Keep the 211 or replace with w212?

[m2mb]

Hi guys,
Would appreciate some advice.
My daily w211, owned it for ten happy years, although mainly unproblematic, economical and clean, is starting to show its age at 250.000 miles and I miss that new(er) car feeling I get from my w213. Travelling 80 motorway miles per day as of lately.
I could replace it with a 4 year old w212 e220 with say 100.000 (hopefully motorway) miles on the clock for reasonable money. However Is this a good idea? Giving up an older but well maintained w211 for a newer w212 even one with fsh. (Haven't found one yet)
I suppose the engines are quite similar since the w211 has the latest (for the 211) iteration (168bhp) of the 2.1lt diesel but otherwise I have no idea what to expect with a w212. (Is the newer gearbox as reliable as the 5speed auto in the 211?).
The w211 has no DPF either (manufactured just before the cutoff date). I almost consider it a classic!!
I don't really need any extras/ navi/ etc that would probably come with a w212.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks a lot.

 

[jdrrco]

Having had both, I'd stick with a well-maintained 211, but really down to personal preference.

 

[Jukie]

FWIW I've never driven a W211 in any guise but I've owned a 2011 W212 E350 CDi (265bhp version) for six and a half years. It's great. For the last five and a bit years I've had a 52 mile round trip commute including a decent motorway stint. Mechanically it's never let me down, 7-speed box is smooth. It's well put together, no rattles. Just over 88k on the clock and with careful driving including a steady pace on the M6 I regularly get 50+ mpg. However, it can shift when encouraged......

Mine has a full history though I used a respected local indy.

 

[W1ghty]

Because your W211 isn’t worth anything , I would run it to the first expensive failure . Start stockpiling some money now for the newer car .

 

[m2mb]

Because your W211 isn’t worth anything , I would run it to the first expensive failure . Start stockpiling some money now for the newer car .

Agreed. But what is expensive? Say 10% depreciation on a decent newer car, amounts to 1000, my estimate. Any repair on the 211 below that amount should be acceptable? (Not that I expect it).
Did a fair amount of maintenance on the 211 including rear shocks, new ac compressor and ac pipes prof.cleaning, in last 2 years.

 

[m2mb]

However this is not about cost. (below a certain amount, cost is irrelevant)
If a newer 212 will be more enjoyable and at least as reliable, then the 211 will go.

 

[W1ghty]

Agreed. But what is expensive? Say 10% depreciation on a decent newer car, amounts to 1000, my estimate. Any repair on the 211 below that amount should be acceptable? (Not that I expect it).
Did a fair amount of maintenance on the 211 including rear shocks, new ac compressor and ac pipes prof.cleaning, in last 2 years.

That’s a good question buddy , I grapple with it as well . If you find the answer let me know

 

[m2mb]

W1ghty, the answer can be estimated quite easily if you know how often you would probably need a need a replacement and at what cost VS maintaining existing car that has near zero resale value. (Std financial management topic: lease vs buy).
In non financial terms however, if the saving you make by maintaining current car (vs depreciation on a newer car) exceeds (in your mind) what you forego ie the toys and comfort (not forgetting the environment too) of a new asset, then keep maintaining.
I guess for me, the vote goes to a new car.

 

[Dryce]

Agreed. But what is expensive? Say 10% depreciation on a decent newer car, amounts to 1000, my estimate. Any repair on the 211 below that amount should be acceptable? (Not that I expect it).
Did a fair amount of maintenance on the 211 including rear shocks, new ac compressor and ac pipes prof.cleaning, in last 2 years.

Expensive is difficult to figure.

As an example if a newer car depreciates at £1000/year more than your W211 then that's a notional £1000 allowance against maintenance over and above the maintenance on a newer car.

The difficult part is whether you anticipate that having spent a given sum on the car that you could be hit with other bills. So a repair bill of £750 in a year against that £1000 is 'OK' except that if you get another £500 bill a few months after then you just stated eating into next year's £1000, (or whatever).

I have a colleague who kept an old car going and he treats his car as a monthly cost. He figured that any repair had to last 6 months and if it cost more than 6 months payments on the car he was planning to replace it with then he would scrap it. In effect he would only pay for a repair up to a cost limit if he thought the car would run for another 6 months without more unplanned work - so capping the risk.

 

[m2mb]

To me, acceptable is 10% of a 10% depreciation on a brand new car. I.e 400-500 annually.
However, 'i was there, done that' for the past few years.
A renewal is in order.
212 vs 211 ...cost no object.