Guest Post: Driving a W210 E240 Elegance Sedan

I was 25 upon release of the new Mercedes E-Class platform in 1996. At the time I thought the styling was conservative and never paid attention to the model range. My enthusiasm for the Mercedes marque still came from the past, with the fabulous W109 300SEL 3.5/6.3 V8s and the W116 450SEL V8 models (including the 6.9).

Fast forwarding to July 2024, I purchased a 1998 E430 from a member of the Mercedes-Benz Club of Victoria. The E430 is a delight to drive, especially the combination of a small block V8 and 5 speed automatic transmission, in a smaller chassis than an S-Class.

The range of engine options available in this generation E-Class was enormous, with Mercedes-Benz Australia offering eleven different engine combinations, covering the first generation and mid-life update models, including sedans and wagons. There was a broad range of trim levels, from Classic, Elegance and the more luxurious Avantgarde trim. The Australian line up is summarized below:

Compare the range of engine combinations to the latest W214 E-Class generation, it’s only offered in one engine, E300, 2 litre twin-turbo, with 48v mild hybrid. Apparently the E53 and E63 are still on the radar of Mercedes-Benz Australia. How times have changed, with sedans losing favour to SUVs.

This week I got the opportunity to drive another W210 E-Class, an E240 Elegance with the smaller 2.4 M112 V6. The E240 model was part of the mid-life update, released in November 1999. The updated model range included a new diesel model, E270 CDI and two petrol models, E240 and E200K, released in August 2000.

Driving the E240 Elegance, I was surprised at what a great little package it is. Even though it’s 80KW short of my E430, it never felt slow around town. The suspension was perfectly tuned for Australian conditions, providing a supple ride, insulating driver and passengers from our terrible roads. Once on the freeway the engine becomes a bit noisier, with the tachometer reading 2500rpm @100kph.

This E240 Elegance had a recommended retail price of $96,180. The original owner ticked two options, Suspension Sport incl. 17″ 5 Double Spoke, $3825 (alloy wheels have since been removed and replaced with 16” alloy wheels) and Sunroof, $3786, lifting the total price to $103,791 in 2000. This was a lot to pay 25 years ago, and in 2025 I still consider it to be a lot of money.

My E430 is a pre-update model, while the E240 was released as part of the mid-life update. Many Mercedes enthusiasts have trouble spotting the changes, but there are people around like me who contain a wealth of useless information, taking note of these changes.

You can see the E240 has revised taillights, using transparent plastic for the indicators. The third stop light is also more integrated, with the older E430 having a stop light more reminiscent of the W124/W126.

The E240 has a revised front bumper, that is more integrated below the bug-eye headlights.

The right- and left-hand side exterior mirrors have also been updated, with the incorporation of indicators

Further changes were seen on the interior with an updated cluster. The newer cluster contains the same information, but in a larger font size.

Other changes included a new leather multi-function steering wheel, including audio, phone buttons.

Safety got a large update, with 10 airbags, while my E430 has 4. Rear seat airbags. Both cars have Electronic Stability Control (ESP).

The changes in the mid-life upgrade make an even better car, especially from a safety perspective, with the increased number of airbags and indicators on exterior mirrors. The external changes are minimal, with these changes mirroring design changes in the automotive industry.

Even though many will note quality was not up to the same standards as W124/W126, the standout for me were the engines, especially the M112 & M113. Mercedes-Benz were successful in developing engines that performed well, provided increased efficiency, but were also known as highly reliable engines, with few problems.

This E-Class design has grown on me over the years, with the small lip on top of boot, somewhat reminiscent of the boot on the VL Commodore. Those bug-eye headlights still cause debate in the Mercedes community. I like the outlook from the driver’s seat, seeing the raised bumps on the left- and right-hand sides. The rest of the W210 E-Class package can be considered as conservative.

Perhaps Mercedes-Benz didn’t want to frighten their customer base too much, but with the release of the W211 E-Class platform the design was more modern and assume attracted a younger audience without disenfranchising their existing customer base.

Author:  Nick Gruzevskis is a contributor to classicjalopy.com, and the custodian of a great collection of classic and modern cars.  Links to some his other articles can be found here