Test drive Mercedes Benz E-class w211 2002-2006 sedan

$18000-37000

The indicator that life is good, and you can talk about the car modestly, but with dignity, Mercedes E-Klasse has long been. (Year of release - 1997-1998)
 
If for some reason the owner of the S-class in our country is automatically ranked either to the oligarchs or to the bandits, then the e-class has never soaked his reputation. The fresh, unusual design of the eye that appeared in 1995 was clearly to the taste of customers. In fairness, it is worth saying that for his headlights, E-class received the unscaling nicknames of the eye or lupis, but this was more likely to come up with spitens. After all, Mercedes is bought not only for appearance, but for the social status attached to the car. And for reliability and maximum comfort for its class.
That Russian is good ... The salon of the car is strict in a businesslike way and does not shine with designer delights. He is spacious and comfortable - what else is needed? In total, there are three basic equipment options. The most modest, Classic, is characterized by stamped wheeled wheels, a fabric salon with a minimum of wooden decoration and the absence of an armrest between the central seats. The intermediate Elegance can be distinguished in appearance by chrome elements of the decoration on bumers and door handles. Here, already in the standard, cast discs and a tree, and the steering wheel and a knob of the gearbox lever are covered with skin. Avantgarde leather salon is finished with a black tree and contains almost complete ground meat. Outwardly, such a machine can be recognized by glass with blue tinting, unlike green in versions cheaper.
... then death is death. Mercedes, despite the prestige of the brand, still remains a car, a set of components and mechanisms, which does not live under a glass cap, but travels along the roads. Our roads - you yourself know which ones.
An electrician is primarily suffering from winter salt suspension. Especially those of its elements that are actually outside: wiring of fog, parctronics and so on. This is what is dying in the first place, and the three-, four-year-old Moscow car has to change or clean almost all the contacts located in the engine compartment.
If the car is equipped with climate control, then after the winter it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning under the hood-the space between the main radiator and the climate control radiator is clogged with dirt. Unfortunately, both must be removed for this, but otherwise it is impossible - in the summer the risk of boiling the engine increases strongly. And this will facilitate a pocket from $ 500 to $ 3500 - in case of replacing the head of the block.
The dirt on our roads over time is sandblasting plastic sprouts of the front headlights. This usually happens somewhere by 50 thousand run. Changing the headlights is the most radical method, but also the most expensive. You can do with little blood-the non-authorized Mercedes-Benz services offer an operation such as polishing the diffusers, which is much cheaper.
The E-Class suspension is characterized by rare survivability and unbearable, although by 30-40 thousand mileage they begin to cry for balls. The only truly weak and needy to regularly replace the element is the stabilizer racks. With this we must come to terms and treat this details as a consumable. The paradox, but experts advise avoiding cars driven from Germany, and stopping the car, which was bought from the official Mercedes dealer in Russia: the official package includes reinforced springs and shock absorbers, as well as spaces for the rear springs. And the clearance of such cars is 2 centimeters more than their European analogues. But the metallic protection of the engine crankcase into this package is not included and is installed at an additional fee. It is better not to save on it, since the main task of regular plastic protection is to protect the motor compartment from dirt, no more.
GOLDEN MEAN. Of the entire wide range of engines that were put these years on Mercedes-Benz E-class cars, the most balanced in quality is six with a working volume of 3.2 liters. In the V8 engine of 4.3 liters, only the most desperate riders need. Because of this, by the way, the E430 models are most often in the worst technical condition than cars with a more modest volume.
Another extreme is a row 2-liter four. This motor is clearly weak for this car. The two -liter inherited from the W124 suffers from the presence of a number of small, but annoying sores. The most typical are the leaking front and rear crankshaft oil seals, as well as the junk electronic control system of throttle.
We recommend that you choose between E230 models (E240 since 1998), E280 or E320 with 6-cylinder engines. Moreover, the last two models, after the in the spring of 1997, the modernization, while maintaining the previous working volume, changed the location of the cylinders from in-line to the V-shaped and received automatic adjustment of the tension of the drive belt. This is significant, because thereby the owners of cars with such engines are spared from another operation during maintenance.
       No matter what engine is under the hood of an E-class, they are all sensitive to fuel quality. It is advisable to change the fuel filter twice as often as the German factory instruction prescribes. Gasoline is not lower than the 95th. But not higher: due to the large number of anti-depth additives in the 98th spark plugs, they fail faster. However, the fuel level sensor is the first to suffer from any of our gasoline, it can also be considered another expenditure element. Keep in mind that unhealthy gasoline is almost the death of the engine! One refueling-and you get to replace the catalyst and lambda-zond. And in cars with a V-shaped engine, these parts are present in a double set. And no additives in the gas tank! In the best case, you will get off with the replacement of fuel nozzles worth a few hundred dollars each.
E-klasse with a diesel engine is rare. In the secondary market, its cost is significantly lower, which, in our opinion, is not quite justified. What is the domestic diesel fuel, you yourself probably know, but E-Klasse surprisingly persistently withstands the feeding of this bourd. The first more or less serious engine repair will be with a run of more than 100 thousand km. Most likely, you will have to change the sprayers of nozzles of $ 80 apiece and pre -launch candles - $ 30.
Trans-Mission. Most often, E-class machines are equipped with automatic transmission, which will serve without problems for many years, unless, of course, monitor the oil level in the box and do not forget to change the oil filter in time. A mechanical gearbox is much less common, and even then only on the lowest modifications. If the car served overclocking, then with a run of about 100 thousand km, the expanse of the gear lever begins to spit out. Replacing this part is worth a penny.
Weak areas of all-wheel drive modification of 4-Matic can be considered the crosses of the anterior cardan shaft and beginners to lend the handouts in the winter. It should also be remembered that in the case of an accident or serious breakdown, some spare parts to 4-Matic are completely original and will cost several times more than to the rear-wheel drive modification.
Text Alexey Khresin, photo Alexey Ilyin

The car was provided by CJSC Daimlerrukler Car RUS, (095) 745-2610. Thank you for the help of the technical center of the contract-avo.
Buy, cheaper
At the end of the summer of this year, a unique situation has developed with the prices of the E-class. Since the next year a new generation will be replaced next year, Mercedes-Benz decided to support sales at the same level and quite sharply reduced the price. As a result, now from Russian dealers of the company you can buy a glare (though in the simplest configuration) for only $ 28 thousand! That is, now there is an opportunity to buy an absolutely new e-class at the price of a used one.
       
Stages of the Great Way
E-Klasse with a wagon body has been produced since 1996, and in 1997 a line of engines was updated, an all-wheel drive modification of 4-Matic and sports E55 AMG appeared. By 2000, the cars were held restyling, during which about 1800 changes were made to the design, most of which are cosmetic. The most noticeable can be considered 2 centimeters line of the hood and front wings, respectively, new bumers and lighting equipment (both front and rear) and rotation repeaters on the body of external mirrors.
Of the technical innovations, two diesel engines with direct fuel injection and a new 6-speed manual gearbox appeared. In this form, the E-class is released to this day.

 

Source: "Autopilot"