Engineer in love with Mercedes

[GnMvP]

I am currently a 3rd year engineering student. Soon i'll be graduating from university. I am already offered a job and the salary that I'll be earningwill be 25,000-30,000 pounds per year.(it's not set yet)

Since I was a kid I loved mercedes and the company's prestige! I am thing of buying a C-class ('02-'06). I already have some money for buying it but I want to know whether my salary can cover the maintenance cost of the car.
How much do you pay in average per year?


I would really appreciate your answers.. Even one line of commenting could be really helpful to me.

 

[renault12ts]

Tacky discussing money in a first post. Ask the question and work it out for yourself.

 

[GnMvP]

Tacky discussing money in a first post. Ask the question and work it out for yourself.

Can you be a bit more helpful?

 

[Merco]

Tacky discussing money in a first post. Ask the question and work it out for yourself.

Ah, give the guy a break bless him - he's an engineer and he loves Mercedes!

I'd like to help mate but I haven't got my hands on my car yet so I'd be guessing! Good luck with it though - you might want to check out the fixed price servicing costs at a local dealership (website) and then factor in the various problems you might encounter and whether you know an indy who might be able to help fix them for you if you don't do it yourself. Is that suitably vague and non-commital!? Sorry can't be of more help!

 

[renault12ts]

A 2002 C class will cost whatever you want it to in terms of maintenance. Does that answer the question. If you had asked without the crass mention of salary you would get a lot more help.

What does your salary have to do with it. Tell us whether you're married, with kids, with a mortgage etc...be realistic, the only person who can make a call as to the running of anything, not least a car, is the person paying the bills and having all the facts to hand. My answer is yes you can afford it, but then maybe it's no you can't afford it. How can anyone tell? I'll send you a financial fact find, fill it in and then we can discuss.

After all, you can only solve and engineering problem given all the facts. It's common sense.

 

[st4]

Depends on your other outgoings and other financial commitments....how much of that salary is disposable and how much of it is eaten up with other costs.

A rule of thumb is that a car should cost 1/2 years earnings roughly so I reckon it should be ok.

Don't main dealer service the car and run something like a 2005 C220cdi and your fuel bills will be low, the engine and car is reliable and insurance remarkably low for the class of car that it is. My E220cdi proved no more expensive to run than say a 2litre petrol golf which many folk my age (25 run). my 320cdi isn't too bad really either.

Renault-its a tad crass but unlike many other posters he gives the forum an idea of budget to work with. Ideally a figure to what they can afford to buy and/or what they think about a service costing say £500 would help more though.

 

[6pot]

why not just buy a ford fiesta if theres money left over after a while, buy a mercedes.

 

[st4]

Right, to service a 220cdi E class doing 25k/yr-broadly similar cars.

Insurance: £600/yr
Tax £185yr
Servicing including maintanence/tyres: £700pa + £500pa
Fuel: £400pm

Can you or can't you?

Always make sure you have ample money in reserve worst case something nasty crops up.

Simples.

 

[Merco]

Right, to service a 220cdi E class doing 25k/yr-broadly similar cars.

Insurance: £600/yr
Tax £185yr
Servicing including maintanence/tyres: £700pa + £500pa
Fuel: £400pm

Can you or can't you?

Always make sure you have ample money in reserve worst case something nasty crops up.

Simples.

That's the question - what's the answer!?

 

[219]

If money is tight - buy a 190E . A really good one can be had for a couple of grand .

DIY maintenance will cost you a grand in a bad year if you need tyres , brakes or an exhaust - much less in a good year if you just need things like oils & filters .

Nothing much ever goes wrong with them and much more of a true engineer's car than most of the newer stuff .

 

[iscaboy]

A rule of thumb is that a car should cost 1/2 years earnings roughly so I reckon it should be ok.

cool, so anything I earn over £1,500 p.a. and I'm ahead of the game... I'll phone my tailor...

 

[st4]

cool, so anything I earn over £1,500 p.a. and I'm ahead of the game... I'll phone my tailor...

Lol. Its just a number I have heard being banded about my work place (a bank).

A lot choose to finance their cars and a lot of the IT boys who clear about £100k/yr are running about in approx £50ks worth of motor car. Not a hard and set rule but one to give the OP room for thought.

 

[renault12ts]

If money is tight - buy a 109E . A really good one can be had for a couple of grand .

DIY maintenance will cost you a grand in a bad year if you need tyres , brakes or an exhaust - much less in a good year if you just need things like oils & filters .

Nothing much ever goes wrong with them and much more of a true engineer's car than most of the newer stuff .

Isn't that a Ford Anglia??

 

[kwakdonut]

Me guess he means a 190E!!! lol.....

 

[219]

Isn't that a Ford Anglia??

Indeed - another option , but no Star !

I , of course mis-typed 190E

 

[iscaboy]

Lol. Its just a number I have heard being banded about my work place (a bank).

Ah yes, the industry that invented CDO's etc...

 

[renault12ts]

Indeed - another option , but no Star !

I , of course mis-typed 190E

I knew that.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Isn't that a Ford Anglia??

No, that was the 100E or 105E. 109E was the (rhd) Ford Consul Classic.

 

[renault12ts]

No, that was the 100E or 105E. 109E was the (rhd) Ford Consul Classic.

The font of even more knowledge.

 

[GnMvP]

You are right! I didn't give enough data.
Although I have no clue how much I'll be paying for rent and in general no clue on what the cost of living will be like. It should be common sense that would be most likely be single since I am a university student.

@*** Thank you for the info, you have been much of a help.

The initial question was "How much do you pay in average per year?". If you don't need the rest of the info just don't take it into account.

400pounds for fuel seem like a lot of money? Are you sure you are paying that much?