Keeps on running!
This car was made for the "autobahn", it's a cruiser not a sportscar, and it was made to last!
Check out the mileage on this car! Just bought it yesterday, just want to tell you how incredible many kilometers this car has travel and to confirm the high quality of this car...
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd March, 2010
This car is a serious performer when you put your foot down, and feels just as nice trotting along
Transmission locked in gear 2 and just could not change up. After some research just disconnected the battery to reset on board electronics and presto! Back to normal service.
Other than the transmission issue, I'm still familiarizing myself, given this is an entirely new experience for me.
I was extremely apprehensive when taking up this offer, given the big engine size and local thin wallet reputation. But I've been pleasantly surprised. Managed to squeeze 10km/lt on a 5 hour drive and it costs roughly 7US$ for my daily runs. By local standards it is expensive, but considering the quality of vehicle and ability - I'll just shut my eyes and live in my dream world.
Fortunately there are many local mechanics who understand this superbly engineered vehicle, and once in a while I take it to the dealer for very thorough checks, especially the electronics.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2009
Lovely car
Natural wear due to 17 year age.
Drivers seat squab worn through.
Front wings rusty on and in front of wheel arch.
A lovely car.
Have only owned her for three months, and don't want to ever change her (except for a 1994 or 1995 model).
She's comfortable, a handy size, reliable and surprisingly economical for a car weighing 1 1/2 tonnes (44mpg).
Very smooth ride, predictable cornering (my first rear-wheel drive car) and very well engineered.
Repair work has been surprisingly cheap with genuine Mercedes-Benz parts.
Have changed the thermostat, engine temperature sender, lamps and switches etc. Very easy to do.
I bought the car because a friend of a friend had been nagged into selling her. Never seen a manual 250D before so leapt at the chance.
Have driven a 1995 300D before. Very nice car apart from the auto gearbox.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th August, 2009
One of masterpieces in Mercedes-Benz's story, eventually became lemon!
At 95000km, wiper motor became weakened.
At 102000km, water pump and alternator became bad, and were exchanged.
At 120000km, oil pump and brake hoses were exchanged.
At 138000km, wiper motor was dead.
At 139000km, air conditioner was broken.
Generally speaking, this car was tough and beautifully engineered. In fact, before 95000km, there had been no trouble except power windows starting to work slower.
But at 95000km, wiper motor became bad and had to be replaced with new motor, it would be a sign of fatigue.
Its mechanical element was largely built to last and heavy-duty. For example, after the repair of several troubles, she cruised as fast and smoothly as when it had been new. Even at more than 100000km, it could reach its manufacturer-quoted top speed of 210km/h (131mph) with no slightest hint of strain and stress. Thus its true top speed proved to be 224km/h (139mph), far more than manufacturer data.
Along with it, it reached 241km/h (150mph)! @6500rpm (well into redline) on chassis dyno, with recording 177.5bhp (more than quoted horsepower) at 120000km! I think such astonishing data for its catalogue data of 166bhp (124kW) /5800rpm were results of 0W-50 engine oil (higher in grade than its manufacturer recommended 5W-40 oil) and carbon removing chemical mixed into fuel.
Above all, the mechanical precision of Mercedes'2599cc 6-cylinder unit with 12 valves proved to be excellent through that performance data!
One major defect of my Mercedes 260E was poor fuel economy, as average fuel consumption of 8.7km/l far behind those of the Lexus LS460 with 4606cc/385bhp engine and Mercedes' own S500L with 5461cc displacement, to today's standard. But it is sure that this data was commendable enough in early 1990s, compared with the likes of Peugeot 605 SV3.0 and BMW525i with similar performance.
And its noisiness was barely tolerable. I think it was largely owing to low-gearing with final ratio of 3.27:1. As a result, my 260E was as noisy as today's Corollas and VW Golfs.
Considering several troubles and towering service costs, the total running cost of my 260E could be very abusive, roughly as much as the price of new Mercedes' small car as B-class! So I traded her for a brand-new Lexus IS350 late 2008 (last year).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 10th May, 2009
At that age and mileage, of course you'll have problems -- with ANY car. You haven't mentioned an automatic gearbox rebuild, nor a top overhaul, no brake master cylinder rebuild either. Everything you experienced is just normal. Even on a Toyota.
Thank you for your response! I replaced my brake pads and master cylinders at 105000km and 130000km. After exchange of those elements for brake system, my 260E Mercedes stopped well and safely as when it had been new. But it is also sure that the service costs become more and more expensive, as its mileage increases.
As a whole, my Mercedes 260E was a reliable and economical car considering its mileage and age. Handling? It was somewhat dull and feelless, but basically it was safe as well as predictable I think. On S-line corner, it didn't lose any traction, so I could control the form of the car rather freely. Its suspension was somewhat soft but stable. So I feel the 260E is more comfortable and has more controllable handling, compared with a brand-new Nissan Teana and a Chrysler Sebring (these are 2009 new-models)!
Its ergonomics are superior to today's most cars of this class; from the BMW 5-series to the Chinese Brilliance BS6.
I predict my Mercedes 260E would have been exported to the country such as Iraq or Somalia, and used as a reliable transportation for some VIPs there now.
8th Jun 2015, 16:58
My dear MB Owner, I bet you still drive this mean machine... Or you sold it for a profit...
Either way, you earned the bragging rights: Oh Lord, won't you buy me...