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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / August 2005An E-Series car that will hold it's value for under 10K
I am looking for an older Mercedes that will hold it's value, more or less, in the future, without spending a fortune, hopefully less then $10K. I was thinking of buying a nice 1991-1995 W124 300CE. Does this seem like a reasonable bet, or is a better choice in this price range? I like the E-Series cars. A sedan is preferable if cost is a consideration; it's the volume model so its parts will be available from more sources and somewhat cheaper. The CE model, though cute has a useless rear seat, IMHO, and some parts - due to being limited production - will be costly. Someone here just bought a '97 E320 with about 120 or 130K miles for about $9K. I've owned a '97 since new and can tell you that it's a good car - lots of power, good fuel economy and handling. This 210 series is an improvement over the prior E series, IMHO. So consider the newest E class that you can for the newer ones are the better cars. An additional thought: A car's condition determines its value, especially the older it becomes. So to come back to your original question - depreciation - buy it and keep it in good condition for the greatest reliability and lowest depreciation cost. C'est moi. >From what I saw in dealer and Kelly prices, if I put $1000 into fixing the little things, in 5 years, with good care and a modest amount of driving, it should still be worth a good portion of what I paid. Perhaps even just as much. But it's the newer 210 body. The feature set of the 210 series is nice. It's cushy to drive to work every day. But I really liked the drive of my son's old 83 300DT and my brother's 86 300E a bit better, at least in some respects. There was a height sense difference and a little better cornering. But on the highway, driving from Columbus to Madison a week ago was probably nicer in the 210. Just the the cruise and go. Here in Columbus, oH, Germain MB has a 95 E320 with, iirc, 62K original miles on it. I don't recall the price. But it's black with the lt. gray interior. Really pretty. Saw it 2 weeks ago. And Crown MB in Dublin, OH, has some nice low-mileage stuff of that vintage as well. Those might be work looking into wrt holding value. If trading or reselling is what you're looking to do. Do I have any complaints about the 210? Just one. There's no place to mount a 2-meter! Cars are for driving. Adore them in museums and collection halls. Otherwise, drive and enjoy. That's why they were built. my 2c, Collin KC8TKA >I am looking for an older Mercedes that will hold it's value, more or less, in the future, without spending a fortune, hopefully >less then $10K. I was thinking of buying a nice 1991-1995 W124 300CE. Does this seem like a reasonable bet, or is a better choice >in this price range? I like the E-Series cars. When buying a 10-15 year old mass market car there's not much point worrying about how well it will hold it's value. cp I'm driving my second 1990 300D 2.5 Turbo. First one was great, traded it with 235K. I bought the latest with 158K for under 7K. Its my 7th MB diesel. Great cars. The 1990 has the quieter cab than the older diesels, plus, and this is a little quirk of mine, the power window up/down sunroof from the door lock. That started in 1990, but I love that feature. Solid car, lots of power. I expect some expenses over the next 40K, but if you pick up a well-maintained car, you will get a solid car for not much money. I would definitely recommend having the timing chain replaced in this mileage range) I've also heard if you can find the 300SD or 350SD with a factory rebuilt engine (the original engine had serious problems and many had their engine factory-replaced for free) you will have a great automobile... however, resale, because of the rep may not be great. I'm curious. What are the 96-98 diesels like for longevity / Power / maintenance? Tim > I'm driving my second 1990 300D 2.5 Turbo. First one was great, traded > it with 235K. I bought the latest with 158K for under 7K. Its my 7th [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > not much money. I would definitely recommend having the timing chain > replaced in this mileage range) Daang straight! > I've also heard if you can find the 300SD or 350SD with a factory > rebuilt engine (the original engine had serious problems and many had > their engine factory-replaced for free) you will have a great > automobile... however, resale, because of the rep may not be great. Yes, I scour eBay for those, hard to come by though! > I'm curious. What are the 96-98 diesels like for longevity / Power / > maintenance? Will have to see! cp |
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