What car - £2.5k, auto, ULEZ compliant?

[MaxSo]

Invitation for any suggestions for new (old) car...
Requirements are:

- Under £2.5k
- Auto
- Cruise control (Or simple & cheap retrofit ability)
- At least average reliability and low risk of expensive problems
- Under 10s to 60mph - preferably under 8s
- Ideally average MPG of >35 (based on 10k miles p/a on motorway / free flowing roads & 5k miles p/a of stop/start London/urban)
- Ideally 4 or 5 seats and space for adults (But not essential - considering any body type)


The other consideration is the London ULEZ - the extension seems likely to be implemented in 2.5 years' time, so there is a bit of a dilemma surrounding buying something that is non-compliant and having to replace it in 2 years' time vs only looking at compliant stuff now. (Compliant is generally Euro4+ if petrol or 6+ if diesel, although there are exceptions and I gather some early 2000's car are seemingly exempt. It's a bit of a minefield but getting something compliant now would rule out diesels, given the budget).

Thanks in advance

[ZX10R NIN]

CLK 200

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

320

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

CLC 180

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C Coupe Sport Edition

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Lexus IS250

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

2.4 Accord

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

All will be ULEZ compliant.

[MaxSo]

Thanks - IS250 is what I had in mind but concerned £2.5k might be scraping the barrel a bit. Also had thought GS300 a possibility.

[Obee72]

Would you really get > 35mpg from either the 320 or IS250 ? IS250 combined is 31 and we all know how unreliable the manufacturer figures are.

Edited by Obee72 on Wednesday 20th March 22:52

[ZX10R NIN]

No most will average between 26-28mpg real world but I'd sacrifice a bit of mpg to be sat in comfort whilst sitting in traffic.

[MaxSo]

That was my thinking too, plus I tend to be fairly good at extracting decent MPG I think. Is it really worth sacrificing comfort, power and equipment by going for something with a 1.8 4 pot that might do 40MPG at a push? I don't think it is.

But, the alternative route would be to basically the ignore the ULEZ for now and include looking at diesels that I could keep for 2 years and then change to something ULEZ compliant at that point. Advantages would be better MPG and more choice. Disadvantages are possibility of lower reliability and higher cost of changing in 2 years once ULEZ compliant cars will be, I expect, more sought after and therefore more costly.

[ZX10R NIN]

I think your right that ULEZ compliant prices will firm up but I don't think they'll firm up massively to the point that you'd regret it, if you want to go diesel I'd still be looking at the Mercedes:

CLK 270 these engines are pretty much bulletproof & the 5 cylinder drivetrain is smoother than the 4 pot.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C220 Avantgarde SE

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

C220 Coupe Sport Edition

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[MaxSo]

Quite like the sound of this (never been that keen of the smaller Mercs)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[MaxSo]

Or this:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190313586...

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd be going for this over those two:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Check the engine number on this one to see if it's one that could be affected by a balancer shaft issue, or see if it's been done.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or this LS430

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Leftfield:

Cadillac CTS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[GreatGranny]

C class

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

325Ci

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[MaxSo]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd be going for this over those two:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Check the engine number on this one to see if it's one that could be affected by a balancer shaft issue, or see if it's been done.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or this LS430

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Leftfield:

Cadillac CTS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Thanks - intrigued why you'd prefer the E320 over the GS300?

[ZX10R NIN]

The GS300's are good cars but I prefer the W211 they just work & work well, also something with 140k may well be okay engine wise but the suspension will be getting close to the point where you'll have to be refreshing the front & rear suspension components.

If it had to be a Lexus I'd be taking the LS.

[Obee72]

My reqs have changed again and now looking at this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Anything to keep an eye out for?

[MaxSo]

Is reliability for the petrol E320 no where near as bad as this might suggest then?

"Unfortunately, the W211 E-class’s arrival in June 2002 coincided with a low point for Mercedes in terms of its cars’ build quality. Despite the C-class’s high purchase cost and premium status it could rot badly, while there was also a litany of potential issues. An abridged list is in the “What to look for” section below. Over its seven-year lifespan the W211’s quality control was steadily improved and as a result it’s essential that you go for the newest car you can afford. You’re pretty much guaranteed to have problems with pre-facelift cars."

https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/mercedes-ben...

[ZX10R NIN]

W211's are actually proving very reliable & they were actually the turning point after the disastrous W210 the 320 petrols are bulletproof the only big expense is the spark plug change & that's because there are 12 of them.

I have sourced/supplied well over a 100 of them, as I said they just work that's why they were a taxi drivers favorite.

[Mr Tidy]

Obee72 said:

My reqs have changed again and now looking at this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Anything to keep an eye out for?

Well that definitely won't be ULEZ compliant, so your reqs must have changed quite a lot!

I had a few Mercs in the past (W123, W201 and W202) but then I tried a BMW - no Mercs since then!

[Obee72]

Mr Tidy said:

Well that definitely won't be ULEZ compliant, so your reqs must have changed quite a lot!

I had a few Mercs in the past (W123, W201 and W202) but then I tried a BMW - no Mercs since then!

Not my post originally However interested in a similar car to the OP now.

Wouldn't touch a 3 Series of same age due to serious chain issues they experience. Not a patch on my 130i !!!