Write-off ... ?

[allegoricus]

A lady rear-ended my 2001 C270 (W203) saloon a week ago. The impact wasn't that great but the offside rear quarter panel is a bit crumpled and I suspect that, when the insurance company's engineer gets sight of it, the result will be a write-off.

Anticipating this, I'm looking at potential replacements. I don't really want to swap a 2001 car that I know for a car of similar age and mileage that I don't know, so I'm looking at newer cars with reasonable mileage.

I've seen a 2005 E280i locally for about £6.5k (77,000 miles) which looks good, but I wonder whether the running costs will prove to be a killer compared to the C270.

My average annual mileage these days is only about 7000 but we have a caravan, which means I need a car with sufficient weight and grunt.

The other alternative might be, assuming the anticipated economic write-off, to buy the car back and pay to have the damage repaired (provisionally estimated at around £2500) but I'm not sure about that as I'll still have a thirteen-year-old car and it will no longer be quite the "known" proposition that it has been to date.

Any views/suggestions/whatever will be welcome.

Thanks,

Peter

 

[gIzzE]

I would guess that the C270 returns around 42 average? (48 on the obc)

The E280cdi will be around 35 average.

On 7000 miles a year that is around £2 a week extra!!

Go for it.

 

[allegoricus]

Car gets spirited away to the repairer this morning, so we'll soon know what the options are. I'm not optimistic.

 

[Howard]

Yet another option is to not let them write it off , tell them you will have a contract repair.

Lots of info on here about contract repairs.

 

[allegoricus]

Well, my car was carted off on a transporter this morning, and the loan car has been delivered ... a C220 with 700 miles on the clock!

 

[Spin_bowler]

You're just as likely to find a rank 2005 car as a 2001 one to be honest. If the BHP matters split the difference and go for a bigger engined older one or, as others have said, buy your known one back.

 

[Peter DLM]

After swanning around in a brand new w204, you won't want your old banger back. It might ruin you a bit haha.