I'm a real estate broker that travels a great deal. My F150 super crew has been very good to me. But the 12mpg thing has gotta go!
I'm looking for a 98,99 turbo diesel. Here is the question:

Is starmark cert worth the xtra money?
Should I only buy from a dealer?
Should I get the extended warranty? 1600 or so xtra
What do I look for for problems?
What is a fair price for these years?
Thanks in advance, I need to make this purchase soon.

Hi: Starmark gives the security of a warrranty and assurance that the car has been checked out. The problem will probably be finding one. You can do a search from MB usa site for cars to get an idea of availability and price. 98 and 99 are very similar- 99 added curtain air bags, a small cargo net on passenger side and a different radio. I would get either one depending on equipment and mileage. You will find most E300s are pretty basic as most owners went for the base model with few options. Don't expect to find Xenons, ESP, or leather unless the car was special ordered. Diesel is now 10¢ a gallon less than regular where I live so diesels should get hot. We're using our 98 more than we normally would because of the economy of running it. If the car has been maintained there should be few problems. Motor mounts seemed a problem area along with some electricals. I hate to sound pessimistic but a nephew bought a 99 about a year ago and had quite a time finding one. He bought starmark from an out of state dealer about 3 hours away. I went with him to pick up the car and it was nice but I found a few small things the needed repair along with missing keys. He is very happy and loves the car. Too bad you can't hold out for the new E320 diesel, there's probably waiting list forming for them.

Good luck, Bob Skillman Ellicott City MD

Your right, the only Starmark 320's are 3 hours from me. They have under 40 k on them, and few options. But, with fuel heading up, it may be the right time. Thanks for your reply :lol:

I did a quick search near me and found mostly 99s- probably due to higher mileage on the 98s. Prices seem all over the place- some gouging perhaps? If you go back to the MB usa site and do a site search find the "model overview" section which will give specs on the E300s as well as original prices and the options- so you know what the E2 etc gives you. We bought our 98 via european delivery. We loaded it up with full leather, ESP, xenons, just about everything except phone/cd and heated seats (should have got those). Anyway the more diesels I saw the more I realized most were more bare bones for utility (diesels were much less expensive than gassers even when comparably equiped) and economy. We get about 29 mpg normal running around and 33-35 highway depending on A/C usage.

Good luck, Bob