will9871
New Member
Woohoo, Brit living abroad (in Hungary), after discovering it is impossible to insure a foreign car in Hungary and prohibitively expensive to import a car here took the plunge and decided to buy something I have long desired, my first Mercedes.
Buying a Mercedes in places like Hungary is a sword with multiple razor sharp edges he he. After many viewings finally purchased my W210 2001 E320 CDI Avantgarde estate
.
Some pics attached.
Amazing inside and out, the car is in pheonomenal condition, best I saw when looking, no rust (climate is nicer out here, also landlocked country means no salty sea air), couple of extremly minor dings and not a single tear or scratch anywhere on the interior. Important check number one for Mercedes in Hungary, car defo was not previously a taxi, checked for every tell tale sign I and my father in law (who owns an ex merc taxi) are aware of.
As is the way out here nothing in the way of service history or even a manual! Most Mercedes of this age in Hungary are imports from Germany and seem to 'lose' the service book and history on import. Such problems when buying are addressed by taking the car to one of Hungary's plentiful independant Merc specialists who will give the car a thorough once over. Luckily we had a family friend who was just such a person and he gave the car an hour long free inspection, top bloke, he said it needs a little work on the engine, cooling system needs a couple of new parts and other odds and sods, but agreed he had rarely seen a car in such a condition cosmetically for the price or age.
For the price paid (a lil over £6k, unfortunately that is a really good price out here) we were all sure that the milage of around 92.5k wasn't correct, suspicions defo hightened due to lack of service history, and the mechanic reckoned, by ear, that the car was probably up to around 185k, but that was only by ear, and a couple of true age indicators hither and tither (headlamps!!??, I only knew of the brake pedal, steering wheel, gear shifter method, he works on Mercedes exclusively and has done so for about 22 years), to me it just sounded like a regular diesel. He said not to worry really as the engine was a good one (went up on the ramps, the works, on pre purchase inspection), it had been looked after and serviced probably personally, he gave us an estimate for the engine work and said that when he was done with it, it would be tip top.
He shrugged off the fiddled milage and said its just how it goes out here, you have to pay through the nose (if you weren't shocked enough that 6k isn't through the nose) for the guaranteed milage from Mercedes main dealers. He also reassurred us all that in his professional opinion it was a good engine, he also agreed with a relative of mine who is pretty much the most senior mechanic in Scotland and told me that with Mercedes it is better to pay for a car that has spanking bodywork and interior and needs a some engine work as opposed to the other way around. Finally he said that his w210 e class has 800,000km on the clock and still runs like new.
Guess you have to be wary at this end of the market especially for the prices in Hungary, but if one of Budapest's top Merc indies gives it the two thumbs up it lets me worry a little less.
Anyways, jabbering on like a fat kid on a sugar high, just so extatic to be an MB owner, the car drives like a dream (even whilst waiting for couple of hundred quids worth of engine work), my word that beautiful big 3L turbo Diesel roar it makes when you put your foot to the floor the autobox shifts down and the acceleration pins you back in your seat is worth every penny and more.
It just gives you that special feeling inside that only an MB can.
Sorry for long story and plentiful brackets!
Buying a Mercedes in places like Hungary is a sword with multiple razor sharp edges he he. After many viewings finally purchased my W210 2001 E320 CDI Avantgarde estate
.Some pics attached.
Amazing inside and out, the car is in pheonomenal condition, best I saw when looking, no rust (climate is nicer out here, also landlocked country means no salty sea air), couple of extremly minor dings and not a single tear or scratch anywhere on the interior. Important check number one for Mercedes in Hungary, car defo was not previously a taxi, checked for every tell tale sign I and my father in law (who owns an ex merc taxi) are aware of.
As is the way out here nothing in the way of service history or even a manual! Most Mercedes of this age in Hungary are imports from Germany and seem to 'lose' the service book and history on import. Such problems when buying are addressed by taking the car to one of Hungary's plentiful independant Merc specialists who will give the car a thorough once over. Luckily we had a family friend who was just such a person and he gave the car an hour long free inspection, top bloke, he said it needs a little work on the engine, cooling system needs a couple of new parts and other odds and sods, but agreed he had rarely seen a car in such a condition cosmetically for the price or age.
For the price paid (a lil over £6k, unfortunately that is a really good price out here) we were all sure that the milage of around 92.5k wasn't correct, suspicions defo hightened due to lack of service history, and the mechanic reckoned, by ear, that the car was probably up to around 185k, but that was only by ear, and a couple of true age indicators hither and tither (headlamps!!??, I only knew of the brake pedal, steering wheel, gear shifter method, he works on Mercedes exclusively and has done so for about 22 years), to me it just sounded like a regular diesel. He said not to worry really as the engine was a good one (went up on the ramps, the works, on pre purchase inspection), it had been looked after and serviced probably personally, he gave us an estimate for the engine work and said that when he was done with it, it would be tip top.
He shrugged off the fiddled milage and said its just how it goes out here, you have to pay through the nose (if you weren't shocked enough that 6k isn't through the nose) for the guaranteed milage from Mercedes main dealers. He also reassurred us all that in his professional opinion it was a good engine, he also agreed with a relative of mine who is pretty much the most senior mechanic in Scotland and told me that with Mercedes it is better to pay for a car that has spanking bodywork and interior and needs a some engine work as opposed to the other way around. Finally he said that his w210 e class has 800,000km on the clock and still runs like new.
Guess you have to be wary at this end of the market especially for the prices in Hungary, but if one of Budapest's top Merc indies gives it the two thumbs up it lets me worry a little less.
Anyways, jabbering on like a fat kid on a sugar high, just so extatic to be an MB owner, the car drives like a dream (even whilst waiting for couple of hundred quids worth of engine work), my word that beautiful big 3L turbo Diesel roar it makes when you put your foot to the floor the autobox shifts down and the acceleration pins you back in your seat is worth every penny and more.
It just gives you that special feeling inside that only an MB can.Sorry for long story and plentiful brackets!
