Beater Car Purchase: Jaguar vs. Mercedes

Beater Car Purchase: Jaguar vs. Mercedes

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Discussion

Ashton.M.D.

Original Poster:

1 posts

93 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
Hello alll!

I'm new to the forum, but have a question with regards to which would be better to buy for a cheap beater car:

1. 1997 Mercedes E430 - has about 100,000 KMs on it.

2. 2002 Jaguar S-Type - has about 130,000 KMs on it.

The Mercedes is being sold for around $3,000, and seems to be in relatively good condition. It currently is the top end of my budget. It's got the v8 in it, and seems to be well taken care of. One of the daytime running lights isn't working, but other than that, there's supposedly nothing wrong with it. Is that a hard fix? What are some of the electrical or mechanical issues common to these cars that I should be aware of?

The Jaguar is being sold for around $2,000, and again seems to be well taken care of. This particular jag has the 3.0 v6 engine. The guy selling it says the engine and transmission are both good, and the brakes work well. What are some of the mechanical and electrical issues common to these cars that I should be aware of?

The expected running costs (aka fuel and insurance) of both see cars don't really scare me, just the unexpected issues, such as repairs. Also, I suppose which is a more enjoyable drivers car, nicest ride, interior, etc.

I haven't yet seen these cars in person, but am going to in the coming week, so I thought I would get some input from you ladies and gentleman!

Thank you very much for your time!

Edited by Ashton.M.D. on Monday 26th September 19:40