2001 Mercedes-Benz E Class

The Mercedes E-Class is for people who have taste and money, but don't necessarily want to flaunt it. Now granted, a Mercedes is hard to miss sitting in a parking lot, or your driveway. But it doesn't have that over-the-top, look at me styling that most cars in this class are afflicted with. It's subtle, and to the point. It says that the driver has impeccable taste and appreciates value.

Three E-Class models are available: the E320 sedan and wagon; the E430 sedan; and the snarling monster, E55 AMG. As you probably know by now, the numbers in the model designation have to do with the car's engine size. So the E320 has the sophisticated, 3.2 liter inline 6 cylinder which makes up to 221-hp (depending on the year). The E430 has the 275-hp, 4.3 liter V8. And last, but certainly not least, the E55 gets AMG's hand-built, 5.5 liter V8, which made a tire shredding 349-hp.

Mercedes also made an all-wheel-drive system known as 4MATIC. It is one of the most sophisticated AWD systems out there and is available in E320 4MATIC or E430 4MATIC form.

Since this is a Mercedes, you can find all kinds of neat toys on an E-Class. There's an obstacle detection system called Parktronic. The outside mirrors are heated, left-side mirror and rearview mirror dim automatically. The right-side mirror tilts down when the car is in reverse, and the huge single-sweep windshield wiper has a heated washer nozzle so it won't freeze. The SmartKey system has built-in electronic protection against transmitter cloning and the windows and sunroof can even be opened by the remote.

Of course, you get Burl walnut trim, high quality leather, 10-way power front seats and head restraints, a power tilt and telescoping steering column, a multifunction steering wheel, memory seating including mirrors and steering wheel position, an integrated garage door opener, and an eight-speaker Bose sound system with optional CD changer.

There's also dual climate controls, an electrostatic dust filter and activated charcoal filter with smog sensor, and rear-cabin air vents. In cold weather, the climate control can recirculate warm air through the interior for up to 30 minutes while the car is parked, drawing only a very small amount of coolant. This is luxury motoring at it's best.

All this opulence is useless without some degree of occupant protection. So Mercedes has engineered crumple zones into the car to absorb the energy of a crash. Then there's 8 airbags, ABS and traction control to keep you out of the ditch.

Ok, by now you're impressed with the E-Class. It's pretty, technologically advanced and the standard of luxury. And it really is, but..... This author's automotive specialty is Mercedes Benz. I've owned and sold a boatload of them, so I kinda' know a little bit about them. That being said, I don't like this generation of E-Class. The engine's are great and will run forever, as long as they're properly maintained (the 3.2L inline 6 in particular). But these "modern" Merc's are wayyy to complicated. Which means there's more stuff that will break.

There are sensors to monitor the sensors and believe me, those sensors are expensive. But perhaps this car's greatest fault is the parts that MB used to make it....half of the electrics are either made in China, or worse....made in China by General Motor's part division; Delphi. If that means nothing to you, think of it this way; Go to the most expensive restaurant in your town and order the most expensive meal on the menu. Then, when the waiter brings you a TV dinner, still in the half-melted plastic tray, thank him and then tip him 25%.

While this generation E-Class bares the coveted 3-star hood ornament, it lacks the fastidious attention to everything that Mercedes is known for. Even though Mercedes was trying to stay competitive and give buyers what they wanted, they, in my opinion, sacrificed quality to sell quantity.

With that said, this generation E-Class is still better than a Bimmer, but expect to spend some money maintaining it. And for heaven's sake, buy a good one. By that I mean, don't buy one for $2,000 less than what it should be. Get one from a private owner that has the service records. And don't buy it from a car lot, unless it's reputable.

These are good cars IF you KNOW it's been treated and maintained PROPERLY.

Model Year to Year Changes 1997: The V8, E420 was introduced and the 5-speed automatic transmission went into all 1997 models. 1998: The E320 wagon, or 'estate' joined the lineup along with the 6-cylinder, Diesel E300D, which added a turbocharger and intercooler to deliver 30 percent more horsepower and 57 percent more torque than the previous non turbo model. The gas-powered E320, switched from the 3.2-liter inline 6-cylinder to the 3.2-liter V6. New options included the 4MATIC AWD system, the "BabySmart" child-seat recognition system, the Brake Assist system, and electronic "Smart Key" ignition/locking system. 1999: Side-curtain airbags were installed for the front and rear passengers, and the blood-thirsty E55 sedan was unleashed on unsuspecting M3 owners. 2000: The diesel E300 was dropped and all-wheel-drive version of the E430 sedan was introduced. All models got new wheels and the automatic transmission got Touch Shift, with its separate gate for manual shifting. Although, manual shifts were treated as a meir suggestion. All E-Class models now had the antiskid, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and a voice-activated phone, in-dash navigation system, and audible parking-warning system were added to the option list. 2001: The Sport Package was made available for the E320 and E430. It included a firmer suspension, special wheels, and an "aero" lower-body kit. 2002: The E320 Special Edition sedan was introduced with 17-inch alloy wheels, black bird's-eye maple interior trim, and other amenities. To this, the new E430 Special Edition added xenon headlamps and pop-out headlamp washers.

Model Year Things to Look For: 1997: Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor - $410

1996-00: Climate Control Malfunctions - $700. This unit is known to, uh, stop working