opinions are about a specific car. I have two w123s and am very happy with them even if they don't start in the depths of winter and I have to Abe Lincoln it to work.

Mr. Benzasaurus however would like to have a vehicle in the stable that starts reliably at -5ºC or colder, is easygoing, gets decent mileage, and has, you know, airbags and stuff. We both enjoy the w123s but he wants a reliable DD.

Our indie kindly let us test drive a '99 E300 they're selling for the owner. We drove it around for about 2 hours and we liked it. We like our indie a great deal and trust them and their work. They've looked after the car from start to finish, or, at least, for all its post-dealership life.

How do people who own or have owned this model feel about it? Anything to watch out for? What are your general experiences?

I know there will be those who will want to weigh in on the price and condition and so on, so here are the details:

$6k asking price
140,000 miles
Near mint interior
Very minor surface rust
Indie will be fix all other issues before sale (including recharging a/c, replacing driver mirror glass, windshield which has a crack, and checking and repairing all mechanicals, etc.)

All input appreciated!

shertex · #2 07-08-2015, 10:42 PM

I own two of them. They....are....wonderful! IMHO the only downside is the susceptibility to rust, the spring perches being the one area that's safety related. Do a search....there are a number of threads discussing the merits of this particular car.

Not sure where you live. But, depending on the market, for $6000 it better be pretty close to perfect. Because, for not a lot more, you could snag an 05/06 CDI, which, in most people's book, is a markedly better car.

chronometers · #3 07-09-2015, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shertex

I own two of them. They....are....wonderful! IMHO the only downside is the susceptibility to rust, the spring perches being the one area that's safety related. Do a search....there are a number of threads discussing the merits of this particular car.

Not sure where you live. But, depending on the market, for $6000 it better be pretty close to perfect. Because, for not a lot more, you could snag an 05/06 CDI, which, in most people's book, is a markedly better car.

X2....W210 is notorious for rust issues. MB was perfecting their paint to lower VOCs. the bodies rust badly and sometimes from the inside out.

Not sure if there were also electrical wire harness issues with these as well.

Glow plugs can be a son of a beach to change.....have a propensity to break in head.

W211 E320CDI is a super car. Great driver's vehicle that is very modern, comfortable, fast, fuel efficient and contemporary looking. One recently sold at an MB dealer in VA with 180k and ask price was $6995. I'd recommend skipping the W210 and going straight to a W211.

Do research and see shopping thread on this forum and spread sheet showing recent prices.

ROLLGUY · #4 07-09-2015, 12:30 AM

Having owned a '99, I thoroughly enjoyed every mile I drove it. So much that after my friend loaned me his (identical to the one I used to have) last week, I am coveting his car! As others have said, the $6,000 asking price is a little high for the car. As far as I am concerned, any rust would make it hard for me to dole out that much cash, but that's just me. Some folks are okay with a little rust. It also depends on the availability in your area. At $6,000, that might be a bargain if there are not many others to choose from. Also having the maintenance history is a plus, and that brings up it's value. I can't offer any advice on a W211, as I have never owned one....Rich

sloride · #5 07-09-2015, 12:39 AM

There was a craigslist alert thread here that had a few in the Philly area (rust belt) going for around half of that. I would bet they have been discounted due to that fact. So like a lot of things, location, location, location.

jake12tech · #6 07-09-2015, 12:47 AM

$6K is a little bit above of what I'd pay, but depends on the car.

Glow plugs can be an issue, but if they've been replaced and reamed, you're ok. It's not always going to happen either that they'll be a problem if it hasn't been replaced.

Wiring harnesses aren't an issue for anything 96+.

I'm purchasing my perfect fully optioned 99 back from my friend who has the car now. The car served my family well, never let us down ever. In the 8 years we owned the car, it never needed any major maintenance. Returned around 37MPG (personal best at 65 w/out AC) and regularly 34.5-35MPG.

treetops · #7 07-09-2015, 07:40 AM

My decision to buy is a combination of a very nice car for a good price, still easier to work on myself, not too complicated and plenty of how-to's here and other forums if something goes wrong/regular maintenance. I have not seen the same amount of DIY info on the W211. (I'd rather DIY than pay the dealer or indy, but thats just my way

)

That said, my plan is get a 05-06 CDI in the next 12-18 month....they are really nice.

m1tch · #8 07-09-2015, 07:57 AM

I bought my '97 E300 turbodiesel estate (I am in the UK) for £1,200, as already mentioned, watch out for rust, mine is 100% rust free, some are perfect and have no issues at all, some rust really badly.

