high milage cars

Jim2

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1st Merc 2010 E Class W212 2.1 CDI. 2nd Merc 2014 E Class W212 220 CDI
You are welcome to them Jim. I am on my third low mileage MB. My current one is a 2012 and it has now done 24,800 miles. I have never had an anxious moment with any of them, apart from servicing none of them went any where near a repairer except for a recall for the airbags a couple of years ago. Good luck with your high mileage cars, I sincerely hope they serve you well, but they are just not for me. :)

Yes Andy, I can understand that. Lots to be said for low mileage cars. I know several people here and they will not keep a car any longer than 2 years max, regardless of mileage. So you have a case that when the new 2 year old is traded in, its new owner ( will be 2nd owner) is already waiting for it, and so it goes, car after car after car !!! :) In one case. the Lady who owns it ( Opel Corsa.. wont drive anything else since the first one she bought about 20 years ago....) is terrified that it will break down and leave her stranded !!! Has bad experiences in the past when cars were not as reliable as they are now, and she has never forgotten it.
Your current car is 2012 and with only24'800 Miles on it.....so 6 years with average mileage of 4'000. That's pretty low all right. At what mileage would you decide it's time to change? To be honest, I would be surprised if any of your Mercs gave trouble within that kind of frame.
I understand the risks associated with high mileage cars, and its not for nothing that fleet owners have a max mileage ( or certain Nr of years ) policy, and after they reach this point, they are deemed uneconomic to keep. And the facts prove them right. ( I used to run a fleet ) But personally, I would take a chance ( it's a personal choice ) and with the w212, I hope that I am right !!!! :) it had 125'500 Miles on it when I purchased it back in January this year, and now has 128'632 Mls. So far, has behaved impeccably, I am very happy with it. Long may it reign !!! I have been in the Lebanon, and loads of Merc's there, inc some seriously "Elderly " ones, and plenty with 1'000'000 Klms on them, so I am optimistic.
 

McDonald

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SL500 2004
Mine's 14 yrs old and just turned 47,000 miles. I'm trying to keep miles down to about 5,000 a year but I enjoy driving it, so it's hard to walk past and use the everyday car. The price of petrol helps a little!

I love reading that these fine cars have the capacity for many, many miles. It makes me think there'll still be life as well as charm in it when it's time to pass it on. I'd like my son to have it when I'm past caring. But he'll probably have found a 'special' car of his own by then.

Some years ago I worked on a documentary about Jaguar cars, called 'Nine Lives.' The first owner of an XJ6 was MD of a smallish business, the ninth owner was a welder who bought it for £500.00. Each owner in turn had enjoyed the car. That surely is the pleasure of the Mercedes brand too. Some keep them like new, some drive them daily. These cars are good for all of us - as long as we can afford to run them.

I asked the director of the film, why was he making it? Did he have a jag? He smirked as he answered, 'Who wants to drive around in a coctail cabinet?' Nevertheless, he found nine owners who had loved one car.
 

stwat

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1989 300SE
Mine's 14 yrs old and just turned 47,000 miles. I'm trying to keep miles down to about 5,000 a year but I enjoy driving it, so it's hard to walk past and use the everyday car. The price of petrol helps a little!

I love reading that these fine cars have the capacity for many, many miles. It makes me think there'll still be life as well as charm in it when it's time to pass it on. I'd like my son to have it when I'm past caring. But he'll probably have found a 'special' car of his own by then.

Some years ago I worked on a documentary about Jaguar cars, called 'Nine Lives.' The first owner of an XJ6 was MD of a smallish business, the ninth owner was a welder who bought it for £500.00. Each owner in turn had enjoyed the car. That surely is the pleasure of the Mercedes brand too. Some keep them like new, some drive them daily. These cars are good for all of us - as long as we can afford to run them.

I asked the director of the film, why was he making it? Did he have a jag? He smirked as he answered, 'Who wants to drive around in a coctail cabinet?' Nevertheless, he found nine owners who had loved one car.
Do you have a link to where I could watch this please? :)
 

Capra

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W204 2013 C350 CDI Pan roof
Mine's 14 yrs old and just turned 47,000 miles. I'm trying to keep miles down to about 5,000 a year but I enjoy driving it, so it's hard to walk past and use the everyday car. The price of petrol helps a little!

I love reading that these fine cars have the capacity for many, many miles. It makes me think there'll still be life as well as charm in it when it's time to pass it on. I'd like my son to have it when I'm past caring. But he'll probably have found a 'special' car of his own by then.

Some years ago I worked on a documentary about Jaguar cars, called 'Nine Lives.' The first owner of an XJ6 was MD of a smallish business, the ninth owner was a welder who bought it for £500.00. Each owner in turn had enjoyed the car. That surely is the pleasure of the Mercedes brand too. Some keep them like new, some drive them daily. These cars are good for all of us - as long as we can afford to run them.

I asked the director of the film, why was he making it? Did he have a jag? He smirked as he answered, 'Who wants to drive around in a coctail cabinet?' Nevertheless, he found nine owners who had loved one car.
Interesting point about owning a car and being able to run them. My friends dad bought a new BMW 328 on an R plate, he loved this car, and even after 2 years it was immaculate, he always spared no cost in looking after it, and it was maintained by BMW. Over the years it it had covered a lot of miles. In the end it was given/lent to a family members boyfriend as the owner picked up a new car, but this new owner had no money to look after it. I saw it for the first time in years last year, and it was knackered, the suspension had dropped on one site, the paintwork was a mess, dashboard hanging off and the leather interior was rotten. The previous owner was gutted, in the end the car was scrapped.
 

