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Mercedes-benz E vs Mercedes-benz Sl 320: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Mercedes-benz E
79%
MOT pass rate · 429,719 vehicles
Mercedes-benz Sl 320
78%
MOT pass rate · 2 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Mercedes-benz E (79%) and Mercedes-benz Sl 320 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Mercedes-benz E Mercedes-benz Sl 320
MOT pass rate 79% ✓ 78%
MOT failure rate 21% ✓ 22%
Faults & advisories per test 1.6 1.3 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 3% 3%
Average mileage 124,278 mi 123,144 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 429,719 2

Most common faults

Mercedes-benz E

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Mercedes-benz Sl 320

  1. Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
  2. Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))
  3. Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))
  4. Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
  5. Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)
  6. general underbody surface corrosion

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Mercedes-benz E (79%) and Mercedes-benz Sl 320 (78%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Mercedes-benz E report Full Mercedes-benz Sl 320 report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.