Looking at wagons

[Palangi]

We are kicking around the idea of buying a 210 or 211 wagon. I know basically nothing about MB gassers.

What do we need to look out for on these things ?

Are there any big differences between 210 and 211 ?

Were we past the biodegradable wiring harnesses by model year 2000 ?

Are these going to have the "lifetime" transmission fluid with the special dipstick tool and proprietary fluid ?

Some of them seem to have 4-Matic. It doesn't snow much here, so we really don't need AWD. I know the 4-Matic was trouble on the 124's and on the early ML's, but is it OK on 210 and 211 ?

Anything prone to expensive failure at around 100K? Suspension rebuild ? Climate system ? Spring perches ?

Any reason to avoid the E500 ?

Thanks for your input.

[engatwork]

Were we past the biodegradable wiring harnesses by model year 2000 ?

yes

Are these going to have the "lifetime" transmission fluid with the special dipstick tool and proprietary fluid ?

Buy the tool and replace fluid/filter. Old school says 30k mile frequency.

If you don't need 4x4 then don't get it because it will lead to more cost for maintenance IMHO.

[mbzman]

A late W210 would be a good choice. They made them until the 2003 model year. I would avoid an early W211 due to all the teething problems with the new chassis. The later M272 V6 has known engine problems relating to the balance shaft. Later W211 wagons are also worth a lot more. My vote would be for a 2000-2003 W210.

[jcyuhn]

Originally Posted by Palangi

We are kicking around the idea of buying a 210 or 211 wagon. I know basically nothing about MB gassers.

What do we need to look out for on these things ?

Are there any big differences between 210 and 211 ?

Were we past the biodegradable wiring harnesses by model year 2000 ?

Are these going to have the "lifetime" transmission fluid with the special dipstick tool and proprietary fluid ?

Some of them seem to have 4-Matic. It doesn't snow much here, so we really don't need AWD. I know the 4-Matic was trouble on the 124's and on the early ML's, but is it OK on 210 and 211 ?

Anything prone to expensive failure at around 100K? Suspension rebuild ? Climate system ? Spring perches ?

Any reason to avoid the E500 ?

Thanks for your input.

The 210 and the 211 are about the same size. So there's no difference in passenger room or carrying capacity. Both drive very well, as you would expect from an E-class.

The 210 wagon has the same weak points as any 210 sedan, pretty well documented here. Body rust, spring perches, window regulators come to mind.

The 211 seems to not have any of these problems. The primary downside of an early 211 wagon would be SBC brakes. SBC carries a 10 year warranty, but this is rapidly running out on older cars. All E500 wagons have airmatic suspension, and the air struts do not last forever. Both SBC and airmatic repairs start at several thousand $$$. The '04 and '05 211 wagons use the same m112 and 722.6 drivetrain as the 210. In '06 the 211 got the m272 v6, which has occasional balance shaft issues. I understand MB is now paying the full cost of repairing any balance shaft failures. There are other 211 quirks, such as the two batteries, that drive up ownership cost. At least some 211 wagons with the 3rd row seat do not come with a spare tire.

All these cars have the lifetime transmission fluid. You can service the 722.6 just like any earlier transmission. Just purchase the dipstick and the special fluid. Otherwise it's the same process as ever.

4matic is reliable on these cars. But if you don't need it, preference definately goes to an RWD version. It's simpler and gets somewhat better fuel economy. At some point 4matic became standard, I think it was the '07 model year.

Ball joints on the 211 tend to be short lived. But it's not a difficult or expensive repair.

It's getting difficult to find a clean 210 wagon with reasonable mileage. On the other hand, there are not very many 211 wagons out there, as SUVs had pretty much taken over in the 2000s. If you can go a bit smaller, the 203 (C-class) wagons seem to be easier to find in good condition and at reasonable prices than the E wagons.

[Gilly]

The 4Matic has a reinforced upper spring perch. I have thought all along (and mentioned) that if a spring perch breaks on a 210 I would put in a 4Matic spring perch. At any rate, if you buy a 4Matic the spring perch shouldn't be a problem.
Gilly

[Palangi]

OK, thanks for all the info guys. Looks like maybe keeping an eye out for a late 210 is the way to go. There is a used MB dealer nearby who seems to have wagons from time to time.

I knew about the Airmatic, but I had never heard of SBC brakes. A little Googling tells me all I want to know about that system.

Jcyuhn, I saw that you have a C240 wagon for sale. That may be a little smaller than what we need. It has to have enough cargo area length to accommodate my wife's handicap scooter with battery and seat on the side. From the pictures, it looks like it would be close. If you don't mind, could you please measure the length of the cargo area? I will measure the scooter tomorrow. If it fits, I would definitely like to take a look at your wagon. (I am in Ft. Worth area).

[jcyuhn]

Hi Palangi -

Will do, I'll PM you the measurements. I picked up a nice 211 wagon this past weekend, so the 203 is wedged into the corner of my garage behind the motorcycle fleet, and feeling lonely.

There is a guy on White Settlement that sells a lot of Benz motorcars, I am drawing a blank on the name of the establishment. I am not a fan, almost all the cars have been crashed pretty good, which they don't disclose. You can see the mismatched paint in the photos they post on the internet.

[jcyuhn]

Hi Palangi -

Will do, I'll PM you the measurements. I picked up a nice 211 wagon this past weekend, so the 203 is wedged into the corner of my garage behind the motorcycle fleet and feeling lonely.

There is a guy on White Settlement that sells a lot of Benz motorcars, I am drawing a blank on the name of the establishment. I am not a fan, almost all the cars have been crashed pretty good, which they don't disclose. You can see the mismatched paint in the photos they post on the internet.

[POS]

Both of my MB-only mechanics LOVE the w210 wagons - especially the 2001-2003s. I was thinking about buying another one, but in the end I found a really cool one-owner 1994 black/black wagon which I think is fantastic.

[C Holmes]

what is the diff between the 2000 and the 2001-2003's? I just bought a 2000 with 90.000 klm or 56.000 miles. I was under the impression the facelift came in the 2000 model year.