What to buy

[bitrev]

Hi Guy's and Girls

What to buy is the question I had a BWM 330ci and the wife got me to change to a Ford Galaxy ( 2 kids and lots of lugage) but due to wanting a life I have managed to get her to let me change. Now thats the life history the question is what Merc, I am looking at a C class and have £19K to spend what will be my best bet the 200K or 230 280 or the 220 or 320 cdi's or is it worth getting an older E class

 

[xcaliber]

Hi
With £19K I would have thought you could get a fairly recent E Class (look on Autotrader on the internet or the big car supermarket sites). I have just bought one for £15.5K on a late 53 2003 plate. I must admit that it is an ex fleet car with 74K miles on it but it has most of the things I wanted ie climate control, leather, cruise and diesel (I consider it has just been driven in and the high mileage means that it has spent all its time on the road and not in a garage!). So far it has been a delight to drive and still feels like new! If you are after comfort and loads of space then you probably can't go wrong with a E Class. The boot is generous. I swapped from a Volvo 850 Estate to a Merc and the space is more than adequate to carry my wife and 3kids around (plus all their gear!). I would recommend you also look at the other threads (Electrics, vacumn ....thread) on the C Class. If you are looking at E class the one thing I did not look at was Fold Down back seats to give you room to carry the larger loads. I don't have it and do miss it! I would also check the garge length as the E Class is a big car! It is amazing the number of people I know eho have gone out and bought big cars only to find they don't fit in the garage! Hope this helps.

 

[bitrev]

thanks big help although I would like to get somthing with under 30k on the clock and worry over the power to weight with the E class

 

[xcaliber]

Understand. Recommend you try a test drive an E Classand a C Class....you will be surprised how well the E Class pulls given its weight. My E220 turbo diesel pulls really well and has brilliant pick up if overtaking tractors or lorries (of which there are tons of where I live!). The turbo is quite responsive and I found it a little scary the first time I put my foot down to overtake! Clearly a 2.7 will have an even better pull. On economy I get around 35 mpg around town or short runs and 45-47 long distance. My Volvo petrol used to return 24 miles around town and around 30 long distance! I have just done a quick look at the price of 30K miles for a merc E Class and you can pick up 2.7 on 53 plate for around £20K (30994 miles). Mind you I have also seen C Class Diesel 26K miles 2004 "04" for £17.5K. You should get a lot for your money whichever model you choose.

 

[mioba]

Would agree entirely, definately look into an e class, whilst my car was in for a service I was given a e320 estate avantgarde. and was quiet impressed.
If you look pretty hard I am sure will find something to meet your financial limits and your family demands. As mentioned the car supermarkets are good, then again with the internet you can find cars all over the country. let us know how you get on!

 

[jberks]

I'd just add my agreement. Had an E270cdi for 6 months (12k miles) now and still love it. The 320cdi is the one to have ideally - bags of go but you pay the price, in both purchase, insurance and the pumps. The 220 is surprisingly lively - I test drove one when looking and to be honest expected a sluggish tractor. What I found was a lively and very smooth motor. I may even had bought it had the spec been right. In the end, I plumped for the 270 as a compromise between the 2, but I reckon the 220 is actually the smoother engine.

 

[Blobcat]

You can get a nice new shape 03 E320cdi from a main dealer for £19K. If you think you would be happy with a 200k or 220cdi pls don't try the E320. Since you previously had an 330ci then the 200k and 220cdi may not impress you.
IMO rear passenger space is Enormous in the E and Cramped in the C.
I have had a 200k as a courtesy car and the fuel economy was worse than my E320. Too much car for the engine.
My soon to be sister in law (next Wednesday) had a 330sport touring, my brother and I 'compared' it to my 320 he could not keep up .

 

[bitrev]

Thanks for this guy's just one more bit of help everyone is recommending the E class with a oil burner what petrols would be worth a shout and and how does the boot of the C compare to the E class

 

[cubicincubi]

generally the C & E are identical in all but size, C is a mid sized estate car - my extended family has a saloon and an estate and they are so much smaller than the E. the front cab seems shrunken compared to an E - rear leg room is really for kids. boot isnt realy much to brag about. the E boot 'seems' twice as big, with the seats folded down it can swallow a hell of a lot of gear.

I honestly wouldnt even look at a petrol engine for pure reasons of economy. why rev the hell of of the lump when you can get monster low down torque and sit at 2.5K rpm whilst cruising.

When my lpg 4 pot dies i'll be going for the 2.7 td.

BTW why do u want under 30K miles? it wont even be broken in yet :wink:

 

[television]

Buying one around 30k is like buying nearly new, and the best of the car is ahead of you. When I bought my SL, I wanted one around 30-40k max, I am so pleased with it, when I change to a 230, I will do the same again, Maybe it is something to do with pride in keeping a car as new as possible.

