Looking for a MB, what is the best choice?
 

I am in the market for another car, my wife drives a 230slk 99. I am looking for opinions on what MB is the best regarding maintenance, quality of build, mpg.
I am looking for cars that are 95 or newer so OBDII is a must.
Other than that I am open to all models, trying to pin down the search for a MB that will serve as an extra car. Please give me your opinions on what cars to stay away from for example 93 e300 had a bad wiring harness.
Best MB motor on a used MB. Motors to stay away from.
I know that a badly maintained MB could get really expensive. Need to buy a MB with paperwork, maintenance receipts. etc.
I am looking at spending 10k max.
Thanks.

I've become somewhat partial to 97 C280 / C230 and to a lesser extent E320 ( not so much up for the front end / headlights )

96 - 97 was first year for 722.6 electronic shift trans ( also used in Chrysler products, many trans shops can rebuild them Vs not so much with the older 722.3 / .4 / .5 )

97 was the last year for a mechanical key, later cars got a somewhat problematic key fob / electronic column lock. 97 was also the last year for the M104 inline 6, 98 brought on a somewhat problematic V6 that later got better. ( crank pulley issues for sure, from what I recall valve cover breather / EGR carbon issues. )

The C and E can have rust issues so stay out of the salt / snow belt.

Both of these cars are built to a price but are decent cars. I got the 97 C280 for Mom to dive and I'd pick it over my SL for buzzing around town.

I'd think a really nice 97 C or E could be had for 5K easy.

This will not be what the OP wants to hear, but the W123 diesels are the best overall cars Mercedes has ever made. The only real down side is that the newest ones are now 30 years old.

what to buy and where to look
 

w123 if no rust or repaired damage, the diesels are everlasting. best finds are are lifetime So Cal units. often idemnifiable easily with blue/gold licence plates, usuallyalpha numericsequences xxxxxx-rxx 1977) to about 1MNN-xxx.

or blue/gold personalized plates. The diesels are the favored ones. but won't win any drag races, though.

So Cal has year round mild temps = no rust and snow/salt plus it is ground zero for car culture in the world ----- yes, the world, so many fanatical owners, many shops to repair them, detail them, paint them, repair them and keep them in good condition are everywhere around..with time luck patience you can nab a nice one, parts are not too hard to find, plus they will run to a million miles and beyond and they are easy to work on.

Just about are the w124 models, from 1986-1995, but if later ones - 1992-1995 be sure they have the updated non biodegradeable wiring harness.

love these ones, they too are everlasting, and also million-milers, just about all that can kill them is driver error, said my mechanic, who drives one.

And in these days of "me too cars, these ones sport impeccable build quality.


And can NEVER be mistaken for anything but a Mercedes-Benz.

Good luck in the hunt for one.

.

I'd roll with what $10K would buy in the nicest '05/'06 E320 CDI that I could find.

If you need or like the W211 E320/E500 gasser wagons, that might be a good choice too.

The C-Class wagons might be of interest too.

If you like what you now have, search out a last year of production, low mileage example to replace the SLK with.

While devotees may argue that the W123 or whatever was the best Mercedes made, it's not a current car and is not the best choice for a daily driver.

As mentioned the W202 C-class cars are known for being good cars. My daughter has one, a 2000 C230 Kompressor, and it's got 195K miles on it. My cousin previously owned it, so I've got a documented history, and the car has been a very low problem vehicle. My only gripe is the vibrating engine, but since you already have a 230, you know all about that.

Start going newer, and you dramatically increase the complexity. Double edged sword here, on one hand better mileage and power, on the other increased potential service costs.

Advice is hard to give, since you have not narrowed down your preferences, i.e.: power, economy, convertible, need to haul, etc.

Might also look at the classifieds in the MBCA Star magazine, you can find cherished cars there.

Jim

Maybe something like this:

MERCEDES BENZ 320 CE AUTOMATIC COUPE 3.2, STUNNING ORIGINAL CONDITION THROUGHOUT | eBay

May be rather overpriced but it seems to be a genuine Sportline so a bit rare.

I'd expect to get something like that for very much less but keep the rest of my 10K budget for eventualities.

Good luck.

RayH

for me,I like the w140 chassis,the lesser chassis's suffer electrical problems.I use the m104 engine,it is cast iron.I don't trust aluminum blocks.I remeber the Chevy Vega days.

2008 E350 4Matic. I'm gonna buy the next nice one we take in on trade.

The problem with a W123 is that the insurance is going to be 30 percent higher because of a lack of ABS and airbags.

Fine cars in their day, but not really a practical daily driver unless you have loads of free time or money to pay a mechanic and a backup vehicle.

Spare parts quality is a big issue now, most parts (even dealer)are not the same quality as what they left the factory with. Oil cooler hoses and motor mounts...I'm looking at you.

