Dear Santa - I would like a Merc est (sub 4k)

[Lord_Isleworth]

Dear Santa - Increasingly want to get a merc estate. Don't have loads to spend and would need to submit a business case to the missus in the new year but really want one. Anyone have one and give me the inside track on owning? any models to avoid? examples out there would be cool also. Would the servicing costs kill me? Used to running a Golf on about £300 a year. I don't service cars myself or anything so this could be the killer re the badge and how expensive they are.....So what could i get for £3.5 - 4k max? are there one owner low-milers out there for that price? Would a 4k merc be autoshite purely because most start at 25k now?

[Milford Cubicle]

http://www.w124.co.uk/actions/carsforsale.taf

 

Here's some for you. Your budget will only stretch to nearly 20 year old 190 1.8 though. Sorry.

[trigger]

You would be about to get a high mileage W124 easy enough, There was one for sale at my wifes work recently, it was a 1995 220 with full leather, 7 seats and about 200k for £1000.I knew a chap that had a N reg 220 auto saloon years ago and i loved it, Dark blue with cream leather, it was the smoothest car i had ever been in, I'd love one of them myself.

[Station]

Christ, didn't realise they were so expensive for their age!

[myglaren]

Can not link to Autotrader, forgotten my login.

 

This, though?

 

MERCEDES-BENZ 320 TE

1993 (K reg), Estate

£950

Private Seller

 

* 203,000 miles

* Automatic

* 3.2L

* Petrol

 

* 6

* 0

 

203,000 miles, Mercedes 320TE (W124). 4-speed auto. Power steering. Driver side airbag. Electric sun roof and mirrors. Dual zone a/c. Cruise control. Sony CD/radio …

 

 

 

 

 

http://pictures2.autotrader.co.uk/imgse ... height=124

 

Can not hotlink the image

 

ED: will not accept contractions

[r.welfare]

There was a good article on W202 C-Classes in Car Mechanics a couple of months back. If you're looking for low-ish running costs (and I include fuel and insurance in that), perhaps a C180 Classic estate is the best bet.If I was in your position and had to have a Merc, I'd spend £2k on the car itself and hold the rest back for unforeseen repair expenditure, because it appears that the general consensus is that M-B went into a pretty dark place, quality-wise, between 1996-2004. You could get an older W124 estate but then again the chances of finding a one-owner, low mileage job is pretty slim without paying the prices in the link Milford Cubicle has put up.

[myglaren]

MERCEDES-BENZ 320 3.2 PETROL AUTO 5DR ESTATEOr even:1998 (S reg), Estate£1,795Trade Seller * 79,000 miles * Automatic * 3.2L * Petrol5 Doors, Automatic, Estate, Petrol, 79,000 miles, Green, MOT-02-2010. Adjustable steering column/wheel, ABS, Adjustable seats, Alloy wheels, Anti theft system, CD, Central …Beecroft Car Sales Ltd 84 milesFoglights, Head restraints, Folding rear seats, Power assisted steering, Remote locking, Radio/CD, Rear headrests, Wood/wood effect trim, Body coloured bumpers, Rear electric windows, Rear wiper, taxed. £1,795

[lovejoy]

I was sorely tempted by one on a Dealer's forecourt earlier this year, mint condition, service history, 7-seater, and it came with the reg J14MEE to boot, about 185k, took it for a test drive, smooth as silk, just a rear axle rumble.I talked myself out of it as it has short mot & no tax, but the dealer was willing to re-mot for another 100 notes.Price ? Asking 1400. - should have bought it !(p.s. why must I be a "Toymota Starlet" ? can't I be A Fiat 900E instead??)

[Mike D]

MERCEDES-BENZ 320 3.2 PETROL AUTO 5DR ESTATEOr even:1998 (S reg), Estate£1,795Trade Seller * 79,000 miles * Automatic * 3.2L * Petrol5 Doors, Automatic, Estate, Petrol, 79,000 miles, Green, MOT-02-2010. Adjustable steering column/wheel, ABS, Adjustable seats, Alloy wheels, Anti theft system, CD, Central …Beecroft Car Sales Ltd 84 milesFoglights, Head restraints, Folding rear seats, Power assisted steering, Remote locking, Radio/CD, Rear headrests, Wood/wood effect trim, Body coloured bumpers, Rear electric windows, Rear wiper, taxed. £1,795

I've got an E320 saloon and it's great. The estates are humongous too, ad if you need to tow anything they will drag just over 2 tons!I'm getting around 24mpg out of mine at present, going to high 20's on a decent run. If it clonks from the suspension it'll more than likely be the anti roll bar bushes and drop links, i got new everything from Merc for 40 quid. Front discs are just over 50quid each, pads around the same for a pair.Oil changes will be more expensive than your golf as they hold about 9 litres!!!