What Mercedes would you recommend?

[A160DSB]

My dad, 45 years old.
Not overly into cars, in fact, not in to cars. He would want something that would need very little maintenance because he's almost as useless as me at cars!

He'll have about £3000 possibly up to £4000. He's a good few months off buying it though, got to wait for money to come through from something or another. I dont really know where its coming from.

He goes to and from work in his car, and thats really about it, now that I've got my own.

He's driven mine a few times, and says he likes it, but he doesn't like the A Class. I showed him a few pictures of the W169 A & B class' but he doesn't like the shape... apparently.

At the minute he drives a 1.4 Ford Focus, with mid-life crisis black wheel trims.

He asked me to ask you lot what you would suggest.

Cheers

 

[Dr-Nab]

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/spotted-ebay/107472-nice-looking-208-a.html

 

[A160DSB]

I'll quote his response!

"yummmmmmmm! but too bigger engine, and if I go to work in that (he's a bus driver) it would get keyed."

 

[Deleted member 37751]

W203 220 CDi Avantgarde

 

[Will]

If he's not interested in cars, perhaps it doesn't need to be a Mercedes?

Plenty of other good simple, reliable, cheap cars out there these days

 

[A160DSB]

he likes!

 

[Martyn_n]

A mondeo, the shape before the current one (Mk2 I think). I had a few as company cars and very difficult to fault. I have always said that if I were to buy any car it would be one of those, having said that what I actually bought was a w124 (but I AM "into cars")!

 

[Charles Morgan]

W124

i would say that, but get a decent one for £2k and spend the money saved on sorting it a bit. Tremendous sense of occasion and lovely ride.

If not, get a Skoda.

 

[A210AMG]

Sensible head on....


Not being funny or meaning to sound it but "something that would need very little maintenance"

Looking at a Merecdes around £3000 and runing it cheaply will be difficult, some new Brake discs and pads say maybe £300 fitted and thats a large percentage of the cost of the car.

If your dad is used to a focus, its probably just worked and needed very little? and if it did its a ford so generally going to be much cheaper parts.

Trying to run a Mercedes on a budget is a difficult one, as people do forget how much these cars were new and the parts / availablity of parts / labour to fit parts reflect this.

Also how many miles is work and back and what sort of route? the focus (a manual I guess) probably does 40 mpg so he doesn't want the Merc costing more to run?


Not sure what I would do as not really up on prices, If it has to be a Mercedes then the CLK's do look great value

Something like this and bank the rest of the money to maintain it.

SPRINT : CLK 320 LOW MILES FSH SUPER SPEC

as for the Mid life crisis..

GP Cars : Mercedes-Benz CLK 230K Avantgarde Tip

 

[A160DSB]

I agree. I said he shouldnt get a mercedes. but dad wanted me to find out what sort of Mercs to look for if he decided he wanted one.

Dads work is in Grays, from Canvey. so about a 40-45 mile round trip.

I've already specified. he is UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES getting a convertible.

@charles, his first car was a skoda. he proposed to my mum in the back of a skoda (romantic eh?). they're divorced. He don't want a skoda haha

 

[219]

W124 , simple and reliable . £3K would get a top condition saloon which would be reliable and easy to look after .

 

[gmk666]

45?
Mid life crisis?
I stopped reading after that, you cheeky young scamp you.
(I'm 41 and I hope nowhere near mid-life.)

Seriously though, Mk5 Golfs start around £5k I think. How about one of those?

Edited to add just re-read title. So either ignore my post, or stick a three-pointed star instead of a VW badge on the grille.

 

[snoop51]

A mondeo, the shape before the current one (Mk2 I think). I had a few as company cars and very difficult to fault. I have always said that if I were to buy any car it would be one of those, having said that what I actually bought was a w124 (but I AM "into cars")!

You can have them, I had one, hated it, don't know what possessed me when I bought it. Each to their own as they say having said that I don't know what I would have if I dropped down to the sort of budget the OP has suggested. Maybe a VW of some description, Passat or Golf but no blue oval badge for me.

 

[Adam230K]

Civic Type-S Or even Type-R if he likes his speed
Seat Leon Cupra
Toyota Corolla

 

[snoop51]

I agree.
I've already specified. he is UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES getting a convertible.

No offence but who are you to dictate what your Dad buys with his money. God if one of my kids told me I couldn't have something because it offends there sensibilities I'd be straight out buying one. Oh wait a minute I remember now being near my mid-life crisis that's why I ended up with an I phone, it was my daughter's fault she said I couldn't have one. Just made me so I went out and got one. Boy was she when I told her.:bannana::bannana::bannana:

 

[bpsorrel]

What about one of these?

A C class sport coupe was my first MB and I'm not too far off your Dad's age...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../page/2/postcode/ha03ae/radius/1500?logcode=p

 

[Martyn_n]

You can have them, I had one, hated it, don't know what possessed me when I bought it. Each to their own as they say having said that I don't know what I would have if I dropped down to the sort of budget the OP has suggested. Maybe a VW of some description, Passat or Golf but no blue oval badge for me.

I've driven golfs, I've driven passats but I would still choose the mondeo as the better drivers car (Not the new one though, it feels obese!). In my experience the perceived quality of (current) VWs is nothing more than advertising hyperbole. I can never understand why people go out and buy a VW, and to a greater extent Audi, when they can have the same components and construction methodology for a lot less. Actually I do understand, they are too vain to drive around with a skoda badge on their car.

 

[snoop51]

I've driven golfs, I've driven passats but I would still choose the mondeo as the better drivers car (Not the new one though, it feels obese!). In my experience the perceived quality of (current) VWs is nothing more than advertising hyperbole. I can never understand why people go out and buy a VW, and to a greater extent Audi, when they can have the same components and construction methodology for a lot less. Actually I do understand, they are too vain to drive around with a skoda badge on their car.

I'd quite happily have a Skoda however SWMBO wouldn't. If I was bothered about a drivers car I'd have a C63 not an E350CDI. The Mondeo I had of the variety you mentioned was the worst put together car I've had since I owned a Pug309GTI in the 80's, more rattles than Mothercare and as for cheap repairs try a grand for clutch & flywheel. Not exactly cheap in my book.

 

[Martyn_n]

I'd quite happily have a Skoda however SWMBO wouldn't. If I was bothered about a drivers car I'd have a C63 not an E350CDI. The Mondeo I had of the variety you mentioned was the worst put together car I've had since I owned a Pug309GTI in the 80's, more rattles than Mothercare and as for cheap repairs try a grand for clutch & flywheel. Not exactly cheap in my book.

I had to google SWMBO, but the result was scarily similar to my household, we ended up with an Alfa 147 at her request when I wanted to go for a VRs Octavia which she refused to even enter the dealers for! I've had numerous mondeos without the problems you mention but if that is your experience I understand your stance. Having had a 309 GTi myself I assume you must have liked drivers cars in the eighties, unfairly overshadowed by the 205 as unlike that it tended not to throw you backwards into a ditch!

 

[ss201]

W201 190E 2.0 auto. £2k (ish) for a really good one. Just sold my old one to a lady in Scotland who's sent me three texts since buying it to thank me for selling her such a wonderful car. Her son, who's a professional valeter e-mailed me to thank me, having gone over the car fully and driven it. The car is 19 years old and has covered 220,000 miles. Looked after properly, they last and last. So - find a good one for £2k and your dad will still have £1-2k to play with for servicing and maintenance for the next few years. Simple to maintain, spares are plentiful and relatively cheap. Depreciation will be next to nothing too.