[nithesh]

Originally Posted by yuv

Thanks all. We are now on a lookout for a W124 diesel, preferably an AT.

. This is exactly what he is looking for, to own the prestigious three pointed star and it being his childhood dream, he has waited a long time. We are on a lookout for the W124 but like I said, none found so far around 2.5L.

I dont think you can find a good w124 250D for 2.5L.
2.5L is the market value for a good E220. The market rate for a well maintained 250D will vary from 3L to 3.5L and upto 4L for an exceptional vehicle.

If your friend wants to save money on fuel, then he should skip the E220 and go for the 250D or the 300D.

Cheers.

[yuv]

Hi All,

Thanks a million for all the valuable inputs.

There is a 1999 E-250, diesel, manual, white colour listed in the classifieds. Has anyone seen or test driven it yet? I think it belongs to a dealer. Appreciate any inputs or advise regarding the condition and fair value for the same.

Thanks Again.

Originally Posted by GTO

Remember, there is no such thing as a "cheap Mercedes". Even if you buy one used, thing of the purchase price as the downpayment.....and the inevitable repair bills as regular EMIs.

I'm so fed up with my car that I'm sitting on the fence WRT selling her / keeping her (usually don't sell cars that are only 6 years old). I have even tried to keep my ownership report as detailed as possible, so potential buyers understand just what they are getting into. But I frequently come across those who want to buy a used Benz on the forum. Well, as Barnum said, there's a sucker born every minute.

Thanks GTO. Your thread is truly an eye-opener. I wonder why there so much of a hype sarrounding the MB when they are so unreliable. Is this true for every mercedes?

I have fore-warned my friend on the pitfalls of buying a cheap mercedes and he has agreed to keep his budget flexible incase we do come across a good vehicle. Thanks for the heads up.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@yuv:
Check out these two ads that caught my eye when I was browsing earlier:
Used 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 220 (S227472) for sale in Mumbai - CarWale
Used 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 220 (D288087) for sale in Mumbai - CarWale

Throw in a little for a full exterior, and interior detailing, along with some minor repairs and a service, and you should be good.
And do get the car inspected by a Mercedes Benz A.S.S., or a good mechanic (look around for reviews - there are some in the Team-BHP Directory), and you and your friend could have a gala time with one of the better Mercs to be sold on Indian soil.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Superb advice!
Even we are in the same boat as GTO, sitting on the fence, with the decision based on the next repair bill that comes by. Do note that ours is also a 6 year old car.
When looking for a used Benz, do keep in mind that you will be lucky to get a reliable example. Most of their cars post the late-90s have been known for their unreliability, and while the simple nature of the W124 stands out for being among the more reliable pieces, do keep in mind that it will still require some upkeep due to its age. However, if there ever was a true Benz sold in India, the W124 was the one. If you find a good example at 2.5-3L, grab it, and spend the little extra on getting her up to shape. I hope this isn't your friends primary mode of transport, though. The constant upkeep an old car might require wouldn't make it an ideal choice as an everyday car, though I could be wrong.

Thanks alot lamborghini. Will surely look up those leads. W124 is definitely on the top of our list but good cars available with genuine sellers seem to be few and far.

How much do you end up spending on maintenance of your W124 monthly/quarterly?
Please do comment on what do you think of the 1999 mercedes posted above.

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

Best advice so far. Trust me, owning an old benz is great experience, but only if you maintain them properly. Look for the CLEANEST car possible. The premium you will pay will be very small when you compare it to the long-term saving you made in terms of piece of mind as well as monetarily.

Get a 124. Plain and simple. Dont bother with a 250D, unless you want to smoked by an i10. Only diesel you should consider is a 300D. It is quicker, but nowhere as good as a petrol.

Agree 100% on buying a clean car but why is it so difficult to find a clean MB? God only knows where are those clean MB's hiding!!!

No 124 so far but we have found a 250D but after reading your post, we are having second thoughts.
Please do comment on the same listed above.

Does the 250D lack so much in power? Any leads on a 300D available in Mumbai and would it be significantly more expensive than the 250D. Thanks alot.

[yuv]

Originally Posted by nithesh

I dont think you can find a good w124 250D for 2.5L.
2.5L is the market value for a good E220. The market rate for a well maintained 250D will vary from 3L to 3.5L and upto 4L for an exceptional vehicle.

If your friend wants to save money on fuel, then he should skip the E220 and go for the 250D or the 300D.

Cheers.

Thanks nithesh. We havent come across any in that range either.
Yes, FE is definitely a huge deciding factor. How much FE can we expect from the 250D or the 300D?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by yuv

Thanks alot lamborghini. Will surely look up those leads. W124 is definitely on the top of our list but good cars available with genuine sellers seem to be few and far.

