W124 buying advice for the newbie - Advice please!

[David M]

Hi all.  

Planning to sell my Skoda (don't laugh, the TDi Octavia is pretty nifty!) and buy a W124 E - Class, as late a model as I can afford (my budget is about £7 and a half thousand by the way), saloon or estate, not sure yet.  I love diesels, the way they pull like a train, so I thought about a 300D.  Then I read somewhere that they're "sluggish" and "slow."  Is this right?  Will it feel like a slug after my 110 TDi Octavia?  Is it OK once wound up?  I remember sitting in a 300D taxi one night and the driver was caning it through the gears, it felt vey quick, but then I was rather inebriated... so, I'm now thinking about an E280 instead.  But - are they horribly juicy compared to the E300D?  I'll use the car mostly on the motorway, so cruising comfort (engine noise etc) will be important along with the fuel bills.  Servicing - does the 300D need it more or less than the 280?  Basically, fuel apart, is there much difference in running costs?  I guess the diesel motor will outlast the petrol one if nothing else... if any of you good people can advise a first time Merc buyer on would be much appreciated.  And, finally, can anybody recommend a good specialist in the Cheltenham area (Andy from Brum - you sound like a good 'un, so I'll give you a try if there's nobody close to me).

Thanks for listening and hope for some good advice.
Regards,
David.

 

[AndyH]

W124 buying advice for the newbie

My wife had a 1995 E280 for two years and loved its ability to cruise along quietly and sedately on the motorway yet still have the ability to pull away quickly when kicked down or from a standing start at roundabouts and the like. Expect to pay around £6,000 for a similar model ('95 M) that is in good condition and has covered approx. 100,000 miles. For this price you should get leather and air-conditioning and FSH. These are all-round solid motors.

As for service in Cheltenham - the best I can recommend is a guy called Micky Teague who currently works at BJH Motors in Worcester (01905 27206). Micky is the consumate MB specialist and used to be service manager at a MB main dealership. He is pleasant, helpful (he will break off what he is doing to give advice and even put your car up on the ramp to have a look-see before even thinking about any cost) and extremely knowledgeable. He has worked on many MB for me, from a 1982 280TE to a 1994 S500 L, and lots in between.

 

[David M]

W124 buying advice for the newbie

Andy - thanks for that advice, I'll put Micky Teague's number in the book.

David.