Ten year old E-class esatates
Discussion
Hi All,
Wife currently has a Renault Grand Scenic, and in 1.6 guise it's fairly thirsty and sluggish!
We've had in since 2008 and it's now covered 75k.
Currently she only does around 3k a year in it.
Been looking around at different cars and she says she'd perhaps like something more car-like.
She wants car-like, i'd prefer diesel (will force me to use her car more) and we still need the 6/7 seats and as such i've been looking at 2004 E-class estates of which some have the 7 seat option fitted.
Some of these cars have covered 120k. Seems crazy selling a 75k car and replacing it with a 120k car.
Am i right to think this given that repair bills for a Merc may well be in line with the pockets of those who could afford the £40k to buy them when new ten years back rather than folk like me who are looking to pay just over a tenth of that now.
Are they particularly troublesome cars?
Wife currently has a Renault Grand Scenic, and in 1.6 guise it's fairly thirsty and sluggish!
We've had in since 2008 and it's now covered 75k.
Currently she only does around 3k a year in it.
Been looking around at different cars and she says she'd perhaps like something more car-like.
She wants car-like, i'd prefer diesel (will force me to use her car more) and we still need the 6/7 seats and as such i've been looking at 2004 E-class estates of which some have the 7 seat option fitted.
Some of these cars have covered 120k. Seems crazy selling a 75k car and replacing it with a 120k car.
Am i right to think this given that repair bills for a Merc may well be in line with the pockets of those who could afford the £40k to buy them when new ten years back rather than folk like me who are looking to pay just over a tenth of that now.
Are they particularly troublesome cars?
We bought ours 18 months ago on 174k miles, and its now on 192k and running well. Parking sensors have been playing up, which need some attention and my we've had to replace the sat nav connector lead, but otherwise just routine servicing items (oh, and a new battery).
Very solid cars, see us keeping in another couple of years and 30k miles before changing, probably just out of fancying a change...
Very solid cars, see us keeping in another couple of years and 30k miles before changing, probably just out of fancying a change...
In a word, rust. Bought one new as a company vehicle in late 2001 for a senior member of staff; it covered 170K before we sold it. I won't go into why he decided to keep it so long despite constant cajoling to change.
The week after it went, the auto box played up and was temporarily fixed by an oil change and cleaning out the filters but there was a fair amount of rubbish and swarf in the filters. It had played up twice in the six months before we sold it but this was cured by turning the ignition off and restarting.
All of the brake pipes to the rear of the car had to be replaced for the MOT together with the rear suspension pipes (self levelling); this was a fairly big job involving dropping out the rear suspension assembly.
Various engine electronics and diesel problems, cured by a new set of injectors.
Rear shocks replaced, one front wheel bearing collapsed despite routine regular servicing.
Some serious and deep seated rust was beginning to show on some panel edges in the last year. Sold for £1200.
The week after it went, the auto box played up and was temporarily fixed by an oil change and cleaning out the filters but there was a fair amount of rubbish and swarf in the filters. It had played up twice in the six months before we sold it but this was cured by turning the ignition off and restarting.
All of the brake pipes to the rear of the car had to be replaced for the MOT together with the rear suspension pipes (self levelling); this was a fairly big job involving dropping out the rear suspension assembly.
Various engine electronics and diesel problems, cured by a new set of injectors.
Rear shocks replaced, one front wheel bearing collapsed despite routine regular servicing.
Some serious and deep seated rust was beginning to show on some panel edges in the last year. Sold for £1200.
I think rust was an issue on the previous series which was replaced in 2002 - later cars seem to be pretty good.
My dad bought the previous series new in 1997, and still has it now on 198k miles - it has been really reliable (hence he's never sold it), but bodywork has looked better...
My dad bought the previous series new in 1997, and still has it now on 198k miles - it has been really reliable (hence he's never sold it), but bodywork has looked better...
530dTPhil said:
Correct, I was talking about a W210. The W211 was introduced around eighteen months later and I believe had much better build quality and rust protection.
Early W211 cars have two faults you should read about to inform any decisions. Search for valeo radiator and SBC pump (brakes). Later W211 after the facelift about 2006 I think are supposedly immune to these, but newer and therefore more costly.idiotgap said:
530dTPhil said:
Correct, I was talking about a W210. The W211 was introduced around eighteen months later and I believe had much better build quality and rust protection.
Early W211 cars have two faults you should read about to inform any decisions. Search for valeo radiator and SBC pump (brakes). Later W211 after the facelift about 2006 I think are supposedly immune to these, but newer and therefore more costly.My neighbour has an early E class on a R plate in Jewish racing gold the car never gets cleaned but the bodywork is immaculate and there's not a rust spec on the old girl and we live near the coast.
Yet a friend of mine had a silver E class which was low mileage and he looked after the old girl, he bought the car near new and the thing rusted terrible the reason why he got rid of it was their was more rust than metal on the car.
So I guess the build quality on these old beasts is a bit hit or miss, but both cars have been trouble free mechanically.
Yet a friend of mine had a silver E class which was low mileage and he looked after the old girl, he bought the car near new and the thing rusted terrible the reason why he got rid of it was their was more rust than metal on the car.
So I guess the build quality on these old beasts is a bit hit or miss, but both cars have been trouble free mechanically.
idiotgap said:
Early W211 cars have two faults you should read about to inform any decisions. Search for valeo radiator and SBC pump (brakes). Later W211 after the facelift about 2006 I think are supposedly immune to these, but newer and therefore more costly.
I drive 04 W211 220CDI (Production date 12/02/2004)and my car is with Behr radiator.Mercedes royaly f
ked up by changing their paint process on cars from 97 to 2003 iirc.
The paint lifted off the metal allowing moisture to penetrate and sit between the two.
I think if you have an an-rusted car it's just luck rather than design.
(I was told that by a materials engineer from DuPont so may be true.)
ked up by changing their paint process on cars from 97 to 2003 iirc. The paint lifted off the metal allowing moisture to penetrate and sit between the two.
I think if you have an an-rusted car it's just luck rather than design.
(I was told that by a materials engineer from DuPont so may be true.)
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