Crashing Prices of the W124 CE Coupe

[petef]

I have just trawled auto trader and put in mercedes ce prices £1000 to £8,000.There are so many cars now some with mb history for very low prices....many at between £1,500 and £2000... noticed some of the more expensive models a red one for over £7000 and a black one for £5000 have been on auto trader for over 9 months ...the same time as when i bought mine. Are these cars actually selling at the moment ? Have fuel prices really hit home ? will they ever come back in price ? General consensus from threads on this forum are that these cars command good prices and hold their value ?? Maybe potential purchasers who are presently lookin to buy are gonna bag a bargain ?There has been one at Mostyn Service station Chester for sale for over 4 months full mb history, m reg, black all the bits 300 ce £ 3,500 , so whats goin on ???

 

[aka$h]

Im actually looking for a w124 coupe at the moment, 91-96 ideally i want a 320, but im finding it hard to find a nice on at the moment, if anyone knows a of a nice example of sale, let me know.........
Cheers

 

[kikkthecat]

Im actually looking for a w124 coupe at the moment, 91-96 ideally i want a 320, but im finding it hard to find a nice on at the moment, if anyone knows a of a nice example of sale, let me know.........
Cheers

There are quite a few around, a guide price you are prepared to spend might make things easier.
£3000 buys an average one, £7000 buys a low mileage mint one with history and warranty.

 

[imadoofus]

I have just trawled auto trader and put in mercedes ce prices £1000 to £8,000.

That search will mainly bring up pre-facelift cars (pre '94)

Search for E-class, and put "coupe" as a keyword, and you'll find loads more at a higher price level.

 

[janner]

They do depreciate but more slowly than most other cars. You can get a 97/98 E320 (W210) for the same price as a 95 coupe.
You get what you pay for.
Buy a rough one for £2500, add a headgasket at £1000, wiring hraness at £500, gearbox at £1000.....etc..

 

[petef]

Yea there are some dogs around. There are the average motors, and there are the pristine ones...but what is a pristine 1992/6 model ?... a head gasket and gearbox etc etc can go on any car of this age..cant it ?.I mean they are 9 to 14 year ole motors i suppose you are eliminiating the possibility of anything going ...it maybe possibly better to buy an average one and keep the extra mony back to put things right, at least you then know the jobs are done and ya not going to have any nasty shocks when you ve spent all your wedge on the motor ? What does anyone think ? it is always a dilema when buying an older car ...

 

[Thmsshaun]

Yea there are some dogs around. There are the average motors, and there are the pristine ones...but what is a pristine 1992/6 model ?... a head gasket and gearbox etc etc can go on any car of this age..cant it ?.I mean they are 9 to 14 year ole motors i suppose you are eliminiating the possibility of anything going ...it maybe possibly better to buy an average one and keep the extra mony back to put things right, at least you then know the jobs are done and ya not going to have any nasty shocks when you ve spent all your wedge on the motor ? What does anyone think ? it is always a dilema when buying an older car ...

I like that theory. Get an average one the looks cosmetically in good shape. Leave a safety net for repairs. That way as you say when a job is done you know its right and if nothing goes wrong your laughing.

On the flip side if things do fail can you be prepared to put up with time in the workshop?

 

[janner]

Get an average one the looks cosmetically in good shape.

Catch is people who look after them cosmetically normally service them properly. Not changing the coolant can lead to problems with the waterpump and headgasket, not changing the brake fluid makes it more susceptible to ABS faults, cheap oil....etc, etc...

My point really, though, was if you buy one with lots of faults it could cost more to put right than it's worth. It's the ones that look good and have no existing faults that tend to cost more.

 

[Will]

The best ones to find are the ones that are actually in very good condition, but are priced lower than their true value because of all the cheap ones that are around

They make a lovely buy

Will

 

[Rory]

I guess the price issue is because there's a pretty limited number of people who would be prepared to take on this type and age of car. OK, so we can argue for ages about depreciation, repair costs etc, but you're looking at car that's probably always going to be carrying some niggles - the issue is that potential repair costs are a gamble that most people aren't prepared to take.
Maybe a strategy with these vehicles is to buy a really cheap one with some MOT, then throw it away when it goes wrong or fails its next MOT?

 

[grober]

I guess the price issue is because there's a pretty limited number of people who would be prepared to take on this type and age of car. OK, so we can argue for ages about depreciation, repair costs etc, but you're looking at car that's probably always going to be carrying some niggles - the issue is that potential repair costs are a gamble that most people aren't prepared to take.
Maybe a strategy with these vehicles is to buy a really cheap one with some MOT, then throw it away when it goes wrong or fails its next MOT?

Why not buy a new Merc for £30,000 built on a budget in South Africa or the USA and get a more up to date list of faults which your Mercedes agent has no idea how to sort. While you are waiting for your car to be repaired in the "gilded palaces of sin" drinking the metallic coffee you can comfort yourself with the thought that 1. your faults cost a lot more. 2. you have much greater selection of potential faults. 3. they are much more sophisticated and difficult to repair. 4.your future costly commitment is to a car can only be serviced by MB cos thats how they designed the software/onboard systems. 5. you are bailing out chrysler who make these nice Smart/Jeep tonka toys.

