Mercedes E320 CDI AVANTGARDE AUTO DIESEL

[Audio Al]

As above , anyone owned one of these ? One is for sale local :eyebrows: and I fancy a change :eyebrows:

Comments lads and lasses :)

[Marco]

Yes, daftee. Which year is it?

I had one very like that before my current Merc, although mine was a C-Class. They're superb. One of the best diesel engines around, pretty darned fast, yet economical if you drive it sensibly, and reliable, as long as the car has been properly maintained.

The E-class will be a little heavier than one I had, but still nice to drive, and a bit more luxurious inside. Great for long journeys. You'll be impressed at how effortless it feels to drive, especially on motorways :)

Marco.

[Audio Al]

Its a old one year 2000 on a X reg , 2 owners from new and 116 K on the clock , been for a 10 mile test drive in it and all seems ok
NO service history but I have been on the dvla mot history site and it all adds up , 3200cc 6 pot turbo oiler :)

[CageyH]

You need to know if the oil was changed regularly on a turbo engined car.
It's relatively expensive to fix when they go pop due to old oil, and not being allowed to cool down after a long run.

[Marco]

Yup, I'd echo that. The turbo went on my old Merc (very similar to the one you're intending to buy, Al), and it cost nearly £3k to replace. That was on a £10k, 2007 car. Luckily, as I always do, I'd taken out a good warranty (something which I'd urge everyone to do when buying any reasonably priced second-hand car), and they covered half of the cost.

Also, gearbox oil (and filter), and it having been changed recently or otherwise, is another major concern on these cars, as it can go pop if no-one's looked at it - and that's about the same cost to replace as the turbo!

However, it all depends how much this car you're thinking of buying costs, whether it's worth taking a punt on it or not. Potentially, it could be a great car, and good for another 80k miles or so, but it could also be a money pit... Based on what you've said, I wouldn't want to be paying any more for it than £2k.

Marco.

[Beobloke]

In addition to the above, check it very carefully for rust. 2000 was right in Mercedes' blip in build quality era when tin-worm issues were rife.

[Justjon]

I used to sell them new at that time and "quality" isn't a word I'd use to describe one. Myself and the other sales people used to take bets on how soon the car would return with problems.
That said, any of the major faults would have been long sorted under warranty on the car you're thinking of buying. The engines are pretty much bullet proof as long as has been mentioned above. Even if the turbo gives up, it can be rebuilt or buy a pattern part rather the OE.

[AlexM]

I have that car, although mine is a 2004 (W211) E320 CDI. I'm selling it at the moment for £5300 with 78k on the clock.

The W210 E320 is quite old now, and they had serious problem with corrosion due to defective anti corrosion techniques. Mechanically they are pretty good - the six cylinder OM613 turbodiesel is very strong, as is the five speed autobox.

The W211 E320 (2003 on) is a better proposition - No rust problems at all, spares are readily available and inexpensive - for example, a new water pump is about £50 and most parts are available second hand. It's a lot of car for the money - air suspension, very nice to drive, lots of toys and extremely comfortable. Mine hasn't skipped a beat - new batteries, tyres, brakes etc as you would expect, but nothing out of the ordinary. The newer, the better, but most early W211s (2003-2005) will have had any gremlins sorted out in their early/middle life. The only gotcha is the SBC electro-hydraulic braking module is lifed at 100,000 brake applications. They went back to conventional ABS braking in the 2006-2009 model years, and if it needs doing you're looking at £500 for a new SBC module from Bosch.

Very practical car - huge load area with the seats down.. I use mine as a gig transport for the band, and they're gutted i'm selling it. Great for moving washing machines, sofas, cupboards, dump trips etc.

[Kember]

Al,

Noooo!:eek:

I'd walk away even if they are giving you the car. IIRC this is the W210 version (not W211) - the steel has the tensile strength of wet cardboard and the build quality awful. Do really make sure you're not buying a snotter. Apart from the boot and doors, check every body panel including the roof. The front subframes are prone to rot as is the engine compartment. The electrics in the instrument cluster are prone to fail but relatively cheap to repair.

To say 2000 is not a vintage year for Merc is a massive understatement - The worst car I have ever owned was an E300 petrol saloon of that year (and I have owned several French dreckmobiles). I gave up after five months and lost thousands on it.

Also, speaking as a Merc driver of 30 years' standing, but true of most manufacturers, older petrol engines are easier to maintain and sound less like you're dragging a bag of spanners behind you...or clouds of smoke. My 26 year old SL just chunters on with around £500 a year to service and MOT it. You need to be putting a lot miles on before an elderly diesel makes much sense to own.

Whether you buy diesel or petrol, the main trick on old Mercs, is not to skimp on the oil changes or oil quality and I'd suggest changing it more frequently than the service schedule.

