If you'd like to get into a 500 factory horsepower hot rod without liquidating your 401k, there are a few options. You could get a high mile V10 BMW M5, but if you prefer something that is more grunt and two fewer cylinders, the choice is easy...E63 AMG. Find this 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG offered for $13,500 in South Elgin, IL via craigslist. Tip from Tyler.
The W124 generation Mercedes-Benz was released in 1984 as a replacement for the W123 model that was getting old. The W124 lasted until it was replaced by the googly-eyed W210 -- but if you ask me, the square styling of the W124 has aged much better. Find this 1995 Mercedes-Benz E300 diesel offered for $4,100 near Roseville, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
What is it about new cars that make people spend crazy amounts of cash on them? They sure do smell nice, but do you really need the latest gadgets, styling and license plate number? Or can you drive a 14 year old version of a similar car with only a few miles on the odometer? Like this 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 here on eBay with 26,000 miles on the odo offered for $13,488 buy-it-now or make-offer in Upland, CA.
By Cory -- You’ve been around the block a few times right? Seen a lot of fast cars in your day? Pretty knowledgeable of motor swaps? This Walter Mitty-esque Mercedes is bound to expand your horizons. Find it here on UK Ebay for an ask of about $14,000 USA greenbacks.
Check out this 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG here on eBay bidding for $8,100 with auction ending Friday at 4:25PM Pacific.
The W124 Mercedes-Benz chassis was the first Benz given the official
E-Class nomenclature and one of the bulletproof Benzes that came from Stuttgart during the 80s/90s. It is a chassis that is typically associated with the 4-door sedan (like the fire-breathing 500E Hammer) but they sold a few C124 designated coupes. Find this 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300CE C124 here on eBay bidding for $7,600 with less than one hour to go, located in Portland, OR.
The W124 E-class was the Mercedes-Benz answer to BMW's 5-series, but with the success of the E28 M5 and the upcoming E34 M5, the guys at Mercedes-Benz knew they had to respond with something fast. So, they did what any logical German would do and turned to Porsche and pleaded for help. The result was a Mercedes-Benz and Porsche collaboration called the 500E that combined the rock solid W124 chassis with a Porsche tuned engine and suspension. Find this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E W124 offered for $16,500 in Holland, PA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. 
The W211 generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class was built starting in 2002, right in the middle of the whole Daimler-Chrysler mess, so you would be correct to be wary. However, the E-Class was always the bread & butter of the Mercedes lineup and didn't get the same cheapen-till-they-buy approach of the lowly C-Class, nor the needless complexity-for-the-sake-of-it mass approach taken on the S-Class, so you might be able to drive a W211 around for a few years without refinancing your house to pay for maintenance. Find this 2004 Mercedes E500 4Matic Wagon offered for $8,900 in Memphis, TN via craigslist.
DT E-i-C Vince: The following story consists of words by DT Contributor K2 Mystery Car and illustrations by my 8 year old son Alex.
Mercedes-Benz redefined executive class performance when it released the E55 AMG in 1999 for the US Market. Sure, BMW's M5 had been around for a few generations, but it was sabre with manual gearboxes that tempted its driver to carve up corners. The AMG was a hammer, a big tire smoking cudgel meant to bludgeon the pavement into submission, but at the same time it could be docile and liveable in traffic. What more can you ask for in a 15 year old $5k driver? Find this 1999 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG offered for $4500 in Torrance, CA via craigslist.
The name Hammer had two popular connotations in 1990, one was a young rap artist with baggy pants and the other a young luxury sedan with fender flares. Each hammer was successful in the their prime- MC Hammer putting out the hit single "You Can't Touch This" and the AMG Hammer putting out over 300 horsepower and obliterating the competition from Bavaria (Munich or Ingolstadt). But given the choice of which Hammer we'd live with each day...we'd pick this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E located in Williamsburg, VA and currently bidding on ebay for $6,100 reserve-not-met with 5 days to go.