Blk04GS430

iTrader: (1)

Im looking for another car and Im thinking about a used Mercedes-Benz E 350. Im concerned with the E 350's reliability and cost of maintenance, repairs, etc. I know they had problems in the early years when it 1st came out in 2003 but I believe they should have been fixed by the year 2006. 2009 was the last year the W211 was manufactured. Im looking for a Black on Black E350 with less than 50k miles. Im not sure about purchasing an certified pre owned or an extended warranty. Does anyone know if you can do your own repairs on the W211 E350 and what kind? I know the dealer would have to do the brakes because of SBC. Do you recommend buying from a dealer or private party that has all service records? I would appreciate any input from anyone that had experience with this car. Thanks in advance for your time and help.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Bleh... The most vanilla, boring, conservative sedan in its class. There's about four of them on every block in NYC. To me, the E class is the Camry of sport sedans.

Gojirra99

I won't even call it a sports sedan ...

<VENOM>

The E350 4matic is not that impressive, my buddy is on the verge of picking up the same body style E55, it's amazing what just a little bit more will buy you

I would say pick up an extended warranty to 100-120k, go to the service department, ask what they have and off and then call a bunch of random dealers and see who has the lowest price, the only reliable MB are those before the onslaught of electronics, maybe early 90's

KA8

iTrader: (1)

If I'm not mistaken it has same engine as 06 ml350. Engines in those yrs are known to have balance shaft problem where it'll cost about $6000 if warranty expired. I'd get 08+ yr models as balance shaft problem has been resolved. It's alwYs recommended to get extended warranty on any Benz.

<VENOM>

Forgot about that, many owners had engines replaced in their E350's I would look up the service history and the TSB's

Blk04GS430

iTrader: (1)

Sounds as bad as the BMWs. I guess all German cars have a lot of issues.

DustinV

I had a W211 E230 Classic and never had any reliability issues. That car was my daily driver, to.

Very comfortable, spacious and great for cruising. It's not very sporty, but it handled quite well and confidently. You can drive it in a sporty manor and it will cope, but its forte is effortless cruising.

DustinV

Since when is the E class a sport sedan? The E class has always been about comfort and cruising, not sport. And it has sold very well based on this philosophy. It seems that some people just don't want to understand what this (or other cars) vehicle is about.

It's safe to say that the 5er and Infiniti M are the only real sport sedans in this class. And most people shopping in this class want a luxury car and could care less about sport or handling. The enthusiast market is very small after all.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

My aunt has an 03 e320 and it has proven to be somewhat unreliable, mainly electronics but nothing major, but she loves driving it. I got it for about 2 weeks driving around Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey so i got a pretty solid feel for it and i really enjoyed it. The interior controls were simple, the awd very very nice in snow, mpg was good. If you do buy it you'll probably really like it........if you get a warrantee

SoCalSC4

I am very mechanically inclined...

But any used car with the 3-pointed star on the back scares the crap out of me.

Just the cost of parts would be murder!