Lets talk about an older E350

[smokegrinder]

Been a Lexus owner for many years, new and old, we've had very low TCO with older Lexus cars and great customer service and reliability with their new cars. It's a shame they don't make any estate cars or I'd probably buy one.

That brings me here. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but want a nice reliable estate car we can fit everything in. I've been having a look at a few online, this one caught my eye as being a good buy.

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

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What are your thoughts about buying at this age and mileage? What should I be looking out for? Generally, what do you think?

Many thanks all!

Tom

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Welcome!
I think you should read the one and two star reviews on this company on the autotrader website before you progress with the purchase. It seems they like to add additional warranty costs to the purchase etc

 

[smokegrinder]

@malcolm210 what a read!

 

[smokegrinder]

Another one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...e&sort=relevance&maximum-mileage=80000&page=1

 

[smokegrinder]

Welcome!
I think you should read the one and two star reviews on this company on the autotrader website before you progress with the purchase. It seems they like to add additional warranty costs to the purchase etc

They won't sell the car without the added warranty and won't let me do an independent RAC inspection.

 

[grahamcol]

They won't sell the car without the added warranty and won't let me do an independent RAC inspection.

I'd run like hell

 

[smokegrinder]

I'd run like hell

I did!

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Another one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108236546021?model=E CLASS&include-delivery-option=on&postcode=tn206du&keywords=e350&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&price-to=13000&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&body-type=Estate&sort=relevance&maximum-mileage=80000&page=1

Looks like a nice example with low miles. The ad says independent vehicle check welcome so worth a look

 

[smokegrinder]

Looks like a nice example with low miles. The ad says independent vehicle check welcome so worth a look

Yup, I just gave them a ring, sounds like a nice bunch, he's gone away to check all the service history etc.

 

[JBell]

They are great cars, at that age check for Oil Cooler seals leaking and that the Gearbox oil has been done

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Items to check:
- Engine oil cooler leaks (sits deep in the v of the engine) - £700 repair
- Brake discs and pads for wear - £600 to replace all
- Auto gearbox transmission service - not due till 75k miles but the sooner the better - £300
- check everything electrical works including the powered tailgate
- tyres are £500-600 to replace all
- navi updates are circa £200
- the rear air suspension shouldn’t sag after being stood - make sure you see the car before the first start of the day to make sure they aren’t leaking - £600 repair

Generally they are great cars make sure you test drive and that the gear changes are smooth and the engine has no hesitation and all should be well. The seven seats are a boon and add to resale

Hope this helps!

 

[smokegrinder]

Great help, thanks all

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Before you travel ask the dealer to send a full near side photograph of the car, he’s included a full off side photo, I suspect the front near side passenger door has seen paint which has been blended into the rear passenger side door - this may not bother you but it would me as I hate patchy paintwork

 

[Mr Greedy]

Just to add to Malcolm's good list above:

- Oil cooler will leak with time, and is due replacement of the seals. Whilst getting this job done you should probably change the cooler whilst doing the seals and consider a swirl flap motor. There won't be any change from £900. If there isn't a receipt showing this has been done recently it will almost certainly need to be done.
- Gearbox oil is 75k miles or 5 years. So should be on for it's second change now.
- If this car hasn't been to Mercedes in the past couple of years, my view that is a good thing. They will apply an emissions update as part of any work they undertake to minimise NOx (part of dieselgate) but there are many reports that this is at the expense of significant MPG hit and also holding on to revs much longer, such that you won't use the 7th gear at legal speeds in the UK (it is thought to be set around 120-130kph for EU cruising, but that's too fast for UK roads).
- Take it out for a long enough test drive that you confirm the thermostat is working and getting up to 90°C (they can start to fail a bit at this age).
- Gearbox and engine mounts will probably be getting towards replacement time in the next few years.

Having said all of this, only the Mercedes emissions update can't be sorted (reversed).
All of the other stuff, if you buy from a trader and find them a couple of days later, you can go back to the trader and state these are clearly pre-existing faults and that they should rectify them or buy the car back. This is irrespective of any warranty that they might try and hide behind. The usual trick is to correctly claim certain things are not covered by the warranty, but fail to mention or acknowledge that their legal responsibility to sell a roadworthy car without pre-existing faults unless they specifically make you aware of these faults. So if you need to make use of this, a nearer trader is better than having to drive halfway across the country to get faults sorted.

