ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มี.ค. 2019
- Mercedes-Benz - The Facelift E-Class (W210) Meets the Competition (2000)
Training and Development Video
Presenter Quentin Willson and Tiff Needell
Contents:
-E Class (210 series) overview
-Facelift E-class (210 series) main enhancements
-Competitior evaluation.
BMW 5 Series
Audi A6
Lexus GS300
Jaguar S-Type. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
As an owner of a w210 e320 cdi for the past 7 years i must say this: The biggest problem with these cars is the rust. If you live in a place where it snows 7 months a year and the roads are filled with salt, buy something else! Other than that engines and gearboxes are excellent. The 5 g tronic gearbox might have some conductor plate issues, but once fixed they can last forever. The diesels are refined, frugal and torquey, especially the om613 is one of the best diesels ever made by merc, combining reliability,fuel economy and performance. Apart from that there a few electric gremlins, all of them cheap and easy to fix though. If you can find a w210 with very little to no rust, go for it. They are true bargains.
Without the Rust it Would have been the best Benz ever
I had a '96 E280 Elegance, owned it up to quarter of a million miles. Nice car, surprising amount of go, nice simple interior with rotary heater controls. Normal wear and tear, no rust, sold it and brought a '98 E430 Advantgarde with AMG upgrade, wheels, brakes, suspension, gearbox, etc. Wonderful handling, braking, acceleration, etc. Again had until similar mileage to previous. No real problems, one rear window motor and left electric mirror replaced. Electronics controls more fiddly. Problem though with low front end in that with parallel parking, it would go over curb unnoticed, then scrap front undertray backing off, eventually damaging it. Had E46 330i and mid 2000 730i. Both nice cars, 330 like driving a gokart, but expensive to repair when it broke down a few times. The 7 series broke down all the time. First was a plastic pulley, yes plastic, that carried drive belt, it went loosing PS, water pump etc. Every month was something else. Latest is a late model C class 220 cdi Elegance, trouble free for 3 years so far.
Brian Anthony what Model year is your new Mercedes?
Rot box
Miss my old W210 , was a very good car!
I've heard that the E Class is one of the finest cars in the world... 15:58
My first MB was a 1996 E320 with the M104 engine. It has all the option extras, xenon lights, orthopedic seats, sunroof etc. And the car looked and smelled like new at 105000km when I bought it. I drove it trouble free to 300000km at which point I gave it to my wife. She drove about 30000km more before the rust started to really show. I tried to have it repainted but in the end I sold it for cheap...
I had two, a 320 and a 430. Both were excellent going well over 150000 miles without anything more than routine maintenance. I actually liked them better than the next generation which I got rid of quickly.
I’ve just bought a 96 E320 from a one owner with 72000kms on it and it’s like it’s come out the showroom,all I can say is what a gorgeous car….
In South Africa we don't have any rust issues - not inland at least - mine is a 1997 E230 auto sedan with 485000km's and by the Grace of GOD ALMIGHTY it's still going strong - even did a trip to Cape Cross in Namibia two years ago.
No rust in Australia as well, love my silver 96 e320 elegance
i suppose you guys know that you dont have these issues because of the different climate, im jelaous tho - mine facelift model in europe is still going strong after 570000km and I dont have that much of a rust issue on it either, only small parts here and there and im getting it fixed soon
@JAN BLOEM I'm been searching for facelift w210..does the e230 carry the body well???also from south africa
@@marlonbaird6070 : Hello Marlon - it is slowish (not too bad) in town, but that's not what its forté is : It is magnificent on the open road however. More than enough power ánd very economical : upto 17km/L
ist it fast ??? it must be Snow/salt that makes it rust away.. my w201 was almost rust free but in one winter of snow + salt it had to be Scrapped :(
Love the single wiper.
You can hear the front arches sizzle when it rains
😂😂😂
Prawn crackers were the primary material
proud to be owner w21O facelift...its so comfortable and smoothness of v6 engine made me enjoyed every single drive..so gentleman driving experience...tq for great video
What year is facelift on this car
MY 2000
demhaaa 99-O4
My first car has been a w210 e320 wagon, I had to repair some electrical gremlins that I cursed at, but after that this car is shockingly bulletproof, I’ve not been kind to it, going over bumps with 20 bags of gravel in the back, power sliding on dirt, there have been multiple times that I have done something so stupid I had to get out of the car and make sure nothing was broken, and miraculously this car lives
2001 W210 with 136,000miles she runs like a dream and there is no rust in Sothern California.
Im in Australia and i own a 2001 E320 Avantgarde wagon. 271,000km and adore it to bits. It's been extremely reliable and hasn't caused me issues to date. Seems like a lot of people who whinge about these have never owned one.
