Very high mileage - is buying a mad idea

[Dieselman]

I find it very hard to believe anyone would even seriously consider £6k on a car that coulkd potentially fall apart around them.

£500 would be my best offer.

Any car can have problems. Dr Nick inspected the car before buying and it seemed Ok.

If we expand a little on this, DrNicks car is the same age as yours. How much did you pay for the SL £25k ish?

No car could have 19K worth of problems so in reality which is the better buy?

 

[stats007]

It's not an SL though is it? Why is it being rude? Previous posts have stated they wouldn't touch it with a bargepole or pay £100 for it. Personally I wouldn't be happy knowing a car had covered that much mileage when literally any mechanical component could fail. Are we supposed to only post if we agree on something now?!?

 

[Dieselman]

It's not an SL though is it? Why is it being rude? Previous posts have stated they wouldn't touch it with a bargepole or pay £100 for it. Personally I wouldn't be happy knowing a car had covered that much mileage when literally any mechanical component could fail. Are we supposed to only post if we agree on something now?!?

It's an E-class turbodiesel estate. They hold their money very well indeed. When Nick was looking at the car he had reservations about the mileage. He paid what was a very cheap price and has so far had good service from the car.
Financially he has been shrewd, as the car has cost no more than many other lower mileage cars to keep on the road and he has covered approx 40K miles.
He can't lose much money because he didn't pay much.

No one is saying you have to agree with posts, but being civil would be nice. You see you even came back with "its' not an SL is it?"
A: We all know that
B: If nick had wanted an SL he would have bought one
C: So other than snob value, what's so good about an SL?

Given that the SL was probably £60K new and the E300 £37K who actually has the better deal?

You originally said you wouldn't have paid £500 for it.
That's not living in the real world, the car is worth what Nick paid.
There are plenty of high mileage MB estates selling for well over £500 even very much older than Nicks car.

High mileage doesn't kill the value of good diesels the way it does petrol engined cars.

 

[stats007]

It has nothing to do with snob value - you questioned who had the better deal. A 300 TD is not an SL so how can you compare the two? There are more than just issues with the engine - agreed a diesel will outlast a petrol if well maintained, but very high mileage cars suffer from component fatigue - especially in the suspension and chassis. I personally wouldn't feel safe driving a car with that sort of mileage, hence it would only be worth £500 to me. I am sure it is worth a lot more to Nick.

 

[Swiss Toni]

ROFPML

Int t'internet great?!

 

[andyw]

Y-A-W-N.....

is it just me who is having a deja vu moment?

 

[Spinal]

Y-A-W-N.....

is it just me who is having a deja vu moment?

Deja Vu? Nah, we like BBQ's! They start the flames, I'll bring the burgers

 

[KLP 92]

It's not an SL though is it? Why is it being rude? Previous posts have stated they wouldn't touch it with a bargepole or pay £100 for it. Personally I wouldn't be happy knowing a car had covered that much mileage when literally any mechanical component could fail. Are we supposed to only post if we agree on something now?!?

Yes, people did say that BEFORE he bought his car. You're basically saying he has bought a worthless pile of junk! He paid £6k for his car and i'm sure he's happy with it, hence the reason for buying it. The point of the post was whether he should buy the car, and he made his decision. This post wasn't designed to start insulting other members cars. Your opinion is useless as he's already bought the car, so stop being so rude and find something else to do.

 

[kusanku]

I think the resale point was definately worthwhile flagging up. I've got an SEC, which had 190k on the clock when I bought it. I paid what I thought was a reasonnable price, as it was in better condition than many lower milage ones I looked at with less than 100k at double the price or more. Full main dealer service history, and pretty well everything that is likely to go already replaced. The car ran perfectly, and has continued to do during my 3 years of ownership, with nothing major needing doing. It's now done 202k, and I'm looking to get rid of it simply because I fancy a change. Advertised in Merc Enthusiast last month, and have got no serious enquiries at all.

When I bought it, I got loads of sound advice from people re: the mileage, all of which was largely correct. However, nobody at the time thought of the resale issue: and unless you intend to keep the car for many years, it is worth considering.

 

[stats007]

Yes, people did say that BEFORE he bought his car. You're basically saying he has bought a worthless pile of junk! He paid £6k for his car and i'm sure he's happy with it, hence the reason for buying it. The point of the post was whether he should buy the car, and he made his decision. This post wasn't designed to start insulting other members cars. Your opinion is useless as he's already bought the car, so stop being so rude and find something else to do.

No as I said it's worthless to me as a purchase - as a car for life for Nick I'm sure he'll get his moneys worth. My SL I can sell on - as Kusanku said - what value does a privately owned 400k+ mile car have?

 

[big x]

Well, mileage "correction" companies charge circa £60 for a haircut.... bombsite chav dealers..you know the type, one hour warranty and they set the dogs on you when you complain and other badly dressed low lifes would swarm around such a car at auction and they tend to fetch mad prices compared to petrol versions in certain regions.It's worth around 3K now.
Where I live in rural Somerset many use much cheaper non-road illegal red diesel which props up prices.Me...I'd rather have a lower milegage V6 for less money.

adam

No as I said it's worthless to me as a purchase - as a car for life for Nick I'm sure he'll get his moneys worth. My SL I can sell on - as Kusanku said - what value does a privately owned 400k+ mile car have?

