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I'm looking to spend about £8-9k. I don't want something run-of-the-mill, I'd prefer something a bit special. My eye was recently caught by a Merc E320 coupe, 'M' reg. I see there's a good selection on Autotrader. I guess 80-90k miles will be the norm. I've heard Mercs are good for 200-300k miles, so at 80-90k it's just about run in(?). It must be reliable, not outrageously thirsty, and should not depreciate much. I'd appreciate any thoughts/opinions as to this car (or the E220 coupe?), what do I need to look out for, should I buy privately or trade (I suppose it's too old for Merc dealers to be handling?).
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Check out the latest merc enthusiast magazine - it deals with the w124 coupe + you will find all the specialists in the magazine
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I'm on my second of these, and I love it. They are now too old to be on dealer forecourts.
The most obvious limitation is the lack of interior storage space: no glove box (airbag), small box between the front seats, frustratingly slim door pockets, map pockets on backs of front seats, no cup holders (Yippee!) ? that's it ? but the boot is huge. The rear seat room is OK for short trips, but I'd be reluctant to take two adult back-seat passengers several hundred miles, i.e. think of it as a 2+2. I get 26+ mpg on a long-term basis and 30 mpg on a trip of several hundred miles.
It is a coupé for cruising, not a sports car. It is not as practical as the saloon, but that doesn't bother me, as it was the looks that attracted me long before I could afford to buy one. It does have the "hewn from a single block of steel" feel. The ride is firm but perfectly comfortable. It is quiet, very quiet. I wouldn't have an engine other than the 320.
The dealers who sold me the first one had to replace the head gasket, which leaked on day one because, in their view, the car had been sitting idle with them for too long andhad dried out. The only other problem I've had over 34k with two cars was the speedo cable on the first one, which had to be replaced because it was affecting the retro-fit cruise control, but was otherwise tolerable. My service mechanic does comment that the W124 is prone to minor leakages. He has pointed out that the exhaust on my current one is starting to leak, but in August it will be 8 years old. He also says that the window motors usually fail at some point ? huge doors with huge windows. There is one quirk, found in three cars (both of mine and one other at the local dealers recently): the doors require some effort to shut (good sealing, I guess) and the driver's door doesn't close as well as the passenger door. Perhaps that's simply a matter of adjustment, but I did get mine checked and was told that it was properly aligned, and the three cars have been identical in this respect.
If you do go for one, find an MB specialist service garage or mobile mechanic (as mine is) and you will pay perfectly reasonable bills. MB parts aren't that costly, but the dealers charge out at £85 an hour and more ? they have palaces to maintain, after all. It's a half-million mile car at least, if properly looked after. And, finally, join the MB Club for £30 a year.
Do ask if you want to know any more.
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Ajit & Roger, thanks for your replies. Would the MB club be able to tell me the whereabouts of a good MB service specialist or mobile mechanic?
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The specialists advertise in the club magazine, available only to members; the good garages list on the website is currently not functioning. Where are you? I can look at the magazine back-issues and probably give you a lead. Alternatively, try Yellow Pages or, better, if there is a specialist accessories shop in the locality, ask them; that's how I found the independents for my Golf ? their business cards were on the counter and the manager explained their backgrounds and recommended them. You might also get something out of a Google search or by drilling down through the Yahoo system to your locality.
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Roger - I live in Leamington Spa. Does the MB club run a web site?
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GT
www.mercedes-benzownersclub.co.uk/
but most of the useful/interesting bits are restricted to members.
Also, there's an unrelated open discussion forum at
tinyurl.com/34ryp
which I've just discovered.
I've scoured four issues of the magazine and the relevant parts of the website, but the few instances of Coventry (none for Leamington Spa or Warwick) yielded only the following:
1. WDM in Perry Barr Birmingham
2. It looks like there are no good garages to get my C180 serviced at in Coventry, what about Leicester? I have seen an advert in Mercedes Enthusiast magazine for a garage in Rothley near Leicester called Silver Star Garages, has anyone dealt with them before?
Response: I had quite a bit of work done on a 420SEL after I bought it (timing chain, belts, brakes etc). I was very impressed by Chris Parkinson (and his colleague Nick). Chris certainly seems to know plenty about Mercs having worked at a main dealers for a number of years. His labour rate is reasonable and he comes across as honest and hardworking. I was attracted to his garage after his helpful responses to a number of questions I had prior to buying the car. I currently drive from Wiltshire to Leicester to have him work on my car so he certainly gets my vote.
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A head gasket drying out?
Must add that to my list of bovine ordure excuses.
Apologies if Chrysler Benz now use some weird hygroscopic gasketting system.
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Yes, "drying out" no doubt wrong, but failure for sure. I quote from the invoice:
"Replaced head gasket due to oil leak"
Parts:
Chain tensioner
W/pump seal
Head gasket
RC gasket
Frt cover seal
Frt seal
Seal ring
Instant gasket
Lube spray
Hylomar
Hose clamp 15mm
Hose clip 122
Seal ring
Oil filter
Inhibitor
Oil
TOTAL including labour £589.82, paid by the dealers under warranty, 13/12/99
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Was doubting garage excuse as I'm fed up with ludicrous reasons why something is not their fault.
I told the garage that there was an oil leak from the intercooling ducting on my VW. The oil was visibly dripping.
They 'fixed' something entirely different. When I took them to task I was told it was not an oil leak as oil was not meant to be there.
Hope the Merc is fine now.
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