Very high mileage - is buying a mad idea

[Seamster15]

Dammm.... I was watching out for that one! and missed it. I have a long way to go in the ML now to catch it up! Will it last though ? LOL

 

[Swiss Toni]

For what it is worth, I have driven some very high mile newish cars recently, and more important than the total mileage was the way in which they had been driven and serviced...

One car had 200k+ miles and had been driven by just one chap - serviced and anything it needed, it got. Great car.

Another identical vehicle had slightly lower miles but multiple drivers - a shed.

The exhaust had never cooled down on these cars, so both were original, as were many other parts that benefit from smooth use - better that than a low-mile city car that has run up and down curbs every day?

 

[Shude]

...better that than a low-mile city car that has run up and down curbs every day?

Like my grandmother's W-reg (the old W!) mini that she had owned from new and had about 5000 miles on it. It sounded awful and had never done more than about 25 mph.

 

[Will]

Well it seems to have been a good car after all. £100 a month for a relatively new MB diesel estate is not bad in my book

Considering Nick got 50K miles for his money, I don't think that's bad at all. How much money would most average mileage W210s have lost if you put 50K on them over 2 years?

One of my friends still has a 190E 2.0 that I bought for him 2 years ago. It's used daily and is still in fantastic, well above average conditon. Has passed 2 MOTs without any fuss and has cost less than £200 on servicing in this time. It's never broken down and is still worth more than he paid for it all that time ago. Certainly surprises many other people who have paid £10k for euro-hatches etc

As Shude, Dieselman and many others have said, High Milers Rule! :bannana:

Will

 

[Dieselman]

DrNick
I expect your car will go onto a taxi fleet for it's next 450K miles, then be sold again showing about 200k miles.

Nice to know that after all the old clunker was a good buy.

 

[BearFace]

I've got an option on a 1999 E 300TD estate. The downside is its very high mileage ~400,000.

Its obviously been serviced regularly (probably the only time its been off the road!) and Mercedes have a reputation for being able to cover high mileages, but is this amount of miles just asking for trouble?

What are peoples opinions on the value of such a vehicle, given its general condition looks fine ie no dents / cracks etc. There doesn't seem to be much around to compare it with

many thanks

Nick

If it's sufficiently cheap (there's an inbuilt ideal mileage: price ratio in most of us...) then it's not a problem. If it gives you three months of trouble-free motoring and you only expected two months, then it's proved itself as something of a bargain. But it's all entirely subjective.

Before I became a photographer, I actually sold cars and managed entire dealerships. Saabs in particular seemed to cover ludicrous mileages and I can recall several part-exchanged 9000s and 900s which had done similar mileages to that of the Merc you're currently considering. As a main dealer, I could never retail them, but certainly those who purchased them continued to drive the cars for months and years after. If a car has been looked after very well (regular oil and filter changes etc), then it'll go the distance. Probably...

Only you have the answers. Good luck

 

[Dieselman]

Bearface.

Nick has just sold the car after two years of painless ownership.

 

[BearFace]

Bearface.

Nick has just sold the car after two years of painless ownership.

................so what you're saying is that I should've perhaps engaged my brain prior to posting..?

Fair enough. It's been a long day...

 

[jeremytaylor]

Nick, it's nice to hear that the 'experiment' worked out with no tears.

How was the interior wearing on this supposedly-lower-standard Merc after alll those miles? Was the seat sagging excessively etc.??

 

[DrNick]

You can look for yourself on ebay
Ebay item item=4610825500
The seat wasn't sagging excessively, but was sagging a bit. It was finished in something that looked like leather but probably wasn't, but wore incredibly well! Even the carpet showed no signs of wear!

 

[Vips]

silly me, I thought it was a new post

 

[Shude]

There is no way I would pay 6k for a car of this mileage. As said before, If the car drives well than offer a much lower price. Also see if the seller has any invoices that tells you all the work that has been carried out on the car. This will give you some idea of what may need changing in the future.

Please read the thread from the start to the end! The OP has now sold the car after 2 years of happy motoring!

 

[230K]

Hi

Just a thought, at half the miles would mine be worth twice as much?

(Check signature below pls)

230K

 

[Dieselman]

Question from prospective bidder.

Q: Is the Millage correct as stated?

A: The mileage is near enough correct to the nearest thousand. Its still going up as I'm putting about 100miles a day on it.


Nice.

I bet they tought you'd put too many noughts on the advert.