I bought this car used from a Chevy dealer. There were several minor things wrong with the car when I bought it: Fan (serpentine) belt needed replacement; right headlight lens was cracked (replaced from wrecked 300E) ; the cruise control was intermittent; right rear window inoperative (broken wire which also took out controller) ; there were 3 different brands of tires on the car (2 Firestone on the front, a Goodyear and Bridgestone in the rear). I had a Pre-owned Inspection done at my local Mercedes dealer and they replaced 2 shock absorbers and the motor mounts.
One of the previous owners put a lot of money into the vehicle as they upgraded the air conditioning to the new R134 coolant. The interior is immaculate and the exterior has some surface scratches - absolutely no rust (I live in the Rust Belt). The original radio (cassette) has excellent sound. Other than the minor problems listed above, everything works perfectly.
This particular model starts out in 2nd gear unless you tromp the gas pedal and then it down-shifts into 1st. My mechanic told me this was because the catalytic converter used in this model heats up faster if the car starts in 2nd. There is a kit that will change this so the car will start in 1st.
The single wiper blade takes time to get used to, but works very well.
This car is very quick off the line (when kicked down into 1st) and the ride is what you would expect from Mercedes. The brakes are firm and stop the car quickly and in a straight line. Visibility is excellent.
The only drawback is the Climate Control. It works fine until the outside temperature approaches 90 F (32 C), then the cold air disappears.
I am the writer of the original review. I thought I would give an update now that I have driven the car for 4 months.
Since the original review, I have replaced 2 power window switches ($9.00 ea) and the A/C compressor/clutch. My problems with the climate control have been solved with the new compressor.
I have put approximately 5000 miles on since the purchase and the car has performed flawlessly. Since Sept.1, 2003 I average 2 trips to Milwaukee each week (100 miles/trip) along with driving to work and errands. My average mileage is 24 mpg for combined travel. The car cruises effortlessly at 75 mph (120 kph) and the ride is what you would expect from a Mercedes.
About the A/C compressor: These are aluminum units that at have a tendency to self destruct. My mechanic said it looked like a hand grenade went off inside mine. Fortunately, no aluminum particles got into the system. The symptom I had for it going was an intermittent sound like a Ford/Chevy horn and a sudden loss of power for 1-3 seconds. This did not happen every day, only when the car had run for about 30 minutes on hot days (around 90 degrees F).
I am not upset with the amount or expense of repairs I have had to perform - this was a used car, purchased from a Chevy dealer. I knew what I was getting as I did a Carfax and took my mechanic with me when I test drove the car, which is the only way to purchase a car like this.
I have driven my 13 years old 300e for more than a year. It was my cousin's car, but he gave it to me years ago when I got the driving license.
It is a nice car, with good power, reasonable acceleration, highly stable , easy control.
Draw back is: 1. it eats up lot of gas!!! 2. the fan at the front is really very noisy, it's like the noise of an old old train. 3. the steering wheel doesn't give you much sense of the road. 4. the leather inside the car is fading color and some at the door is like peeling off.
Anyway, I love this car, it's the first MB I drove.
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