2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan
Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a good-looking midsize car in the period from 2009 onwards.
Prior to then it had been on the conservative side but sales jumped as buyers who
appreciated the new style bought them. Thus, there are plenty on the used car scene.
It was facelifted in August 2013, receiving a large three-dimension grille centred around
the iconic three-pointed star. Inside it retained the same overall design, but upgrading of
materials increase the feeling of luxury.
Mercedes E-Class arrived here in August 2016, It’s longer than superseded model, with
increased wheelbase and track. However, it’s marginally lower and narrower to add to the
style. The longer wheelbase made for increased legroom in the rear seat. But there may
still be times when the person sitting behind the driver will have to do a deal on who gets
what leg space.
The dashboard was a totally new design with a glass screen running two thirds of the way
across and displaying multiple modes. There are two separate areas, one directly in front
of the driver containing the major instruments which can be set up in different ways. The
other contains the satellite navigation maps and Mercedes Comand displays.
Body choices in the E-Class are many: four-door sedan, five-door wagon, two-door
cabriolet/convertible and two-door coupe. Sedans are still in the majority but coupes and
cabriolets are becoming increasingly popular.
2103 Mercedes-Benz E500 sedan
Note that the aforementioned dates refer to the sedans, the other body shape typically
arrived four to 12 months later.
Avantgarde Mercedes models lean in the direction of sportiness, while Elegance refers to
just that, ‘elegance’, in the direction of traditional Mercs.
These Mercs have a reassuringly solid feel due to their strongly engineered bodies,
making for low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.
They are better than average in their class on rough Australian bush roads and have long
been popular with farmers.
They make excellent motorway cruisers as they are designed for high-speed German
autobahns.
Engine choices are numerous: four, six or eight cylinders fuelled by petrol or diesel. Turbo-
petrol engines have become increasingly the norm in European cars over the past few
years and Mercedes is one of the leaders in this field.
Automatic transmissions ranged from five- to nine- speed units in the period being
discussed here. The more ratios the better in some ways – but, honestly even the old autos
are probably all you need.
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe
Many E-Class cars will always have been serviced by authorised Mercedes dealers and
this adds to their resale value. Check the logbook and if the car was been continuously
serviced this way and it may be worthwhile to spend the extra dollars to keep it a ‘pure’
Mercedes-Benz.
Many non-authorised Mercedes repairers are operated by qualified Mercedes mechanics
who have set up their own business. They may not have the same access to the latest
updates on the cars from Mercedes’ head office.
Insurance is generally moderately priced because the E-Class, despite going more stylish
recent times, still tend to appeal to relatively conservative buyers.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Do your own initial checks to find any obvious mistakes but call for a professional
inspection afterwards.
Look over the interior for signs of rough usage; kids can sometimes do terrible things to
cars and show no respect for upmarket ones.
Check for indications of previous crash repairs. If these appear to have been extensive,
have a full inspection done by a panel shop that specialises in upmarket cars, or by your
motoring association.
Before starting your test drive turn on the ignition and check all the warning lights. If any
remain on that should be off when the engine is running there may be cause for serious
concern – it’s time for the aforementioned professional to do their thing.
Arrange to start the engine when it’s stone cold, ideally after an overnight stop. It should
kick over almost instantly and immediately settle into a smooth idle.
Diesels will be slightly slower than petrols to fire up but only by a couple of seconds.
Some older-design diesels are rather noisy when listened to from outside, but moderately
quiet inside. If not, it might be an idea to look for another car.
Check the automatic transmission engages gear promptly from Neutral or Park and that it
shifts are virtually imperceptibly. Some harshness is permissible in full-throttle changes but
not at other times.
HOW MUCH?
Expect to pay from $10,000 to $15,000 for a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E250 Elegance;
$15,000 to $21,000 for a 2009 E350 Elegance; $26,000 to $35,000 for a 2014 E300
Hybrid or a 2013 E400 Cabriolet; $27,000 to $50,000 for a 2013 E500 Elegance; $32,000
to $42,000 for a 2011 Avantgarde or a 2018 E220d; $44,000 to $57,000 for a 2017 E300
Turbo; $65,000 to $88,000 for 2019 E450 Twin Turbo; and $84,000 to $112,000 for a
E450 Twin Turbo.
CAR BUYING TIP
Jumping up in the prestige market in cars. Goodonya! But be aware that servicing costs
are likely to be a fair bit higher so budget for this.
RECALLS: To browse recalls on all vehicles go to the ACCC at:
www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/cars/
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