W210 worth it?

[Bobby Dazzler]

Well, my reservations come from its very bad reputation. I would have zero reservations for example if I was thinking of a W124.

So I think my reservations are well justified, wouldn't you say?

But you're the person looking to buy one, so if your reservations are justified, buy something else.

 

[grober]

The W210 unfortunately was manufactured during a period when Mercedes suffered from paint and body problems - rumours of inferior Russian sourced steel to Mercedes still struggling with newer water based paint systems and lack of galvanising meant these cars have a deserved reputation for rust problems in most European countries. Like many old Benzes you will still find them doing sterling service in countries with predominatly hot arid climates where their body finish is unchallenged. The later W211 is a better bet [ altho its far more complicated electronically] best sampled in post 2006 facelift form with better paintwork and minus SBC brakes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_E-Class_(W211)

 

[JimBR]

I've had two W210 220cdi's. One on 340,000 miles. Did 5k in it without spending a penny. A friend then had it and put 10k on it with just a set of brake pads and a service.

The second had 180,000 miles and just needed a water pump.

Good cars from my experience and both drove better than my 2006 CLK Sport again with the 220cdi.

Must admit though both were rusty...

 

[John Jones Jr]

The problem is everybody I'm speaking with are saying the same as renault12ts said. I won't find one without rust.

Well as you're the one looking to buy one maybe best you actually go out and start looking at W210 including one's not for sale, that imo is the best way to dismiss one as a purchase. It's not easy and it takes time as I already mentioned, no matter what the car. Been there and worn the t-shirt and like a fool I'm still looking for a particular car (non Merc) since last Feb/April. It's all about perseverance and luck.

Or buy another Ford, the Mondeo is a cracking car and they're not to be sniffed at, plus there's a massive selection.

 

[Tmc]

They are justified...just can't understand why you are even considering one.

Yeah. Well, I guess I was hoping that people would say the reputation was not deserved and it was not nearly as bad or something.

 

[kwk]

Well, my reservations come from its very bad reputation. I would have zero reservations for example if I was thinking of a W124.

So I think my reservations are well justified, wouldn't you say?

I really don't know why you are even considerig one. I have owned a few and mechanically they have been superb. You do have to be very careful with the body and I posted my current one which is low mileage and virtually zero rust.
The one before that was bought with a 12 month mot and was a rot box when I started to lok carefully (s0mething I should have done before I bought it). It taught me a lot though and was a source of many parts.

 

[Tmc]

I've had two W210 220cdi's. One on 340,000 miles. Did 5k in it without spending a penny. A friend then had it and put 10k on it with just a set of brake pads and a service.

The second had 180,000 miles and just needed a water pump.

Good cars from my experience and both drove better than my 2006 CLK Sport again with the 220cdi.

Must admit though both were rusty...

This is the thing. If you don't care about the rust I'm sure you can drive it till it falls apart. It will take a while till rust stops a car from being drivable.
If you lucky enough no electrical problems engine related get in the way I guess they would keep driving with or without rust. But this is not a car I want to deal with then.

So I guess you chaps have confirmed and convinced me the W210 is just not for me.

 

[Tmc]

I'd actually rather own a late 210 than an early 211. However, both are originally expensive cars with numerous things that can and will go wrong at this stage in their lives.

Having just run a 1999 Honda Accord coupe for six entirely trouble free months which cost me the grand total of a grand, my instinct is that for the same money I'd go for that over an ageing Benz.

My 210 (which had been heavily cherished) needed a new heater control panel, new MAF, new airbag, new clock spring, evaporator, rear shocks, rear spheres and numerous bits of minor rust dealt with. This is after the previous owner had replaced the PSE pump (they fill with water if the front drains get blocked), new injectors, new glowplugs, new bonnet, wings and tailgate. Great car when it ran well, but it is of that era when electronics are not great and are starting now to fail.

Like I said I would like a large 4 door saloon with RWD or AWD. Hondas are FWD only.

I can't afford a late W211.

So I guess I would be better off then with something like an Omega? As large as an E Class, luxury enough for me and they don't have the bad reputation the W210 has. The V6s are quite quick too.

Sure it's not a Merc and it's a Vauxhall. But it costs quite less to buy and to maintain. And we have a Ford and a Vauxhall now and the Vauxhall is 15 years old and passed the last MOT without any problems and has no body rust at all.

I guess a reliable Vauxhall is better than a rotten Mercedes?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yeah. Well, I guess I was hoping that people would say the reputation was not deserved and it was not nearly as bad or something.

They're very good cars with a bad reputation. Rust and electrical issues when the cars were relatively new earned the car a poor reputation, but now the car is older and much much cheaper to buy, the issues are more in keeping with what you might expect.

The W210 will be a superior car to almost every other car in the same price bracket, but it's at an age whereby it's getting older but has all of the cost and complexity of a modern car, and so things will brake, and it will be expensive to repair (relative to the value of the car).

Buy it expecting it to be perfectly reliable, immaculately finished, and hewn from granite, and you'll be disappointed. Buy it expecting that it will have some issues, which will be more expensive to repair than you're expecting, and enjoy luxury motoring at a relatively low cost.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Like I said I would like a large 4 door saloon with RWD or AWD. Hondas are FWD only.

I can't afford a late W211.

So I guess I would be better off then with something like an Omega? As large as an E Class, luxury enough for me and they don't have the bad reputation the W210 has. The V6s are quite quick too.

Sure it's not a Merc and it's a Vauxhall. But it costs quite less to buy and to maintain. And we have a Ford and a Vauxhall now and the Vauxhall is 15 years old and passed the last MOT without any problems and has no body rust at all.