HTH

Peter

[Audio Al]

Well my insurance CO put pay to the purchase , They wanted £780 :eek: My current car is £280

[Marco]

Jeez, what a nightmare - for *that* ancient thing! Madness :eek:

That's the 'joys' of living down south again, mate. I pay £425, fully comp, for my (2009) C350, with all the Brabus mods on it, which I have to list and pay EXTRA for! If the car was standard, it'd cost me even less...

How many years no claims is that quote based on, and would the car be garaged at night, and also have you got a clean licence? Those are big factors in keeping premiums low. I also presume you shopped around for the lowest quote? I use the various comparison sites to come up with the lowest quote, and always go with that :)

Marco.

[NRG]

.....but it isn't is it Marco, it's more stereotypical claptrap, look where the top 8 most expensive areas are for car insurance : http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/news/is-yours-one-of-the-most-expensive-car-insurance-postcodes/0007631/

[Audio Al]

Jeez, what a nightmare - for *that* ancient thing! Madness

That's the 'joys' of living down south again, mate. I pay £425, fully comp, for my (2009) C350, with all the Brabus mods on it, which I have to list and pay EXTRA for! If the car was standard, it'd cost me even less...

How many years no claims is that quote based on, Its based on 3 years , I had 22 years but the insurance company now only give you the option of 9+ years a leagal way of doing away with anything over nine :doh: and I had a at fault claim 2 years ago , two damaged wings one on my car and one on the 3rd parties , At the time I phoned the insurance and ask what would happen at renewal time and was told " You may loose 2 years no claims " When It came through the kindly deducted 6 years :doh: and would the car be garaged at night, Not garaged but kept on my drive and also have you got a clean licence? Zero points :)Those are big factors in keeping premiums low. I also presume you shopped around for the lowest quote? Yes all around the same price I use the various comparison sites to come up with the lowest quote, and always go with that

Marco.

[Beobloke]

That's the 'joys' of living down south again, mate. I pay £425, fully comp, for my (2009) C350, with all the Brabus mods on it, which I have to list and pay EXTRA for! If the car was standard, it'd cost me even less...
.

I pay £402 fully comp for my (non-garaged) 4.4 litre behemoth that is apparently so beloved of ram raiders, which includes additions for reduced excess, the addition of protected no claims bonus and guaranteed hire car in the event of an accident. I changed this year as my previous insurer wanted £820 for the same thing, so clearly geographical area, yet again, has nothing to do with it.

Stop being Southern-ist! :spank: :D

[Ali Tait]

Dunfermline second cheapest in the UK. That's handy.. :-)

[Marco]

I pay £402 fully comp for my (non-garaged) 4.4 litre behemoth that is apparently so beloved of ram raiders, which includes additions for reduced excess, the addition of protected no claims bonus and guaranteed hire car in the event of an accident. I changed this year as my previous insurer wanted £820 for the same thing, so clearly geographical area, yet again, has nothing to do with it.

Stop being Southern-ist! :spank: :D

Ha... Well what it neatly highlights instead is that the quote Al was given was pishanto! So, he needs to go and get a better one... ;)

Marco.

[Justjon]

.....but it isn't is it Marco, it's more stereotypical claptrap

This

I'm down South and insure 2 cars and a bike for around £400, and I've got points.

[Marco]

.....but it isn't is it Marco, it's more stereotypical claptrap, look where the top 8 most expensive areas are for car insurance : http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/news/is-yours-one-of-the-most-expensive-car-insurance-postcodes/0007631/

In your humble opinion, perhaps. However, you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about the matter. Did I touch a raw nerve with my other thread, so as 'peeved southerner', you're now you're on my case? ;)

Statistics only reveal what you want to read into them, based on the info supplied to the system outputting the stats. I know plenty of people in London, and other major cities down south, who pay many times more to insure their little 'shopping trolleys', than I do the Brabster.

What does that tell you? Only what you chose to read into it, of course, the same as the stats you provided, but only a deluded person would deny that in general, overall, the cost of living is much higher in the south of the UK, than in the north.

Now please, let's not bring any more arguments from other threads onto this one, and get back to the original thread topic :)

Marco.

[CageyH]

The top eight most expensive areas are "up North". :lol:

[Roy S]

http://www.motorcarinsuranceuk.co.uk/post-code-ratings.php#C

Was thinking of moving to the coast (RM3 to CO15, E to A) + for what I'd get for my three bed semi I could get a four bed detached :scratch:

[walpurgis]

The top eight most expensive areas are "up North". :lol:

That would be because 'down south' there's so much traffic, you can't find anywhere to go fast enough for a 'proper' accident!