How much do you end up spending on maintenance of your W124 monthly/quarterly?
Please do comment on what do you think of the 1999 mercedes posted above.

The only issue you might find with the 300D is the lack of spares as this car was an import, and not locally manufactured as far as I know.
About the W124, we do not own one, but own the newer W211 version.
About the 1999 E250 D in the classifieds, given that it is the same model (W210) as the one you started with, I would ask you to run far from it!
These cars were amongst the most unreliable mercs to be sold. Instead, I would recommend the E220 CDi of that vintage as Merc had ironed out a few problems.
However, none of these come close to the simplicity and build of the W124.

Alternatively, you could look for a 95-96 C Class instead. These cars are much more rarer in India, and there was one on carwale.com. However, that had a very high asking price, and should be brought down by a few lakhs at the very least, especially given that newer generation C Classes are available for the asking price (Rs 6.xx L).
However, do keep in mind that even these are imports, and spares could be expensive unless it has the same engine as the W124 E220/250D

[GordonGekko]

@yuv

let me give you give you the facts

e220 0-100 = 10 secs approx

e250d 0-100 = 15 seconds approx

see the difference.

[JayD]

Originally Posted by yuv

Does the 250D lack so much in power? Any leads on a 300D available in Mumbai and would it be significantly more expensive than the 250D. Thanks alot.

I own a 1995 E300D and it is one of the most comfortable cars i've been in. Pleas keep in mind the following things over an E250D

1) 99.9%of all E300 Diesels are Automatic. Do a thorough check of the autobox before you commit to buy. It should shift smoothly, and the manual shifting should also be smooth. Check if the Kickdown is working. If not it could be the switch(Cheap) or the box itself(Very expensive)

2) The E300 was never sold in India. Parts are not as easily available as the 250, and will be more expensive

3)Being an import, check the import papers thoroughly.

4) Some 300's have a good amount of kit. (electric seats, leather, headlight wipers etc.) Check that they are all working

5) Finding a good E300 Diesel is pretty difficult. These were made for 2 years only.(1994-1995). Stay away from the older 300D's



Personally, i feel that if your friend is hell bent on getting a merc, he should wait for a while, and get one, when he has a bigger budget. You may find an E220 for 2.5-3l, but definitely, it will need atleast 50k+ for misc works.

Be ready with atleast a 4.75-5l budget before you even think of a used merc.


Regarding the round light variants, they are generally, best avoided. As mentioned by the others, it has rust, electrical, and a whole load of other issues. you may find one cheap, but it will break your bank trying to maintain it. A friend recently bought one, despite warnings from everyone, and he paid the price. The electronic key failed, and he had to cough up 30k or more to get it right, and soon after the AC Compressor failed, causing more damage to his wallet.

At the end of the day, your call!

[yuv]

Hi All,

Based on your valuable feedback, we have decided to increase the budget and have been offered an E-Class 220 CDI AT for 7 lacs. She is a 2000 model, first owner(although she is with a dealer at the moment, blank papers i guess), Bombay registration and done about 75000 kms.

Is the 220 CDI better than E-250? Would you recommend it over the E250? Is the price right??

I know its another W210 *running for cover*, but we are hoping the never models wont have all the legacy issues, Thanks

[d_payne]

Its still in the same boat. A W210/211 series model is best avoided.
Think of it this way: now its 7 lacs PLUS ridiculously high maintenance costs.

That's even more than what you started out with.
I'd suggest: W124 E-220 petrol for 2.5-3L + 1-1.5L for a proper restoration including interiors + the remaining for maintenance/fuel

Think about it.

[nithesh]

Originally Posted by yuv

Hi All,

Based on your valuable feedback, we have decided to increase the budget and have been offered an E-Class 220 CDI AT for 7 lacs. She is a 2000 model, first owner(although she is with a dealer at the moment, blank papers i guess), Bombay registration and done about 75000 kms.

Is the 220 CDI better than E-250? Would you recommend it over the E250? Is the price right??

I know its another W210 *running for cover*, but we are hoping the never models wont have all the legacy issues, Thanks

I think you are better off getting a w124.

You can negotiate the price of that 2000 220CDI to 6 Lakhs but you will end up spending a lot on maintenance in the future.

Cheers.

[GordonGekko]

@yuv

a friend owns a 210 e240 from new. This guy maintains his cars really well. Despite this, his car rusted on him and he had to repaint it. These cars are not mercedes bruv. They are straight up junk.

