[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by dudesam24

A dream comes true... Picked up a pristine 1995 made W124 E250D imported into India in 2005 from UK. She is just the thing I always wanted. We call her the Baby Turtle due to the stance of her new 225-60 tyres. Runs like a dream and such a darling.

Congratulations on your E250D, you are one lucky fella I would say. Would you mind if I ask how much you paid. In Bangalore our prices are really out of the world, just not getting a hang of what is the right price. Also, post some pics of your car too.

[TRANSAM]

@dudesam, congratulations! on your new ride. Is she a LHD, as the car has come in from the UK? what price did you get her at? do post some pics pls. safe driving...

[elantracrdi05]

The E250D simply because I have sat in a 1996 Example which has done 250,000 km and is still the ride the owner recommends even though he has newer cars. He simply swears by it for its highway comfort and the large comfy sofa at the back.

The idea is to own a good peppy car for yourself and get a driver for an E250D for the 9 to 5s!

[FlatOut]

Mercedes 5 and 6 cylinder diesels are in a league of their own due to the use of the inline Bosch injector pump and Mercedes' own design of pre-combustion chamber, instead of the almost universal Ricardo-type on other IDI diesels. And the integration of the automatic clutch transmission with the power units is sublime, especially on the older models which would always set off in 2nd, making most use of the torque converter's characteristics.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Slightly out-of-topic. Forgive me , but which would be the W124 equivalent of a BMW. Equivalent in terms of reliability, longevity and 5,00,000 - 7,00,000 mile cars. An E38 ?

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by DudeWithaFiat

Slightly out-of-topic. Forgive me , but which would be the W124 equivalent of a BMW. Equivalent in terms of reliability, longevity and 5,00,000 - 7,00,000 mile cars. An E38 ?

All BMW petrols are pretty durable especially in manual form. BMW auto boxes are sealed for life so no fluid changes to prolong gearbox life. When that goes, whole car needs to be scrapped due to costs.

BMW Diesels have issues due to burnt turbos and swirl flaps disintegrating in the long term

[Screwdriva]

The 250D is a great workhorse...but its a loud, slow engine. If you really want to get a feel for the W124 as it was meant to be, get yourself the E220. It'll humble some of its more modern offspring even today

[manishk123]

Since this thread popped up again after such a long time I thought it was worth mentioning about my cousin's 250 D purchased when it was just launched in 97-98. It has clocked over 300,000 kms - mostly in rural maharashtra, and is still going strong. My cousin's father who has cars like a 2012 S320 and Jaguar XJ in his fleet, still prefers the W124 for long distance travel saying it has the most comfortable back seat.

[TheARUN]

I need some help in deciding which one to vote for

The below were the conclusions I could come to
- A Petrol car could be had for around 2,00,000 and a diesel for 3,50,000, the price difference being one and a half lakhs
- There is a risk that if you purchase a diesel car, the Government might ban vehicles more than 15 years old in all major cities in the future
- Maintenance costs of both are going to remain the same, with diesel everytime you tank up you have a 15 rupees advantage per liter and also get 2 kilomters more per liter
- If one is keeping the car for oneself, only then is petrol recommended, however if one is looking to resell after some time, then diesel will attract more buyers and hold value better
- 66% of the cars manufactured were petrol, so if one is sourcing parts from the international market, petrol cars would be easier to keep on the road, however, 66% of the cars sold in India were diesel, so its easier to get diesel parts in India

All this is not helping me decide which one to vote for!!!

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

All this is not helping me decide which one to vote for!!!

Buddy,

If you are buying one of these cars today - it isn't because it makes sense to the head. It is because it pulls your heartstrings!

