E350 Estate - Is This The One For Me?

[Deleted member 55947]

Before I bought mine 2 years ago I hunted high and low for light coloured seats, they are like hens teeth.

 

[E55BOF]

There's a couple on eBay with light-coloured leather interiors, but I like the Palladium silver better than any of the others. Deposit paid

 

[Druk]

Couple of things. The comment re: Nappa Leather isn't correct as mine has the same door card stitching and it ain't Nappa. You might not like the black headcloth lining. Mine is claustrophobic even with a panny roof. The non-electric/memory seats are a real bonus imho. I hate the way mine motor forward every time I drop the cargo seats (which is often) and whether it needs it or not...which it doesn't! It's a totally pointless feature because they don't motor fwd again when the time comes to lift the seats back to the vertical.

Nice car.

 

[E55BOF]

There may be a snag...

I want to pay at least £101 using a credit card, so that I will get the full protection of Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if it all goes wrong. The seller refuses, saying that they feel rather insulted to be asked; they are an MB-accredited credit broker, they've been in business over 30 years, they own the freehold of the building, and so on.

I note, though, that the current company has only been active since 2011, and filed no accounts until 2016, when their figures were: Cash £118K, Current Assets £328.8K, Liabilities £589.9K, Net Worth £-64.4K.

He comes across extremely well on the 'phone, and I feel I want to trust and believe him. He says he's not fussed about the sale, will refund my deposit if I'd rather, and won't accept a credit card payment even if it means losing the sale.

The car has a three-month warranty, but only in their workshop; that's two hundred miles away, so of little use to me.

What I'm worried about is the possibility that if something expensive goes wrong, I may end up being hung out to dry. I think it is vanishingly unlikely there's anything wrong with the car now, but if something did go wrong in the next six months, it could be very expensive to fix.

I like the car, and I'm keen to buy it. On reflection, what the decision really boils down to is: what degree of risk is there that a 64k 2011 E350 with FSH will have an expensive failure in the next 3-4000 miles (which is all I'm likely to do in the next six months)?

He's left the ball in my court. To a layman like me, the company accounts don't look healthy, but there are others on here far more able to say. Advice, please, gentlemen; do I go ahead, or walk away?

 

[Headhurts]

Personally I would walk away, I cannot see any reason not to accept your small part payment on a card.

When I purchased my E350 new last year I paid a deposit of £10000 half of which I put on my credit card for the very reason you have cited.

Robin


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[Druk]

i bought my 212 from a dealer in Bristol with an alleged 'return to base' warranty. I negotiated a £1000 discount on the basis of if anything went wrong it was my problem, not theirs.

 

[Deleted member 55947]

I'd walk. A payment is a payment to a reputable business whether it be cash, credit or debit card. Unless thee is some reason why he can't take a credit card !!!

 

[Londonscottish]

Tricky one. Not sure why he'd baulk at £101 on a credit card.

On the other hand I've become quite cavalier about warranties in recent years. I paid for warranties for my last 200SX and my first C43 and claimed zip. I bought my second C43 privately and didn't bother. I paid for one for my first E500 but didn't claim. Didn't bother this time round and the only fault was the seat cooler. Which wouldn't have been covered anyway.

Hmm....

 

[E55BOF]

It's not directly the credit card, though he certainly isn't an average car dealer if he's prepared to let a sale go, because of offended feelings, for the sake of a small payment on a card. On the other hand, if he's been in business for over 30 years in a genteel area like Torquay, he's certainly not your average lying cheating Bradford scrote...

I work in law enforcement; I'm used to being lied to, sometimes very plausibly and convincingly. Perhaps I have too much of a cynical, suspicious mind?

It's not the warranty, it's the possibility that if anything serious went T/U within the first six months of ownership, my only recourse would be to the dealer, and if he wouldn't - or had gone bust and couldn't - play ball I'd be left carrying the baby.

The nub is, what's the risk that a 64k 2011 E350 with FSH will have an expensive failure in the next 3-4000 miles? That's all that's really at stake.

 

[Londonscottish]

It's not the warranty, it's the possibility that if anything serious went T/U within the first six months of ownership, my only recourse would be to the dealer, and if he wouldn't - or couldn't - play ball I'd be left carrying the baby.

The nub is, what's the risk that a 64k 2011 E350 with FSH will have an expensive failure in the next 3-4000 miles?

I'm not tempting fate by making a statement one way or another.

One think I did do, though, was to take the money I saved on the warranty on the 212 and spent it at BSG instead. They crawled all over it once I'd bought it. They ran it through a full STAR diagnostic cycle, compression test etc etc and they took it on before and after test runs. I also got them to change the gear box oil. They're pernickety there and call out anything they find but gave it the cleanest bill of health of any car I've ever put through them.

That put my mind at rest.

But that's not your car, of course.

Hmmm.....

