Hi to all, looking for advice.

loyal royal

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Hi to all, as a long time admirer of the Mercedes i am looking at buying one for the first time and would appreciate some input from you guys.
I have looked at a E280 Avantgarde Petrol. It is on a W Plate and has apparently only done 53000, fsh etc.
It is a lovely looking car, has a couple of minor scuffs, but it is from a dealer.
Firstly, is there anything specifically i should be looking for and secondly, what would you consider to be a fair price?
Looking at "what car" price guide, they say approx £3200 from a dealer, well this one is considerably more than that !!
Any help would be great.

Thanks
 

dieselman

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Your Mercedes
A diesel
Prices are all over the place at the moment due to the knock on effect of the scrappage scheme, but a petrol car isn't going to be worth too much.

The W210 E class is a reliable car and the only major thing to look for is rust.
Pull back the door seal rubbers, check the front spring perches, sheck all wheel arches, underneath, round the boot lock, bonnet frame to skin joints, under the back seat, inner wings behind the headlamps.

Those areas will give you a pretty good indication of the overall condition of the body.
 
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loyal royal

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Try £1500 more !

Having never owned one before, i am not very clued up on prices etc, hence why i asked you guys.
I have read mixed reviews on these cars from different sources, some poeple love them, some hate them, some say reliable others say dreadful. It is a real headache but i love the car it, it looks great inside and out. I dont mind paying a top end price for a good one but i just dont know what that would be.
I dont want to be ripped of just because i dont know what i am on about ! :confused:

http://www.sascron.co.uk/vehicle-details.asp?new=&region=&order=&Model=&Make=43&notMake=&notModel=&BodyType=&FuelType=&Transmission=&intMin=&intMax=&RSpage=2&ID=1173096&popup=&Modela=
 

coolhans

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Present 2004 W211 E500, 1995 W124 E320 CE Coupe.
That does look like a nice example from the photos. They are basically good cars and very reliable. The price is maybe a little bit steep but if she is a good car then sometimes it's better to to pay a slightly high price than get a cheaper car and have to spend a lot after you have bought it. Rust is the big problem with the 210 but don't let that scare you off because it didn't effect all of them. I had an R reg E300TD and she was spotless all over. On the other hand I have seen some complete wrecks. As dieselman suggests, check the car thoroughly and also so make sure all the toys work as this can cost you a lot of money getting these things put right. She looks like a nice car so do your checks and go ahead. The price is slightly high but worth it for a good example. Remember these cars cost in excess of £35000 when new. Good luck and welcome.
 
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loyal royal

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Thanks for your reply, i will be asking the dealer for a huge discount !
Suspect he took it as a px and gave peanuts for it anyway...
 
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loyal royal

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I emailed the dealer and his reply was, blah blah blah, if you can find me another one with the same mileage, 1 owner and FSH then i will see if we can match the price.
I promptly found another one with less miles and a year younger for £1300 less !

Emailed him the details and await with interest his reply. Poor bloke must be choking on his roast tatties as i type !!! :p
 

DSB SL AMG

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Your Mercedes
300SL (R129 1992 Pre-Facelift), Volvo V70 D5 SE Auto
Nice car but way over priced...! look on autotrader for similiar E-classes of age and mileage and you will get an idea of 'prices' for your area...

One other thing to check is the windscreen wiper mech, as it will cost around £500+ to replace if faulty, also subframe crossmember for rust, open bonnet and look down towards front of car above floor cover, you should see a rusty piece of metal UNLESS its been changed/ treated under warranty...

I would recommend getting a diesel as no one really wants the petrol models...!

Good luck...keep the forum posted on how you go!
 
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loyal royal

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Thanks very much, i take it that i dont want to see a rusty piece of metal there then ?
I want this car but not sure the dealer will lower it that much, we will see.
My father owns a W123 230 and its still in good nick but the wife wont entertain one of them !! :rolleyes:
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Nice car, and the dealer knows it. If it was a diesel it would have sold by now. If petrol is what you want, the colour and spec are right and you want to keep the car for five years or so seems like a good deal.

I'm a strong believer in 'you get what you pay for', having said that there is the option of asking for a free service or extended warranty to sweeten the deal on your side. I think the seller knows he can move it, but, if you're prepared to wait to see if it sells, you can always leave your details and best offer.

I've owned mine five years now and would buy another, but only with the right spec.

Hope this helps!
 
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loyal royal

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Well despite his previous offer of price matching if i could find a better deal elsewhere (which i did), the dealer has now come back and said the price is not negotiable !
Well thats it for me i am afraid, if the dealer is not willing to negotiate then i will leave it and try elsewhere.
If the car is still on his forecourt in a couple of weeks then i may go back and make an offer.
I think i upset him when after he described the car as "immaculate" i proceeded to tell him of the big deep scratch on the rear wing, the fact that the front bumper had no paint on one corner and that there were two dents in the sill just behind the front wheel so i wouldnt describe it as immaculate. I said this was work i would be willing to get done but not at that price. Suddenly the price is non negotiable !! :p

what about this one?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...nz/radius/20/postcode/rg28tt/page/1?logcode=p
 
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DSB SL AMG

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this looks a much better buy but i would follow the pointers above when you view and try and push him down on price....traders always incorporate negotiation into there selling price...altho the price looks reasonable with 3mth warranty...
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Service history is very important. I see no mention of service history with the second car. mercs are expensive cars to maintain, the last thing you want is to buy one without a comprehensive history. The first ad reads right with one owner and fmsh, priceless really. Mercs do hold their money better with low miles, the difference of 27K is an important factor in accertaining residuals.

hope this helps!
 
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loyal royal

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It does have FSH, and i believe the E320 is the best engine, now i am soooo confused !
:confused:
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Interesting dilemma, I really like my 320 diesel, but the 320 petrol is very tempting. I think the only deciding factor is at the pumps really, 320 diesels average 33mpg and I would imagine the average for the petrol 320 would be 24mpg....ish. Go with the deal you feel more comfortable with. I would certainly do a mileage check against MOTs etc to confirm the mileage of the cheaper car as it is non MB service history.

Hope this helps!
 
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loyal royal

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I found out something pretty interesting today that has put me off the cheaper one. The Dealer operates from home and is the son of another dealer in town who has a shall we say less than good reputation !

I will wait a week or so and see if the gold one gets sold, if not i will make an offer and see what they say, i dont think dealers like cars hanging around too long !
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Wise decision!

There are plenty around some of which have been very well looked after. It pays to take your time, it took me six months to find mine, but thats mainly because I insist on a sunroof.

Good luck with your search.
 

coolhans

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Present 2004 W211 E500, 1995 W124 E320 CE Coupe.
As above. Take your time, there are plenty around and also be prepared to travel a bit if you can't find one locally. They are great cars so be picky and get a nice one and you will love it.
 

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