Discussion
My company Eurobox is going back, so I'll be faced with buying my own car for ploughing up and down the motorway on my 90 mile round trip every day. "Experts" in the pub have advised me to go for an '80s Merc or XJ6 as they won't depreciate and will last forever.
But which one's best?
But which one's best?
On the other hand if you can run to a 90s Jag, particularly and X300 they are far better built than the Mercs. At least that is my experience. I've got a 94 XJ6 Sport and the Mrs runs a 2001 MB E class. At least with the Merc it comes with a 30 year body work warrantee as long as it is serviced at a main dealer, so they'll swap all panels for you when the tin worm comes visiting where as the Jags by then were properly galvanised.
Bob, I'm going to stick my neck out and say almost every car over 10 years old would have deprectaied as amuch as its going to. So you dont need to think about a mid 80s car if you dont want to.
10 years old is 1998- theres a lot of good cars around there for next to mothing. For a boring commute, you could even think about a tatty mondeo. I did- paid £500 for mine, didnt lift the bonnet for a year, idnt service it. Drove it into the ground, very cheaply. I didnt even clean it. P/ex it for the BMW.
10 years old is 1998- theres a lot of good cars around there for next to mothing. For a boring commute, you could even think about a tatty mondeo. I did- paid £500 for mine, didnt lift the bonnet for a year, idnt service it. Drove it into the ground, very cheaply. I didnt even clean it. P/ex it for the BMW.
I'm well known for my love of Jaguars but here's the rub:-
I had a W124 for years, bought it for £14,000 with 12,000 on the clock and sold it with 200,000 for £6,000. It went wrong once when a camshaft let go bending a valve.
For my 50th I treated myself to a new X300 3.2 in 1996. It never went right, suffering constant winscreen leakages (3 replaced), electric windows jamming open (when it rained of course), wheels replaced because the lacquer fell off, front N/S suspension collapsed, gearbox constantly going into limp-home safety mode. I could go on. Bought for nearly £40,000 and sold at a thumping loss after only 10 months.For business I needed a car that was reliable.
Now I know that this is perhaps an unfair comparison in one way but if a 4 yr old car is far more reliable than a new one, I know where I would be putting my own money if I needed to be sure of completing the 90 miles every day. Sad, but true.
As an aside, if you can afford the petrol go for a bigger engined car which will be unstressed and for goodness sake, if you choose a Mercedes, don't buy one built after 1999. Their quality, both electrically and bodily, is equivalent to a 1960's Alfa.
I had a W124 for years, bought it for £14,000 with 12,000 on the clock and sold it with 200,000 for £6,000. It went wrong once when a camshaft let go bending a valve.
For my 50th I treated myself to a new X300 3.2 in 1996. It never went right, suffering constant winscreen leakages (3 replaced), electric windows jamming open (when it rained of course), wheels replaced because the lacquer fell off, front N/S suspension collapsed, gearbox constantly going into limp-home safety mode. I could go on. Bought for nearly £40,000 and sold at a thumping loss after only 10 months.For business I needed a car that was reliable.
Now I know that this is perhaps an unfair comparison in one way but if a 4 yr old car is far more reliable than a new one, I know where I would be putting my own money if I needed to be sure of completing the 90 miles every day. Sad, but true.
As an aside, if you can afford the petrol go for a bigger engined car which will be unstressed and for goodness sake, if you choose a Mercedes, don't buy one built after 1999. Their quality, both electrically and bodily, is equivalent to a 1960's Alfa.
lowdrag said:
I'm well known for my love of Jaguars but here's the rub:-
8<-------------------------------
As an aside, if you can afford the petrol go for a bigger engined car which will be unstressed and for goodness sake, if you choose a Mercedes, don't buy one built after 1999. Their quality, both electrically and bodily, is equivalent to a 1960's Alfa.
Your experiences are the opposite to mine.8<-------------------------------
As an aside, if you can afford the petrol go for a bigger engined car which will be unstressed and for goodness sake, if you choose a Mercedes, don't buy one built after 1999. Their quality, both electrically and bodily, is equivalent to a 1960's Alfa.
I've had my X300 for 12.5 years and took a spanner to it for the first time last Saturday when I changed the thermostat.
But then my Merc ownership experience is based on a 2001 car, which as Lowdrag says appears to be made from the same steel as a 70s Lancia.
For what its worth, I have a client running a 4.2 S111 as a company car.On gas with the 4 speed ZF box it is giving the equivalent 40 to the gallon with mapped ignition.72k so far and trouble free.
Another client,bought the first of the 6 Cylinder XJRs at 50K 2 years ago, now on 100k, throttle body replacement/ tyres and service costs, that was all.
Another client,bought the first of the 6 Cylinder XJRs at 50K 2 years ago, now on 100k, throttle body replacement/ tyres and service costs, that was all.
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