Over half a million miles. That is how far this Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 wagon traveled. The German automaker designed the model under the supervision of the famous Bruno Sacco and built it like a tank in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here is the proof!
We Bought A Mercedes With Over 500,000 Miles! Did We Overpay?
The W210 was the first model that to get the automaker’s then-newly developed V6, which came as a replacement for the former straight-six layout, marketed between 1995 and 1997. Codenamed M112, it was a gasoline-fueled, four-stroke, spark-ignition V6 engine that built itself quite a reputation in terms of reliability.
This 542,539-mile (873,131-kilometer) Benz stands as proof. At the time, the Mercedes-Benz E 320 came with 221 horsepower (224 metric horsepower) and 232 pound-feet (315 Newton meters) of torque. It ran from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 8 seconds flat, while it maxed out at 144 mph (234 kph). It may not sound like anything to write home about by today’s standards, but back then, it was a big deal for a wagon.
This old Benz might have lost some of those figures along the way, but it is a ‘run and drive’ after all these years and miles. The E 320 was, together with the E 430, part of the final production run of the Mercedes W210. The cars rolled off the assembly line in Quartz Silver like the one we have here or Obsidian Black. They featured Xenon headlights and a maple walnut trim on board, while they rode on 17-inch alloy wheels.
The TFL Classics team bought this Mercedes-Benz E-Class sight unseen and paid $918 after taxes to drive it home. In fact, they trailered it straight to a Mercedes-Benz-specialized mechanic. The new owners have already run a Carfax report on it and discovered it was a two-owner car, with the second owner driving it from around 68,000 (109,435 kilometers) to over 500,000 miles (804,672 kilometers). If that is not brand loyalty, then we don’t know what is.
Meet Betty the Benz
Over all these years, the owners took the car to Mercedes dealerships for maintenance work. It sounds like they absolutely loved it and were willing to invest no matter how much to keep it running. And it looks like they accomplished their mission: the silver Merc still runs and drives at over half a million miles. The new owners affectionately named it “Betty the Benz.”
However, Betty the Benz is far from perfect. Rock chips on the front end caused spots of rust. There is a spot behind the front wheel on the passenger side, too, but the car still looks rock-solid. The windshield, though, is cracked and needs to be replaced.
The new owners of the old Benz are surprised to find out that the interior does not smell like it usually does in old cars. The seats wear faux fur covers, but underneath them, they don’t look bad at all: the leather shows no splits even after so many miles on the road.
They discover the car features a sunroof and a third row of seats facing backward. Located in the trunk, those seats were only recommended for children by the German manufacturer. They also find the tool kit in the trunk. It is almost complete and has the original Mercedes-Benz-branded tools.
The snow tires it wears still hold air and look decent. The jump starter does its job, and they hear the V6 from under the hood. There is a message on the windshield that reads “Engine ticks,” but they don’t hear any weird sound. It definitely doesn’t sound as it did the day it rolled off the production line, but it can’t be that bad, they assume. Besides, the fluid tanks might be dry.
The mechanic braced for the worst and hoped for the best
As they drive their new old Benz to the trailer, they discover it is equipped with heated power seats, which still work. The power steering is heavy, and they will have to figure out what’s wrong with it. The lack of power steering fluid might be the issue, which is easily fixable.
They take the car to Tobey, who sees all the visual issues of the car at first glance. However, those are the least to worry about. The ESP and ABS warning lights are up on the dashboard. Tobey will scan it and see what sort of codes pop up. So far, he has only words of praise for the engine that powers this wagon. However, he hasn’t seen any with such high mileage on this model. He was expecting it to be far worse.
Once he puts it up on a lift, he notices that the corrosion isn’t bad at all. Tobey tells them that the brake hose must be changed, and the Mercedes needs power steering fluid to avoid ruining the pump. They also need a new radiator.
All the urgent fixes would raise the costs of the car by at least 30%. Once those are completed, they are taking the million-mile Betty the Benz on a road trip. It will probably be its last joy ride before it is scrapped.