Malcolm

 

[bitrev]

Thanks I am not to worried about the mpg as the company pays that. Just power as I was use to 330 bm and 250bhp will I be disapointed

 

[cubicincubi]

what 0-60 do you expect?

with around 400nm of torque for launches the tubby oil burners feel fast even at around 8 seconds 0-60. once they are rolling they pick up pace very nicely and are as quiet as a church mouse for a diesel - very refined.

there's about 1 second in it between the E270cdi and E280cdi...

most have top whack close to 150mph.

here's the full specs;

http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/carreviews/review.aspx?model_id=502&page=8

click on each model highlighted in blue for the power figures, insurance and mpg.

 

[television]

I had not looked at Parkers, since thinking about a 230 I found this on parkers
http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/user_reviews/readReviews.aspx?deriv=22853&model=507&reviewid=29180

malcolm

 

[bitrev]

Right E class it is still not sure what spec but where to by dealer or supermarket or is there a better way?

 

[Bolide]

E Class

If the company is paying, and you're not a treehugger, why not get a V8?

Personally I'd get a top-spec E320 CDi and buy it from your enployer when it's due to be changed. That way you get a car that's great to drive & get to have it as a second car in the future. Or opt out of their scheme and run it as a first car

With this government I think we all have to plan for the worst...

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[jberks]

Right E class it is still not sure what spec but where to by dealer or supermarket or is there a better way?

Ideally get a private sale with FMBSH and have it inspected. The gulf between trade in and dealer tickets is so wide that the seller can get a grand more and you can still save another 2. (£23k dealer ticket for 19k) Without anything to trade in, you can go where you want. If you go for something with a bit of warranty left, any problems can be cleared up by the dealer before you buy.

As with Beemers, the spec is as wide as you like. Lots of people swear by the command system. It's certainly smart looking and will impress your friends, but IMO, it's not really that great, updates are rare and expensive and its very nasty if it goes wrong. Heated leather goes without saying as does an auto box. I also like the UHI phone kit, but whatever you get, the basic spec is pretty good these days.

 

[xcaliber]

I agree with jberks but I would also compare the prices with internet advertisers as I found a huge variation even between dealers and some were offering deals better than private sellers (!) when I was hunting for my E Class. If you are prepared to travel around the country you should be able to pick up a cracking bargain. The Main Dealer used motors will usually be the most expensive but there are independents out there who should be able to do a good deal. I would look at Cargiant at http://www.cargiant.co.uk. They have had some cracking deals in the past all with full MB Service and low mileages. They always have on offer a mix of high and low mileage cars. Their cars move fast though (some go as they are being prepped for sale!) and you really have to check regularly to see what has come in. I have seen under 32K mileage 03/04 Mercs E Class on this site for under £20K! It is also always worth having a look at eBay but I would recommend that you have the car HPI checked and independently tested before buying from eBay (unless a full report comes with the car!). With a dealer you, of course, have a degree of additional protection. Good luck with your purchase and let us know how you get on.

 

[Blobcat]

As per my previous post an E320cdi will compare very favourably to your 330BM. However it is a very different drive, low down torque rather than BHP at high revs.
I agree with jberks re the command, nice to have but I wouldn't pay for it. A high quality aftermaket satnav is IMHO a better and much cheaper option.
I would rather have the air suspension for the money.
I would recommend electric memory and comfort (cool and heat) leather seats and the luxury climate control, as well as the air suspension. Everything else I could live without.
You could try an auction as MB leasing still farm them out that way. Alternatively find an independant MB specialist. I have used Baxters in Alderley Edge and Lanes of Lichfield. Sometimes even MB themselves have decent deals. As well as Drivethedeal.com if you can stretch to a new one.

 

[xcaliber]

Just been clearing out old Top Gear mags. Thought you would be interested to know that in their Summer 2005 edition of Top Gear Special the Mercedes E Class is voted 1st in its Class in the Executive Car sector with BMW 5 Series coming 2nd and Audi A6 3rd. In the small Executive Sector BMW 3 series is voted 1st with the Saab 9-3 2nd and Audi A4 3rd. The Summary for the E Class says "Highly accomplished in terms of quality and comfort, the E-Class conquers all in the sector. There is a very wide range of engines and generous interior space, whilst build quality is right back up to Benz's best. And for performance the awesome near 500bhp E55 AMG will really take some beating, as it is an absolute stoater".

 

[Speedmaster]

there are always some nice low mileage examples at the Mercedes UK auction in Yorkshire but I think you have to be a registered trader to go