Can anything touch a 2011 Mercedes C250 CDI Coupe for VFM?

[danyeates]

Hi,

My dad is buying a new car to replace his 2006 Audi A3 TDI Quattro Sport.

Requirements are:

50mpg
Around 200hp
Diesel
Sat nav
Leather
Xenons
Bluetooth
Less than 20,000 miles
Less than 2 years old
Warranty
Would prefer a hatchback or a coupe, but will consider a saloon. No estates. It's only ever my dad in it, very rarely passengers.
Around £25k, ideally less.

He's got his eyes on a 2011 61 plate Mercedes C250 CDI Sport Edition 125 with the AMG kit and wheels. All the options including glass panoramic roof, sat nav, HDD, etc etc....the list goes on! £27,000. A little over budget but for spec, fuel economy, performance and value for money nothing else seems to touch it!

Any other ideas?

The Audi 2.0 TDI engine doesn't give the same performance and the 3.0 TDI doesn't offer the same economy. I'm struggling to find any other good looking executive cars that are 1 year old for the same money. Love the Jaguar XJ but they're too expensive and too thirsty.

It must be one or two years old as he'll be using it for business.

Dan

[Fox-]

It might well be a good car but I'd struggle to call it unbeatable for VFM!? A Mercedes is not something you generally buy if you want good value for money and a £27,000 4 cylinder diesel strikes me as being anything but value for money.

Value for money would be a similarly aged Seat Exeo or something for less than half the price. Which obviously won't be a credible alternative which does suggest it isn't actually VFM you are after.

[danyeates]

Fox- said:

It might well be a good car but I'd struggle to call it unbeatable for VFM!? A Mercedes is not something you generally buy if you want good value for money and a £27,000 4 cylinder diesel strikes me as being anything but value for money.

Value for money would be a similarly aged Seat Exeo or something for less than half the price. Which obviously won't be a credible alternative which does suggest it isn't actually VFM you are after.

Fair point, I've not worded it very well, best value for money high end executive car, without going too big in physical size.

He does a lot of miles so its needs to be a really nice place to sit for hours on end, lots of luxuries, toys, gadgets, etc. Something more up market compared to the A3.

Edited by danyeates on Sunday 11th November 12:07

[B17NNS]

Have a look at the current lease prices on these.

http://www.claris-vs.com/cars/car_details.aspx?id=...

[Rich1973]

A 3.0S diesel XF should fit the bill. Quick and economical.

[Fox-]

danyeates said:

Fair point, I've not worded it very well, best value for money high end executive car, without going too big in physical size.

He does a lot of miles so its needs to be a really nice place to sit for hours on end, lots of luxuries, toys, gadgets, etc. Something more up market compared to the A3.

A C Class isn't really a high end exec car. I'd imagine he'd be able to get an E Class that fits his requirements for the same sort of money which would be much more that sort of thing.

[danyeates]

B17NNS said:

Have a look at the current lease prices on these.

http://www.claris-vs.com/cars/car_details.aspx?id=...

Thanks, will see how they compare with used prices.

I wonder what a fully loaded 2011 coupe would be worth in 4 years time with 100,000 miles on it.

[danyeates]

Fox- said:

danyeates said:

Fair point, I've not worded it very well, best value for money high end executive car, without going too big in physical size.

He does a lot of miles so its needs to be a really nice place to sit for hours on end, lots of luxuries, toys, gadgets, etc. Something more up market compared to the A3.

A C Class isn't really a high end exec car. I'd imagine he'd be able to get an E Class that fits his requirements for the same sort of money which would be much more that sort of thing.

Yes I agree, but he doesn't want a big car, hence the Coupe.

[danyeates]

Rich1973 said:

A 3.0S diesel XF should fit the bill. Quick and economical.

He's hung up on the MPG figures on the C250, much better than the 3.0 of the Jaguar, although I agree, it's a lovely car.

[Deva Link]

I thought it seemed dear, but the only car with the same Spec on AutoTrader is £29,990 (also 61 reg).

If he's going to finance any of the cost then might be worth looking at new (although can't get the Edition125's now) as MB often does very heavily supported deposits and finance rates.

