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Now that the chatter has died down a bit about the Volkswagen emission scandal, perhaps us fans of the oil burner will get to enjoy our hobby without the ire from other motorists. One of my favorites from the last two decades was the late model W124 Mercedes-Benz E300 Diesel. Other than a small badge on the trunk, the only thing to differentiate this E-class from the petrol powered E320 would be the vents on the right front fender, a method of drawing cool air in versus using the preheated underhood air. This E300 for sale in Connecticut is celebrating it’s 20th birthday, looking rather fresh for its mileage. Admittedly, for a diesel Mercedes of this vintage, it is just hitting its stride.
The Mercedes-Benz 500E needs no introduction here at GCFSB. But consider this was a luxury sedan that was edging 330 horsepower in an era when many mid-sized sedans could barely muster 150 horsepower. Rather impressive for a four-door in its day, then. This Porsche-built four-door express is getting its fair shake in the market after years of sitting in relative obscurity. Currently, excellent examples can edge $40,000 or more. This 1993 500E for sale in Northern Virginia has just passed the 50,000 mark and has little to fault with it. Will this pull the big money? Let’s take a look…
Here’s a V8 that can haul. Literally. For a short while, Mercedes-Benz offered the W211 E-Class estate in V8 form. Sure, with this generation E-class you could opt to have your E-class estate AMG tuned, but for those who simply wanted a V8 cruiser, the E500 estate was an option. This 2006 example for sale in Illinois has under 70,000 miles on the clock and comes equipped with 4Matic all-wheel drive, making this five-door not only a sleeper, but practical when the foul weather arrives. With V8 all-wheel drive estates like these, who needs the ubiquitous SUV?
I tend to think of Mercedes-Benz’s W123 and W124 as stately, comfortable luxobarges that will run forever but aren’t particularly special. Looking into this 300TD Turbo, those assumptions seem needlessly oversimplified. Did you know that when it came out, the W124 wagon had the lowest drag coefficient of any production car at the time? Neither did I. It also had the 80s double-edged sword of self-leveling suspension, notoriously present in the E28 M5 but almost always replaced in that application. It sounds like the Mercedes version is a little more stout, and this car’s SLS is functioning with zero leaks.
A slippery shell and Benz’s storied 3.0-liter turbodiesel (an engine that could easily outlive a human) combine for decent fuel economy, while the longroof provides great storage and – surprise! – two more seats. Video of two police dumbfounded by a Tesla’s rear-facing trunk seats recently went viral, but these awesome jump seats were popularized in the 80s by Volvo and Mercedes after being a phenomenon in 60s American wagons. The best part of the Benz’s sixth and seventh seats is they fold flat into the floor, giving leg room for the seats or a normal wagon floor when stowed. No SUV or awkward crossover necessary! With 122k miles and all electrical bits working (for now), this is a classy family-style ride. Paul featured this car back in August of this year when it sold for $12,500. Let’s see where this eighties estate winds up this time around.
We tend to take power for granted in this day and age, with your average mid-sized luxury sedans capable of nearing 300 horsepower with not much effort. This was not the case in the early 1990s, when Mercedes-Benz arrived on the scene with their pumped up E-class, the 500E. This Porsche collaboration was dubbed a wolf in sheep’s clothing at the time, with little exterior clues to hint at the 322 horsepower V8 hiding beneath. When your run of the mill 300E had well under 200 horsepower, this was quite impressive. This 1992 500E we see here is a Canadian spec example, looking pretty good considering its age and mileage.
