Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloon (95-02) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The old E-Class was the definitive executive Mercedes for the Nineties and it's still a fine choice. It oozes quality thanks to impeccable construction, silky smooth six-cylinder engines and a luxurious ride. Although it's expensive, E-Class does everything so well that it renders the behemoth S-Class redundant for all but the fattest of fat cats. For pace and grace, our choice would be a E280 Elegance or Avantgarde at half their original price. Later diesels are the best bet for keeping costs down. We recommend the automatic transmission over the manual gearbox.
4 out of 5

Other Mercedes-Benz reviews

3.5 out of 5

Safety

Strong structure resulted in top marks when orginally crash tested. All models get twin airbags, and side bags were fitted from '96 onwards. Has an alarm and immobiliser, but deadlocks weren't fitted for safety reasons.

NCAP Test

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  • Adult Occupant Rating

    4 out of 5

  • Pedestrian Test Rating

    2 out of 5
4.5 out of 5

Reliability

Expect high standards of reliability from your E-Class. Few problems are reported other than the occasional niggle but standards of servicing will determine the future dependability you can expect.

Car check problem points

Body

Buyers are fastidious and won’t usually look at poorly presented cars.

Engine/Gearbox

No problems known provided proper Mercedes-Benz history is there.

Other

Interiors must be immaculate, with all gadgets working.