Best way to do 30k pa?

[PXW]

Thanks guys - all useful stuff, and the consensus is Option 1, just keep the 280. Never run a mega-miler before, so will be interesting!!

 

[A210AMG]

^ Mines on 132K now,

Its going better than new.

Bought and collected by my dad and has wanted for nothing since.

If I put a sticker over the millage you would think maybe 40K miles.

You have already a lovely car, nice spec, comfy, good on fuel and for me if your doing 35K miles a safe car. You know it. Its hardly going to have a hard life up and down motorways on cruise....thats what these cars do best.

If you swap you could be buying bills straight away. Have a 'pot' for the servicing / tyres and what if bits and keep running it.

 

[crockers]

At those mileages you will need the car useable for 365 days so splash out on a new set of wheels with winter tyres. If not you may well find yourself unable to use it. A Merc on summer tyres in snow and ice is totally rubbish. Mine doesn't even leave the drive.

 

[Troon]

I've just moved out of a Mk3 Mondeo on LPG into my S211 for my 20k commute. The Mondeo was brilliant: driven hard, it returned 31mpg on LPG, which averaged over the time I had it equated to about 65mpg on diesel. It was comfortable and relatively quiet, easy and cheap to self-service, fun to drive (although very low on torque) and faultlessly reliable. I bought it at 70k/5 years for £3100, converted it at 80k for £1800 and sold it at 149k/9 years for £1400. We only sold it because family requirements dictated a bigger car, and the S211's combination of space and economy won the day.

I'd happily do 30k a year in that old Mondeo - but I'd rather do it in my E, which is so much more relaxing and undemanding to drive.

I'm averaging over 40mpg in the E. I do my own servicing as much as possible to keep costs down - on the 220 at least, the basics (oil, filters, brakes) are a doddle.

No clear recommendation there, just my thoughts...

 

[Palfrem]

What car allowance / mileage rate does your employer pay?

With care you can run a decent car for (almost) no money

See how it goes for 3 months with your existing car and then consider position?

 

[dulayj]

newish (gen 7) honda accord diesel?-should get good mpg-sorry its not a merc!

 

[davidjpowell]

At those mileages you will need the car useable for 365 days so splash out on a new set of wheels with winter tyres. If not you may well find yourself unable to use it. A Merc on summer tyres in snow and ice is totally rubbish. Mine doesn't even leave the drive.

Ours did leave the drive, but only to turn it around.

That was enough to get stuck in the gutter, facing across the road, completely blocking it.

Emptied the pub opposite to help free her.

That was not embarrassing at all, not at all.....

 

[The _Don]

Rolls royce phantom

 

[neilz]

Rolls royce phantom

What about an early 90s Silver Spirit Mark II

(possibly the least reliable car I ever owned (aside from the Jeep))

Seriously, you should be fine in your current car. Use it as your daily driver until something goes seriously wrong, then buy a cheap small-engined car that does many MPG and by beign so basic hardly goes wrong. There are some comfortable budget cars out there (somewhere?)

W211 for comfort, an old 300D for reliability, or a small-engined cheap car for high MPG

 

[flango]

As the title really, I'm just about to take a new job that will involve me in much more mileage than before. I have been doing 13-14k pa in the S211, at which rate it's a toss up which of us dies first (it's currently done 86k).

However, with the potential for now doing 30, maybe 35k pa....what's the best way of keeping myself mobile? I think my options might include:

1. Keep the S211, it will handle the miles, and pop down to Olly every 5-6 months to get it serviced. Start to take an interest in the 'highest mileage 211' threads in about three years time.

2. Chop in the 211 as deposit against a 212....will still rack megamiles, but starting from zero rather than 86k.

3. Get a lease on something smaller that will take the hammering (C-class, perhaps a 220CDi, to get a bit of a kicker on the fuel costs) and keep the 211 for when I need something bigger. Means running two cars, but probably 20-25k pa on one and 8-10k on the other?

4. Other possibilities that I haven't thought of?

I should add that there are two other cars already in the PXW household...Mrs PXW's Lexus IS250, which she has already told me isn't going anywhere (I think she'd change me before she changed that ) and my MGB, which is just a summer toy.

Any views? I'm sure there will be....everyone loves spending someone else's money!!

I did exactly this went from a 10k a year drive to a 30k year drive so I can tell you my experiences as I have done this in my own car, lease cars, company cars etc.

One of the prime factors to consider is what mileage rate your company pays for private use this usually drives (pardon the pun) the decision.

