Cheap luxury barge: how cheap to go?
Discussion
Evening, all.
Am looking for a cruiser to chomp down boring motorway miles and traffic jams (have to do the M5/M6 north of Birmingham every day) and a long A road with lots of 50 mph lorries to slide past.
Have a Boxster to blat along in during the summer, but when raining, tired or whatever, feel the need to waft along in cossetted luxury sometimes.
So - am thinking of a older S class 320CDi (W220 model, 1999-2005). Am considering spending around £5k - so it'll have high mileage and be an earlier one, I know.
The question to you all is, is this a sensible enough price point to try and find one - or will they all be knackered and cost far too much in repairs and so on?
thanks!
Am looking for a cruiser to chomp down boring motorway miles and traffic jams (have to do the M5/M6 north of Birmingham every day) and a long A road with lots of 50 mph lorries to slide past.
Have a Boxster to blat along in during the summer, but when raining, tired or whatever, feel the need to waft along in cossetted luxury sometimes.
So - am thinking of a older S class 320CDi (W220 model, 1999-2005). Am considering spending around £5k - so it'll have high mileage and be an earlier one, I know.
The question to you all is, is this a sensible enough price point to try and find one - or will they all be knackered and cost far too much in repairs and so on?
thanks!
Thanks for comments so far.
Agree £5k is an ok chunk - but as other have pointed out, it may be a bit low for this. Will look at the LS400, thanks. But I like the 'class' of the Merc - a petrol option is worth a look, I agree, but i tended to rule it out cos in a few more years it's probably even less desirable than the diesel and so I'm likely to do better, depreciation-wise, on the diesel..... if not £5k, then what's the point at which it's a sensible purchase?
Agree £5k is an ok chunk - but as other have pointed out, it may be a bit low for this. Will look at the LS400, thanks. But I like the 'class' of the Merc - a petrol option is worth a look, I agree, but i tended to rule it out cos in a few more years it's probably even less desirable than the diesel and so I'm likely to do better, depreciation-wise, on the diesel..... if not £5k, then what's the point at which it's a sensible purchase?
If you want somthing comfortable to waft around it you can't do much worse than a volvo s60/80 or saab 9-5. Admitedly they dont have the badge of the Merc but are every bit as comfortable, some of the best seats i have ever seen, and should be a better prospect at a £5k or less price point.
Newer, cheaper, less miles, cheaper to run, lower insurance, more economical, lots of toys, perfect cruiser. You don't need RWD for a 50 mile each way soulless M5 M6 slog.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
xcentric said:
Will look at the LS400, thanks. But I like the 'class' of the Merc
The image of both is "cheap mini cab on way to Heathrow" so I'm not too sure how much "class" is involved. At least the Lexus won't be a rust bucket. 
Seriously, in my view any Merc between about 1996 and 2006 is a complete heap of rubbish and to be avoided. They're badly built, poorly designed heaps of smelly rusty stuff full of nasty cheap components which go wrong all the time. Almost any alternative is better - including an old Alfa 166 which is better built and more reliable.
If you really want a large Merc the cut off is about 2006 - the jury is still out on these but thus far indications are that they did at least test them a bit before letting them out the door.
How about a Mk.3 Mondeo TDCi?
£4-5k should get you into a high-specced, low mileage 5-6 year old example with ease. 60mpg, cruise control, acres of space and very comfortable. Fine, it's a Ford rather than a Mercedes or Lexus, but you've got a nice car for Sundays and fundays, so who cares what the daily hack is?
As a guide, I picked up my 53 plate Mondeo TDCi with high mileage for a grand, and despite being a base model it still has electric heated front screen, digital air con and cruise control, as well as a reasonably good stereo that also has an aux in socket.
If you have to have something with a badge, then an E39 530d is the way forward. Older, but still one of the finest cars to come out of Bavaria.
£4-5k should get you into a high-specced, low mileage 5-6 year old example with ease. 60mpg, cruise control, acres of space and very comfortable. Fine, it's a Ford rather than a Mercedes or Lexus, but you've got a nice car for Sundays and fundays, so who cares what the daily hack is?
As a guide, I picked up my 53 plate Mondeo TDCi with high mileage for a grand, and despite being a base model it still has electric heated front screen, digital air con and cruise control, as well as a reasonably good stereo that also has an aux in socket.
If you have to have something with a badge, then an E39 530d is the way forward. Older, but still one of the finest cars to come out of Bavaria.
confused_buyer said:
xcentric said:
Seriously, in my view any Merc between about 1996 and 2006 is a complete heap of rubbish and to be avoided. They're badly built, poorly designed heaps of smelly rusty stuff full of nasty cheap components which go wrong all the time. Almost any alternative is better - including an old Alfa 166 which is better built and more reliable.
confused_buyer said:
I can't think of a bigger heap of badly built rubbish than a sub-£5k W220.
Very true, I'd probably avoid the W220 at any price. If you want a luxury barge then a Mondeo or a Superb aren't going to cut it. The aluminium bodied (light and good on fuel) Xjs are starting to fall within your price range and are wonderful machines.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...
confused_buyer said:
xcentric said:
Will look at the LS400, thanks. But I like the 'class' of the Merc
The image of both is "cheap mini cab on way to Heathrow" so I'm not too sure how much "class" is involved. At least the Lexus won't be a rust bucket. Seriously, in my view any Merc between about 1996 and 2006 is a complete heap of rubbish and to be avoided. They're badly built, poorly designed heaps of smelly rusty stuff full of nasty cheap components which go wrong all the time. Almost any alternative is better - including an old Alfa 166 which is better built and more reliable.
If you really want a large Merc the cut off is about 2006 - the jury is still out on these but thus far indications are that they did at least test them a bit before letting them out the door.
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