1997 Mercedes-Benz E420 Sport | Retro Review

[@tonychavez2083]

I have owned many benzes, that E420 was one of best I have ever owned.sold with over 250K miles…

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

The classics Mercedes is best cars from 1990s ans 1980s. The E420 is example

[@captmaverickable]

2 spark plugs per cylinder. Oversized A/C to keep you cool in 120F Las Vegas heat. One of the smoothest V8's for the time. This was the last true German executive sedan before Chrysler turned it into an abomination.

[@tonychavez2083]

@ agreed, but mine was the last M119 V8 , single plug and DOHC

[@qmto]

This is still what my brain thinks of when I hear “Mercedes E-Class”.

[@dishonestpolitician]

"Understated interior just like Mercedes-Benz" got me. How far we've fallen. Now the interiors look like a low tier strip club lol

[@lotsoftorque3632]

Very true! The 60 something different LED colored lights is so gimmicky

[@basshead.]

the material quality sucks tho the w124 has much better interior

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

The last Mercedes-Benz interior I actually liked.

[@mikee6220]

Wow yes

[@Ficon]

Holy crap. The number on the trunk matches the engine displacement. What a concept.

[@dodgeguyz]

These were surprisingly good cars. There only downfall was the rust that they would succumb to. My son had a 1998 E430 as his first car. He drove it for almost 8 years and on,y left him stranded once by a serpentine belt. His was a very clean all black example that looked amazing after we lowered it and put on 18” wheels.

[@stevemcgowen]

I remember these were used by some hotels as fleet limos in parts of Europe back in the day. They had a manual transmission and cloth interiors.

[@jinpingthebear110]

Yes, they used E420s for that.

[@Native722]

Love these classic motorweek.

[@dohc1067]

I still see these today.

[@cgreenfield6655]

Such an iconic car

[@MichaelSilva-r3p]

I got to test drive the station wagon version of this car. Back then, it was Consumer Reports' highest rated car they ever tested. Roomy, practical, good fit and finish, nice ride/handling, built like a bank vault, and not bristling with electronic nannies. If I could afford to maintain it, I would have one in my garage.

[@2amSpeedMerchant]

Beautiful sound from the big V8.

[@hawkeye454]

I worked in a euro only auto repair shop in the early 2000s, we worked on cars from the 70s to then current just out of warranty and there was a noticeable huge difference in tangible quality of Mercedes from even the 80s to 2000s. Sad.

[@TomK-ti8kp]

Which 80s models? Because the 80s was the W126 era, and they are famous for their quality.

[@hawkeye454]

@TomK-ti8kp my wording wasn't the best, I was trying to say 80s was great, 2000s not so much.

[@TomK-ti8kp]

@@hawkeye454 makes sense, no worries. From my experience, 1986-1993 was peak Mercedes quality based on the quality of metal and plastic they were using. The fuel hose quality dramatically improved by 1986 and there’s still 86 models on original EPDM fuel hoses. 1993 is when they started swapping metal cam oiler tubes for plastic ones.

[@davidaubin3902]

0:29 John: IS THERE SUCH A THING OF LOVE AT SECOND SIGHT? LOL

[@gedaman]

John Davis has a way with words.

[@hellkitty1014]

The good ol venerable W210 E 420 Sport. Sort of the beginning of today's E53. The 4.2L was a work horse, and the NAG1 transmission proved to be one of the most stout this side of a modern 8HP from ZF. This generation seemed to be the last of what MB really stood for: Quality above all. The later W211 just got caught up in Daimler's desire to be a tech leader while also cutting costs considerably and was truly unreliable in the early years(Airmatic, brakingsystems, etc) An E55 W210 is the one to get! Wagon if you can find one!

[@nwezetx1]

This car had problems. What are you talking about lol?

[@hellkitty1014]

@@nwezetx1 what were the problems? They all had problems. Being a current owner of a W126, W140, and R129, I will take that era of Benz over any of the junk they're producing now, except a G-Wagen.

[@nwezetx1]

@@hellkitty1014 Why don't you own a W210 😏? MB began downgrade their products starting in 1993, with the facelifted W124, W202, and W210 in testing at the time. The W140 saw minor costcutting in mid-94, as did the SL in late 1995. It was done more clever compared to entry-mid level range which was too drastic. The 1994 MY E-Class was more prone to rust, as was the redesigned W210. You cannot attribute the higher quality of more expensive models to the W210 to protect your nostalgia.

