Recommend A Mercedes!

Solarwinds

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W212 E350CDI
Hi folks new to this forum.

Have secured a job which will involve a 75 mile commute along the M27 and up the M3 each day so 150 miles in total.

I have around £8K to spend on a car, so am looking diesel, comfortable, am think E class, not sure on engine size or year or what to look out for. Just an easy auto that will prove reliable, intend to keep for 5 years so will potentially be putting 100K on it...

Ideas or suggestions?!

Thanks!
 

Craiglxviii

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970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
E320/ E350 or the CLS equivalent. That budget should secure a car under 90k with most of the toys on it.
 
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Solarwinds

Solarwinds

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Thanks Craig, on the E front I quite like the look of the classic W211 but is there any engine to avoid or go for in particular?...on Autotrader I see 220/280/320

Also the trim levels, is any one more comfortable than the other from a suspension point of view?...not sure what Avantguard entails!
 

sl500amgsport

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SL500 2014
Hi folks new to this forum.

Have secured a job which will involve a 75 mile commute along the M27 and up the M3 each day so 150 miles in total.

I have around £8K to spend on a car, so am looking diesel, comfortable, am think E class, not sure on engine size or year or what to look out for. Just an easy auto that will prove reliable, intend to keep for 5 years so will potentially be putting 100K on it...

Ideas or suggestions?!

Thanks!
Hi and Welcome to the forum.

You may need to check the maths, assuming you do not do any social mileage in 5 years you will rack up 180,000 miles and allowing say 5000 miles per year for social usage your mileage will exceed 200k. Buying a Mercedes for £8k is likely to have some mileage to start so you may end up closer to 250,000 miles minimum!

It would probably pay you to put the 8k down as a deposit on a nearly new Mercedes with minimum mileage or expect to change car every 2-3 years to maintain reliability and warranty....

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

Craiglxviii

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970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
Ok. The 200/ 220/ 250 diesels are all the same I4 2.1 litre units in varying states of boost. Similarly the 280/ 320/ 350 are the same V6 3 litre units, the 350 replacing the 320.

I have one of each (220 and 320) and would go for the bigger engine every time. A little bit more thirsty much far less effort to do, well, anything really.

The CLS is the E Class coupe, only difference is the bodywork.

Avantgarde is a trim and suspension setup that gives a sporty look and feel. Suspension is lowered 15mm over Elegance and interior trims tend toward the dark wood or piano black. Elegance tends towards walnut burr etc.
 
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Solarwinds

Solarwinds

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Thanks guys!
 

Craiglxviii

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Hi and Welcome to the forum.

You may need to check the maths, assuming you do not do any social mileage in 5 years you will rack up 180,000 miles and allowing say 5000 miles per year for social usage your mileage will exceed 200k. Buying a Mercedes for £8k is likely to have some mileage to start so you may end up closer to 250,000 miles minimum!

It would probably pay you to put the 8k down as a deposit on a nearly new Mercedes with minimum mileage or expect to change car every 2-3 years to maintain reliability and warranty....

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
To qualify, as a family car we run an S211 E320 Avantgarde estate on 225k miles. It’s just developing transmission problems which will likely result in a g/b rebuild.
 

sl500amgsport

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To qualify, as a family car we run an S211 E320 Avantgarde estate on 225k miles. It’s just developing transmission problems which will likely result in a g/b rebuild.
How old is the car?

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John Laidlaw

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Yeah as Craig says for that mileage each day I would want to be comfortable and minimum effort so V6 is the answer !
 

V6Matty

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I used to do around 25k a year in an E270 (pre facelift with the il5 engine) bought for £9k at 62k miles and ran it to 170k with nothing major wrong, only reason I don't still have to car was due to the company I work for saying I finally had to change it or be put in a 1.4 focus.
Mpg wise on that sort of commute you will get around 38mpg with the V6's and would be my choice like the others. E would be my choice as well even over the cls, just that bit more practicle in my mind.
 

Wighty

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Make sure that the auto box has had an ATF and filter change at the prescribed 37,500k miles and keep up this schedule .(£200 at MB Indy ) .
A lot of the om642 engine faults are oil cooler seals , turbo , inlet manifolds and swirl flap motor . The rest of the engine is pretty solid for high mileage use .
The car was facelifted in 2006 with a different shaped deeper front grill on the w211 , a lot of earlier build issues were then fixed .
I've had my E320cdi for 7 years , now got 85k on it . It's a very nice fast car . Only had a few minor faults .
If you can get one with 16" wheels your tyre cost will be a lot cheaper than 17" .
 

