Highest mileage?

[Sr108]

What’s the highest mileage that generally would be the limit for buying either w212 e350 Cdi orw204 e350 cdi?

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

If you are looking at higher mileage cars general condition and service history are more important than anything else especially <10k miles oil changes. Mercedes will do high miles but they need to be cared for.

 

[Sr108]

If you are looking at higher mileage cars general condition and service history are more important than anything else especially <10k miles oil changes. Mercedes will do high miles but they need to be cared for.

Was looking at max 125k but really not finding much so may go a little higher ..

 

[Uncle Benz]

They’ll cover good mileage if well maintained. Thisis a private hire w212 with om642 v6 diesel. I’ve looked after it from 10,000 miles

 

[Sr108]

Yeah

They’ll cover good mileage if well maintained. Thisis a private hire w212 with om642 v6 diesel. I’ve looked after it from 10,000 miles

Nice! But problem is not everyone looks after the cars properly like you have done , so always difficult to know if it’s alright or not, unless you know exactly what to look for ..

 

[DSK]

The engine is reputable but no two used cars are the same. German cars are also easy to clock so be mindful of this, it’s far more common than you think.

Expect to take your time to find the one and appreciate it may not have even come up for sale yet, so patience is also needed.

As mentioned above the more oil changes, the better it is. So called long service intervals only exist for to provide the illusion of low service costs but, help cause premature failures and thus line the pockets of the dealers.

Go to see every car you’re interested in and when the right one comes along you will know as a genuine good one will stand out over the usual average used example. There should be high mileage, low owner, motorway cars knocking about frequently so you can’t really put a mileage figure down to determine what is/is not good.

For me my baseline that’s never ever failed me is;

1. Low number of owners regardless of age and miles. This shows the owner(s) have liked it enough to keep it for a long period of time and therefore it will have also been more keen to look after it.
2. Good external and immaculate internal condition.
3. Matching mid range / premium tyres all round (with the exception of the odd puncture causing a problem where a tyre may not have been available).
4. Fully documented history, over and above a stamped book.

When I bought my Supra, most cars were in the region of 30-60k on the clock but presented as less than fully spot on to me. A few years later I bought one with 147k on the clock but it was cared for it.


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[Sr108]

So

The engine is reputable but no two used cars are the same. German cars are also easy to clock so be mindful of this, it’s far more common than you think.

Expect to take your time to find the one and appreciate it may not have even come up for sale yet, so patience is also needed.

As mentioned above the more oil changes, the better it is. So called long service intervals only exist for to provide the illusion of low service costs but, help cause premature failures and thus line the pockets of the dealers.

Go to see every car you’re interested in and when the right one comes along you will know as a genuine good one will stand out over the usual average used example. There should be high mileage, low owner, motorway cars knocking about frequently so you can’t really put a mileage figure down to determine what is/is not good.

For me my baseline that’s never ever failed me is;

1. Low number of owners regardless of age and miles. This shows the owner(s) have liked it enough to keep it for a long period of time and therefore it will have also been more keen to look after it.
2. Good external and immaculate internal condition.
3. Matching mid range / premium tyres all round (with the exception of the odd puncture causing a problem where a tyre may not have been available).
4. Fully documented history, over and above a stamped book.

When I bought my Supra, most cars were in the region of 30-60k on the clock but presented as less than fully spot on to me. A few years later I bought one with 147k on the clock but it was cared for it.


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So how would you know if the mileage has been changed ? What do you mean by over and above a stamped book? Receipts for work carrried out yes?

 

[DSK]

Clocking - this is just more of a sharp eye. Does the wear of the drivers seat, carpet, mat, steering wheel, scratches from jewelled fingers, interior condition, pedals, exterior condition, stone chips etc, door sills, rubber seals, underside of the car. Does it all look consistent with each other for the states mileage?

I believe indys and dealers can get deep inside these systems to check the true mileage compared to what a dashboard readout is showing.

Documents - is there a folder of receipts to detail what’s been done at each service and also, what consumables and ad hoc maintenance has been done in between services and MOTs etc? Has the car been doing an alleged 5k per year but yet, it’s got receipts for tyres every year or more and a a pattern of questionable advisories and failures.. This will help paint a picture of what maintenance and life the car has had.


It’s just a case of looking at it like a police detective, don’t judge a book by its cover, question it, then question it some more and see if it throws up contradictions etc.

