# Mercedes E-320 long distance reliability

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mercedes-benz, e-class\
**Created:** [March 17, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198 "2010-03-17T01:16:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![quickwater2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d9b06d/32.png) [@quickwater2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/quickwater2)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198/1 "2010-03-17T01:16:16Z")

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Dear Hopefully Knowledgeable Person, or whomever is reading this, my name is Frank, I’m 18 years old and I am going to Montana this summer. Driving from Alabama to Montana. If I told you that I wanted to get a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320, with 133K miles, for 4500 dollars, what would you say!? Would the cost of maintenance be a deal breaker? Go for it? Or forget it? Please help, thank you so much!

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**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198/2 "2010-03-17T01:45:41Z")

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Go for it, you are the right age to do stupid things. You will meet a lot of nice people you would never have had a chance to know when you break down in East Bugtussle OK.

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198/3 "2010-03-17T01:52:52Z")

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The Mercedes is a great car but not quite right for most 18 year old males. They are extremely expensive to repair when they break. I would buy a pickup truck since you will be in Montana. I would suggest a Ford, Chevy or Dodge since they are fairly easy to work on. Parts will also be a lot easier to get. A Mercedes Benz E320 will be like a fish out of water in Montana.

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**Author:** ![ATLOffroad](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/atloffroad/32/968_2.png) [@ATLOffroad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ATLOffroad)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198/4 "2010-03-17T02:45:06Z")

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I will agree that a Mercedes E320 is not the most reliable vehicle and when they do break you will be spending 1/2 the amount you paid for the car to just replace the spark plugs. If you are going to be staying in Montana year round I would recommend an old Subaru. Cheap to maintain and built for Montana like weather.

I lived in Bozeman for eight years and it felt like an eight year vacation. I envy your road trip. Goodluck!

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-e-320-long-distance-reliability/46198/5 "2010-03-17T12:01:37Z")

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You can’t afford to own and maintain an E-class Mercedes Benz. Forget it. This is a bottomless money pit.

Find a nice used Crown Victoria.