1986 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 300e review from North America

Wires in door hinges broke making windows not work and doors not lock.

AC blower fan broke.

Exhaust full of holes.

Water pump (which looks original) leaks. But at 250k? who could complain.

Nothing else really. Its 20 years old, and looks like its maybe 10 years old. Everything works excepting what was noted. All the seat functions, everything. Interior has years of wear, but no holes.

The car runs like it was made 2 years ago, not two decades. It doesn't smoke, it doesn't hesitate. New they were supposed to be able to do 0-60 in about 8 seconds. I timed it crudely with my stopwatch against the speedometer. Surely looks like about 8 seconds to me. That's got to say something.

A tune up cost me a couple hundred dollars. Distributor cap 80 bucks (for the cheap one) and plug wires 80 bucks (for the NOTICEABLY cheap ones) Rotor was about 20 bucks. MB would have charged me about 500 for parts and 200 for labour.

As one review said. Work on it yourself. It is so exquisitely designed. It is worth experiencing first hand.

Granted I could probably use new shocks. BUT, it doesn't drive quite like a modern car. I am sure it felt high tech in it's day, but now it feels like a yacht. Shocks and springs can only account for SOME of this feeling. Its just kind of numb. But that's probably what people want in a MB. Reviews called it sporty. But compared to its predecessors, I guess even in this state, it is.