It depends alot on where you live. Here in finland these cars are commonly seen very rusty due to salt on the roads in the winter. I had one with suprisingly little rust and i loved it. It had over 600 000 km when i sold it 😁
@@ililiililliliill9498 What year of this W210 is best? Which year is the best for this car,i wanna comfortable,reliable diesel with automatic gearbox
demhaaa the facelifted models from 2000-2002 have less rust issues and alot of other issues have been fixed+they look a little better. But honestly i suggest buying a W211 from 2004-> since they have no major rust issues and they are nowadays pretty affordable. I dont know which ones are more reliable but i have seen both w210 and w211 with more that 600 000km or 400 000 miles 😄
@@ililiililliliill9498 Oh okay,what about gearbox? Is automatic good?
demhaaa I have heard that the automatics are pretty reliable but if you want a bullettproof transmission then get a manual. I’ve only had manuals so i have no experience on the automatics but they dont have a bad reputation of breaking down so i guess they are good. Of course automatic transmissions from that era were very slow so they might not be as fun to drive as modern automatics.
I would rather buy a car for myself, because I like it. He reminds me of the old saying about someone buying a car they don't want, with money they don't have, to impress the neighbor they don't like.
InstaBlaster.
Rust ridden wrecks a real low point in MB quality, love the content my man.
Nah I had a 2000 e55 amg and it was rustfree except the left fender and I replaced it for 300 euro, it was an amazing car
I still have my 2000 E55 park in my garage and ready to go anytime I wish. No Rust, Nowadays sought after my MB mechanics but unfortunately it isn’t for sell.
thats a pretty shit stereotype. yeah it can rust if you dont give a fuck about it, but other than that everything is incredibly reliable in it. it has the best engines of al generations and the most longlasting interior. you can find them with 500k+ miles on them and still look fresh inside. the real low point was the 211 on launch with it's 8000$ sbc failure. this is the second most reliable mercedes after the w124, so shh
Rust on facelifts shouldn't be an issue. Pre-facelifts were the first which were painted with water based paint and the process wasn't perfected, but with the face lift they fixed it.
@@vdochev fl didnt fix it completely tho, but it got better
Tiff and Quentin got a free Mercedes car each out of this video. Tiff got a Ml320
Wouldn't surprise me. Even this E-Class on a greedy budget compared to the previous generations was a reference but the obscene way he bashes the competition destroyed his credibility in a blink.
Really! How did you find this one out? Where can I read more about it?
By the way, never really saw Tiff Needell in a Mercedes!
if I didnt read the video title. I would’ve thought this was a video from late 2000’s. Im amazed with the video quality since its from year 2000
Not a patch on the W124 predecessor, couldn’t even eat ready salted crisps in one for the fear of it rusting.
completely agree! mind you i have a 2011 W212 E250CDI with 100,000 miles on it and not one thing , not even a light bulb, has gone wrong. First Merc i have owned and it has been a brilliant car…sadly now to be traded in for a Golf GTE. A sign of the times...
Aye, I'd say I prefer the looks of the W124 too.
hehe so will be even more rare then W124
@@advancelast1740 Traded for a Golf ! Crazy.
@@advancelast1740 you traded the w124 for a new golf ?!
I'm sitting in my silver 01 E320 4matic while watching this. What a comfortable and easy to drive car she is. My other car is a W140 S class and that feels like a house in wheels and kinda can feel the weight when u drive it. Heavy gas pedal, heavy brakes it's like wearing timberland shoes. It will force you to act calm, bossy and collected. This on the other hand can be tossed anywhere and feels light to the touch. Both got their own qualities. The W140 is a highway cruiser and feels a bit out of place in congested streets. But is the king of the highway. The E class is perfect for cities and being a mercedes, it shines in the highway as well. classic mercs made in the 90s and earlier oooze class and quality that the newer ones struggle to have
During the W124 era the engineers controlled design and quality, after the W124 these functions were taken over by the accountants.