I guess a reliable Vauxhall is better than a rotten Mercedes?

Omegas are fantastic cars, but you'll need look to find a good one now. Sadly, they too are known for rusting. Find a good MV6 and you'll be delighted.

Interestingly we chose the Omega over a W210 too.

 

[kwk]

Like I said I would like a large 4 door saloon with RWD or AWD. Hondas are FWD only.

I can't afford a late W211.

So I guess I would be better off then with something like an Omega? As large as an E Class, luxury enough for me and they don't have the bad reputation the W210 has. The V6s are quite quick too.

Good luck with finding a good Omega these days. I used to drive them with the police and was also a demo driver for Vauxhall. Omega's also rust and the V6 engines can become quite rough after 100k. They were never as good as the old 24v straight 6. Quite a bit smaller than the E class too.

 

[Scott_F]

Well, my reservations come from its very bad reputation. I would have zero reservations for example if I was thinking of a W124.

In that case you would be rather unwise. Apart from rust (yes - old W124s do rust !) there would be disintegrating wiring looms to look out for along with all the other potential problems associated with 20 - 30 year-old cars.

Like I said I would like a large 4 door saloon with RWD or AWD. Hondas are FWD only.

I can't afford a late W211.

So I guess I would be better off then with something like an Omega? As large as an E Class, luxury enough for me and they don't have the bad reputation the W210 has. The V6s are quite quick too.

Sure it's not a Merc and it's a Vauxhall. But it costs quite less to buy and to maintain. And we have a Ford and a Vauxhall now and the Vauxhall is 15 years old and passed the last MOT without any problems and has no body rust at all.

I guess a reliable Vauxhall is better than a rotten Mercedes?

An old Omega is likely to have at least as many problems as an old W210 and possibly a great many more. I really wouldn't see one as a cheaper and more practical alternative.

 

[mattc]

Apologies if I missed it but what's your budget?

 

[bob6600]

I'm sure you say that in terms of marque, luxury and features? I would have to agree there is hardly anything better for the money. But if it will be at a garage to repair all the time because of a bunch of issues you can't even enjoy all it has to offer.

I need a car as a daily driver so it needs to be reliable.

And an early W211 is better and more reliable?

Thanks.

Mechanically the cars are good, can suffer from limp mode but like anything diagnosed and repaired properly they are fine.

The W211 doesn't suffer from rust as they were galvanised, however I would avoid a very early (say 02/52) one.

As above, budget will help

 

[219]

Thanks everybody for the replies so far.




Sure. The E Class is a good car but we are talking only about the W210. Are there still W210 taxis at this point?

And a as far as I understand, engine and mechanics were never the biggest problem. I'm sure they would run 200k miles no problem. The W210 problems seem to be electrical and very bad rust.

What is even more scary is that I have never seen a car with such a long list of notorious problems in their Wikipedia page as the W210. This must show they are really common right?

And are you saying the W210 is as reliable as a Toyota or Honda? Because I would think if it was, it wouldn't have the horrible reputation it has. Toyota and Honda have very good reputations for reliability.

I have never owned a W210 , but have had several W124's and would have another in a heartbeat .

Re the taxi question - I was in Tenerife a few months back - most of the taxis there were W124's , then 210's were the close runners up , followed by still a few W123's being run as taxis and a couple of W201's - then all the 'other makes' .

I was in Berlin a couple of years back , and while there there was a strong representation of the newer models , there are still significant numbers of W124 and W210 taxis - my impression though being that the 124's still running as taxis outnumber the 210's , but that is just an impression .

Apart from rust , the most common 210 fault I'm aware of is front spring perches collapsing - two friends have had that happen . Electrical issues are common to all Mercs of that era .

 

[219]

The W210 is over 20 years-old and even the latest ones will soon be 15 years of age so problems (rust is the main problem but won't be the only one) are to be expected especially as these tend not to be low-owner / low mileage type cars - most will have earned their keep. They should therefore be seen as Bangernomics with a bit of luxury thrown in.

Look out for a diesel model (but check the injectors carefully for "black death") - a 220 if you want some serious fuel economy or 320 if you want a bit more zip and if you keep looking you'll eventually find a very nice one for little more than £1000 or an absolute cracker for £1500 - £2000.

Not sure if the OP is particularly looking for diesel , but I'd suggest petrol models are nicer to drive , more likely to have been privately owned and looked after , and less troublesome .

 

[219]

I've owned four W124s. I have serious reservations now about those!

So have I - however I feel I'd know where to look for problems in a prospective purchase and would have no reservations in buying a good one - another estate is a distinct possibility ...

 

[kwk]

So have I - however I feel I'd know where to look for problems in a prospective purchase and would have no reservations in buying a good one - another estate is a distinct possibility ...

As with my earlier post on the w210. Having had a bad one and pullig it apart, I now know where to look on any future purchase.

 

[Benzowner]

I owned a W210 3 litre diesel estate 1999 vintage and sold it when the car was 10 years old in 2009. I still see the car regularly and it is being driven by the person I sold it to. Yes, I had rust problems, but on the W210 there were some cars that really did rust badly and some cars didn't. I guess I had one that didn't so much, however, I am of the opinion that we have our engines serviced once a year, the body work should be treated the same and any blemishes should be sorted before the become eyesores. On the estate, over the 7 years of ownership I probably spent £600 or so on the body work, mainly the wheel arches. The tops of the doors under the rubbers I did myself. Good luck in your search for whatever car you decide on.

 

[Stratman]

Like I said I would like a large 4 door saloon with RWD or AWD.
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Lexus LS or GS?