I wonder if I can pick your brains In february 2003 I have to change my Mercedes C240 for a new car. I quite fancy a new C270 CDi saloon or estate but my wife wants me to get an ML270 4x4. I have test driven both and prefered the C-Class to drive but was very impressed with the ML's space which came in very handy for my job and for carting the kids about. My question is this. If you had £35k to spend and wanted to stick to mercs which one would you go buy.
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I'd wait for the new E-class, the ML is a shopping trolly.
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"...the ML is a shopping trolley"
So, rather approriate for his missus then?
Funnily enough my missus quite fancies the new Aston Martin sports coupe drop-head wotsit thingy! Decisions, decisions...
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"appropriate for the missus" oh dear, doesn't she deserve a real car then? The Aston Martin - now we're talking. Seriously though - the ML, just like the X5, is supposed to be a 4x4 right? Neither of them can touch the genuine 4x4s (Land Cruiser, RR, Defenders etc.) if you need off-road capability. Nothing wrong with wanting these style statements if that's what floats your boat - but if practicality enters into it, surely the saloon/estates offered by both marques are far better! Not to mention cheaper.
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Whatever you buy will have to be approved by the lady of the house.Why not buy both?
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Your budget is £35k. I assume that you are looking for a company car as you state exactly when you are to change.
For your £35k from the Mercedes stable you can't get a new S-Class, they start at about £41k. Looking at it at a slightly different angle, an old style CLK could be yours at £32,190 for a CLK320, (Benefit in kind tax 30%). The drop top version of this is slightly out of your range at a smidge over £35k. An SLK320 could be yours for £31k, but I think from your post you need more space.
So to the Merc saloons and estates. You could get a C270CDi saloon for £27,255 in Advantgarde or Elegance trim, and in estate with the same trim for about a grand more. (The BIK is 21% for the saloon and 22% for the estate.) If you go petrol, the C320 is £30.5k or £31.5k for saloon or estate, with BIK of 34% saloon or 35% estate.
The ML Class allows you to get a ML270CDi for £28,795 (BIK a whopping 34%) or a ML320for £31,640 (BIK 35%).
But to the new W211 E-Class. Based on the old prices, your £35k will get a E270CDi for about £29k (from HJs road test) plus say an extra £2k for the Elegance or Avantgarde Trim. The estate maybe £1k-£1.5k more Then you would have upto £4k to hit the options list with. And with a BIK of 21% (180g/km cf 189g/km from the same engine in the C-Class) you will be laughing compared to the ML. And to quote HJ twice (both from the Road test on here) 'it is built like no other car in the world' and 'there is no other saloon car quite like it'.
I would suggest you go with the new E-Class as has already been suggested, but, you also would have to please the missus.
Paul C
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Thanks for the reply but I should have mentioned that I have already looked into the new E-Class as my local dealer lent me his new training manual. A very nice car but I suspect out of my price range as I would want Avantgarde spec, leather, auto, and Sat-Nav ( if it's worth it). I may be able to afford it if I forgot about Sat-Nav but I feel it might be a good idea for work as I travel to lots of different places every day and get fed up with having to stop every 5mins in London to look at my maps. Do you think that Sat-Nav is worthwhile or a waste of time.
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Did you see the test on Top Gear (or similar) of the M class when it first came out. The car was built in the USA and the build quality was truly apalling.
Anyone know if it's got better?
Andy
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My own car was in the garage for a week with an air con problem and they lent me an ML320 to zip around in. The space in the back and boot was what made me consider an ML but as you say the build quality was not what you expect from a Merc ( "b***** awful" said my dad). I spoke to the garage about this and they assured me that the new ones were like driving a different car.
I have now test driven a new model and can say that it is much more like a Merc should be apart from the fact that the instruments appear to have been sourced from a Vito van.
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