Yes but the 210 still managed to reamin very solid. Rust is the only real problem you will have with that car. Although a serious one i you get snow and salt.
absolute beauty
Let's not forget the issue with the ESP and brake light switch. When the switch fails, the brakes grab with full pressure. No matter how fast you are going. Great job, MB!
Hmm first time i have heard about this.. i dont have a w210 but i have a w203 from the same modelyear and i had a malfunction message from the car about the brake light switch and nothing else happened...🤔
@@ililiililliliill9498 its shit that he talks
Haha no they didnt you retard :) Absolutely 0 happens. Except you might have trouble getting the gear lever out of P when you park.
The Chrysler era is a chapter of Mercedes history best forgotten.
@Ike N your right the chrysler thing is a myth
@Ike N the problem is so many people just repeat what they hear other's say
@Ike N the cars and motors that they like to blame as cheapened by chrysler were designed well before the chrysler deal, the other thing is i thought mercedes bought chrysler not the other way around
@Ike N yep chinese whispers
It was Merc thinking they'd make more money with shorter design times, less development.....greed
I own a 98’ W210 and it has never gave me any major issues. It’s really reliable if you take care of it. Just one small issue with it is the small amount of rust on the bumper, other than that it’s an amazing car.
I love Quentin Willson but even he must have been saying inside "why am I saying this" when he was slagging off the e39 BMW. I'm not a fanboy of any German cars, but let's be honest, the E39 is arguably the greatest executive saloon ever. To try and sell the Merc by saying "there are too many BMWs" is quite silly. He should have just said "the E39 is incredible but the Merc has it pipped for comfort" or something.
Yeah, well said Sam. I've got an E39 and I know I'd probably be more comfortable in the E class of the times (plus I'm on m sport suspension). I wouldn't be as happy with the interior build quality, the exterior design, handling, etc. though. In Australia I still see quite a number of E39s getting around (and this was back when the brand was more of a niche one). Seeing a W210 in the wild is a much rarer occurrence.
Even the C5 was a spectacular, revolutionary sedan when it came out. He complained about red lights? Dude WTF. It's because of people like him that no brand has a signature light color. Audi used to be red, Benz used to be yellow/amber, and BMW orange. Now everything is freaking white
@@AdamAus85 The interior quality in the MB is better. going to last longer. Just look at the seats with same high miles between the cars.
I bought my w210 E240 2;6 Avantgarde petrol. about 8 years ago, when they had gone out of fashion. It had 39,500 on the clock and there were issues with the crank and Cam sensors. Now resolved and 20,000 miles down the track. Rust is lurking and waiting to emerge I should have treated it sooner.
I love the car and it irks me that it has become my stand by car. I had a 2003 C320 avantgarde which looked like the little brother of my E class. I replaced that with the newer C180, and that gave up the ghost at 60,000 miles , despite a full and complete Mercedes benz service history. The dealer took pity om my plight and bought it back from me at the market value. Well, the bottom of the market.
I have looked at newer cars, but for the moment I am staying with my old car. My friend affectionally, refers to it as ; Miss Daisy, as in Driving Miss Daisy.
Well Miss Daisy was naughty last week and broke the 20 mph speed limit in Wales and was clocked at 29mph( God alone knows how. I had it at 25 MPH and oops smile for the camera please. Now I drive Miss Daisy with the speed limiter at 24mph.
I do understand why 20 is plenty in a lot of places but honestly I feel criminalised for remaining at a safe and steady speed; still under 30 mph.
😇
I owned a pre-face lift E240 petrol estate and a MOPF E320 CDI estate. I now own a S212 E250 CGI estate. Awesome cars!
This guy is spot on when describing the BMW onwnerd 😭😂 "they are tempermental and can't handle anything more powerful than a electric razor" wheeew that's just the best description of the century
All cars have problems. But I can attest to the reliability of a w210 furthermore I can't go a day much less a week without seeing a different another one. They are solid cars.
I love this cool car
I own a W210 E240 01 model i must say what a beautiful drive. The V6 never seems to stop juat keeps on going. Luckily i live in a hot country so not even one bit of rust on it. Just over 220000kms still drives/looks lile new.
Lovely rust
when I think of the W210 i only think of rust... otherwise they are absolutely excelent cars even today.
My Dad's W210 2.0 CDI is a lucky one. Just a little bit of rust! 360.000 Kilometers and its still running like on his first day!
