Faults:

Nothing but normal maintenance items such as thermostat, ATF fluid & filter, coolant, fuel filters and engine oil. No problems.

General Comments:

I have owned several other Mercedes' and still have a 78 240D that has 285,000 miles on it. We bought this 91 300D because we are familiar with the very low maintanence requirements and excellent fuel mileage. We are getting 32-35mpg. The seats are typical MB - they appear too firm at first impression, but spend a few hours in them and you'll become a believer.

My 1st MB was a gas engined car and I found it expensive to maintain - the diesels only need oil changes and yearly air & fuel filter changes (depending on miles driven) without needing to worry about spark plugs, distributors, complex ignition systems or frequent tune-ups.

This MB is considered a E-Class - which is mid-sized. It has plenty of room for us and all the stuff we like to travel with. We hope to make some long trips in it this summer and really look forward to spending many hours behind the wheel.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car so far. I have had it checked at "more frequent than normal" intervals because of its age, and there are no major problems. There are a few minor leaks around the transmission coolant pumps, and a slight oil leak. All niggles are easily fixed for about $300.

Shocks need some attention and the weight of the car probably causes them to wear out prematurely. I am considering upgrading to a more robust shock when it comes time to change them.

General Comments:

I replaced the absolutely ugly US-spec headlight units with the Euro-spec units and the car is much improved in appearance.

The car is built like a rolling vault. Everything feels solid and substantial, and the interior is flawlessly laid out in ergonomics (if a bit austere in the traditional German fashion).

The performance is more than adequate. The comfort level afforded by fully adjustable seats (even the headrests are powered!) on long jaunts makes this a true highway cruiser.

Standard equipment includes dual-mode sunroof, powered driver and passenger seats, leather interior, real wood trim on all doors and center console, power everything.

Expect to spend about $5500 - 6000 for good quality examples.

Faults:

Shortly after acquiring the car, it needed a new driver's side electric window motor. This was replaced by my local Mercedes-Benz dealer for about C$700 including parts and labour.

The only other thing I have had done to the car was its 156,000km service which involved basically just an oil and filter change, which set me back C$100 at the dealer.

General Comments:

The 300CE/E320 Coupe was in my opinion the best derivative of Mercedes-Benz's W124 platform. Its sportier look, with the pillarless side windows for a sleek profile, gives it a lot of character and is very unique.

The W124 is a very high-quality product that one doesn't see in the newer Mercedes vehicles - Mercedes used to spend 8 years developing its models and on this model it really shows. Fit and finish is flawless, the seats are of high-quality leather and show very little wear after nearly 14 years and the wood (not imitation, real) is without fault.

In 1991 the engine was changed to the new SL's six cylinder unit, for an increase of 40hp (to 217). This makes it the 300CE-24, which is by far the best iteration of this car. It's fast and sounds like it has a V8, not a six cylinder.