2004 Mercedes E500

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Discussion

crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Hi all,

After the dark days of a brief flirtation with a clio RS200 I picked up its replacement yesterday...MUCH BETTER.

Its a 2004 Mercedes E500, with the 7 speed gearbox and command. Initial impressions are its fantastic!

Almost pulled the trigger on a C63 a month or so back, but it helped me evaluate what I want in a car - the E500 seems a much more sensible choice whilst I save up for my first buy to let.

On 98k with a full service history with the previous owner having it for over 8 years, part exchanging it for a Jaguar at a main dealer, my gut was telling me this was the type of person to buy a car off.

The air suspension is wonderful, seems to be no leaks and everything works bar the passenger mirror electric folding and the panoramic roof needs lubricating and tightening up, the centre armrest has a sag/bubble. I already have some matching silver centre caps to go on it. I've never had such a short to-do list on a car.

I really bought it for a trip to spain later in the summer.

I have a PH smiley sticker on order for the back window.





Edited by crosseyedlion on Tuesday 13th May 10:09

deltashad

6,731 posts

196 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Absolutely love these. I had an ML500 and now have a 320 CLK as an everyday. The 500 was fantastic and I dont care what anyone else says about them.

Top car for small bucks and rarity with it. Great car

EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

173 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
I had a later E280 CDi Sport. Not in the same league in terms of engine, but it was a lovely car. Yours looks fantastic!

Incidentally, not to try to alarm, but do look into the common faults and issues with these - I did before buying mine and apparently there was a facelift in 2006 which sorted out lots and lots of issues with the E class. I can't remember the specifics (mine was a 2008 model), but it was a bit 'fear the borkage'.

crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
EggsBenedict said:
I had a later E280 CDi Sport. Not in the same league in terms of engine, but it was a lovely car. Yours looks fantastic!

Incidentally, not to try to alarm, but do look into the common faults and issues with these - I did before buying mine and apparently there was a facelift in 2006 which sorted out lots and lots of issues with the E class. I can't remember the specifics (mine was a 2008 model), but it was a bit 'fear the borkage'.
Yea, I did a lot of research prior.

Common issues seems to be the pano roof issue (fixable), Gearbox speed sensors (the part can now be refurbed for under 400), SBC Brake issues (these can be fixed now), and airmatic (suspension) leaks (theres refurb kits) and compressors going (not particularly expensive).

Basically, provided I don't go down the route of replacing instead of repairing, the costs shouldn't be eyewatering. I'm quite handy with the spanners and it still wont be cheap to fix anything, but probably less than the depreciation on my old clio. Borkage is overrated imo.

No offence, but I'd be much more concerned with costs (Bork Factor) and depreciation on a 2008 CDI :P

...I do prefer the looks of the post-2006 though.

Edited by crosseyedlion on Tuesday 13th May 11:18


Edited by crosseyedlion on Tuesday 13th May 11:19

EggsBenedict

1,770 posts

173 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
crosseyedlion said:
EggsBenedict said:
I had a later E280 CDi Sport. Not in the same league in terms of engine, but it was a lovely car. Yours looks fantastic!
Borkage is overrated imo.

No offence, but I'd be much more concerned with costs (Bork Factor) and depreciation on a 2008 CDI :P

...I do prefer the looks of the post-2006 though.
Taking your points in turn:

1) Good man!
2) No offence taken - no borkage in the 3 years we had the car apart from a massive pothole breaking shock mounting on lower front suspension arm - not the car's fault. It was a great car. Wife didn't like it though, and now we have an XC90. The Merc's engine in that car would be about perfect, i think. The depreciation wasn't good, no, but when we sold it, it still had fairly low miles which stood it out from the million mile exec cabs it was competing with smile


KillerHERTZ

937 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
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Nice, has the rare factory fit AMG kit aswell.

Are you sure its the 7 speed? 2004 was still the 5 speed wasnt it?

scarble

5,277 posts

156 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
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>uses the phrase "pulled the trigger"
>prefers fat wallowy barge to fun little hot hatch

wink

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

165 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
My dad has the post-facelift wagon version. Always a pleasure to get a lift in.




crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
scarble said:
>uses the phrase "pulled the trigger"
>prefers fat wallowy barge to fun little hot hatch

wink
It isn't particularly involving, but i'd say it isn't wallowy. Very satisfying to push on in a well engineered rwd with a 5.0v8 way.