All you have to do is take care! Clean your Car by Hand, change oil and filters every year.
Exactly - good maintenance and keep it clean should be good as gold.
Totally agree with this video....
Almost 20 years later and the GS would have been the best purchase.
Om606 in that merc is good for big bhp
No the e320 cdi or the e300 turbodiesel
Easily. Especially with the UZ v8. It will outlive all those goofball brits and those moneypit germans
I had one, resprayed 3 times due to rust. Ignition failed, £700 new barrel, new key £150,
Useless heaters, final straw was front suspension rotting out, sills rotting, and injectors failing.
Fixed it and sold it to an Albanian geezer who exported it to Albania.
Best of luck to him. Never again......
Looks like u didn't care it well
I see you from Hungary
Didn't care for it? Spending 2k repairing it isn't caring for it?
If they were so fantastic, how come, there are virtually none left on UK roads?
@@pit_stop77 there shit, watch some recent banger racing vids on TH-cam, them guys love them on the oval
Not suprised you sold it to an Albanian...they will almost by any three pointed star if the paint is still shiny. According to some , Albania had the most used old Mercedes vehicles per capita in Europe.
I own a 2001 w210. Though it has 470000 km on the dash, it still runs as smooth as a new car, and I love it. Must say that it had a major overhaul on rust issues last spring, but hey, what's the expect on a 20 year old car that's driven every day all year round, in a country where salt is used on the roads in the wintertime.
ive had brzs volvos skylines new benz cars and I have to say the most unique looking and aristocratic looking is the w210, with the beautiful smooth ride that rides better than my new benz. the understated burl wood accents, the very masculine yet classy interior reminiscent of the w140, most people that hate on this car never owned one, because they let thought of rust prevent them from this endeavour, its ok let them miss out, while we still enjoy our 210s. I like the e39 too though its a beautiful car one of the nicests beamers ever made : ] but im a benz guy at heart and nothing can match the elegance and class of the 210. it was one the last good classic looking benz cars, the ones that came after like the s220 and the e211 had countless issues, and they are very underwhelming when you see them in person, and the interior just falls to pieces over time, and the creaks of those generations are insane.... they are quite small and they have hyundai vibes but the 210 really makes a statement if its one painted right. it looks so fancy. a beautiful car, it just has some royal vibes and to be honest it has gangster vibes, this car looks UNIQUE and makes a statement of some ceo or an attorney or lawyer pulling up. many cars look like the e39 like the beamers that came after it althought a beauty and a future classic it just looks like the typical capsule shaped car, also the the audi just looks like the rest on the road but the 210 has that beautiful square mafia vibe with the awesome front. check out the w210 in the rapper SHYNE bad boy video or Korns got the life video, and to the taxi comment, let the haters hate and I salute the ones that love the 210. Cheers!!!!
Drove a 2000 E320 Back in 2016. One thing to love about that car is how solid it feels. Just close the doors. feels solid going over imperfections in the pavement. Interior is nice without being over the top. Too bad they rust. Seems to be their largest downfall.
You missed to drive the best car in this Era only by judging the people who buy it 5 series is seriously a great car...
Yo feliz desde hace 2 meses que compré mi E320 W210 del año 2002 con 159000 kilómetros originales 👍💪🇲🇽🇲🇽
I am amazed at the number of comments criticising Wilson and Needell for “bias”.
Don’t they realise that this was a training video produced by Mercedes as part of its training programme, presumably for the benefit of its sales personnel. Just read the description of the video: “Mercedes-Benz - The Facelift E-Class (W210) Meets the Competition (2000) Training and Development Video.” Wilson and Needell are just reading a script.
Haha. Its a car review. Not a training video.
Never ask Taxi drivers who had the W124 or the W123 about the W210 unless you have a good life insurance
I worked as a taxi driver when the W210 was new and it was a great car to have as a taxi. The problems with rust came when at lot later with them when it was no longer in use as a taxi.
We only had them for three years then they were replaced with a new W210. The W211 was in my mind a much worse car to have as a taxi, it was smaller on the inside and was quality wise much worse than the W210.
and what is with all the bushings in the W210? They wore out so much faster.
2000 W210 Estate - E320 - 240,000 miles - Driven every day.
Funny the battle comes down to Sporty & hip vs Dignified & refined, BMW vs Mercedes Benz...and the attitude of those who drive them !