McDonald

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Sorry Stwat, I don't have a link to the documentary, it was made over 30 yrs ago, before links were invented. Someone, somewhere, will have a VHS copy in the back of a cupboard. It was made by Central TV in Birmingham and the director was Peter Wythe.
 

ajlsl600

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clk3202001,sl6002003 with everything regrettably sold ,A class 170cdi auto. NG/TF1800 ML250
You are welcome to them Jim. I am on my third low mileage MB. My current one is a 2012 and it has now done 24,800 miles. I have never had an anxious moment with any of them, apart from servicing none of them went any where near a repairer except for a recall for the airbags a couple of years ago. Good luck with your high mileage cars, I sincerely hope they serve you well, but they are just not for me. :)


i feel a bit the same ,i am curently at 48,500 on a 03 car however one has to, or at least i do,take into account things like interior engine corrosion and doing that for me means changing engine oils, and in my current case abc oils earlier than one normally might. i also reccomend pre lube systems on "hanger queens " i also yearly have all the under liners out press wash and re waxoil . this serves two purposes.1 i get to refresh my memory on what going on under the car 2. makes sure i spot corrosion early if at all. i also plaster the car in wd 40 before and during winter for extra corosion protection and to deter rodents. i recently had a few dramas related to rodents ,but only in areas where it was not easy to get at with wd 40. i have addressed that!!
 

Jim2

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Interesting point about owning a car and being able to run them. My friends dad bought a new BMW 328 on an R plate, he loved this car, and even after 2 years it was immaculate, he always spared no cost in looking after it, and it was maintained by BMW. Over the years it it had covered a lot of miles. In the end it was given/lent to a family members boyfriend as the owner picked up a new car, but this new owner had no money to look after it. I saw it for the first time in years last year, and it was knackered, the suspension had dropped on one site, the paintwork was a mess, dashboard hanging off and the leather interior was rotten. The previous owner was gutted, in the end the car was scrapped.

That would seriously wind me up Capra....All that care and attention lavished on it...and then to finish up like that...… :(
 

daibevan

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W203 C200 Kompressor Elegance SE 2006 Tanzanite Blue with cream interior
I'd hate that too. In our family the cars were cherished & passed around as needed and kept going until just not economically viable to fix up.
 

Capra

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W204 2013 C350 CDI Pan roof
That would seriously wind me up Capra....All that care and attention lavished on it...and then to finish up like that...… :(
It was a great car, but ended up as a dustbin.
 

Capra

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We decided to keep the wifes 2005 Yaris. Bought it 10 years ago. Apart from a few bulbs for mot has cost us nothing. It still gets a service when needed.
 

A.J.

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At what mileage would you decide it's time to change? To be honest, I would be surprised if any of your Mercs gave trouble within that kind of frame.
I would probably run it up to 40,000 Jim. :)
 

Jim2

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I would probably run it up to 40,000 Jim. :)

If it ever happened that I bought a car and found out that you were the previous owner...….I would be more than happy...…..and say " Thanks for running it in for me "...…… :) :) :)
 

sonic

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I Had two Beetles in the 60"s well over 100K no problems at all. In the 80's I had a VW Golf GTI 16V & a Audi Coupe 5E, both over 100K. In the 2000's I had a CLK200K & a CLK270CDI both over 100K, again no problems.
In 1972 I was in the army in Germany & I needed to buy a tax free car at short notice. The only car I could at the time was a Austin 1300. Turned out to be the most unreliable car I have ever owned.
So in short high a millage has never been a problem for me.
 

Flyinspanner

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CLK320-A209 (sold CL500 & W168)
I think engines which have had the annual oil change with decent oil should easily do 100k, metallurgy, design, and manufacturing have all improved since 70/80s - the a-class has about 110k on it, and the CL has just done 90k :)
 

A.J.

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If it ever happened that I bought a car and found out that you were the previous owner...….I would be more than happy...…..and say " Thanks for running it in for me "...…… :) :) :)
It would have been a pleasure Jim, I am ultra fussy with it too. I guess I inherited that from my Dad who used to leather his car off every time after he had taken the car out. He even used to have a folded yellow duster on the dash. I am not that bad but I do like things clean and tidy :rolleyes:
 

Jim2

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It would have been a pleasure Jim, I am ultra fussy with it too. I guess I inherited that from my Dad who used to leather his car off every time after he had taken the car out. He even used to have a folded yellow duster on the dash. I am not that bad but I do like things clean and tidy :rolleyes:

While I could not claim to be at the same level of carefulness as your Dad ( and possibly you as well LOL ) I DO like to have clean surroundings when I'm driving, and without any clutter. With 5 grandkids living nearby, that's not always possible......but I do what I can. LOL. However I always associate the external appearance of a well-kept vehicle with a matching well kept service history. ( Of course, this is not always true, but any vehicle that looks a bit rough around the edges, does not bode well for the mechanical's...… :( )
 

Jim2

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1st Merc 2010 E Class W212 2.1 CDI. 2nd Merc 2014 E Class W212 220 CDI
I Had two Beetles in the 60"s well over 100K no problems at all. In the 80's I had a VW Golf GTI 16V & a Audi Coupe 5E, both over 100K. In the 2000's I had a CLK200K & a CLK270CDI both over 100K, again no problems.
In 1972 I was in the army in Germany & I needed to buy a tax free car at short notice. The only car I could at the time was a Austin 1300. Turned out to be the most unreliable car I have ever owned.
So in short high a millage has never been a problem for me.

Back in the 60's, I worked in a VW dealership, and we had one or two customers who had driven 300'000 Miles on the same engine. These cars belonged to commercial salesmen, who would have exceptionally high annual mileages and the oil was changed every 3'000 miles.175'000 and 200'000 + mileages were pretty common at that time. Seems like the Audi's built back then were more reliable too, and as for the 1300.....you could be lucky, or maybe not...:)
 

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