Buying high mileage cars: how high is too high?

GManUK

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I am looking at buying an E220 CDI Blue efficiency (July 2009) from an authorised MB dealer in the UK. Since I normally drive 6,000 - 8,000 miles a year and will probably hold the car for the duration, I thought that I might buy a high mileage car. Would 35,000 miles on the clock for a single owner car be too high for two years, with a full Mercedes Benz service history? What are the things I should be worried about? For example, I understand that tyre tread is 5mm. Would appreciate some advice.
 

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I am looking at buying an E220 CDI Blue efficiency (July 2009) from an authorised MB dealer in the UK. Since I normally drive 6,000 - 8,000 miles a year and will probably hold the car for the duration, I thought that I might buy a high mileage car. Would 35,000 miles on the clock for a single owner car be too high for two years, with a full Mercedes Benz service history? What are the things I should be worried about? For example, I understand that tyre tread is 5mm. Would appreciate some advice.

Welcome GMan,

35K is fine in a couple of years, especially for a diesel.

More important is verifiable service history and previous owner/condition. If the tyre depth is over 4mm the dealer won't change them but if you push for a good deal then you can generally save elsewhere.
There were some two year warranty deals around recently so you may be able to negotiate further peace of mind.

Don't forget, there are loads around so no need to jump until it feels right.

Finally, E's are a big car for a 220, have you considered the V6 lumps?

There's lots on here about comparing engines - so a "search".
 
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daveyjp

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Modern diesels need frequent long runs - the complicated emissions control systems require it, so 35,000 over 2 years is a good thing, but for your 6-8000 miles a year think carefully about a modern diesel, and do some research, especially if it has a DPF.

After almost 10 years and close to 200,000 miles I've just changed back to petrol after troubles with blocked EGR valves and frequent DPF regenerations on a modern diesel due to a change in my motoring habits, I've gone from doing regular motorway trips to short hops round town. The car was hardly getting warmed through and the frequent short runs were slowly killing the car.

Minimum tyre tread depth is 1.6mm, a new tyre has a depth of about 7-8mm.
 

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Hello and welcome, some good advice above
 

Dosco

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I am looking at buying an E220 CDI Blue efficiency (July 2009) from an authorised MB dealer in the UK. Since I normally drive 6,000 - 8,000 miles a year and will probably hold the car for the duration, I thought that I might buy a high mileage car. Would 35,000 miles on the clock for a single owner car be too high for two years, with a full Mercedes Benz service history? What are the things I should be worried about? For example, I understand that tyre tread is 5mm. Would appreciate some advice.

The figure you quote is but run in for a Merc oil burner and is not considered any where near 'high' so I would not be worried at all in fact the higher the miles the more MPG you get and the better the engines become. Not sure about the Blue Eff model but I doubt it will make a lot of difference.

With a FMBSH you would be on very safe ground, tyres still have reasonable miles on them - dependent on how you drive of course. The E220 (assuming it is a W211) is a sound motor with very few issues and should give you years of trouble free motoring.

High miles on a Merc is academic I for instance I drive a number of E220's both auto and manual and the oldest has now topped 515000 and had one clutch replaced and nothing done to the engine or gear box other than routine servicing. The 220 auto's at present all have in excess of 200000 miles on them and have been trouble free since new.

Oh and welcome to the Forum
 

Frontstep

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Tread depth is fairly inconsequential in the scheme of things, a well looked after car with a good aftercare package will make your ownership easier.
Try a bigger engine before deciding.
As above there are a lot for sale.
 

Mic

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Hello and welcome......that sort of mileage over two years is no issue other than you should expect to get great value for your money simply because the motor trade has ''over promoted'' the 10k-12k miles/year as some sort of benchmark.

Mic
 

Dosco

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Some good advice here but it is for you to decide and if the 220 is what you fancy do not be put off because of the engine capacity - it is always nice to have a 'bigger one':rolleyes: but I can tell you with four passengers and their luggage they are still fast and very efficient neither do they hang about at the lights and will cruise all day at 75/80mph without a hiccup believe me I have the tee shirt and badge to prove it.

My own is a E270 which is a super motor but I can 'only' get around 50mpg on a run but with the half a million mile 220 manual I can and do still get 56+ mpg the auto's are a little less but still return a reasonable 50+
 

jberks

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TBH 35k over 2 years is actually low mileage these days. Gone are teh days of 8k pa average and 10 being high.

There is a mental block for most people including myself, at 100,000 miles so we all use 100k as the benchmark and in your mind, that car is 1/3 of the way through its life. On the same basis I traded my last car with 70,000 on the clock. Get rid whilst there's still some value in it. Truth was there wasn't any value really.

I bought this one as a 1 year old with a 'high' 17,000 on the clock which allowed me a bit of discount for higher mileage. Now, 5 years later and with the clock reading 117,000, the paranoid part of my brain tells me it's time to change again.
However, what i've learned through keeping it beyond my normal 70k is that so far the engine has only improved with age. Its quieter and smoother now than it ever was a few years ago. The bodyshell is still clean and no sqeaks or creaks have yet appeared. The ride is excellent, gear changes smooth and fires up instantly every time. It's never let me down.
What this has taught me is that I was wrong and that actually 250,000 is the new 100,000 miles. In the 'old' days, a car reached a sweet spot at 40-50,000 when everything had freed off and things were optimum. You had 40,000 miles of 'perfection', then the engine became noisier and faults began to creep in and it would be time to change.

I'm still not sure mine has reached the base of this plateu yet. So I'm keeping it.