Wow this guy was unbelievably biased! The way he based the A6 and the 5 series.
Haha.. having an opinion is not being biased :)
W210 is a lovely place to be in, excellent ride quality and interior. Smoother than my A6 for sure. I complain about my C5 rusting but oh boy a little rust on the doors is nothing compared to the W210. Makes sense tho, look at the amount of C5s and E39s on the road. Almost no W210, idk when I last saw one.
Joe Barbaro i think it depends, in my country there is lots of W210 on the road.
@@ihsanrosyadi well yea arabs bought all the old benzos and shipped them away
Still plenty of W210 on the road in the U.S. Most are rust free but I have seen a few with euro levels of rust.
@@Marklin15 I go months without seeing one.
Here in portugal, W210s and W202s are still everywhere
Shame they rusted like billy-o though. I had it's successor, a W211 E320CDI about 10 years ago, still the best car I've ever owned.
I've had a w211 320cdi for the past 5 years now on 172k, I've bought an s205 but can't bring myself to sell the 211, superb cars!
@Henry Discipline What year is this Mercedes in video?
@@mafioso8582 2000
@Ian M are we talking about the same car? Lol
I own a c280 07 model best car I ever had zero rust and I live in a snow state. but I take care of it so there ya go.
The W210 used to collapse on peoples driveways due to the spring seat cups rusting through.
Yes spring hangers and evdry panel fitted rusting, bags of shit, the banger boys love them tho
The real e class 😍 like no other
So we have the Audi, the BMW, the Jag, the Lex, and the MB. And they are the finest cars. And the MB W210 is one of them. 15:58
Shit. I sold mine within a month after foolishly trading out of a W124 260E, 1989 model. Oh, and here in Australia I have found W124s in fields with less rust.
I know rust was a problem for these but being in California it’s a perfect car since we don’t have that
So are u saying these were rusty ? Lol. I have had 5 from warm sunny Georgia US and they were spotless. I recently sold my 2000 e430. It hardly had a paint chip. Zero rust. Best cars ever in my opinion. Tho....,I am driving a w124 diesel now
I still have my W210 E230 avantgarde and its great. To those who say it rusts, so does these other cars. It's how you care for the W210 and many didn't. Mine only had one owner but he didn't know alot about cars, he just drove it as a normal person. He only changed the oil and no parts like brakes and other parts needed for services. He is a tool but can't blame the guy.
No rust treatment mate, and I believe my w202 is probably the same. Thankfully most of Australia doesn't snow, so no salted roads, not too much rust here hahaha
@@jetstream454 it snows alot here and if they salt the roads i wash it as fast as i can. It stays mostly in the garage while i take my dad's W212 for tasks. Did you think your c200 had enough power? It seems good cus the C is lighter, the E200 i tried didn't seem so enjoyable tho.
They’re terrible as far as the rust. Yes, you have to wash them off constantly. If you do, though...They shouldn’t have too much of a problem. Great car for a dry warmer climate.
Well the jags didn't rust the rover 75 didn't rust the 5 series didn't rust I've seen these mercs rotting out even southern Europe and that says a lot
Idc what is said, mine is fine and works perfect.
Vicki Butler Henderson used to be so hot in this version of Top Gear.
Music please 0:32 to 1:35
Id take the e39 5 series any day
What year of W210 is the best? I just wanna reliable,comfortable W210,what year is the best of this Merc? And is a gearbox good?
mafioso 2000 to 2002 E320 V6 great combo with 5 speed 722.6 transmission
@@TheM275 430 just as good also.
Question how much does it cost to replace those airbags? Also how do I know that the airbags won't malfunction? How do I know that they won't shoot shards at me when they deploy?
You sound like a worrier !
If its 2019 and you're driving a 2000 era w210, and crash bad enough to deploy airbag, car is so far depreciated it's now a parts car.
Here in Texas these are $3-5 k clean used all day long.
Never heard of airbags deploying accidentally.
This keeps you up at night ?
@@hellosunshine1090 The same statement is true for a brand new car. Why is it the government doesn't pay out of the politician's own pocket that ordered all cars have airbags if said airbags injure? Also why does the government get to tell me what type of vehicle I am allowed to buy?
4:52 Is that rust? (bottom left near the door)
No
Dirt
W203 please🙏
My preference but I think the pre face lift W210 looks better.
I miss Mr Wilson!!
