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I’ve been harping about the W210 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon the past few weeks and all, but don’t forget the sedan was the real mover when it came to this generation E-Class. It was a stark departure from the W124 and it’s “old school” Mercedes feel and blocky design. But by the facelift models starting in the 2000 model year, they started to really come into their stride. That was of course if it didn’t rust away, which was a major problem. Today, we have a seemingly innocent looking E320, which is why I quickly dismissed it. However, I saw it pop up again and figure something had to be up for it to be priced at $12,000 for having 110,000 miles. Then I saw inside.
I love how a set of wheels can take a car from a “boring station wagon” to “getting 634 likes on Instagram” without much effort at all. For the W210 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon, it is simple as throwing some 18″ AMG Monoblocks on it and calling it a day. Yes, it needs about a 2″ suspension drop, but we are certainly on the right track here with this 2002 up for sale in Connecticut. Especially since it is cheaper than the 2003 E320 wagon from a few weeks ago. Much cheaper.
Even when SUVs and crossovers dominate new car sales and almost every brand offers one, the Mercedes-Benz wagon continues to command premium prices in the used market. The sedans wither away like regular old used cars until they have nothing left, while the wagons garner a response of “Why didn’t you just buy a new Honda Civic?” after hearing how much they sell for. Today, we have one of those examples.
This is a 2003 E320 wagon, which marks the final year of the W210 chassis as the 2003 sedans were already in the next generation W211. It is finished in the wonderful shade of Aragonite Blue Metallic, which is more of a turquoise color, but to me it is a welcome change over the silver/white/tan/black that we normally see. Inside, gray leather and just 67,000 miles. The price? Well, that new Honda Civic looks pretty good.
The jump from the W124 Mercedes-Benz E-Class to the next generation W210 was a large one. Gone was the slab sided bodies and square headlines and in was a much more soft design with quad round headlights. Inside, the W210 still behaved like a Mercedes from years past, but they made sure to carry over that roundness and a whole bunch of more plastic. Under the hood, a traditional V6 took the place of the trusty inline-six midway through the model run of the E320, and a workhorse it was. Today example, a 2000 E320 up for sale in Florida, is a great example of that. Why? Well, it has almost 300,000 miles on the odometer.
I hate to be clich, but the facelift W124 Cabriolets are aging very well. It is safe to call them classics now, honestly modern classics, but still old enough to rent a car at the airport. The square handsome lines will never be offensive or jarring, and the quality is nearly unmatched. Even compare it to the same model year Rolls-Royce Corniche, and you’d be crazy not to pick the Mercedes. That has been keeping prices stable for as long as I can remember and it doesn’t look like they are going anywhere. This 1995 up for sale in Arizona is nothing but blue over blue on blue. I think I like it that way.