The third issue is that these cars are maintenance and repair intensive and considering the driving experience, high costs of diesel, and the low residual value I wouldn't recommend one to any of my customers as a sensible choice to buy as a daily driver.

Interesting idea. I'm not paying much for mine, but I haven't comparison shopped against something with those "features". Does anyone have quotes to compare?

Mine hasn't been so bad. I put a bit of money into it when I first got it, which is my usual experience with any used car. Some years I do nothing but preventive maintenance, others I have to put more into it, but when you compare that to the cost of buying a new or newish car I'm pretty sure I'm ahead even before considering the superior driving experience of a W123. It does pay to have a backup vehicle, but that's true no matter what you drive.

that's a heckuva endorsement

^that is exactly what I thought.

No kidding, that's an endorsement. 4 wheel drive makes me nervous as far as maintenance...thanks guys for your responses, I need something bigger than the slk 230 99.
going to stay away from the diesels unless i find a real beauty. around here in n cal they are expensive and well used. i do have a f250 95 diesel 7.3 4x4 beast for towing. i like diesels but can't afford the nice ones.:mad:

Do you like the e350 not 4 matic, I don't need 4 wheel drive in the san francisco bay area.
Could you add to the goods of such a car! thanks.

Jim , is the 2000 c230 a 1.8 or the 2.3 kompressor engine? The slk99 has the 2.3. If it is a 1.8, does it have enough power to have 4 adults? I know the oder c230 k had the 2.3 thanks.

I tend to gravitate towards older stuff than the OP is looking for, but I'm kind of with who ever said about a W211 CDI. Don't know about the prices, so not sure if you can find one for the price, though.

My daughter's 05 C230 has been a solid runner for her for over three years now with issues whatsoever and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one for others. Her car came with impeccable service records, though, so that probably makes a difference in the current reliability, too.

RE: W211 CDIs - they come in all prices, miles, and conditions. From $4K & Up. $10K will definitely buy one. What it'll cost in upkeep hours & time, repairs, and money after buying, is the biggest unknown.

Non-4matic gets the bad 7 speed.

My personal advice is spend more for something in better condition if needed

2.3, same as the SLK.

Being the last year of the W202 body, this car has all the improvements that MB added over the lifespan.
It's noticeably smaller than the E class, which might be an advantage in The City.
Reasonably economical, a bit over 30mpg on the highway, as well as sprightly.

I own a W211 as well as several W124s, and while the W211 is very nice, it is much more complicated.
I enjoy the W124s, but they are too old for your criteria. Personally, I would not own a W210 (96-02 E class) due to quality and reliability factors.

Jim

Thanks guys

Best hold out for a low mileage one, or one from the Southern latitudes that's not spent it's life in the Salton Sea Up there.

They're fine.

Seems like I remember reading that 2001 was the sweet spot for the E320. I'd guess you could find a low mileage sample for your target price.

2001 E320 (W210): watch for electronics (everything attached to the CAN bus) and search here for harmonic balancer. They're prone to falling apart.

Biggest worry: spring perches. Again, search here.

Personally I would find the nicest W211 4 matic you can. I am solely driving W124's for my daily transportation and when the time comes that is what I'm going to get. In addition to all of the known mechanical and rust issues with the W210 I just don't like the way they look.

I've been considering an e320 as my possible next car. Is the spring perch issue mostly for northern cars with rusting, or is it more of a stress fracture/weak metal issue?

A Northern issue - and ones that spent their winters being driven in the North.

As an owner of a 1999 C280, the biggest issues with this V-6 are the transmission (had a rebuilt installed) and the quality of the materials used in the interior and trim. The trans failures due to the "lifetime fluid" are legendary, however the later production years (98-00) did not have the wire harness issue. The interior is finished mostly in plastic and "mouse fur" and headliner sagging is epidemic.

On the other hand, the W203 cars are total disasters, being most affected by the Chrysler merger budget cutting and QC.

A best bet would be a maintenance documented or CPO car that doesn't have the ABC suspension.

I have owned a 123 85 diesel for the past 5 years, very reliable vehicle, buying one well sorted would be best if you can...if you like to wrench a bit they are great cars even at 30yrs old.

I recently got a 95 E320 and absolutely love it, seats are more comfy, more leg room and a bunch faster than the Diesel's, but the diesels can be tuned to be a bit more peppy

I got lucky with the 95, lots of records all major repairs done at dealer is: wire harness, a/c
Etc...

As far as the insurance goes the comparison between the two, the 95 is about $100 less per year, so not much difference in insurance identical coverage.

With what you want to spend you should be able to find something pretty nice... Enough info
Here to keep you busy for months!! Good luck whatever you get!! No doubt it'll be nice

Thanks for the replies. Still looking for that special MB.:D