Ullswater?
W211 please
9:38 The E320 CDi was easily the best choice.
The 430 was really nice. Different league to drive.
Better with the old school proper nut and bolt Mercedes W126,hence why I own one as a weekend toy.
If you can get around the rust risk you probably wont be disappointed with a facelifted w210 as a daily. Still have the solid interior feel.
8:43 Do you sleep OK at night?
They may rust where you guys live ......but in hawaii they dont!!!!!!😜
My 1987 300 td is mint...a war tank that never breaks very very reliable..garage kept though..........quiet not the same story about my 550 .🤙👍
ALOHA.
Talking about reliability of the e550😉
What year of this W210 is best? Which year is the best for this car,i wanna comfortable,reliable diesel with automatic gearbox
To be honest out of all them I'd have Jag I think it still looks good today in these e class rust buckets look so out of date today
I have a CLK W 208 she is like new.She has 235.000 km and i will keep her for ever.MERCEDES till 2008 are the best cars in the World.After 2008 ...........Are like any other car.
I don't know this Guy Quentin, but I wouldn't expect such big b.s. from Tiff.
I'm a big fan of Mercedes and I own a clk 320. But this dinamic test is fake, you can see that the driver in clk, continue to turn left after the cars body rotation. And in the wagon the correction of the trajectory is well maintained by the driver. Until now ,I would not belive that big brands are faking this tests, but now I'm sure. Big shame !!!
It is , but not as responsive as they show here. In this video it is all about the skills of the driver. Older systems don't react as intrusive as modern ones. For example; an Renault Megane or Laguna from 2003, will apply brakes heavy to reduce the overall speed, but Mercedes and BMW ,just try to keep the trajectory by slowly braking the iner corner wheels,or whatever wheel is program to do so. As such , the scenario with the clk its true on both tries, the difference is made by the driver.
his and her airBags?
Had a W210 320. Good car, apart from some rust.
What year of this W210 is best? Which year is the best for this car,i wanna comfortable,reliable diesel with automatic gearbox
@@mafioso8582 2002 e320cdi
@@mafioso8582 Best is as new as you can get. But always get the face lift. Means at least a 2000 model.
The rear arches are crumbling as he speaks
i thought rovr meant rovers
Bashing the 5 series ? How much did Mercedes-Benz pay you for this advertisement Quentin ?
Thought the same too...
The three pointed star is now a car for everybody, the luxury bit has diminished a lot, they make too many cars to be exclusive, so the net result is, just like every other brand, when they became a main stream car builder they just let the quality nose dive somewhat, it is a shame but the old 70's cars were far superior to the cars in offer today, I say this because my ex wife has just bought a A class AMG line and she has zero class and skid marks, enough said.
Very truu!!
Audi a6 and BMW stood the test of time. This geezer didn't have a clue what he was on about
Stop tricking yourself. A6! I can't go one day much less a week without seeing a w210 in some shape or form. You will have to go to the junk yard to see a C4-C5 A6.
@@jusbus777 That's odd. W210 is a rare sight in Australia next to the E39.
Gotta love the journalists. If they had included the Citroën XM, they would already "know" that it would be a rusty moneypit and make your life miserable. I never "knew" but anyway, i trusted Citroën XM. So much in fact that i have driven almost a million km in XM´s. And never ever had they let me down. Of course there been issues, but not at all like the Germans. And also. I live in the west of Sweden. One of the most corrosive places on earth. And as the Mercs rusted away and the BMW´s died a slow electronic death, my XM´s just kept on. Last but not least. I have a 1990 in my garage. Has been used every winter since it was new and yes, got a lot of salt on it, and it´s still 99% free from rust. And there is not a single electrical problem on it. And that´s a high spec model with all equipment you could buy. And you will probably say that i am an introvert that never had anything else. Ok. I had tventy Volvos, 8 Mercs and five Audis. And in my garage is also a mint Mercedes 400SE. So i think i am entitled to at least have an opinion. After all, i am a bit of a horder when it comes to XM. I have four now, and over the years it been a lot more. Give them a minimum of service and they will last a lifetime. Common problems? Well. The front suspension mounts can be bad. Fixed in 30 minutes. The hydraulic pipes is a place where you want some rust protection. And on the early ones you want to change two grounding points. (20 min job). Having driven XM´s for decades had very much made me sceptical about everything a motor journalist say.
