Help - I dream of owning a Merc E300/320 estate, c £16-20K. But my head says take a new Mondeo Ghia X tdci, as the Merc (3-5 years old) is just a bigger overdraft waiting to happen.
Does anyone have any experiences or views on the merits / costs of ownership of either of these rather contrasting options?
|
|
Alltorque follow your dream and go for the Merc, but ensure it has a full MBSH and not too many miles, and you will derive great pleasure from every journey. Furthermore if you use a quality oil and change it every 6k miles, these Merc diesels will clock 250k miles without too much trouble. As for your concern about running costs, the biggest of which is depreciation, the Merc retains its value extremely well, compared with a new Mondeo, which would be horrendous. If you read HJ`s car x car breakdown for the Mondeo tdci and other threads on this forum, you will see that the Ford is suffering starting problems and best left well alone.
|
I agree with Dude, AllTorque.
You'll get much better owner/driving satisfaction from the Merc, and the build quality/mechanical integrity will be far higher than the Ford's.
And the cost to own and run a Merc need not concern you overmuch. Like most modern cars the basic servicing can be done by a good local independent garage (oil, brakes, fluids etc). Rarely will this car need the dealer's attention/expertise. You can even do most of the maintenance yourself if you're so inclined.
I did this with a Merc 190 1.8 which my brother now owns: 208, 000 miles on the clock and still has original engine, gearbox, clutch (yes!) and runs like a dream.
As Dude says, change the oil and filter every 6,000 miles and the engine will last almost indefinitely. The Merc therefore makes a good long-term purchase, and it will always sell.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Pat
|
Absolutely the right advice - you'll lose a HUGE amount of money on a brand new Mondeo! Go for the Merc!
Baz
|
Ditto all the above - no contest!
C
|
|
|
|
Hi AllTorque
Go with you heart and your head - BUY THE MERC!
A 3 year old Merc has taken the major depreciation hit if you buy a new Mondeo you are throwing a lot of capital down the depreciation sewer.
That is not to say the merc is guaranteed to be trouble free - there are good forums to check out the situation - but if you purchase wisely and look after it you will smile as you drive!!
I have been driving a merc wagon (230TE) for 7 years now and have had no major problems it is now at 145K miles (fingers crossed). I would never have believed I would ever own such a nice car and ever since I bought it - I have just been so chuffed. I doubt if I could ever feel the same with a Mondeo - competent motors they are - but not the same 'feel good' factor.
Happy New Year
|
I'd agree with this if you were going to buy new. But, if you buy the Mondeo used, up to a year old, and let someone else take the initial hit in depreciation then the Mondeo is the cheaper option. Considering like for like USED prices, it seems to me to be something of a myth that the Merc will be less of a problem on depreciation. Parker's guide for similar models to AllTorque's targets show, if anything, that the Merc will depreciate more provided AllTorque does not buy new!
splodgeface
|
and if you don't buy a new mondeo then you're going to spend less on the car in the first place - c.13K rather than 18k.
Follow your head, All Torque!
|
Fair points, Splogeface, but the feelgood factor of returning to a Mercedes-Benz (or similar quality car) on a car park is unbeatable! You also travel and arrive in style, without being flash in any way.
Think about it, AllTorque! Which car best relects you and your values?
Pat
|
I did agree with the advice not to buy a new UK Mondeo until I did a bit of research.
Probably your best bet in the UK is www.pwmillar.co.uk if you do want a new, UK car (my parents bought from them and I'd recommend them to anyone; they gave an excellent discount and a more than fair part-ex valuation).
It's also true that 3 year old Mercs, VWs, BMWs, don't hold their value especially well, especially over big mileages. They make most sense if bought with slightly above average mileage (60-90k) and then driven low mileages so that, over time, average mileage cars catch up with them. Of course, that defeats the object of buying a diesel.
Having said that, a new Mondeo will lose more (probably in the region of £8k over 3 years and 60,000 miles against £6-7k for the Mercedes) even after Millars' deep discounts. You should be looking at about £19k for the Mercedes at 3 years and 70k. Then again, the Mondeo will save you about £2,000 in fuel and probably another £1,000 or so in parts and servicing so it still comes up slightly ahead on costs, although obviously if you're looking at spending close to £20k on your own new car, and want a Mercedes, I doubt that the extra tenner a week or so it'd cost to own a used Mercedes would deter you.
