Owners' Stories

1997 E420 Sport - My first Mercedes, bought from a friend's estate. Car is a creampuff, 95,000 miles and all dealer serviced. The exhaust system is like a new car, not rusted, the chassis is really olid,again no rot. The materials used are very high quality and the car holds up well as a result. Over the years and during the extended warranty the tranny was replaced, as was the AC blower motor. These are both problem areas in these cars , since repairs exceed the car value in many cases. The V8 is very strong ,great mileage over 20mpg in everyday use. It is fairly quick but hampered by the ASR and traction control which limits jack rabbit starts. Top end is another matter altogether - 100 mph comes up quickly when passing. Theoretically, the car goes as fast in 3rd - 130mph - as it does in 5th, so it is an autobahn warrior. Rather amazing for a 12 year old car. There are not many places where I can get away with my speed tests, but we have a nice quiet 5 mile stretch near the ocean that makes me appreciate the wonderful brakes that Mercedes puts on all their cars. These cars are dirt cheap today, and can be expensive to maintain - but they are worth every penny in satisfaction.