Hate comments will be deleted ;) Completely un-problematic car, engines last forever. Still got the e240 from 1998 running smoothly in Portugal, 220.000 miles so far... will have to replace the motor bearings eventually I guess. Running on LPG, cheapest car I ever drove. Pleasure to drive. Oh, I did have to replace the fuel pump last year, and a few sensors before.
P.S. Rust is not a problem here.
that is true ! W210 this is last right Mercedes , oldskool , comfortable unproblematic car for long life
Mercedes's Mk5 Escort moment.
Ooooh....I would go that far! Ever heard of the first gen A class? Mind you, even that wasn’t as bad as the utter dog that was the mark V Escort *shudder*
Haha
i see he would not buy the bmw
but at least they never fell apart like the merc did they had great
bodiy work in them i had one and it was 15 years old when i changed it
and the body had no rust on it a merc that age would have been eat alive with rust
Its only me whose waiting for the new GLS
what was Lexus thinking when they made that interior???
Can SOMEBODY please explain why nobody likes Quentin??
Jamie Lange: Quentin sounds a touch snobbish maybe but at least gives an honest opinion.
Audi 80 B3 , B4
Regrading in 2019: 1. BMW e39 - one of the best cars ever made 2. Audi - saved the brand with gen 1 A4 3. Lexus - still tons of these on the road. LAST tie Jag cheap and aged badly, Merc nearly destroyed the brand!! Subtle racism as well from Quentin with the falafel stand crack. FAIL
That Audi A6 was a problematic series as well.
That BMW 5 is indeed legendary.
Totally agree, but I think the Lexus GS is #1
Ah a Brit (?) Car snob defending his subjective preferences, as if fact, using PC nonsense.
w210 was a much better performing car than the Lexus. Also lasted longer if you managed to keep it away from rust.
It's a shame that they didn't include an Alfa Romeo 166 as an alternative.
Sorry, not even in the same class of luxury.
They were going to, but it broke down on the way.
those who want a large luxury and sporty sedan look for all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, alfa 166, Volvo s80, saab95, pegeout 607, Lancia K and Thesis all of these are front-wheel drive, they are good cars but they are not a complete package :)
Volvo S60 not in compition?
Nowhere near. The Volvo S80 was supposed to be the competitor of this class, but it lacked the image back then. Still a good car tho. Had them both, the E-class was much better for the money, but the S80 just simply doesn't rust away.
The S80 was class leading. They overbuilt the hell out of that bodyshell back then
Imagine if we could have the W210 build/ride quality with the W211 design and paint job. I loved to drive my 210 but it looked really goofy and dated, and the rust was terrible...
If this is a crap, as many comentatora here say, then imaggine the competition 😂
Btw, the car is awsom, yes it had a couple of issues if not taken care of...
If you did not know Quintin Wilson was paid to Diss all of these cars
What sellouts! And from back In the day. Ok, Quentin I’d have suspected but Tiff! And agreed , writing off the E39 because of the E36? I used to enjoy top gear/5th gear but they were actually seeing people behind my back.
Tiff at least was informative. They left the blatant jokes about the competition for Willson
I've got the E320 V6 here in America I can tell you if you've the diesel with 124 horsepower you have a freaking oxcart that is useless.
W210 w202 etc they are the best cars for pound to pound it’s the owners who ruined these cars drive them and pass on the work to next owner and so on these cars had rust issues but I bet no one even gave the inner arch a touch of clean nothing last for ever so yes I blame the owners and the few we see around in 2020 they was the looked after ones
It was great watching this with the benefit of hindsight, something that the reviewer didn't have available at the time. I think QW did a good job of summing up the Merc. His obvious bias towards the three pointed star was based on years of experience and a fair expectation of the legendary quality that Mercedes was know for in the 80's and early 90's to continue into the noughties. Mercedes have, to their credit, tackled the quality issues and are again making great cars.
I loved his sarcastic take on BMW owners, but in that respect BMW are a victim of their own success. The reason every boy racer wants a Beemer is because they are the ultimate drivers car. But I agree with QW, and I would not drive a used one in the UK because of the image associated with them, but to be fair that is not the case worldwide, also it does not affect new BMWs in my opinion, nor estate versions.
Comparing the Audi and the Lexus GS may be a bit unfair, it's not a like for like comparison and the buyers were very different.
Rust Buckets