[@hellkitty1014]

@nwezetx1 note: I said they had their issues. I never said they were perfect. The cost cutting that you cite of the W140 was the removal of some options, but not the actual build of the vehicle. I've never owned a W210 but I do know I still see plenty on the road in the US and abroad.

[@jzaroh2004]

Rust was the big factor with the w210. The drivetrains were some of the best ever built by the company. I love the w210 but the frequency of excessive corrosion can really be a fatal flaw for some with these cars.

[@emanuelbryant3627]

Mrs. Cooper had one of these growing up in grade school. I thought she was the apitomy of grace and beauty. Them quad round headlights may have swayed my opinions.

[@ic1815]

I’ll wait a year for the E430, in fact, I’ll wait for 2000 so I can get cooled seats. The M119 was a nice teaser but the M113 was where this car really shined.

[@AES5967]

My dad had an E430 4MATIC. Reliable car but the non-orthopedic seats (that he had) felt like you were sitting on two slippery wooden boards. He neglected it over the years, and we eventually called it the ProblemMATIC.

[@RegM86]

Dad owns 2002 E430 with 100th anniversary package.

[@robertaBooey69]

The five speed auto that dodge used for another 15 years 😂

[@JohnEvans-ct6mz]

Over $2000 less than the previous (W124) model. Because they went to inferior sheet metal just like the W202 C class. This and the W202 C class were the first Mercedes that rot out almost as bad as Benz’s that pre-date galvanized sheet metal.

[@nwezetx1]

Facelift W124 also had rust issues, that 1985-93 models did not.

[@gavcom4060]

lol yeah our e430 was a bit rusty

[@Chitwn81]

I remember these new at the time. My neighbor father brought an gray one. However, both the Cadillac Seville STS and Eldorado ETC were faster with the 4.6 dohc Northstar engine. They also look better. I was in high school at the time but I would have chosen one of those or the Lexus LS 400 or Oldsmobile Aurora. The nod most likely going to the gorgeous Olds.

[@georgewilkinson1068]

The most noticeable thing I noticed about that line of Mercedes'? THE RUST. They'd give the Chevy Vega a run for the money in that department ..

[@AK47Stalin]

Great car, both the m119 and m113 engines are bulletproof (had a '97 E420 with the m119 and currently have three different Mercs with the m113) and as long as you change the transmission fluid the 5g tronic should last the life of the car. Main cancer on these w210s (and early w220s for that matter) was poor/non existent factory anti corrosion protection.

[@texan176]

Biodegradable wiring, spring perches that rot away, and a “delicate” electrical system on top of the aforementioned wiring. It was stylish then by giving a nod to the DOT mandated sealed beam round headlamp models of the past but with a modern design. These could have been great cars if they just had not cheaped out on so many things. Base E320 W210s were still running as junkers 15-20 years from new while surviving with total neglect and abuse so they were not all bad. The tech to completely brick the car was not there yet.

[@210works]

The biodegradable engine harness was fixed before the W210 came out. I've had 3 W210s and none of them had any electrical problems.

[@TwoentyFiver]

I love those pre-AMG Benzes 😍 Just opt for the biggest engine and then add the Sport option if you want to

[@hellkitty1014]

It was all so simple. Could get a V8 but not have to go to the full top model.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

The biggest thing these days is you cab still find Lexus LS400s running and driving. Most of these E class mercs have rotted away

[@nwezetx1]

A lot of them were exported to Africa, some legitimately and some stolen. A lot destroyed by cash 4 clunkers in 2009.

[@karllipbaum1847]

There are tons of these cars still around driving .

[@davestopforth]

I see more W210's than I see LS's in the UK, especially diesels.

[@nwezetx1]

I can see stupid Google censdeleted my comment, merely because I mentioned my own ancestral continent (Af) and stolen in the same sentence. What BS.

[@gavcom4060]

Ever been to Albania?

[@dmoney668]

I love that car

[@racekorthings7165]

Was there ever a segment on the 98 e430 update?

[@TrailBlazerSS502]

It may play second fiddle with the 1992-94 500E, but at least this baby is the next best thing to an E55 AMG.

[@Steve-gc5nt]

Rust buckets.