Just think about it. The final call is yours though.

p.s. 7 lakh is a crazy amount. People are dying to get rid of theirs for much less

[Games Goblin]

Dear yuv

It seems your friend is hell bent on a Mercedes! Adding my 2p to this - If he will only settle for a Mercedes and nothing else, I would suggest W124 with my eyes closed. My dad has nothing but praise for this model. He had a W124 petrol in Dubai as his daily driver for many years. Never a single problem faced and it just kept on going and only regular service was needed.

If you can persuade him, then a used Accord is the best buy. I guess you can get a ~2004-2005 Accord 2.4 Manual for Rs.4,50,000 - Rs.5,00,000. It will be infinitely more reliable than a used merc while offering the prestige as well (though not in the league of the 3-pointed star, I admit) and sourcing parts won't be a problem.

Best of luck in the car-hunt.

[yuv]

Thanks All. I hear you however my friend prefers the shape of later models(the one with round lights onwards) and I doubt W124 comes in that shape. Which model/type would be a good buy in that shape? Thanks

We will try to bargain and get the price down to around 6 lacs. Hope this is fine?

On the other hand, there is an E-250D AT, single owner, 2000 model, available in Delhi for 5 lacs. What kind of costs/paperwork would be involved in getting the car to bombay and is it worth the effort? Thanks alot

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by yuv

Which model/type would be a good buy in that shape?

Hey Yuv, As per reports, there has been a drastic change in Merc reliability from the start of the 'round eyed' models, and hence, it would not make sense at all for a used car buyer on a budget.

But, still if you want to go on with the Merc dream, then W124 is the only car, which you can economically (not really) drive around.

Your friend is worrying about FE? How about this:

• ESP Malfunction : Steering sensor busted. Cost Rs. 22,000.
• Engine mounts shot again. Apparently, replacing them every 40,000 kms is usual stuff (when Japs & Koreans last atleast twice, if not thrice, the distance). About Rs. 7,000 odd for the mounts.
• Air-con compressor replacement pending. Rs. 70,000
• ESP Malfunction within 2 years.
• Defective suspension balance rod.
• @ 30,236 kms : Air-con compressor & expansion valve.
• @ 32,000 kms : Brake pads worn out. Rs. 22,030.
• @ 41,425 kms : Replace V-Belt & suspension bushings. Rs. 9,026.
• @ 42,605 kms : Air-con evaporator.
• @ 50,000 kms : Replace Intercooler pipe. About Rs. 12,000.
• Feb 2009 : Changed the clutch, engine mounts & front shocks.
• Jan 2010 : Air-con sensor conked off. Cost = 20,000. Car off the road = 1 month.

Source: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post2291473

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by yuv

Thanks All. I hear you however my friend prefers the shape of later models(the one with round lights onwards) and I doubt W124 comes in that shape. Which model/type would be a good buy in that shape? Thanks

We will try to bargain and get the price down to around 6 lacs. Hope this is fine?

On the other hand, there is an E-250D AT, single owner, 2000 model, available in Delhi for 5 lacs. What kind of costs/paperwork would be involved in getting the car to bombay and is it worth the effort? Thanks alot

I would avoid the Delhi registered car as it is too much of a hassle.
Firstly, you would have to get the car re-registered and probably pay a tax on it when you bring it to Maharashtra. Throw in costs to transport the car, fly to Delhi to inspect the car, and the more unreliable nature of the E250D as opposed to the E220CDi makes this a big no-no.

As others have said, get the W124, or if your friend wants a newer shape one, then he should wait and increase his budget to get a better model/car.

As can be seen by dhanush's example, maintainance costs are sky high! A service for the E class costs around Rs. 40K for the W211 that we have. The W124 would be much cheaper, but the W210 not that much cheaper.
And overall maintainance costs would be around 1L a year at the minimum assuming you find a good mech. who repairs and not replaces the parts unless necessary.

[howler]

Originally Posted by yuv

Thanks All. I hear you however my friend prefers the shape of later models(the one with round lights onwards) and I doubt W124 comes in that shape. Which model/type would be a good buy in that shape? Thanks

We will try to bargain and get the price down to around 6 lacs. Hope this is fine?

On the other hand, there is an E-250D AT, single owner, 2000 model, available in Delhi for 5 lacs. What kind of costs/paperwork would be involved in getting the car to bombay and is it worth the effort? Thanks alot

Seriously man! which part of this entire thread don't you understand? you have merc owner telling you to stay away from the that series owing to the reliability/quality issues and the subsequent high cost of ownership and your bud still want one. it'll probably end up as garage decoration after sometime.