And I found the clio anything but a fun little hot hatch, it was horrendous.

crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
KillerHERTZ said:
Nice, has the rare factory fit AMG kit aswell.

Are you sure its the 7 speed? 2004 was still the 5 speed wasnt it?
2004 was the change over iirc, this is definitely the 7 speed.

I even specifically hunted out a 7 speed due to much better fuel economy and better acceleration. smile

Trevor450

1,740 posts

147 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
This is mine. It isn't driving well at the moment but is being sorted (hopefully) as I type.


crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Trevor450 said:
This is mine. It isn't driving well at the moment but is being sorted (hopefully) as I type.

Looks lovely! is that the 5.5 v8?

Whats wrong with it?

Trevor450

1,740 posts

147 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Thanks, it is indeed the 5.5 litre.

It has done 110k (last 30k with me) and the suspension bushes are shot - lots of creaking under braking and it feels very baggy even with the damping set on sport 2. To be fair, it has only started feeling like that the last couple of thousand miles but it was starting to annoy me so has gone in to be sorted.

I've had the usual gearbox thing which was solved with a full new valve body and electrical plate and it needed a new front air strut when the valve went. I have a warranty and it picked up the tab for both of these.

philmots

4,630 posts

259 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Synchromesh said:
My dad has the post-facelift wagon version. Always a pleasure to get a lift in.



That's lovely. Real smooth, bit of a sleeper.

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

165 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
philmots said:
Synchromesh said:
My dad has the post-facelift wagon version. Always a pleasure to get a lift in.
That's lovely. Real smooth, bit of a sleeper.
Hoping he'll give me first refusal on it when he's ready to move it on smile

crosseyedlion

Original Poster:

2,170 posts

197 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Trevor450 said:
Thanks, it is indeed the 5.5 litre.

It has done 110k (last 30k with me) and the suspension bushes are shot - lots of creaking under braking and it feels very baggy even with the damping set on sport 2. To be fair, it has only started feeling like that the last couple of thousand miles but it was starting to annoy me so has gone in to be sorted.

I've had the usual gearbox thing which was solved with a full new valve body and electrical plate and it needed a new front air strut when the valve went. I have a warranty and it picked up the tab for both of these.
A front end rebush is part of my plans if i'm still in love with it after summer. That and AMG cams, Remap, louder exhaust.

Although it might creep up to E55k cost wise, it'll be significantly nicer than a bottom end E55K. Possibly daft, I know.

Spyder3400

233 posts

162 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
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Nice u turn choice, talk about jumping ship from a hot hatch these are a long way apart!

Lovely car (malachite silver right?) and I agree many say Bork this and that but if it's made it to 100k most bits will have seen attention (or be falling off!) They also go rather well and drive so smoothly without the pitfalls of AMG!

Synchro - good looking e500 there

Trevor450

1,740 posts

147 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
crosseyedlion said:
A front end rebush is part of my plans if i'm still in love with it after summer. That and AMG cams, Remap, louder exhaust.

Although it might creep up to E55k cost wise, it'll be significantly nicer than a bottom end E55K. Possibly daft, I know.
The re bush is probably sensible at that milage.

I am in two minds about an exhaust. Mine is an Avantagarde so has the concealed pipes but due to all the soundproofing the noise levels are deceptive. I've been told that it is quite noisy on large throttle openings, it is just that you don't hear it in the car due to the refinement levels. Having it loud enough to hear in the car kind of defeats the object IMO and I am not impressed with some of the videos of exhaust mods I have seen on YouTube.

NeilyWheelie

44 posts

126 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
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Very nice car OP.

With regard to the door mirror not working, we found the wires that run between the door and the mirror to be broken (most of them). once we soldered them all up, all the functions, including dipping on reverse to start working. What I think happened with mine is that I have the auto-mirror fold on lock function switched on, and over time that just wrecks the wires.

Relatively easy fix, fortunately.

My e320cdi avantgarde estate is a 2003 vintage with a ton of toys, including the excellent distronic and full airmatic suspension. Its now done 203,000 largely faultless miles and is still pretty much immaculate and I love it to bits.

biggest problem I have is finding something to replace it with.

Max M4X WW

4,789 posts

181 months

Tuesday 13th May 2014
quotequote all
Love it, does it have some sort of AMG body styling option? It looks a bit 'beefier' than the PH member's dads car posted further down.