[@Nikola_W211]

Rust buckets that are still seen on the rosd today.

[@brandondavis7695]

lol oh the piano-lite music tho lol...

[@ChristopherWilliams-uv1il]

$100,000 in today dollars. 😂

[@simonh870]

These got a very bad reputation in the UK due to severe rust problems. They are now almost extinct on the roads.

[@Gr8thxAlot]

Same here in the US. These are extinct, but we still have early 1980's Benz's on the road.

[@marcusjosefsson4998]

Rust was probably the worst problem, but it wasn't the only one. Interior quality isn't even close to the W124.

[@jamesmorris913]

CEMENT would have to be rust-proofed in the U.K.

[@simonh870]

@@jamesmorris913 Most other car manufacturers of the period managed to make cars which didn't rust as badly. Sure all steel cars rust here eventually, but the E class was very good as falling apart quicky in comparison to it's competitors.

[@Primo978]

i sold mines 8 years ago i regret it so much

[@leonardolealahumada8324]

Nice

[@Busandrailfan]

No offense but at 1:57 I thought I was looking at the Lexus LS 400

[@gsxellence]

E55🤤

[@kanob6440]

Lexus ls430 is a great car, I had 2 of them. But I can't help but think they ripped the design from this eclass😅

[@marcusjosefsson4998]

0:15 Mercedes engineers gone above and beyond the call of duty in designing the W210? 😂 The worst quality ever on a Mercedes!

[@sammyt3514]

This was the first Mercedes E-Class designed after the emergence of Lexus which forced Mercedes to do unprecedented cost cutting measures in the production of this car that resulted in noticeably worse quality and reliability. So this model signalled the end of the cost no object era at Mercedes.

[@Nikola_W211]

I still see a ton of these on the road today especially diesels.

[@sammyt3514]

@@Nikola_W211 I see none where I live, but I live in Toronto and very few cars of that vintage have survived our harsh driving conditions tbh. Having said that, they were still decently built then so I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were still kicking around in warmer locales. My point is that the deterioration in Mercedes' quality STARTED with that model, so they were worse built than the models that preceded them but they were certainly better built than the current models.

[@rd.bagus.nugroho]

They miss to post it at 420

[@ce9345]

Motorweek tested a Buick Roadmaster with the LT1 350 back in 1994. It went 0-60 in 6.9 seconds. All for half the price. Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?

[@210works]

Drive both cars and you'll realize why they are usually not cross shopped lol.

[@MercOne]

@@210works And why Buick is out of the actual CAR business and largely irrelevant outside of China in 2024.

[@robertaBooey69]

When numbers actually meant the size of the engine. Nowadays 4 cylinder 2.0 are c43 makes no sense

[@AWDSWD]

After 1996 year some car manufacturers decreased quality of their some models... Just compare E class W210 and ford Taurus - both have poor rust protection if we compare with previous generations...

[@mattmayo3539]

The 420 Benz

[@LaszloGaspar-s3x]

Work horse engine 👍

[@MercOne]

Watching this after you watch their test of the new 2024 E450 is really telling how far cars have come.

[@seanhershey3390]

E50?…( E500)

[@ensignjimmy3237]

E50 AMG - short lived European only model.

[@82_KID]

This was probably the worst E-class

[@Nikola_W211]

I disagree

[@82_KID]

@@Nikola_W211 well. Why do you disagree?

[@Nikola_W211]

@@82_KID Because i think its not the worst e class these cars are great they have great engines in my opinion they look great. Their downside was the rust. I would love to own one a E300 turbo diesel. My opinion

[@misled1982]

the ugliest mercedes look if you ask me

[@20alphabet]

Today's MBs are crap.

[@bp900]

Trash not unlike their current offerings

[@Idk_about_anything]

This generation of E class felt cheap and are poor quality

[@2H2521]

Some of the ugliest cars Mercedes ever built, the front ends are horrific.

[@raghavjsankar3004]

Have you seen the eq series cars

[@Nikola_W211]

I disagree i love the looks of the w210

[@2H2521]

@@raghavjsankar3004 Yes, I have. Those are ugly too.

[@2H2521]

@@Nikola_W211 Not me, the front end looks like bugs.

[@raghavjsankar3004]

@2H2521 the w211 is certainly much much prettier, but there are uglier mercs than the w210.