At the end of the day, both the options are proven and reputed in their own ways - just depends on which one has you hooked more!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

I need some help in deciding which one to vote for

The below were the conclusions I could come to
- A Petrol car could be had for around 2,00,000 and a diesel for 3,50,000, the price difference being one and a half lakhs
- There is a risk that if you purchase a diesel car, the Government might ban vehicles more than 15 years old in all major cities in the future
- Maintenance costs of both are going to remain the same, with diesel everytime you tank up you have a 15 rupees advantage per liter and also get 2 kilomters more per liter
- If one is keeping the car for oneself, only then is petrol recommended, however if one is looking to resell after some time, then diesel will attract more buyers and hold value better
- 66% of the cars manufactured were petrol, so if one is sourcing parts from the international market, petrol cars would be easier to keep on the road, however, 66% of the cars sold in India were diesel, so its easier to get diesel parts in India

All this is not helping me decide which one to vote for!!!

If you are going to buy one for the pleasure of driving, i would recommend the E220 over the E250 anyday. The old school diesel though extremely reliable is lethargic and noisy by today's standard's(interiors are well insulated though).
The petrol will be thirsty though. Spares are not too expensive and can be sourced through the right channels.
Also selling one is not easy. An acquaintance has been trying to sell his E250D for past 6 months to no avail.

[coloneljasi]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

If you are going to buy one for the pleasure of driving, i would recommend the E220 over the E250 anyday. The old school diesel though extremely reliable is lethargic and noisy by today's standard's(interiors are well insulated though).
The petrol will be thirsty though. Spares are not too expensive and can be sourced through the right channels.
Also selling one is not easy. An acquaintance has been trying to sell his E250D for past 6 months to no avail.

You've nailed it! The E250D is indeed more practical and frugal, however the E220 is more fun to drive. I've recently bought a fairly decent E220 for almost silly money. This petrol Merc may not lightning quick by today's standards but that doesn't mean slow. Far from it, in fact!

The E250D is too slow for my liking, but it's very reliable and can almost run forever. An E300D, a CBU import, is much quicker but well maintained examples are hard to find in India.

Replacement parts for the W124 E220/E250D are fairly easy to source, you won't have to call up your wealth manager every time a part is needed. The electricals and mechanicals are simple enough for your friendly neighbourhood mechanic.

[Screwdriva]

Originally Posted by coloneljasi

Replacement parts for the W124 E220/E250D are fairly easy to source, you won't have to call up your wealth manager every time a part is needed. The electricals and mechanicals are simple enough for your friendly neighbourhood mechanic.

Respectfully, I disagree. Aftermarket, inferior quality parts are available in most instances but Mercedes Benz supplied parts are no longer available outside of filters and fluids. I recently posted that original MB W124 brake kits and parts are no longer available.

This is of particular concern as W123/W124/W126 models are very rugged and reliable but only if original parts are used as part of a strict maintenance schedule. Without these, you are assured of a gradual decline in vehicle health.

[coloneljasi]

Originally Posted by Screwdriva

Respectfully, I disagree. Aftermarket, inferior quality parts are available in most instances but Mercedes Benz supplied parts are no longer available outside of filters and fluids. I recently posted that original MB W124 brake kits and parts are no longer available.

This is of particular concern as W123/W124/W126 models are very rugged and reliable but only if original parts are used as part of a strict maintenance schedule. Without these, you are assured of a gradual decline in vehicle health.

Each to his own, I always say.

I've been lucky enough to source a lot of genuine parts from MB India, OEM vendors or from online sellers over the last year. Never faced any difficulty, touch wood. But I'm sure you've had a different experience altogether, fair enough.

Some parts are still very expensive when sourced directly from MB India, which is also when I resort to other sources. Not too sure about the brake parts, will check the availability at Pune/RLC Singapore.

I agree with you on the fact that parts quality can and will affect the car's health. No two ways about it.

[Screwdriva]

Originally Posted by coloneljasi

I've been lucky enough to source a lot of genuine parts from MB India, OEM vendors or from online sellers over the last year. .

Would you mind sharing these OEM vendors and online sellers please? I'm curious to see what kinds of parts you're referring to. To the best of my knowledge, OEM MB parts, especially with rubber ingredients, should never be purchased from any supplier other than official MB channels. Reason: Rubber degrades on the shelf. Some of these sellers have had these parts lying around for years, after purchasing in bulk.

There are a couple 3rd party sellers, however, that have a decent reputation. Eurocarparts is one of them.