2000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 240 Avantgarde from UK and Ireland - Comments

I have had two faults with the car.

1. The air conditioning fan motor died and was replaced under warranty within 30 minutes.

2. Blown headlamp bulb which was replaced by the dealer for £1.49 (not under warranty).

I will try and give an honest review of the car so here goes.

The interior is a well screwed together, solid and quality package. There are no rattles or squeaks of any kind, nor would I expect any. In Avantgarde trim the wood is a dark maple, which may not be to everybody's taste and certainly the comments I get are mixed. My wife finds the seats a little uncomfortable, but I find them very comfy, so I would recommend a long test-drive if you are thinking about one.

The suspension is firm, but not overly-firm and it makes a reassuring dull thud if it hits a pothole. The car handles well and hides its proportions well (tyres are expensive at about £130 each).

My car is an E240 and provides more than enough grunt to do anything I ask of it, but the 200 seemed a little rougher and slower.

I have a couple of niggles with the car:

1. The rear load cover lifts up to provide access to the boot, but does not lower and can completely obscure rear vision.

2. The rear wiper tends to smear which is annoying.

That's it! I am sure owners of some makes would love to have just two trivial niggles so it's not that bad.

The dealers always treat you like a Mercedes-Benz customer and make you feel privileged to own a beautiful car.

I hope this helps if you are thinking about a Mercedes E class.

Mercedes Benz have been receiving a lot of accolades regarding comfort, passive and active safety designs and new innovations specially when the 1994 model E-class came out. However, in the Philippines the E230 and the newer models have been criticized to have weak wiring insulation specially on the engine bay! Our country's climate has a tendency to build up heat to 38 degrees Celsius! Things even get worst when we are stuck in traffic for hours! Anyway, if Daimler-Chrysler won't start building reliable cars then we will just resort to older dependable Mercedes Benz models.

I had the privilage to own the following Mercedes Benz models, 1963 190D, 1964 190C, 1967 250s, 1968 200/8, 1972 230/8, 1977 300D, 1977 US version 240D, 1983 200D, 1987 250D, 1989 US version 260e, 1991 230TE. As the models progressed I noticed in the W110 models the change from wood to plastic dashboard. From thick to very thin wires. From steel oil pressure lines to plastic lines. In short Mercedes Benz is no longer building cars to last! Tuning the old model cars were very easy. Now you need a scanner to detect the faults and the very expensive low quality sensors is usually the culprit. So the one with money will buy the new models. The one with brains will stick to the old models.