The best way I have found is to buy new like I have just done (new Volvo arrives Monday) negotiate hard up front for the discount run the car for 3 years and then sell, that way depreciation is minimised and hopefully with company mileage payments you are a little in front. In 3 years you will have a 90k 3 year old motor which will be easy to sell on.

I would not even consider running the MB on this duty, sure it will cope with it but you'll get to the point where the little failures keep you off the road and it's more trouble than it's worth unless you have a back up car.

A company car these days is an expensive item with company car and fuel tax and you usually end up in a car you would not normally choose which Is why I don't take this route.

Lease cars do work but a 30k per year the monthly lease inc maintenance is expensive and if you do the maths it's cheaper to buy and resell after 3 years.

I run the Volvo as my daily driver a nice car full of toys but not exciting, but it does do everything right and I keep my MB for evenings and weekends.

The above works for me but I acknowledge it may not suit everyone.

 

[jaymanek]

I would also stick to the W211.

I have to agree, older cars such as W123's, W124's will be too unreliable/uneconomical/uncomfortable now for what you want.

 

[SL300-24]

Yes keep the W211....mines done 117k now and still drives like new, I won't be changing it any time soon because it is the 2nd W211 that I have had and without doubt best car that I have ever owned....

 

[PXW]

Thanks all. I've got winter wheels for the 211, so all set up there, and hopefully no need for embarrassing rescues from the punters at the pub .

The company doesn't pay any private mileage (crippling for tax anyway) and I won't be doing a great deal of business mileage - the bulk of this is a long distance commute - but does pay a decent car allowance, though tbh all that is is a slice of non-pensionable income.

Within reason I can afford pretty much what I want to on a monthly basis, but have a preference for not borrowing if I can avoid it, and am about to move house, so this is not a great time to make a big dent in liquid resources....so I think I'll try with the S211, at least to start with; at the point it becomes unreliable I'll have to think again, but that should be some way away.

 

[MUGGY]

I currently do 20k miles pa on my 211. It's on 140k now and yes there will be the odd larger bill along the way but imo it is a relatively cheap and very comfortable way of doing a lot of miles.

A few years ago I was doing 40-50k pa in my 210 and the same applied. This car had 220k miles when I shunted it.

Keep the 211 !

 

[John]

I would keep the 211, except in your boat, I wouldn't be keeping my particular 211.

A long time ago I bought a K plate E36 325i on 124,000 and ran it for my job for a year and sold it into the 140s for the same money. It never had any issues in that time and never broke down. It would have easily done 200,000 I reckon, and that was a 1992 car...

 

[Wilsonuk]

A few years ago I was doing 40-50k pa in my 210 and the same applied. This car had 220k miles when I shunted it.


Just out of interest, why did you move the 220k mile 210 on? Was it getting expensive to do lots of miles at that mileage? I'm wondering when I will have to replace my E320 which has 146k on it and I'm adding 50k per annum...

 

[Mr E]

I was doing about 40K pa in my first W211, no problems at all. I tailed off towards the end so she had about 150k on after 4 years. No real hassles, no little niggles, and everything worked exactly the saem as the day it arrived.

I'd stick with it.

 

[MUGGY]

A few years ago I was doing 40-50k pa in my 210 and the same applied. This car had 220k miles when I shunted it.


Just out of interest, why did you move the 220k mile 210 on? Was it getting expensive to do lots of miles at that mileage? I'm wondering when I will have to replace my E320 which has 146k on it and I'm adding 50k per annum...

I had to move it on because it was written off ! I literally shunted into another car

Had I been more alert my plan was to continue piling on the miles in this car. No unexpected bills at all - just the usual consumables.

Once a car goes much over 100k miles the value drops right out of it anyway so I figure just to keep going and the E Class seems to cope with the miles easily.

 

[Wilsonuk]

I had to move it on because it was written off ! I literally shunted into another car

Had I been more alert my plan was to continue piling on the miles in this car. No unexpected bills at all - just the usual consumables.

Once a car goes much over 100k miles the value drops right out of it anyway so I figure just to keep going and the E Class seems to cope with the miles easily.

Ah! I thought you meant sold it on when you said shunted! Understood! Yeah, agree with your last sentence, I'm running my E until she gives up along the premise that it's financially the best way forward. They are all comfortable miles in the E as well - it's got dynamic seats which are now a must have for me in all future Benz purchases!!

 

[jonnyboy]

Thanks all. I've got winter wheels for the 211, so all set up there, and hopefully no need for embarrassing rescues from the punters at the pub .

Which one is your local then? Sounds like I need to pay a visit if the punters are that good!!!