Point is, armed with this new knowledge, I wouldn't be thinking of a 35k model. I'd be looking at something of a similar age with at least 70,000 on the clock. The mileage will be mostly motorway, clocked up when warm and under virtually no strain. If you stripped the engine I doubt even the most precise kit could identify any wear.

Also, as above, I'd be looking for something with a bigger engine. Aside from the better power and delivery and refinement of the V6, the spec of the bigger models will be better too. All that and you'll still get a nearly run in model for less than the car you're looking at.
All that said.
On that annual mileage, I'd have a petrol V8! The cost difference, if you do the maths, is negligible and you can pick them up for a song.
 

christopherwk

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I bought my current 2007 E320 CDi has 95,000 miles on it when it was 2 years and 9 months old, so had three months warranty remaining (which wasn't used). It has now done almost 140,000 miles with nothing required other than routine servicing.

As mentioned it may be more beneficial to get a higher mileage car, where it has been more likely to be used for daily motorway runs where the engine can get up to full operating temp.
 

Waterman69

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I am on my 7th Mercedes Diesel, going all the way back to a 1981 240D which i bought in 1988 when i was 18! + 190D's and 190D 2.5,s and a e300d , all of which had done over 200,000 miles with just routine servicing and wear and tear items replaced,so dont worry about "high" mileage!
 

M80

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With your sort of mileage I would expect a 220 to be ok. The newer 220 gives power and torque pretty much the same as an older 270 but at lower revs, so I would think there is plenty of pulling ability.

My view is that bigger engines are easier when doing distance driving. Since most are autos they change gear when they want to so same effort, but a bigger engine will be humming along a lower revs.

If you can get one without DPF (diesel particulate filter) you are better off but I'm not sure there was the option to go without by 2009.

Important in my mind is to consider the extras that are desirable / useful / useless to you. It's disappointing to buy a car and then learn of the things you would have liked eg. comand, distronic, parameter steering......., or paid for and find pointless.

By the way I’ve bought my 320 at 135,00 miles, it should do it again. Mind I have had some little settling issues, but at least it's nearly run in now.
 

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Engine is not bedded in at 35k.

However, it will soon need its first ATF change and you need to consider the rest of the car as well. When was it last serviced, it should have been done twice by now?

35k is a low miles, but its had enough time for bad ownership/driving traits to show through.

Was the previous owner a fat arse, has the seat sagged, is the interior nice or has it like Beirut as two kids have destroyed the back, or has it been a smokers crack den, or has it been driven like a stig impersonator so bushings/shocks etc more worn?

Always consider the whole car, the drive train will take a beating.

Whats the paint like, is there any signs of accident damage, are the alloys kerbed?

If its mint condition then 35k is as a new car. If its a bit tatty it may be that a 70k miler minter will suit you best.

A 2009 E220cdi wont have a DPF. If its going to be used for a few long runs its ideal, if its for lots of sub 10mile runs, you are better served with a petrol engined car, either a E200k, E350 or E500.
 
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GManUK

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  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
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Thank you all for your advice. I have owned a C180 for slightly over 10 years and am looking forward to upgrading to an E class. The new E class is more fuel efficient and appears to have improved torque (just a tad less than the old 270 or the new 250) and comes with most of the extras as standard. I will take on board all of the views while I take my decision. The biggest concern appears to be my low mileage that indicates petrol may be better. Since I'm buying from the official MB dealer network, the cars I have been looking at are all like new visually.
 

S500 Pete

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I'd agree with the folks who suggest the petrol engine. There is a premium to be paid for the Diesels which with the extra cost of deisel will take you years to get back if you don't do a lot of miles.

The bigger petrol engines also tend to have the better spec since many of the smaller Diesels were specced for low rank company employees who didn't warrant the extras.

Plus you get the fun occasionally of giving a quick car a bit of welly
 

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Pete, I would agree but I went onto the mB dealer network idly looking for an E500 and they are rare, non existent. V6 petrols are quite hard to come by. An E220cdi will be a doddle to pick up.

Agreed re spec, however, all are nicely spec'd from AG level with all the nice things and most come leather + parktronic and all you need is that over and above AG spec.

If time is pressing, the 220cdi is a good route and a nice car, the petrols are several classes above, but will take more time finding one
 

Alex M Grieve

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I bought a

280 TE once, with 108,000 miles on it. It was 6 years old, the front end was peppered with stone chips and it had the cylinder head skimmed and gasket replaced @ 80,000 (a common issue for that engine IIRC).

I put on a new aerial mast, a new battery and new tyres. It performed flawlessly for the 2 years we had it, before changing to a newer S 203.

As a car which had averaged 18,000 per year before I bought it, that would suggest that mileage is not an issue if the car has been cared for mechanically. It had no rust.
 

Myros

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The mem and I

have put 29,000 on the current e320 cdi straight six in 22 months. I've done three oil changes on it since buying it at 76,000 m, as i just can't bring myself to go over 10,000 on a service interval, and always service before time.
It seems absolutely fine on all that mixed, but mainly motorway mileage.
 

horgantrevor

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i have had many mercs with over 200.000 on them and if look after in its life

oil and so on

they will keep going

the old ones are the best
 

pcman_jh

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Just bought a 2007 e220 with 105k

Just over a month a go I bought a April 2007 e220 auto estate with 105k on the clock from CDW who are the 'too high mileage or too old' wing of the local Merc garage (they do it with BMW and other franchises as well).

Fingers crossed its just run in...as folk say, the 100k 'should' be more of a psychological figure now...time will tell!
 

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