[danyeates]

Deva Link said:

I thought it seemed dear, but the only car with the same Spec on AutoTrader is £29,990 (also 61 reg).

If he's going to finance any of the cost then might be worth looking at new (although can't get the Edition125's now) as MB often does very heavily supported deposits and finance rates.

I don't think he's financing it, but I'll make sure he speaks to MB about new deals.

This all came about after the PH Sunday Service at MBW by the way! But they don't have anyone there that really wants to sell a car so couldn't do anything there.

[_Nathan_]

An E350 CDI Sport coupe from an auction - £26/7k

[Deva Link]

danyeates said:

But they don't have anyone there that really wants to sell a car ...

That's pretty standard in all MB dealers. I'd given up, but then circumstances (decided to opt out of company car) meant I had to get a car quickly and I got a nearly new one from MB Direct in Birmingham. The guy I dealt with there couldn't have been keener, but I'm going back a few years now.

[daemon]

danyeates said:

spec, fuel economy, performance and value for money nothing else seems to touch it!

BMW 320d Sport Coupe, 2011, 19's leather, nav, xenons - any amount of them on the approved used BMW site from £22480...

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/details/0,,1156_...

[Fox-]

daemon said:

BMW 320d Sport Coupe, 2011, 19's leather, nav, xenons - any amount of them on the approved used BMW site from £22480...

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/details/0,,1156_...

To be honest thats thats a very old car now - it's a coupe version of a car that was released almost 8 years ago now and it's very much at the end of its production life. This makes it a good buy at say £12k but compared to the C Coupe, which is a much more modern car, I'm not sure whats where my money would go despite having had one in the past.

You can buy F30 320d Saloons for similar money which would absolutely be a far better buy than an E9x now.

[Deva Link]

If economy is an issue (the OP mentioned it) then the BMW would much more reliably produce decent MPG. Merc diesel autos seem to vary dramatically.

[alpine87]

My Dad has a C250 CDI with the slush box, says its very comfortable to drive.

He drives sensibly and does a lot of motorway driving and easily gets about 40mpg but has to work to get it above 50/55mpg.

Nice car overall, 'command' is pretty good though not perfect. It's quite pokey for it's size and power but the slush box likes to rev the engine high when booted...

[Caulkhead]

danyeates said:

I'm struggling to find any other good looking executive cars that are 1 year old for the same money.

A 2011 Mercedes E250CDI Coupe. More car, same mechanicals, same price.

[daemon]

Fox- said:

daemon said:

BMW 320d Sport Coupe, 2011, 19's leather, nav, xenons - any amount of them on the approved used BMW site from £22480...

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/bmwauc/details/0,,1156_...

To be honest thats thats a very old car now - it's a coupe version of a car that was released almost 8 years ago now and it's very much at the end of its production life. This makes it a good buy at say £12k but compared to the C Coupe, which is a much more modern car, I'm not sure whats where my money would go despite having had one in the past.

You can buy F30 320d Saloons for similar money which would absolutely be a far better buy than an E9x now.

Introduced late '06 for the '07 model year, you're buying an '11 car that was four years into its production run and is still being made. The car has had several minor revisions and one major one during that time to keep it on top.

Dynamically, its the better car, and the C250CDI gets poor ratings for the clatteryness of it.

BUT, if hes attracted to the image / styling / finish of the Merc, hes unlikely to want a BMW.

[Fox-]

daemon said:

Introduced late '06 for the '07 model year, you're buying an '11 car that was four years into its production run and is still being made.

Sure the E92 was late 06 but it's fundamentally an E90 Coupe - the interior is mostly E90 (Bar the doorcards obviously) and that was introduced in very early 05.

daemon said:

The car has had several minor revisions and one major one during that time to keep it on top.

There has been no major revision to the E92 really - it gained new lights and a few cheaper bits of interior at it's LCI in March 2010 and the better iDrive system from September 2008 but thats pretty much it.

I just think it's a car for spending half his budget on, not mid 20's. The F30 is available for his budget which if he wanted a 3 Series is simply a better car, as you'd expect given it's a full generation newer.