W124 E300D as a 30,000 mile per year proposition?

[jonm]

In my view it would depend on your objectives and why you want a W124. If its a labout of love then nothing but a 124 will do, the answer is simple, buy one and off you go..its it goes pear shaped or its not what you hoped for you can always sell it on, afterall (in the grand scheme of things) its not going to be as expensive as racking up huge miles on a much newer car.

However, if theres a bit of 'im doing 30K+ miles a year and need to be sure (as certain as is ever possible) that I am going to get there every time' then maybe something newer is a better idea. I know that w124's have a reputation for being bomb proof, but they are all pretty old now and I would expect that bits of rubber, mechanical bits/pieces, wires etc will be getting worn and will therefore need a lot more maintenance and there will be a higher probability of you being let down. With saying that I've never owned one and am not speaking from any position of authority, so what do I know?

Back to the first point, if its a labour of love, then go for it, whats the worst that can happen? However, if the odd let down (which can happen with any car lets face it) will cause you a big problem/enbarassment then best leave that itch 'un scratched'.


Personallty I'd go for it and see what happens...you only live once and this isn't a dress rehearsal (as I'm prone to saying!).

 

[flango]

Personallty I'd go for it and see what happens...you only live once and this isn't a dress rehearsal (as I'm prone to saying!).

My view of life exactly, we only get one shot on this earth so make it count. Oh and a message to those saving for a rainy day " It's pi**ing down right now" you can't take it with you.

 

[d w124]

My view of life exactly, we only get one shot on this earth so make it count. Oh and a message to those saving for a rainy day " It's pi**ing down right now" you can't take it with you.

I would look at it that way if i was to buy a pleasure car such as e500 or e60.

 

[Ade B]

At 90k miles my 1991 CE is far from worn out. I don't have the time, space, tools or inclination to tinker with it beyond really simple stuff so it goes to where ever is convenient for repairs/servicing. The big difference is I've stopped doing 'preventative' maintenance and now fix it when its broken - which has reduced annual running costs by about £2k Having said that its at the MOT station as I type.

Having spent a miserable sunday afternoon in Car Giant looking at family wagons last weekend both Mrs B and I concluded that we can't replace the CE for something we actually want to own for the money we want to spend - so we're going to hang on to it for the foreseeable.

So one way of looking at it.

Cons:
Thirsty
Expensive things go wrong related to age/mileage
Rust
Cumulative wear and tear

Pros:
Comfy, quiet, refined (for its age)
Design has aged well (unlike say 202 or even 210 - or most other cars of its generation)
Leather interiors are superb if kept clean
Easy to take to bits and put back together again

And then there are the little quirks which I like, odd mirrors, sun roof detailing, chunky rocker switches, simple leccy seat controls, cavernous boot, seat belt presenters etc. etc.

I also like the fact that most of the time, most of the things on it work

So if you fancy a 124 and go in with an open mind (and wallet) many happy journeys will follow.


Ade

 

[d w124]

The big difference is I've stopped doing 'preventative' maintenance and now fix it when its broken - which has reduced annual running costs by about £2k

 

[Smiley]

£2k is about my total repair cost (ie on top of service items) over 12 yrs and 190k miles.

 

[Ade B]

For the first 2 years of ownership I replaced a fair few things! Documented on here in various winges/rants..

On a plus note, it just sailed through the MOT no advisories

Ade

 

[d w124]

But that`s not mean you`ll have to change them on next service

 

[bolide]

I've just sold my E300 Diesel estate with just under 205,000 miles on it. I've had it for three years and done 40,000 miles in it. I was the third owner

It came to me with full history. During my ownership I've serviced it three or four times and spent about £2500 on it. That figure ties in reasonably well with my normal recommendation to budget for £700 / year for maintenance

I have replaced:

* engine mounts
* 3 glow plugs
* one rear wheel bearing (£450)
* suspension spheres
* short link pipes to spheres
* rear suspension leg top mounts
* rear subframe leading bushes
* front arb bushes (twice)
* front balljoints

So clearly I owned the car through the period where many worn parts need to be replaced. The run up to 200k is, I think, the tipping point. That said, it's now ready for another 200k and drives beautifully

Buy a car with 130k and you'll have two years of cheapish motoring followed by a more expensive third year. Buy a car where everything's been done and your costs will be lower - at least at first

The car has not depreciated at all. But I have kept on top of the maintenance and the interior is still very bright

Nick Froome

 

[Smiley]

ouch the wheel bearing was expensive - i know the bearing itself is about £90.
Your list of jobs stacks with what I now face at 200k ish - just got the engine mounts and I know the rear subframe bushes will need doing soon - and whilst in there may as well do the suspension pipes....and look at the spheres....and the discs are coming up to 100k old.......it all starts to add up!

btw can you share the selling price for your car with us; I realise it will be top end money but just out of interest and to persuade me that I should "invest" in mine!

