E55 Estate - do I or don't I

GPRS

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I've been round the Merc houses these last couple of weeks since my BMW 535 Touring was stolen, first of all looking at E320 estates, then settling on a 10 plate E350 before pulling out at the last minute only to find an immaculate 1999 E55 7 seater. At £8k I think it's a little overpriced but supposedly has full MB SH and has been well looked after. When I go and see it what should I check for and what price should I be aiming for if its in tip top condition?
 

lwbnick

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I've been round the Merc houses these last couple of weeks since my BMW 535 Touring was stolen, first of all looking at E320 estates, then settling on a 10 plate E350 before pulling out at the last minute only to find an immaculate 1999 E55 7 seater. At £8k I think it's a little overpriced but supposedly has full MB SH and has been well looked after. When I go and see it what should I check for and what price should I be aiming for if its in tip top condition?

£8k for a £2k car??
 

mikestrivens

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The worst model of Mercedes ever made. Rust bucket.
 
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GPRS

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Yep, that's it. Why is it a £2k car?
 

AlastairD

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The worst model of Mercedes ever made. Rust bucket.

That sounds like the voice of experience!

Maybe this one has been kept indoors, a few weeks outside and it will disintegrate!
 

mikestrivens

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The W210 was the replacement for the reknowned W124. It was made at the time when Daimler Chrysler were at the worst of their cost cutting and the firm was being run by accountants instead of engineers. Several friends have W210 models and they are riddled with rust whereas my W124 has not a speck. I wouldn't touch any W210 with a barge pole at any price.
 

wilsodg

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I looks very nice, but it's 12+ years old now. This is pre-face-lift 210 model and no command. Rust is the biggest potential issue, but also (at that age) the rubber will be starting to go (check window seals, door rubbers). On top of the doors, ease the rubber seals slightly to see if there is rust under them. Inside the load space check in the side wells (under spare wheel on LHS and by CD changer on RHS). iirc, the power of that is 355hp - certainly adequate but not stunning by todays standards. If it has self-levelling suspension, check the pipes over the rear subframe.

The ad says it is rare - that's because all the others have rusted away:neutral:

I had a 2001 430 for 10 years and really looked after it well. It was a lovely car to drive (probably preferred it to my new 212) but in the end the things I list above got to it and I knew it would not go on for much longer. This one already has....

8k is way too much although sure it's worth more than 2k. This car is probably a "good bye" rather than a "good buy"
 

AlastairD

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Yep, that's it. Why is it a £2k car?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-E55-AMG-Estate-E55K-Tip-/290669124005?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43ad3ad9a5

So is this worth and extra 13K or 7k?
Could you keep the old fella on the road for less than the difference in price? It's all about finances for me.

I probably could still enjoy it and do a lot more with the cash in my pocket? But by the sound of things it would probably spend most of its time in the garage! I need to get to work so maybe not for me (at the moment).
 
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mikestrivens

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The W211 was a much better built car, Mercedes quality was going back up after the disasterous W210, though prior to the 2006 refresh it had electrical and other quality control problems (see Wikipedia ). I suspect that you could get this for somewhat less than £15k given the fuel that it would use. Others will highlight any pitfalls on this model.
 
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GPRS

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Thanks for the responses. Have decided against it now, especially after reading the 210 summary in Wiki!
 

st4

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The W210 was the replacement for the reknowned W124. It was made at the time when Daimler Chrysler were at the worst of their cost cutting and the firm was being run by accountants instead of engineers. Several friends have W210 models and they are riddled with rust whereas my W124 has not a speck. I wouldn't touch any W210 with a barge pole at any price.

Bar bodily rust and rear subframe rust are they that bad if you can live with scabby wings. You get in CDi or OM646 form a much faster and safer car than a 124 that will drive nicer.

At £2k who cares if its a rust bucket, shove some wax oil in the key structural parts, and drive around in a nice car.

The newest 124s are knocking on for 15 years old, and they too rust in structural areas (sills and jacking points). I am not saying they're not good cars, but most examples will be getting tired and many will be ropey and abused.
 

robparker

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I would highly reccommend an e55 estate (not at that price), my parents have a 2001 model,1 owner, all the toys bought for £3k. Excellent car.. yea, yea, has some surface rust.. whatever, it averages 22mpg, but has done (brim-brim checked) near 30mpg on motorway runs, and put your foot down and it doesnt half shift! Being the estate it also has room for the dog!
 

DSB SL AMG

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The garage is having a laugh...values below....if you keep on top of the rust issues the W210 is a great machine!

E55 AMG 5Dr 5dr Estate 5.5 Auto (1999/V)
Car valuation adjusted for 56,000 miles
Retail: £2,852
Private Good: £2,062
Private Average: £1,662
Private Poor: £1,212
Part Exchange: £1,832
Trade: £1,686
 

SSR S500

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Worth considering a 210, mega value for money but the one first posted is seriously overpriced. Silver 211 up at £15k is again overpriced but what a machine, subtle but aggressive at the same time.
 

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