advise needed buying a 2002 s320cdi

[garytitley]

i have viewed an immaculate s320 cdi yesterday and have fallen in love with the car but the rear arches more so the nearside are showing signs of rusting,not much but its there under the paint.the dealer says i should be able to get this done under warranty as the car has a upto date fmbsh,however should and will are two different stories.he says that in the event of mb refusing then he will pay to get this done,not through mb though which worries me because this will then void the corrosion warranty will it not?.like i say the rest of the car is faultless but the question is should i leave alone or buy.i did an hpi check last night and that is all clear.what im going to do tommorrow is make some phone calls to my local dealer and the dealer were the car was last serviced which was boston mb.in the meantime any helpfull comments would be very much appreaciated.

 

[tromppost]

Are the front arches rust free? also have a close look at the bottom of the doors and the inside of the boot lid.
Mercedes WILL NOT fix the rust if it was there when you brought it, they always check the to see how long you have had it. Six months I think is the min. And if the panel has had paint in the past they will not touch it unless it was done by them.

 

[stumpy]

I would look for a car without all this rust. There are loads out there. My car is an late 03 with no rust anywhere so this does seem a bit odd that your car has plenty.

 

[garytitley]

the car apart from the rear arches is perfect,checked everywhere and i mean everywhere.will ring around tommorrow and if what youve said is the case then ive got one or two options,either get the dealer to repair and hope its ok or leave it alone and try and find a rust free car.as ive said its a real shame as the rest of the car is mint although it makes me wonder why the previous owner didnt get it sorted.

 

[stumpy]

Or get quotes for yourself at bodyshops known to be of high standard and make sure the price you pay for the car reflects the cost to fix. I wouldn't trust a car dealer to get the job done as it will probably look worse than before.

 

[garytitley]

cheers stumpy,will do.

 

[AnthUK]

Very prone to rust which for a £85,000 motor is disgusting.My 99 S500 has rust on all four arches and bootlid. Even Mondeos do not rust at this age. Steer clear is my advice as there are a few rust free S class around..

 

[hawk20]

Fully galvanised from 2003 onwards.
S CLASS –220series and CL class 215 series.

The S class and CL class are built of a combination of aluminium and steel. For the aluminium components there is, of course, no galvanising process.

All steel panels were galvanised from Quarter 1 2003 production onwards.
During the previous quarter (Q4 2002) the process was gradually introduced
on the production line and therefore some vehicles were galvanised during
this lead-up period, but not all.

My advice:- buy a 2003 onwards and be sure.
Absolutely fabulous motors. By an incredible margin the best car I've ever owned or driven.

 

[garytitley]

well ive got the seller to knock £400 pounds off the price of the car so this should cover most of the cost as the corrosion is minor so im going to take the plunge.the car is stunning otherwise.ive looked at quite a few cars and this is the best one.one car i went to view was an absolute heap and i wouldnt have given him half the 13k he was asking.everything was coroded including the wheels.

 

[M6AJJ]

Good luck, brilliant car to drive. Let us know how you get on with it.

 

[garytitley]

thanks will do.

 

[stumpy]

Just got back from a round trip to Paris - mine is a 500 and averaged over 30mpg all the way. Even the missus was stunned at how the miles just float by in these cars. Get a good one and you'll wonder why it took you so long. Incredible cars.

 

[hawk20]

Just got back from a round trip to Paris - mine is a 500 and averaged over 30mpg all the way. Even the missus was stunned at how the miles just float by in these cars. Get a good one and you'll wonder why it took you so long. Incredible cars.

I agree. And that is why virtually every major motoring magazine here and abroad voted it best saloon car in the world. Here's what What car said: -
WINNER
Luxury car Mercedes-Benz S320 CDl


The S-Class is still head and shoulders above its rivals. It's another easy win this year

Make no mistake, Mercedes-Benz rules this sector. Many have tried to undermine the S-Class's dominance - Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Lexus being the main protagonists - but the gulf between the flagship Merc and its rivals remains as wide as ever.

Part of this is due to the undeniable cachet of the badge, but image alone is not enough in the cut-throat world of the business traveller.
Running costs are an essential consideration and the S320’s CDI diesel engine is not only smooth and powerful. its also extremely fuel-efficient, averaging 34mpg. The Mercedes boasts the best residual values in its class, too.

Even if the diesel S-Class was an absolute money pit, we'd still find it hard to resist.
Its built to the most exacting standards using the finest materials and will whisk its lucky owner and a trio of business colleagues to high-pressure meetings in sublime comfort. It will also soothe away the troubles of the day on the return journey.

Most impressively, the air suspension soaks up bumps in a quiet, cushy fashion, yet when the route becomes more demanding, you have only to press the Sport button to tighten up the car's body movements and benefit from greater control.

Equally, all the instruments and major controls work with rewarding precision. That includes the brakes, which are hugely powerful and full of feel.

The cabin is an oasis of tranquillity. There's acres of room in which to stretch out, while scrupulous attention to detail, lashings of high-grade leather, polished wood and aluminium switches endow the cabin with unsurpassed quality.

MARCH 2007 WhatCar.com


Other tasty quotes include: -

The S class has already beaten every rival in petrol form, but now we can adjudicate the best diesel luxury car on sale in 2007.

At motorway cruising speed the S class is virtually silent…
..the most cosseting ride imaginable ….

Its vast 560 litre boot is deep and a useful square shape……

 

[stumpy]

The only bit I disagree with is the statement about the boot. Mine is quite small but this may be due to the electric rear seat gubbins eating into it. I also think it looks far nicer than the new one.