 

[Ian B Walker]

It has nothing to do with snob value - you questioned who had the better deal. A 300 TD is not an SL so how can you compare the two? .

Horses for courses. You want to cruise the Kings Road then an SL. You want a good relaible workhorse then a 300TD. My 260E has the original engine, original box and everything else original. The head has never been off and its done 214,000 miles. AND its petrol !! Diesels go on for far longer and offer greated reliability.

 

[petef]

I reckon a lot of work will have been done on this car......Who actually knows anyway what high mileage is on a merc. Just get it inspected and see what the mechanic says.As for £6000 i think thats way off. Do a work out on the "What Car" Web Site or "Wisebuyers" car website. They work out what the car is worth if you enter the mileage.
As for altering car mileages i think it sucks and the people who do it are the lowest of the low. At least you know on this one the mileage is genuine !
Good Luck
Pete

 

[Dieselman]

I reckon a lot of work will have been done on this car......Who actually knows anyway what high mileage is on a merc. Just get it inspected and see what the mechanic says.As for £6000 i think thats way off. Do a work out on the "What Car" Web Site or "Wisebuyers" car website. They work out what the car is worth if you enter the mileage.
As for altering car mileages i think it sucks and the people who do it are the lowest of the low. At least you know on this one the mileage is genuine !
Good Luck
Pete

Nick bought the car two years ago. The price was about 6K below regular prices.
He has covered about 40K with no major problems. He had a sheaf of papaer relating to all the work that had been done to the car.

 

[DrNick]

Go on then, I'll bite.

The car has just covered 445000, and at least I can be pretty sure its genuine!

Mechanically its superb, uses no oil and since I changed the MAF sensor it pulls like two trains. Apart from two bonnet stars and a duovalve I don't think I've had to spend out anything apart from service items. Oh, except for the usual resealing of the diesel lines.

It has certainly been the most comfortable car for long distances and is very relaxing to drive. I would certainly consider another one except for one issue....rust.

As far as I can see, rust should not be linked to mileage, apart from surface stone chips which are unavoidable. As long as these are treated quickly then they shouldn't be an issue (and they're not). BUt rust is very depressing.

The car was rusty under the door seams when bought, but I didn't know this was a known problem at the time, and didn't notice. However, MB replaced the doors and tailgate under warranty (yes, with no service history). But I am getting small amounts of rust in other known areas and with the recent increased in the cost of fuel I think it might be time to look at my options for selling it.

When I look at what else I could have bought for £6K I really can't see any comparison. In terms of value, enjoyment and interest (this forum and the car itself have rekindled my interest in oily bits) it has been the best car I've owned.

So there!

Anyone want to buy a Dutton kit car? I need the garage space for the wifes junk!

 

[IanT]

Good to read an update Nick, and this certainly makes my 2001 car look like a spring chicken at its meagre 175k miles.

Incidentally mine had a replacement gearbox the week before I picked it up (under warranty) although I test drove it on the old box and found NOTHING wrong with it whatsoever.

I'm interested to know if your doors (replaced) are still rust free?

Cheers, Ian.

 

[Dieselman]

I'm interested to know if your doors (replaced) are still rust free?

Cheers, Ian.

Once the doors actually have some paint on they should then stay Ok.

The dealer should also have applied rustproofing wax to the door tops and will probably have done the insides, though this isn't guarenteed.

 

[petef]

OOOps sorry i thought this was a new post...maybe stats did !!!...His remark really didnt deserve the reaction from some of the members on this forum now did he...

 

[DrNick]

I'm resurrecting this old thread to give me closure!

I have now sold the E class that was the subject of this thread after just over two years of ownership. It left me with 454000 on the clock. There was a lot of interest in it on ebay and I got £3200, which I was happy with.

The car still ran great and used no oil and everything worked on it apart from a couple of bulbs. One wing was starting to rust, and as I had had my free doors and tailgate from Mercedes a year ago I thought now was the time to say goodbye as I could see a future of rust.

A bargain? Depreciation of just over £100 pm was high in percentage terms but was low in absolute terms. Economy was good for such a large powerful car and servicing costs were reasonable given that it was done by a combination of me and a local garage. Reliability was OK, but it did let me down twice. One time was due to an airleak in the fuel system so it wouldn't start, and the second time was due to gearbox coolant pipes rusting through.
Maintainance costs were OK but then nothing really major went wrong

Comfort and driving pleasure were really good.

In summary, I think I got a good deal throughout but probably not a bargain. I would consider another one, but not a W210. I don't think the mileage was really ever a problem. None of its issues could really be ascribed to its mileage, so don't let a high mileage put you off! If it hadn't been for the rust, it would have been brilliant!

Nick

 

[Shude]

In summary, I think I got a good deal throughout but probably not a bargain. I would consider another one, but not a W210. I don't think the mileage was really ever a problem. None of its issues could really be ascribed to its mileage, so don't let a high mileage put you off! If it hadn't been for the rust, it would have been brilliant!

Ahem

High milers rule!

I stand by my previous comment!