 

[Rory]

Why not buy a new Merc for £30,000 built on a budget in South Africa or the USA and get a more up to date list of faults which your Mercedes agent has no idea how to sort. While you are waiting for your car to be repaired in the "gilded palaces of sin" drinking the metallic coffee you can comfort yourself with the thought that 1. your faults cost a lot more. 2. you have much greater selection of potential faults. 3. they are much more sophisticated and difficult to repair. 4.your future costly commitment is to a car can only be serviced by MB cos thats how they designed the software/onboard systems. 5. you are bailing out chrysler who make these nice Smart/Jeep tonka toys.

Yes, there is something slightly bonkers about the whole process of buying and owning a Merc, but people still do it. I'm terrified of mine.

 

[grober]

star on the bonnet

Yes, there is something slightly bonkers about the whole process of buying and owning a Merc, but people still do it. I'm terrified of mine.

Think I would miss that 3 pointed star on the bonnet. :bannana: :bannana: :bannana:

 

[graeme73s]

Just been offered a 300 CE supposedly full brabus spec with over 400bhp. I'm guessing it must have the 6 litre V8 if its genuine as supposedly the car cost over £100K new. I rung the guy and left a message and as yet he hasn't called me back. I wasn't going to buy any more cars but sometimes sh*t happens and you can't resist. It'll probably turn out to be a dog 300 CE with a Brabus badge on the boot. A couple of years ago I was offered a supposed facory wide bodied SEC that had been supercharged. They ran a 6 litre V8 with twin cam heads. I arranged to view the car and it was only half hour from where I work. I met the guy and the car was in a dingy lock up garage. Before he opened the garage door I was thinking that you could not squease a wide bodied SEC in their. Sure enough the car turned out to be a standard 560 SEC with cream velour interior. It did have amg side skirts and wheels and rusty damaged bodywork. I thought you said it was supercharged, it is he said look (pointing at the alternator.) It was not added to the fleet !.

 

[PJH]

...... I'm terrified of mine.

Me too ! Cost me £4,000 so far this year.....wish I could sell it for that much.

 

[Apial]

Prices crashing UP!

I don't think that all W124 coupes prices are crashing. Low mileage, mint examples, with a high spec will always be sought after, and their rarity will ensure a high resale price. As time passes by, prices will rise as well looked after examples become even scarcer.

How about this example- 92 300Ce-24v

It still is good value when you consider the quality and longevity left in the car. A car that cost £50k when new. I don't think an offer of £2500 would get a polite response.

 

[KLP 92]

Just been offered a 300 CE supposedly full brabus spec with over 400bhp. I'm guessing it must have the 6 litre V8 if its genuine as supposedly the car cost over £100K new. I rung the guy and left a message and as yet he hasn't called me back. I wasn't going to buy any more cars but sometimes sh*t happens and you can't resist. It'll probably turn out to be a dog 300 CE with a Brabus badge on the boot. A couple of years ago I was offered a supposed facory wide bodied SEC that had been supercharged. They ran a 6 litre V8 with twin cam heads. I arranged to view the car and it was only half hour from where I work. I met the guy and the car was in a dingy lock up garage. Before he opened the garage door I was thinking that you could not squease a wide bodied SEC in their. Sure enough the car turned out to be a standard 560 SEC with cream velour interior. It did have amg side skirts and wheels and rusty damaged bodywork. I thought you said it was supercharged, it is he said look (pointing at the alternator.) It was not added to the fleet !.

Brabus only did a 3.6 290BHP version in the coupe. To my knowledge noone fitted a V8 into the coupe body. £100k in the late 80s could buy you an original widebody AMG SEC and probably buy a 190e with the left over!

 

[petef]

That search will mainly bring up pre-facelift cars (pre '94)

Search for E-class, and put "coupe" as a keyword, and you'll find loads more at a higher price level.

...Yea i tried that and all it brought up was three cabriolets ( and i did a search in a 200 mile radius )...£7, to £8,000....which do tend to command a better price.There were no ce w124 models....I think general consensus on the forum is that all the w124 coupes ( pre 94 included ) hold their value and commanded high prices. I think its a buyers market. Knowing that there are a couple of cars still advertised on auto trader from 9 months ago ( at ridiculous high prices ) i can only pressume that dealers take the gamble that one day a punter will come along who desperately wants one and will be prepared to pay top notch !... When that punter comes along the dealer probably plays hard to get and wont budge on price ...if he knows you really want the car..i think the buyer is in a stronger position, because if you walk it maybe a long time, probably months, before another potential purchaser comes along !!!...i fell into the mistake of being the over keen buyer, too excited to hold my own water, , and naturally the dealer saw through that... ..Good luck to anyone preparing to buy !!!!

 

[imadoofus]

...Yea i tried that and all it brought up was three cabriolets ( and i did a search in a 200 mile radius

What I would say is that decent, well-cared for examples of these cars are hard to come by. To find one that will hold it's value is down to finding the best out there (which isn't always the most expensive). I would advise doing a national search, and then deciding whether a particular car is worth going the extra mile to see.

 

[COUPE FREAK]

I don't think that all W124 coupes prices are crashing. Low mileage, mint examples, with a high spec will always be sought after, and their rarity will ensure a high resale price. As time passes by, prices will rise as well looked after examples become even scarcer.

How about this example- 92 300Ce-24v

It still is good value when you consider the quality and longevity left in the car. A car that cost £50k when new. I don't think an offer of £2500 would get a polite response.

price must be a mis-print,,