Craiglxviii

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Yeah as Craig says for that mileage each day I would want to be comfortable and minimum effort so V6 is the answer !
The difference in mileage between a 225k 10 year old 320 V6 and a 0k (brand new) 220 I4 Bluetec worked out, measured, to 10.0mpg (29.23 vs 39.25). In fiscal terms that comes out to £0.053/ mile.

For the OP doing 180k over 5 years, that works out to a fuel spend of £9,540 more for the bigger engine. Now, I have in mind that the 350 is slightly better efficiency wise than the 320, say 15% improvement so let’s call the fuel spend delta £8,000.

The big difference between the I4 and V6 engines is the simplex timing chain on the I4. If that starts to go the replacement bill is around £2k. You’d need to factor that in so the delta drops to £6,000.

£1,200 per annum over 5 years for an extra 100 geegees and 130 torques. That’s a call only you can make. If you want lowest cost driving then a Golf mk.4 1.9 PD TDi is the way to go ;) but you’re talking 211s so clearly after comfort. I can honestly say that the V6 offers significantly more comfort than the I4.
 

Craiglxviii

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Make sure that the auto box has had an ATF and filter change at the prescribed 37,500k miles and keep up this schedule .(£200 at MB Indy ) .
A lot of the om642 engine faults are oil cooler seals , turbo , inlet manifolds and swirl flap motor . The rest of the engine is pretty solid for high mileage use .
The car was facelifted in 2006 with a different shaped deeper front grill on the w211 , a lot of earlier build issues were then fixed .
I've had my E320cdi for 7 years , now got 85k on it . It's a very nice fast car . Only had a few minor faults .
If you can get one with 16" wheels your tyre cost will be a lot cheaper than 17" .

Or 18” then you can enjoy roadsharks for £70 a corner...
 

sl500amgsport

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This is the lowest mileage E class 3.0 on Piston heads within your budget at 59k miles (the rest within the budget were much higher mileage.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...edes-e-class-e-320-cdi-avantgarde-eu4/8391191

This is the cheapest E class 3.0 I found with low mileage (12k).

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...t-ed-prem-4dr-9g-tronic-diesel-saloon/8327484.

My point is if you want to be sure the car is going to get you to work and back reliably you are gambling buying an expensive old high mileage car. As Craig points out you can be lucky and there are always exceptions to any rule but my advice comes from 37 years experience owning dozens of cars both new and very old of numerous marks and engine sizes including 3x Mercedes.

The 3.0 engine will suit your Motorway driving best.

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fabes

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E400 Coupe
As per post #4, consider a newer MB with the £8k as a deposit if you can budget the £250 a month for likely loan payments

You will get a few more mpg from the more modern a diesels and traders will be 'keen' to shift them in the current climate.
I know that run well and you really don't want reliability problems that will / are likely to come with an £8k leggy E class
If nothing else, required parts replacements on an older MB when you are putting those (albeit easy) miles on it will be offset by payments on a newer MB

And despite myself driving a V6, a 4cly makes so make sense with north of 60mpg possible in the slow traffic you face most days
Fuel costs on the older MB will be based around 40 to 45 mpg. Over a month that's a fair bit
A C class would also serve you well...

Finally, a newer MB will have better ICE and Bluetooth for the phone, which you will be thankful for when yet again you're stuck at J9 on the way home.......
You've got a selection of good independent specialists down here as well......
 

EmilysDad

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ML350
.......
If you can get one with 16" wheels your tyre cost will be a lot cheaper than 17" .

I found the opposite. I put the later 17" rims on my Omega & found the tyres were cheaper as there was more choice.
 

Wighty

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I found the opposite. I put the later 17" rims on my Omega & found the tyres were cheaper as there was more choice.
With my 16" set I use for winters at 225/55/16 verses the 17" summer set at 245/45/17 the tyre cost makes me run the winters for longer . I just got 2 Pirelli winters at 16" for £60 each (£68 fitted) . I always cringe a bit when I see my 17" prices to replace the summers .
I'll keep shopping round though , hopefully I'll have your luck and the prices will reverse .
 

Craiglxviii

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You can't enjoy anything at 18" buddy , it's too hard a ride .

It is, fact and data demonstrated, the best compromise between fuel efficiency, ride and handling performance and ride comfort.

I moved the 211 from 17s to 18s and we immediately noticed a far nicer more pleasant ride. Doesn’t like the potholes quite as much though.
 


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