Mercedes E320 CDI AVANTGARDE AUTO DIESEL

[Audio Al]

As above , anyone owned one of these ? One is for sale local and I fancy a change

Comments lads and lasses

[Marco]

Yes, daftee. Which year is it?

I had one very like that before my current Merc, although mine was a C-Class. They're superb. One of the best diesel engines around, pretty darned fast, yet economical if you drive it sensibly, and reliable, as long as the car has been properly maintained.

The E-class will be a little heavier than one I had, but still nice to drive, and a bit more luxurious inside. Great for long journeys. You'll be impressed at how effortless it feels to drive, especially on motorways

Marco.

[Audio Al]

Its a old one year 2000 on a X reg , 2 owners from new and 116 K on the clock , been for a 10 mile test drive in it and all seems ok
NO service history but I have been on the dvla mot history site and it all adds up , 3200cc 6 pot turbo oiler

[CageyH]

You need to know if the oil was changed regularly on a turbo engined car.
It's relatively expensive to fix when they go pop due to old oil, and not being allowed to cool down after a long run.

[Marco]

Yup, I'd echo that. The turbo went on my old Merc (very similar to the one you're intending to buy, Al), and it cost nearly £3k to replace. That was on a £10k, 2007 car. Luckily, as I always do, I'd taken out a good warranty (something which I'd urge everyone to do when buying any reasonably priced second-hand car), and they covered half of the cost.

Also, gearbox oil (and filter), and it having been changed recently or otherwise, is another major concern on these cars, as it can go pop if no-one's looked at it - and that's about the same cost to replace as the turbo!

However, it all depends how much this car you're thinking of buying costs, whether it's worth taking a punt on it or not. Potentially, it could be a great car, and good for another 80k miles or so, but it could also be a money pit... Based on what you've said, I wouldn't want to be paying any more for it than £2k.

Marco.

[Beobloke]

In addition to the above, check it very carefully for rust. 2000 was right in Mercedes' blip in build quality era when tin-worm issues were rife.

[Justjon]

I used to sell them new at that time and "quality" isn't a word I'd use to describe one. Myself and the other sales people used to take bets on how soon the car would return with problems.
That said, any of the major faults would have been long sorted under warranty on the car you're thinking of buying. The engines are pretty much bullet proof as long as has been mentioned above. Even if the turbo gives up, it can be rebuilt or buy a pattern part rather the OE.

[AlexM]

I have that car, although mine is a 2004 (W211) E320 CDI. I'm selling it at the moment for £5300 with 78k on the clock.

The W210 E320 is quite old now, and they had serious problem with corrosion due to defective anti corrosion techniques. Mechanically they are pretty good - the six cylinder OM613 turbodiesel is very strong, as is the five speed autobox.

The W211 E320 (2003 on) is a better proposition - No rust problems at all, spares are readily available and inexpensive - for example, a new water pump is about £50 and most parts are available second hand. It's a lot of car for the money - air suspension, very nice to drive, lots of toys and extremely comfortable. Mine hasn't skipped a beat - new batteries, tyres, brakes etc as you would expect, but nothing out of the ordinary. The newer, the better, but most early W211s (2003-2005) will have had any gremlins sorted out in their early/middle life. The only gotcha is the SBC electro-hydraulic braking module is lifed at 100,000 brake applications. They went back to conventional ABS braking in the 2006-2009 model years, and if it needs doing you're looking at £500 for a new SBC module from Bosch.

Very practical car - huge load area with the seats down.. I use mine as a gig transport for the band, and they're gutted i'm selling it. Great for moving washing machines, sofas, cupboards, dump trips etc.

[Kember]

Al,

Noooo!

I'd walk away even if they are giving you the car. IIRC this is the W210 version (not W211) - the steel has the tensile strength of wet cardboard and the build quality awful. Do really make sure you're not buying a snotter. Apart from the boot and doors, check every body panel including the roof. The front subframes are prone to rot as is the engine compartment. The electrics in the instrument cluster are prone to fail but relatively cheap to repair.

To say 2000 is not a vintage year for Merc is a massive understatement - The worst car I have ever owned was an E300 petrol saloon of that year (and I have owned several French dreckmobiles). I gave up after five months and lost thousands on it.

Also, speaking as a Merc driver of 30 years' standing, but true of most manufacturers, older petrol engines are easier to maintain and sound less like you're dragging a bag of spanners behind you...or clouds of smoke. My 26 year old SL just chunters on with around £500 a year to service and MOT it. You need to be putting a lot miles on before an elderly diesel makes much sense to own.

Whether you buy diesel or petrol, the main trick on old Mercs, is not to skimp on the oil changes or oil quality and I'd suggest changing it more frequently than the service schedule.

HTH

Peter

[Audio Al]

Well my insurance CO put pay to the purchase , They wanted £780 My current car is £280