Mileage or condition?

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Benplym

Active Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
184
Car
Ml320
I guys I am looking for an ml280 or 320 cdi I have around 11k. I normally swear by higher mileage cars that have had an easy life, my a6 has 179k and is mint and my x5 had 171k and was on the original rear discs! As they have both been motorway warriors.

I seem to find that these lower mileage mls have horrific signs of bad mileage across the board, am I really going to get problems with a car that has 40-60k? I have seen some that have rips in the drivers seat! And have already gone through a set of discs front and rear, this is madness.

I would like some opinions as I am reluctant to spend over 10 grand on a car with space shuttle miles on the clock but also one that has 50k and needs re building.

Thanks
 
Condition and service record every time.
 
Both! No point in paying 11K for a car with 100K miles (unless it something really special). That's my 2P's worth...
 
A car that has spent it's life on the school run will have had a hard life but may well have low mileage.
 
I would say buy the younger car in terms of years.... regardless of mileage.
 
58 plate is the facelift, nicer interior materials (still not the best) and worth aiming for.

This is a 2 tonne truck, it will eat through brakes and tyres far quicker than any A6.

I would not say that one with 60,000 miles on it that has had new brakes all round is madness.

They also drink fuel, 23mpg every day, 31mpg on a steady run and a long term average of 25mpg over the last year and 16000 miles.

My old man had an ML500 for a few days when his ML350cdi was in for service work, that was only showing 2-3mpg below the 350cdi, maybe worth considering?
You get a lot more car fro your money.

Oh, and many have said the ML420cdi is slightly better mpg wise than the 280/320cdi.
 
Check the front discs.

If they are badly grooved, the car was probably used as a getaway vehicle by career bank robbers.

If they are smooth, then the deeper the 'lip', the better. It means that the car has been driven by an ageing nun, at least for the last 20k miles.

If, however, the discs are brand new, then they won't tell you much about the previous owner's driving habits, but at least you have new discs...
 
I wouldn't automatically condemn a car for having had new brakes.

My ML is 9 years old but has only done 41K. Mostly town driving, or winding country lanes - as I usually use the W204 for longer / motorway journeys.

The ML is on the 2nd set of discs and pads, but I suspect that the main dealer may well have replaced the brakes at 25K more for profit than safety…



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Old thread but only just looked at it again, I don't seem to get notifications. I was a mileage snob, abit. Kind of regret it, just niggles that I have noticed over the last few weeks, nothing big just annoying clips that are broken and signs of lots of kids battering the interior. I went for the 280 in the end, feels very under powered but it's a nice comfortable drive. In all honesty it feels half the car of my x5 when it comes to quality/torque/economy/driving position but it no longer feels like I'm a drug smuggler when I drive my car which is always a bonus.
 
it no longer feels like I'm a drug smuggler when I drive my car which is always a bonus.

You're right, now you look like a pimp.. :) (says the guy who looks like a hairdresser according to his friends)
 

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