should I buy it ?

[johnmac]

Hello
After spending 3 days looking at loads of different cars I have realised that what I was wanting for £4000 I was not going to get, the best car I have seen so far was the cheapest at £2999 and I think he would have sold it for around £2500 It was a T reg C250 TD Elegance just serviced and was in very good nick but the wife did not like the shape so that was that. ( but I am still pondering over it). Anyway I was passing a garage this afternoon and stopped and had a look around and saw a 2000 X reg C Class CDI Elegance it has very light blue leather interior totaly unmarked inside and out, A/C CRUISE ETC, fmbh and warranty, it has 94k on clock and is £6999 it is more than I wanted to pay but the car is in fantastic nick and as soon as I saw it I thought it was great.
But I need some advice as I know nothing about Mercs is this a fair price and should I take the plunge and buy it, please reply as I must make my mind up overnight . thanks john.

 

[crammy69]

Hello
After spending 3 days looking at loads of different cars I have realised that what I was wanting for £4000 I was not going to get, the best car I have seen so far was the cheapest at £2999 and I think he would have sold it for around £2500 It was a T reg C250 TD Elegance just serviced and was in very good nick but the wife did not like the shape so that was that. ( but I am still pondering over it). Anyway I was passing a garage this afternoon and stopped and had a look around and saw a 2000 X reg C Class CDI Elegance it has very light blue leather interior totaly unmarked inside and out, A/C CRUISE ETC, fmbh and warranty, it has 94k on clock and is £6999 it is more than I wanted to pay but the car is in fantastic nick and as soon as I saw it I thought it was great.
But I need some advice as I know nothing about Mercs is this a fair price and should I take the plunge and buy it, please reply as I must make my mind up overnight . thanks john.

Im new to Mercs myself, but if you really fancy the car thats the main thing!, have a cruise on Autotrader to see if the price is about right or not, also look at www.parkers.co.uk for a price guide. Given the mileage its worht checking that all the correct services have been done, if its at the top (or over ) your budget, you dont want a large bill as soon as you've got it.

Good luck!

 

[Ron Palfrey]

I'd have gone for the T reg C250 if I'd liked it.

If I'd gone for just shapes when deciding what I like would I have married my wife I wonder?

Ron

 

[johnmac]

Not getting much help in deciding

 

[l5foye]

Perhaps I am too late! £6995 for a X reg 2000 C class CDI Elegance is too much. You should be able to buy a 2001 (newer shape) for that money. A good 220 is better than a 250.

 

[hawk20]

Let us know what you decided.

 

[74merc]

I agree with l5foye, the price is a bit high. The CDIs seem to have a bit of a premium over petrols and I'm not sure it's justified given that it's not substantially more economical. I had a choice of a C220 CDI and a C280 recently for similiar money and decided upon the C280. Am very happy with it and it's returning an average of over 30mpg.

 

[joem]

You say the CDI is not that much more economical but my W210 E220CDI is returning just over 50mpg with some care.

 

[vijilants]

If this is an early W203 avoid them......Early W203s were well known for all sorts of electrical problems.

Personally I wouldn't buy a W203 unless it was after a 52 plate. Things got a bit better by then

 

[hawk20]

I agree with l5foye, the price is a bit high. The CDIs seem to have a bit of a premium over petrols and I'm not sure it's justified given that it's not substantially more economical. I had a choice of a C220 CDI and a C280 recently for similiar money and decided upon the C280. Am very happy with it and it's returning an average of over 30mpg.

If we take the current E class figures as a guide -both auto- the 280 petrol does 20.5 round town 38.7 extra urban and 29.1 combined. The 220cdi does 31 mpg round town (51% more mpg), does 52.3 extra urban (35% more mpg) and 42.2 combined (45% more mpg).

The diesels have higher residuals for very good reasons IMO.

 

[johnmac]

Thanks everyone for replies and comments, if it makes any difference it is the new shape model that I was looking at, and where do I find these cheaper ones that are as good, I have searched the net and only cheaper ones seem to have been to the moon and back, I have looked at hundreds on the net, been to look at some from ebay that were supposed to be perfect and they were obviously not using the same eyes as me. If I do decide to buy this one can you tell me what is wrong with it as some of you seem to be dead against certain years for cars, surely all of them cannot be bad cars, I know through buying cars over the past 32yrs you get some cars that will never be right and yet someone else can have the same car without any bother at all, do you not think sometimes it's just bad luck that you get a bad one, anyway as I said it is the new shape and appears to be first class but if you can tell me that it is a very bad car to buy I will definatly steer clear of it.
thanks john

 

[mattsurf]

Look at WDM cars web site www.wdmcarsmercedesspecialist.co.uk

They have a lovely 2003 C320 for 7995 - I know that you are looking for a diesel, however, when you consider the total costs, I imagine that a much newer petrol will not work out more expensive than an older diesel - and the 3.2 petrol engine in the light C class body really flies - being a later car will also mean that the electrical issues, Valeo Radiator and Paint quality will not be problems (see various posts about these problems)

My previous boss had a C320 and it was a fantasic car. WDM have always offered great advise and I would recommend them 100% (I am in no way linked to the business)

I also notice that they have an older shape C220 CDI