 

[nickgar]

As I've said before, I know this place and the owner can be quite abrupt.
Before I bought my E Class 350cdi Cab I had a look around this car lot on a fuel station (now closed down as a fuel station)
Most were a bit shabby with big miles with body condition to match. Not sure whether he would do the work to repair the scuffs and take the dents out once the car is sold (or asked to do it), or not.
I think you get what you pay for at this place but as I've said, unless you're lucky with a particular car, it wont be main dealer quality.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

View attachment 71919 View attachment 71920 That's what I paid for a same year E350 cdi estate. 125 edition sport.

Actually not quite as good spec as that one as the interior is standard black leather and navigation 50 rather than comand

But mine is 7 seats.

Buy it. Price is right imo.

Oh and the seat controls are down the right side of the seat. It doesn't have memory seats. Gimmicky though I think, it's much quicker to manually slide the seat back to my position after my Mrs has been driving it.

Memory seats also encompass forward/rear. Height. Lumber position as in...in out up down. Angle of the seat as a whole, headrest height And I think angle and length of steering column.

 

[toolman1954]

If this is the vehicle you really want, would you consider taking out the extended MB Warranty, or haggle for it as part of the deal. This may give you some peace of mind?

Steve

 

[E55BOF]

As I've said before, I know this place and the owner can be quite abrupt.
Before I bought my E Class 350cdi Cab I had a look around this car lot on a fuel station (now closed down as a fuel station)
Most were a bit shabby with big miles with body condition to match. Not sure whether he would do the work to repair the scuffs and take the dents out once the car is sold (or asked to do it), or not.
I think you get what you pay for at this place but as I've said, unless you're lucky with a particular car, it wont be main dealer quality.

Thanks Nick; I recall what you said. The car I'm interested in wouldn't be on sale at a main dealer anyway, I suspect. I can't see any dings or scuffs, and it certainly looks good in the pictures, but don't they all...

How long since you were there? His eBay feedback is excellent, indeed perfect, but all his seller feedback is over a year old, and it seems all to relate to auction cars, whereas all his stock now is in classified ads, so no feedback can be left. Most of his current stock looks pretty good, and is low or low-ish mileage, too, so it looks as though he's upmarket from the shabby, high-mileage cars you recall.

I'll sleep on it, but from discussing it, and the opinions so far, I think I'm tending towards going ahead. Unless, of course, anyone thinks that would be really taking a chance...

 

[E55BOF]

If this is the vehicle you really want, would you consider taking out the extended MB Warranty, or haggle for it as part of the deal. This may give you some peace of mind? Steve

Extended warranties generally aren't terribly good value for money; I'm content to rely on my legal consumer rights for the first six months, and take my chances thereafter. The seller isn't going to be haggled any further down, I think, and anyway, I've already agreed the deal.

What I don't want to do, though, is buy something that is likely to give trouble soon. If it was an E55K, I'd know it wasn't, but I've no experience of the E350 diesel engine.

 

[E55BOF]

Sorted. He'll take £101 on the credit card, and if it hasn't had its five-year gearbox service he'll do that too. I don't need to sleep on it; Phew!

Thank you, one and all, but it looks as though I'm committed. If it turns out to be a shed, or even slightly shed-ish, on inspection, I can always come home in the rattler and keep that for a while until another one I like turns up. The rattler has grown on me, but an E350 has to be a lot better, even if the W212's interior is not as nice as the W211's

 

[fabes]

A good result on what will no doubt be a good car.....
When are you picking it up?

PS it's my old stomping ground but I don't know the dealer so didn't comment
Many a night in the nearby Blagdon
There's a decent Jag sales garage half a mile down the crowd that look after my dad's 3L X type....

Are you making a day of it and staying over or just getting in and out?

 

[nickgar]

I was there about 18 months ago, and wasn't too impressed. Chinese ditch finder tyres on a lot of the cars, no attempt made to sort out any body marks before sale, kerbed alloys on everthing etc.
I drive past the place very regular on the road from Paignton to Totnes (I live in Torquay) and it may well be that prep. standards have improved. Just have a careful inspection of the cars body work/wheels, as I know you will.
For your info the Mercedes-Benz extended tier 1 warranty (no access) for mine at 44,000 miles was £650
Worth it to me for piece of mind on such a complex car, although not everything is covered.
Anyway, good luck and have a nice visit to Torbay

 

[Londonscottish]

Sf it turns out to be a shed, or even slightly shed-ish, on inspection, I can always come home in the rattler and keep that for a while until another one I like turns up. The rattler has grown on me, but an E350 has to be a lot better, even if the W212's interior is not as nice as the W211's

Fingers crossed that its condition is as good as the pictures.

 

[Mactech]

It certainly looks good in the photos, so I hope you find it the same 'in the flesh'
In my experience even main dealer prep can be a let down compared to my own standards, but a few hours of work and getting to know the car always seems to put that right!