should I or shouldnt I ? advice required

[cautious folding]

Hi

I have an E430 avantgarde auto on a W plate for the weekend with a view of buying. Its my first Mercedes and feel very happy with it.

But... its done 104k

It has fsh with two owners whom I know personally, and I can vouch for its authenticity.

Is there anything that i should look out for ? is the milage acceptable ?

I appreciate that you are all seasoned Mercedes owners and my questions seem ingorant but I would like some help.

Thanks

Mark

 

[mike65]

104K - Its only just run in! If its got a proper history and has'nt been
crashed and repaired poorly then it should be just fine I'd say...

Mike.

 

[cautious folding]

thats the answer I was looking for !

Thanks for the reply, I can vouch for its history and if it has had a crash it certainaly dosnt drive or look like it !

can feel my hand reaching for the cheque book as i type

thanks

Mark

 

[cautious folding]

Its all going horribly wrong... its not a 430 but a 420 ? and im having difficulty finding anthing out about them , even prices guides.

The service history says that it is a 240 ? but it definatly has a v8... does the 240 ? dealer mistake maybe ? its handwritten...

Secondly , does 4matic mean that I can select the first four gears sequentially, -D+ if so I have this. dosnt all automatics ?

Its a great car with everything I want but lackof information is making me cautious.

I look forward to contributing a message of some value at some point but for now... help?

 

[andy_k]

if i was you i'd be walking away from this car right about now

the 240 and the 420 are different cars altogether

the 4Matic is a 4 wheel drive system - great when it works but hugely expensive when it inevitably fails.

I'm sure others will offer their own advice on this subject

Andy K

 

[cautious folding]

Thanks Andy , very sadly im drawing the same conclusion... the car is badged 420 and i have no reason to doubt foul play there as it is a company vehicle of the firm i work for that has just came to the end of lease and up for purchase.

Why do the glasses guide do not recognise the 420 at all... the delivery docs do refer to it as a 420.

I guess I need to see the log book before I proceed, but what if it is an authentic 420... why can i find so little out about it ?

I didnt realise that 4matic was 4wd, this model simply has auto with the optio to select 4 gears sequentially.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, It could of made all of the difference to someone who would love to own a mercedes but can ill afford to buy a mistake.

Regards

Mark