Stretch · #9 07-09-2015, 08:05 AM

I wouldn't get one for that price even though they are nice to drive. The potential rust problems could turn your 6K beauty into a parts car or one of those "no such thing as a cheap Mercedes" nightmares if you're paying someone to fix it.

shertex · #10 07-09-2015, 08:16 AM

When I got my 98 in Oct. 2103, it had rust to some degree on all four wheel wells, plus some spots here and there. Spent $700 to make it perfect....still looks great. I anticipate spending several hundred bucks every few years to stay on top of the rust. I just look at it as part of periodic maintenance....I go the car with only 73k miles on it, so I should do fine.

pimpernell · #11 07-09-2015, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

I wouldn't get one for that price even though they are nice to drive. The potential rust problems could turn your 6K beauty into a parts car or one of those "no such thing as a cheap Mercedes" nightmares if you're paying someone to fix it.

I second that opinion. I just loved my 96 E300D, but the rust issue did exactly what you said. Parked the car overnight, when out the next morning and thought I had a flat. Turned out that the passenger side spring perch let go, breaking the spring in half, and dropping the front fender on top of the passenger side tire. If I had been doing 65-70 mph I would have been lucky to have survived due to lack of steering. Had the car up on a lift just two weeks before to have the tires rotated, and inspected both spring perches. Not one bit of rust showing, and they looked perfect. Ended up selling it to a junk yard for parts.

oldsinner111 · #12 07-09-2015, 08:27 AM

I would simply reweld the perches,change the flex disks,and if legal in your area,block off the egr.

m1tch · #13 07-09-2015, 08:43 AM

For me I bought the OM606.962 engine, it just happened to have an E300 attached to it!

Stretch · #14 07-09-2015, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m1tch

For me I bought the OM606.962 engine, it just happened to have an E300 attached to it!

That's a compelling argument and for the price you paid for your car I'd say a reasonable gamble to take. But 6K (in virtually any first world currency) to my stingy mind is too much for a mid 1990s to early turn of the century Mercedes Benz - just because of the potential rust issues.

@OP heed the words of pimpernell!

Benzasaurus · #15 07-09-2015, 09:50 AM

Thanks everyone for raising these points.

The glow plugs have just been done so there should be no problems there at all. The rust was very minimal, some freckles on the grill assembly and a little at the corners of the wheel wells. I'll take a closer look at it to make sure it's not extensive, and I'll learn about how these cars rot by reading the archives so I can make a more informed inspection. The indie did mention spring perches being alright, I think, but in any case I would ask them to show them to me/us so we can keep on eye on them regularly if he decides to buy it.

6k is actually already above Mr. Benzasaurus's budget by $1000, so I think he will be asking if they can let it go for less. A CDI would be a real stretch for him price-wise right now, but he might be interested in trading up in a year or two once they depreciate more. From the spreadsheet the averages are above 10k which is double his budget. In any case, thanks for pointing it out—I had no idea it existed! But it looks like a CDI might cost too much unless he hits the jackpot and finds a cheap one. I don't know if he has the energy for a big hunt like that while we have to deal with moving this summer.

We live in CT right now and are moving to NJ since I got a job around Princeton. Princeton apparently has no overnight parking so we're mostly looking for places to live outside the city, and that means there needs to be a reliable winter starter in the stable. On top of that, it's possible he'll move to another side of his industry and need a car he can drive 50+ miles a day depending on if he has to cover a county or the whole state. In CT we lived in walking distance of both our workplaces, in Princeton that will be impossible on our budget. The E300 is looking like a solid bet for the money he has... with some serious dissenters, of course!

Thanks for all the input again, it's incredibly helpful!

View Poll Results: To buy or not to buy!?
Sounds great on the face of it	1	8.33%
If it checks out, sounds good	7	58.33%
Probably too good to be true	0	0%
Meh. I wouldn't. (price/mileage)	3	25.00%
This model is the worst of all possible worlds	1	8.33%
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll

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