1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S320

Faults:

Passenger side mirror stopped working. Luckily I noticed smoke emitting from the mirror.

Long story short, wiring harness in the mirror was too short, and wore off the insulation from moving the mirror in and out. I was able to repair the wires before any serious damage occurred.

General Comments:

Love it overall.

Do not particularly like the factory paint job. Very thin and "orange peel" finish for an upper end car.

Impressed with the mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th May, 2007

30th Dec 2009, 22:01

Want to know how you fix the mirror problem. I have that same problem with my 97 S320 passenger side mirror?

1997 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S320 3.2 I-6

Summary:

A lot of car for a small price!

Faults:

Faulty wiring on passenger side rearview mirror motor.

Trunk does not sit flush.

Third brake light bulb went out.

The wiring and trunk were issues that were there when I bought the car and still need to be fixed. Only new prob since I've owned it is the third brake light bulb.

General Comments:

Did some research on these cars before purchase. Between the S320, S420, S500, and S600, it seems the S320 is the one with the least amount of trouble and expense.

The car is in immaculate condition and was purchased for only $14k. Drives and looks like new. Absolutely the most comfortable, solid car I have ever owned and this is not my first Benz. On paper the 3.2 litre motor does not look impressive with 238hp considering the weight of the car, but it moves the big Benz very well. In fact, it feels downright fast on the highway. Seems to make good power at 3500 rpm and up. An absolute joy to drive and gets up to 28mpg. The quality of the interior materials is second to none, even the newer S series look cheap by contrast. The double pane windows do a great job of keeping the cabin quiet. Turn the radio off and you cannot hear a whole lot inside the car even at 100mph. This is truly an upscale car.

I am not looking forward to making repairs when they are needed because of the cost, but I have to keep in mind that even though I paid $14k for the car, the repairs are for a $70k car. I believe it worth it. Seriously, what kind of new car could I get with that money? A low end Hyundai? No thanks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th December, 2005

7th Dec 2005, 00:26

I agree with you about it being a nice car, but repairs for this car are above and beyond expensive. In 1985 I bought my first Mercedes which ran great until it hit 150,000. Now it costs me around $10,000 a year to keep my baby running. I nought a 560sel in 1991 and that still runs great, but only has 70,000 miles. I'm guessing when I get that car up to 150,000 it will be the same way. I also have a 1997 s320 and love the car, but theres always annoying little problems going on with the car. I'm not sure why you think this car is powerful. Getting this car up to speed on the freeway takes some effort. I might think that cause I'm use to the V8s. I went out in 2002 and bought a Lexus LS430. I'm now hooked on Lexus. This car has 120,000 miles on it and has not, I repeat, has not had one major problem except for general matinence. I'm hooked on Lexus. I'm just waiting for a new body LS to come out. You can get a 97 LS400 for the price of your Mercedes and I think you would be a lot happier. Take my advice when your ready for a new car give Lexus a try, you won't regret it.

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