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mikeyb1049

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May 6, 2012
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Hi all

After nigh on 20yrs as a 'I don't really want this car but have no choice' company car driver I'm soon to be collecting my car allowance which means I can buy the car of my dreams!! Ok so not really but I've always wanted a Merc and now have an opportunity to get one - after a lot of research I have narrowed it down to 2 options: a W208 320 or a W210 320cdi...the former being a massive indulgence on my part, the latter being the 'sensible' choice. I'm aware of the financial penalties of a petrol model and also the build/quality issues of this era so with that in mind would love to have any feedback/comments/experiences from you all regarding these 2 options. I'll be doing mainly motorway miles and am focusing on comfort and power - but would be really interested in comparisons between mpg do I can decide if the indulgent choice is a step too far!

Thanks :)
 
Hi & welcome. What sort of annual mileage will you be doing?

I'd be erring towards a W208, simply because it would be less rusty!
 
^.. and what's wrong with an indulgence!.. W208 for me too! :)
 
My last W208 320 rusted like all Merc around the era. But I would buy a W208 over a W210 any day, just look better and not too impractical.

It's a GT car, not a sport car, so it prefer long motorway journeys than A-B road blast.

The 320 is not too uneconomical around 28-30mpg. around 35mpg on long motorway journeys, silky smooth, and not a problem after 200k miles.

Interior both are the same, quiet, comfortable and no trouble with electronics. However on a W208, the doors are pillerless, so the window a window sills can produce a bit of wind noise, especially after all the years, the sills can be a bit flat so it might let in a bit more wind noise than it was new. So on a test drive take the car to motorway speed and see how bad the wind noise is.

So find yourself a rust free example, you'l be a very happy man.
 
Hi and thanks for the replies! I'll be doing around 20k annually - bit of stop/start into town etc but the majority on the dreaded M62 :( I'd heard the petrol was pretty good economy-wise but I've had diesels for ever so am maybe a bit institutionalised.....plus I LOVE the shove you get from the low down torque. But am happy to be convinced otherwise! So my understanding is that the CLk will rust a lot less then?
 
W208 do rust, depending on how well it have been looked after. but there are rust free ones out there, so take your time and find a rust free one.

Also to look after the car, other than road salt, try not to use too many hand car wash place, as the spray chemicals are just as bad.

The 320 engine is quite toquey, so there is still a decent shove low down.
 
Not like W210s though!

My one did. Bonnet, Boot lid, both rear panels and driver side front, inside bottom door edge, rust behind the side belt line strip. So pretty bad.
 
Thanks again all. Looking on eBay, auto trader etc prices seem to be hovering around £2k-ish - is that a fair price for a 'decent' condition model? I'm not looking for concours-level condition just something that isn't going to rot to pieces within a week....
 
If you find one that is not rusting, it won't rust anytime soon.

If possible find out did it have rust repair and when, if it recent (i.e less than a year), use a magnet to check for doggy repair.
 
Hello Mikey

welcome

go on indulge , as you say you have had many years of company cars within a fixed choice, its your chance to enjoy:thumb:

which begs the question why arent you getting a w 124??;)
 
Hi - good question! I have been looking at 124's and they look amazing in every respect, but I was looking for something with cruise control and I didn't think I could get it on those - please tell me if I'm wrong!
 
Mikey
They can be found with cruise control
The 124 was like Martin Peters ... Ahead of its time ( i think Sir Alf said that)
ABS, air bags the lot ...
 
Don't the W124 only have a 4 speed auto? So on the motorway the MPG is not as good?
 
There is also a 5 speed auto
I think cruising comfort is more significant than change in fuel consumption
But i also understand the 5 speed is slightly less reliable than the four ... allegedly
 
I bet something like this would be pretty hard to find though - 5sp, cruise, etc? Any idea where I could look for something along those lines outside of eBay, auto trader, etc?
 
Thanks! A lot more than I can afford though - is that the general price range for a 124??
 

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