 

[bpsorrel]

As above - all those taxi drivers can't all be wrong...

True! When we were in Lisbon recently, we rode in a few W124 taxis and they all seemed in great condition. I asked one very friendly guy how he kept it going as a taxi considering it's age and mileage (over 200,00kms!) and he said regular servicing (from his mate!!) and lots of use! There you go, great high mileage cars, the Lisbon taxi drivers can't be wrong!

 

[Ade B]

this thread may be useful.

need to update for a surprisingly economical 2009! (although that is a relative term..)

Ade

 

[SilverSaloon]

Well i did almost exactly what you want to do. I owned a top spec 7 series beemer before i sold it 2 years ago and cashed in and bought the W124 E300D estate. I've never looked back. I bought mine from Charles Ironside to ensure the car was OK, which it has been. i think that was probably worth the extra outlay as if i'd purchase a newer mondeo or somethiung similar cost the W124 is probably still worth more than the mondeo would of been worth today, and its only going to appreciate in value, but not too bothered about that stuff anyway. About 2k worth of work was done on it prior to me buying it and i think this is the key factor on buying one from a specialst - cheaper ones are out there but could end up with big bills or something not so reliable. of course there are exceptions and you could find a bargain. part of me still thinks i could of bought one much cheaper but would it of cost the same to run? i doubt it. I bought a 1995 E300D saloon for £900 shortly after for my wife as the estate was so good. I sold it on for a profit a few months later.

I do approx 20k a year and have owned it for 2 years now. Current mileage is 212k and counting . Its cost probably about £700 to maintain it over that time. OK, i service it myself and the rest was new rear hub assembly after an MOT station knackered stuff by trying to adjust rear bearings, so not really the car's fault - and the rest was new tyres on the back, new tyres on front (just done) and a new window regulator. I do any work on it myself when i can but i really dont "tinker" with it when i dont need to. I dont have time. I try to avoid work on it if possible! Saying that, at the moment i need to replace the glowplugs

i would go for it - it does sound like you want a W124 rather than just a cheaper car, which the W124 probably isnt going to be - remember they were more expensive than your C class when new, being E classes so will require the maintance costs to go with that.

Remember you can cut your fuel bills in half by running it on SVO or run it for free on WVO, but thats another adventure that you can consider if you get the car.

 

[Little Bob]

Wow - thanks for all the replies, all very useful and thought provoking.

The consensus seems to be a Yes, but to budget for higher maintenance costs, which is common sense.

Thanks for your response Nick, (Bolide) we did have a brief e-mail conversation a couple of weeks ago which was appreciated, and I'm not at all surprised that your personal car has already sold - that interior is beautiful.
I will certainly be in contact with a view to purchase as you are so close to me and your cars look top notch.

There's nothing more valuable than the opinions of those of you already in ownership of a W124, and so far I haven't been put off the idea!

Thanks again.

 

[Jerrytommygal1]

I'm sure it would cope very well. You'll find it very relaxing to drive
Be prepared to spend a bit every year (they're a bit like the Forth Bridge - it's a constant round of replacing bits, some cheap, some eye-wateringly expensive). A W124 is at it's best when driven a lot, they thrive on it. There's plenty of W124 taxis doing that sort of mileage in various parts of the world.

I currently drive just under 7,000 miles a year (home office). Is it worth buying a W124? Would it suffer from under usage?

 

[d w124]

I currently drive just under 7,000 miles a year (home office). Is it worth buying a W124? Would it suffer from under usage?

I drive mine 6-7k without any problem

 

[Ted]

I drove from Warwick to Ashford and back today in mine - a total of around 350 miles.
The fact that it drove beautifully, and didn't miss a beat was a given.
Whay really impressed was the comfort on the drive,
The seats must be the most comfortable over a long distance than any car I can recall- due I think to their firmness - certainly better than my w210 or Lexus.
The drive was a sheer pleasure mostly done between an indicated 80-90 apart from the M25.
Money aside, I could count on the fingers of one hand the cars I would have rather been in.
I'm sure that if you find a good one, 30K per year would not be a problem.