Buying my first Mercedes

[Tyy]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at buying my first merc. I have seen quite a few for sale and have narrowed it down to 2004 to 2006 E class. Prices from 3.5k to 5.5k. I have seen a few that have been advertised with low mileage around 35000K and appear to be in brilliant condition full service history and warranty and have been on the market for quite some time. However others with double the mileage at a similar price seem to sell quicker. Is there something I am missing about the low mileage cars? Is there something I should be aware about with 2004 cars with low mileage.

 

[markjay]

Hello and welcome.

Are you looking for a Diesel or petrol car?

 

[Tyy]

Hello and welcome.

Are you looking for a Diesel or petrol car?

Petrol

 

[Eddy77]

Any Mercedes up to 2004 ish...beware rust. So go later in your age range....2006 better I think

 

[AMGeed]

If you can find a facelift E Class from 2006> in your price range, you will have a car without the expensive SBC pump that is a £1k bill if it needs replacing.
Something to bear in mind when looking.

 

[Eddy77]

If buying a petrol v6 post 2005 beware the balance shaft issue affecting a range of engine numbers (google it).

 

[markjay]

Petrol

Avoid E220 equipped with the M271 engine (4-cul 1.8L Kompressor), unless low mileage and full service history.

The M271 engines are prone to fatal timing gear failure at around the 100,000 miles mark.

 

[Stratman]

The E-Class (model type W211) of 2003 to 2006 has a very clever brake system, Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC), which although giving superb braking performance has a finite design life. A microbrain counts the number of times the brakes are used and when the limit is reached a big red warning appears in the instrument panel. Mercedes say the pump must be replaced at huge cost, (do they still say that?) the better independent MB specialists can reset the counter and send you on your way again, as long as the pump is in good condition.

This thread discusses the matter, the consensus seems to be it's not a big problem and resetting the counter is OK (see above), but it's something to consider when making your decision.

 

[Tyy]

Looking at buying a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E Class 2.6 E240 Avantgarde 4dr 35k miles with a full Mercedes service history