Would U Buy 1996 E300D
 

Thanks for the replies on the 95 E300D. Since then I have located a 1996 E300D in the Atlanta area. The car has 114990 on the odometer and pictures are suppose to be sent to me today. I hope MBAutowerks will be close enough to look the car over for me. Owner, of course. claims the car is in excellent condition with no known mechanical problems. The right rear quarter panel has been repainted along with the right door.

Thanks for your opinions on the 1995 I have decided the price is way to high. As the interior is in good condition but not excellent.

Lets see what ya'll have to say about this one.

Paul
1999 E300D 85000

Yes, one of those might be my next car. With that kind of mileage I would pay in the area of $16K-$18K depending on condition and service history. I just listed a Cypress Green 96 E300 with 92K for a dealership and it sold for $18K, goregous car.

I bought a '96 E300D new in April '96. I put about 70,000 miles on it before selling it. It was a very nice car. Handling is good, power is not bad, many people rode in the car and were surprised when they found out that it was a diesel.

The main thing when buying used, of course, is condition. I would recommend taking it to a shop for thorough evaluation.

Good luck,

Larry, I never knew you had one of those. I am curious, why did you sell it, and what did you think of the car overall? I'm seriously considering one.

I just spent 2 hrs driving my friends 95 e300 and I was very disappointed with the lack of power. It is slow!!:o I found myself working the gerabox to get max power around town. My old 84 300dt will blow this car away. Big time. It sure is pretty though!

http://www.mariettasportscar.com/images/ebay/95-E300Dblack/1995_mercedes.htm

Now when you get it on the hiway and it gets 3000-3500rpm you better look out it is gone! 85-90mph is a breeze. You gotta watch it. I would not own this car unless I was pulling serious road duty. Give me a 123 TD anyday. :D


later,

Between the '95 and '96, the difference is a matter of taste, the 210 '96 is a newer body style of course. If it's in your price range, i'd highly suggest trying to find a used '98-'99, as the turbo models are a LOT quicker.

I bought the 210 diesel while working for a fast moving, money making software company. I bought it in early '96 a few months after my son turned 16. That's when I gave him the 240D. I was paid mileage for my business travel which amounted to about $1,500 per month. I was covering several states, and it was a driving territory.

The car was fabulous in every way. It had Xenons, leather, chrome wheels and every available option except metallic paint.

I left that company in early '98 and at the same time my son was going to college. Once I was away from the $1,500 in mileage most every month, it just didn't make sense to keep it. I found the manual transmission 300E and had been looking for one for a few years. I sold the 210 car to a doctor in Sherman and started driving the 300E.

In late '99 I started going to an office in the Dallas areas most days and put the 240D back on the road after my son had parked it when he left for the university. Then I went through the engine woes and started driving the 300E daily. I now wish I had put the 240D back on the road and saved the 300E. The problem with that is that the 300E is so much more pleasant to drive on the mostly two lane route that I run every day. It's not a good route for a 240D with its lack of passing power.

if you test drive a 98 or 99 TD (and you like a little spunk under the hood), you won't go back to a 96 or 97. There are some owners who claim 0 to 60 in 8 seconds on the TD cars. I've never actually timed my 98.

URGENT Q 98/99 E300D
 

I am considering a 98/99 E300 Diesel

Where is the button for the ESP located
What is the button next to the shift lever with a W and S on it?

I was told to get a car with ESP therefore the Q as the ASR from my understanding is std.

BTW I own a 95 E300 and yes its no tire squealer off the line but moves out in a reasonable fashion, has good power as stated at 3.5K+ rpm.

Where is the red line on these engines any way?

Thanks in advance for your answers on the ESP.

I usually don't post here unless I'm absolutely certain, but you said urgent so I'll give it a go. My ASR defeat switch is on the console in the upper left corner - above the driver's window switch. If the car has ESP then that switch should say ESP instead of ASR. They are mutually exclusive, so if the switch says ASR then the car doesn't have ESP.

The W/S switch is for Winter or Summer shifting pattern. W makes it start off in 2nd gear to prevent slipping on snow, S uses first gear. I can also detect a difference in reverse, so I *assume* it has a second reverse gear. Once the car gets rolling I can detect no difference in shifting patterns.

Redline is 5000 although it is possible to catch the computer off guard and overrev it. :o When that happened I asked here if there could be any damage and Benzmac said not to worry, these engines have been tested for hours at 7500 rpm at the factory.

Happy Hunting!