Also saw this:

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

and this

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

They are the later '2012' year (which includes late 2011) which has the straight running lights at the front, the more powerful 265bhp engine and a colour driver's speedo/screen.
I wouldn't be worried about 87k miles. That's what mine is on and it drives great.
The second one is with a Mercedes dealership, so sorting out post-purchase faults might be more straightforward (although no guarantees, as Mercedes service has many reports of being, shall we say, patchy).

 

[JBell]

Also saw this:

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

and this

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

Grey one doesn't have leather

 

[smokegrinder]

I really like this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108206443574
The good thing about that is it's being sold by a main dealer with a warranty and there is no need to deal with second-hand car dealers ;-)

 

[JBell]

I really like this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108206443574
The good thing about that is it's being sold by a main dealer with a warranty and there is no need to deal with second-hand car dealers ;-)

Lovely car but without full leather it's a no for me, apart from that great spec and colour (I maybe slightly biased there)

 

[Mr Greedy]

Just to make the OP aware if he doesn't know already:

Most of the leather in these cars is actually fake 'leather' (Mercedes call it Artico). You would have to get the VIN number and check the datacard on something like lastvin.com. Then you can look at the seat covering codes and decipher from there. Don't go on the description in the datacard either, as the descriptions can be confusing; it is the numbers that count.

So the car with 'full leather' probably has fake leather. I acknowledge there is a slim chance it is real leather.

The car 'without leather' has fake leather surrounds, and fake leather suede on the centre of the seat pad and centre of the backrest.

So without a VIN check to make sure, my understanding was that both cars are probably full fake leather all over the seats.

I can understand the snobbery over the 'full leather', and my E-class doesn't have the fake suede bit.
But having test driven a few with the suede during colder months, it does have the benefit of warmer when you get in and it does hold you in the seat better on harder corners. So not all bad.
I personally would have had either and it wasn't a deciding factor for me.
Each has their own choice, but I would recommend to the OP not to dismiss either seat covering until you have sat in them.

 

[smokegrinder]

Just to add to Malcolm's good list above:

- Oil cooler will leak with time, and is due replacement of the seals. Whilst getting this job done you should probably change the cooler whilst doing the seals and consider a swirl flap motor. There won't be any change from £900. If there isn't a receipt showing this has been done recently it will almost certainly need to be done.
- Gearbox oil is 75k miles or 5 years. So should be on for it's second change now.
- If this car hasn't been to Mercedes in the past couple of years, my view that is a good thing. They will apply an emissions update as part of any work they undertake to minimise NOx (part of dieselgate) but there are many reports that this is at the expense of significant MPG hit and also holding on to revs much longer, such that you won't use the 7th gear at legal speeds in the UK (it is thought to be set around 120-130kph for EU cruising, but that's too fast for UK roads).
- Take it out for a long enough test drive that you confirm the thermostat is working and getting up to 90°C (they can start to fail a bit at this age).
- Gearbox and engine mounts will probably be getting towards replacement time in the next few years.

Having said all of this, only the Mercedes emissions update can't be sorted (reversed).
All of the other stuff, if you buy from a trader and find them a couple of days later, you can go back to the trader and state these are clearly pre-existing faults and that they should rectify them or buy the car back. This is irrespective of any warranty that they might try and hide behind. The usual trick is to correctly claim certain things are not covered by the warranty, but fail to mention or acknowledge that their legal responsibility to sell a roadworthy car without pre-existing faults unless they specifically make you aware of these faults. So if you need to make use of this, a nearer trader is better than having to drive halfway across the country to get faults sorted.

Also saw this:

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

and this

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

They are the later '2012' year (which includes late 2011) which has the straight running lights at the front, the more powerful 265bhp engine and a colour driver's speedo/screen.
I wouldn't be worried about 87k miles. That's what mine is on and it drives great.
The second one is with a Mercedes dealership, so sorting out post-purchase faults might be more straightforward (although no guarantees, as Mercedes service has many reports of being, shall we say, patchy).

This is really informative message, thanks very much. Can we be cerian that any late 2011 with the straight running lights has the more powerful 265bhp engine? for example, this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...=90000&price-to=12000&body-type=Estate&page=1

 

[Mr Greedy]

I don't think you can rely on the lights, but it does have the colour speedo display, so it looks likely.
The only way to be sure remotely is to get the VIN and check the datacard.
Traders are known to get things wrong, so the datacard will help you loads.
The leather in this looks amazing. It could be real leather. But again, you guessed it. The datacard.

It's hardly a low spec. It has detachable tow bar. Optional extra. 7 seats. Optional extra. Reversing camera. Optional extra.