My '99's center dashboard switches:

she is black , looks navy , but black , like the Queen Mary :) like the ship that is:)

Got it. It's not apparent what the dark color is to me on my laptop.

If you've never owned/driven a W210, you're in for a treat in how it handles/performs IMO. I've driven (2) different W211 E320s a total of maybe 5 miles on test drives in the past, and the W210 has more of a manueverable road-feel to me than the W211. It probably resembles the C-Class in how it drives/handles a lot more than the W211s. I think you're in for a treat in driving it. I really bonded to mine over 14 years.

I don't know why the disparity, but the 1st battery in my 99 E300 lasted exactly 4 years to the day (1999 to 2003). My second- installed by MB Roadside Assistance is still going strong SINCE 2003...at 10 years old, this is the longest I've ever had a battery last that hasn't been maintained on a float charger.

J.G.

the only issue with this car is the headliner. Every Benz I have owned has had headliner issues.. They can make a car , but they can't get the headliner right :) ..what gives with these older ones. A few stick pins and it looks OK , but... just agrivating :(

Faulty adhesive capabilities. My garaged 100% of the time '99 has the left and right rear creeping/sagging forward for three to four years now.

Cost here to hire a trim shop to R & R = $450.00 Add that to what you paid (whatever that figure is) to the car's cost.

FWIW, my '83 300SD I owned til sold @ 16 years of age and 305K miles, had zero headliner issues. It was garaged 100% of the time it wasn't being driven too. I was totally spoiled going forward by how little $ that old 300SD cost me out-of-pocket to own and operate. :(

We owned 3 MB diesels in the '60s and '70s all bought new, that also had zero headliner issues.:)

I had an 84 300SD - loved it! Minor costs and well over 200K when I sold her, last I heard, goign strong
I am going to live with the headliner for now . I did the research and it is not a DIY for me:)
First purchase will be new tires, these ones that are on it sound like I'm running off road lugs. gotta save up some $$

I second Paul's recommendation. Great tire choice for a 210.

Do you know the color code? Mercedes generally offers about 4 different kinds of black on the E-class. I don't suppose it's black opal, that is a really cool color.

My '83 SD is or was still running around here, according to my next door neighbor that has told me he's seen it a time or two in the 14 yrs since I sold it, but personally I've not seen it.

Well, I did spend money on some repairs over 305K miles, but none I can complain about. The car '(83 SD) was a well made car IMO, and very capable.

I'm living with mine's ('99's) headliner issue now too - for the time being. I too found it to be a non-DIY for me too.

Enjoy that new car!

Working from the information provided in the1999 E-Class sales brochure/booklet I got from the Mercedes-Benz dealership the year I bought my car, it shows two exterior colors of black available. 040 Black, and 197 Obsidian Black.

As I recall, Obsidian Black had the metallic speckling in the paint, and really kind of sparkled, if you will. While the Black, was just......well, a solid glossy black, and not metallic.

Thanks for the tire recommendation, as well, suginami & jcyuhn. I'll try to remember 'Primacy' as I've heard it before as a style of tire Michelin offers. My W210 has Michelin MXV4 Plus ENERGY labelling on it's tires.

The 040 is plain old basic black. No metallic, no clearcoat. It's the most common because it is not extra cost. You are correct regarding 197 Obsidian Black. It is a metallic/clearcoat option. My 211 wagon is this color. It's not quite as black as 040, more of a very dark charcoal. I once looked at a 210 wagon that was Black Opal, but it was a few model years newer than '99. MB must have introduced that color later.

I believe the Primacy MXV4 replaced the Energy MXV4 in the Michelin lineup. It's a better all around tire.

yes mine is 040
I like he MXV4, but also looking at the TOYO Versado LXII, suposedly VERY quiet . I have run Toyos on a lot of my trucks , they are nice tires, well made and quiet
I am unfamiliar with car tires, anyone know?

IIRC, the brand KUMHO is or was installed on the Lexus brand of car. Just throwing out a brand I've seen, MP.....

I've seen 040 black on a 500E before, and it is the deepest, pure black imaginable.

It's just base coat black, no clear coat.

Be sure to keep it polished and waxed. :D

All colors are base/clear since the early '90s, even 040 black and the various versions of white, i.e. 149 polar white.