———

(My w221 sounded too good to be true but, the car was consistent and inline inside and out for a 49k car. A quick roll around on the floor showed no discrepancy to suggest anything other than an easy and quiet life. A dealer certainly wouldn’t have cleaned the underside how this was. The folder of invoices supported the stamped service book without discrepancy and showed that the owner trusted the car to MB dealers, who just did the scheduled stuff. The additional receipts showed premium tyres always purchased so the previous owner was happy to spend and document the upkeep. The test drive again was good, the engine was quiet from cold inside and outside the car, everything had a genuinely tight and as new feel, no worn bushes or play in the steering, suspension that tangibly does what I expected, no leaky door seals etc.

Quite reassuring that my local MB Indy and further last week, my MOT tester, genuinely comment at its immaculate condition even underneath! )

Goes to show low owner, legit cars are out there if you’re willing to put in the effort. Yet these cars are just average in my book! So most stuff with multiple owners, average service records is just a shag knacker to me.

Mint to me means old school regular 5K oil changes including all filters as basic service, protecting the underside of the car to some extent against rust. A detailed interior and exterior (not what YouTube muppets and detailers will have you believe is detailing). A car that’s always been warmed up and cooled down properly. A car that’s not been bounced and bumped into kerbs, evidence of preventative maintenance items being done out of care and thought. An immaculate MOT history is rare but my Volvos and w221 have it to date.


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[SL63 Mark]

Agree with this ^^

 

[00slk]

Or buy an ex taxi

 

[old man Logan]

Yes agree with all posts , regarding solid,punctual maintenance, with regular oil changes with good quality oil, decent filters and preventative maintenance

 

[MBDevotee]

The taxi we used to get from Corfu Airport regularly had 848,000km on it.

Same engine / gearbox etc.

HOWEVER two factors.

1) The car was never switched off - literally, he started it in the morning, kept it turned on. When he hopped out, his brother hopped in and carried on.... It was turned off when he refuelled and that was it.

2) Regularly serviced every 20k km. Given the engine never got cold ever I think he can have longer intervals than someone doing cold starts.


But they will do stupid stupid mileages.

 

[old man Logan]

Blimey my w210 e280 V6 petrol is barely run in at 106k

 

[markg14]

My 2007 C220 CDI Sport has now covered 280,000 miles and still drives beautifully.
Oil has been changed every 10,000 miles, and serviced religiously. Mercedes recently paid for a replacement rear subframe (quite a common fault for vehicles of this age), but still using orbital exhaust, alternator, injectors (seals replaced last service). Fuel additive regularly used to clean and lubricate the fuel system.

 

[horatio]

Highest mileage I have driven was a 124 300TD I viewed with about 620,000 miles. Advert just said ‘high mileage’ so I was expecting about 200. Apparently original untouched engine, not sure about the gearbox. It drove really nicely, oil pressure bang on but didn’t buy because the sills were going crusty.

 

[richlumb]

So much for modern Mercedes, my friends 2015 CLA 220 just passed it’s badge

 

[M80]

My 2007 C220 CDI Sport has now covered 280,000 miles and still drives beautifully.
Oil has been changed every 10,000 miles, and serviced religiously. Mercedes recently paid for a replacement rear subframe (quite a common fault for vehicles of this age), but still using orbital exhaust, alternator, injectors (seals replaced last service). Fuel additive regularly used to clean and lubricate the fuel system.

Ah, the 646 engine.
If only they were still putting that in motors today.
But not enough revenue for the main agents on repairs, not enough reason to replace to keep a reliable motor.

I sold a Vito with 326k on the same(ish) engine. If my present Viano on it's 651 engine gets near that figure I would be surprised.

 

[EmilysDad]

So much for modern Mercedes, my friends 2015 CLA 220 just passed it’s badge
View attachment 85220

I'm impressed that someone had the fore thought to reset the trip to make it all line up!

 

[sweeper]

Ah, the 646 engine.
If only they were still putting that in motors today.
But not enough revenue for the main agents on repairs, not enough reason to replace to keep a reliable motor.

I sold a Vito with 326k on the same(ish) engine. If my present Viano on it's 651 engine gets near that figure I would be surprised.

My Viano has 344000 and is virtually all original, it’s had a water pump, alternator and ac compressor, plus a set of injectors, still runs well although I have an injector seal leaking. The key is clean oil and long runs.

 

[M80]

Any cam chain tensioner issues?