Motorpoint have an imported Ghia X tdci that's a couple of hundred cheaper than what Millar are doing on the V6 Ghia X petrol and therefore should also do on the diesel, but the third year of warranty and easier resale mean that I'd stick with the UK car. A 1 year old would probably be about £15,000 and worth about £1,000 less at four (instead of three) years old and 60k, so you might as well buy new if you want to go down that route.
|
|
DavidHM you have given your excellent financial reasons for opting for the Ford, but have omitted to consider, the tremendous feel good factor when driving a superbly engineered vehicle like a M.Benz or BMW, which you cannot quantify in purely financial terms. I speak from personal experience, having driven both Ford & Vauxhall as company vehicles, during my working life (approx 35k per annum), I now own a new 320d SE Touring, in which the build quality is in a totally different league, and makes every journey a pleasure, which you certainly could not derive the same from a new Ford Mondeo.
|
I wasn't trying to come to a conclusion; only AllTorque can really do that.
Saying "I prefer Mercedes" or "The Mondeo is an okay car" won't really help. In the end, the only thing that makes one a better buy than another is which one the potential buyer prefers, and which one is cheaper.
If the buyer prefers the more expensive one, the question is then, would he rather have the cash or the good feeling? Probably in that situation I'd go for the Mondeo, but give me the chance of a 3 Series and it would probably be completely different. At least he has a pretty good idea of how much (little?) cash is on the line.
Of course, in terms of feel good factor, a new Mondeo is streets ahead of a 3 year old but still has some way to go to catch up with a Mercedes.
|
|
|
|
I went through this decision 4 years ago. I decided to buy the 3 yr old E300 diesel Mercedes. It was the old model with 7 seats. It had done 33k miles and I paid £16,600 at auction. I intended to keep it 2 years and get a newer one. I still have it - it has now done 120k miles and drives like the day I got it. Maintenance has been more expensive than the Ford but not outrageous. It is still a pleasure to get back to and drive 100 miles or more. If I now had a 4 yr old Mondeo with 85k miles on it would I feel the same; I doubt it.
My advice go for the Merc with your head and heart; you will not regret it.
|
|
|
You could, of course buy a new VW Passat 130bhp pdi estate for this money. The latest versions have climate control, CD etc and do about 45 mpg. They can carry large loads, tow well and are very well built, fast, comfortable and reliable. I've had 3 with a total of 125k miles so I'm biased but at least have a look.
I've also heard that Ford tdci engines have been giving problems - see elswhere on this forum.
Incidentally, have you checked out Merc insurance ratings? As other people have said, it is essential to have a full MB service history which should be checked out on a MB dealers' computer.
|
It's been 6 months now since I posed the question above but thanks for the replies to my question. I've finally done a deal..........and bought a 3 year old E320 Elegance Estate for £15k with 87K miles, but full MBSH. It's immaculate, looks brand new and is an absolute pleasure to drive. It was serviced 2000 miles ago and the display says the next one is not due for over 10K miles. The rear tyres are brand new, and the fronts have 70% tread left.
On bringing it home (140 miles) the display had 45.2 mpg, and when I was tempted to use the acceleration, it effortlessly propelled me forward like a sprinter on rubber wheels!
I shall try and come back to the thread in future months and let you know how the experience is going...and the bills.
So to those of you who encouraged me - thanks so far. And to those that counselled against - I promise I'll own up to you if I got it wrong!
|
See????? The best things come to those who wait and don't buy the first thing they see!
Enjoy :-)
|
E320 CDi for £15k? That is a truly excellent deal; a wonderful engine.
It also completely throws out the numbers I gave earlier because it's much cheaper than the starting price I was expecting, as well as being slightly more economical than the old six cylinder, non direct-injected version.
Congratulations and I'm sure it'll be good for another 87k without breaking a sweat.
|
|
Congratulations AllTorque on your great choice, - hope you get many miles of enjoyable motoring !!!
|
Slightly O/T but I remember reading an article in a car mag which showed that every self respecting dictator over the years has always chosen MB as their car of choice, and the fact that the cars usually far outlive their owners!
I'm a loser, baby....so why don't you kill me?!
|
|
|
|
Hi AllTorque
Thank you for the feedback and congratulations on the scoop purchase.
I was one of those who said buy with your heart and your head and you have cetainly done that in spades.
You are the expert now - where did you source the car?
Look forward to the next instalment too!
|
|
|
|
I suggest you look at www.mercedesproblems.com/, under E320 and search for station wagon
|
|
|
|
|
