Which W212 Merc for £5-7k?

[matt21]

I’ve been looking on and off for a while, but really need to buy a comfy auto for £5-7k. Was looking at E91 330d, but want something that is likely to be trouble free.

Keep coming back to W212s. What is the toughest / model reliable model / model year?

Looking at a car with 120-150k, plan to keep 5 years and will do 50-80k in that time.

Wrongly or rightly I would like a BM or Merc

Thanks!

[ZX10R NIN]

With that budget I'd go for a 3.0d, it's the best engine combo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112230...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111239...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111189...

[matt21]

Thanks. Are they as reliable as the E220cdi?

[ZX10R NIN]

Yes more so than the new 220d unit which has a had a few timing chain issues & because the timing chain is at the back of the engine it's not a cheap job if you're unlucky enough to have an issue.

[Canon_Fodder]

ZX10R NIN said:

With that budget I'd go for a 3.0d, it's the best engine combo:



https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111239...

Yikes look at those alloys! Did the PO hit 'em with an 'ammer every morning?

[W201_190e]

I'm now starting to see more of these with the subframe that would fail an MOT.. ideally get that checked.

[Shifter1]

matt21 said:

I’ve been looking on and off for a while, but really need to buy a comfy auto for £5-7k. Was looking at E91 330d, but want something that is likely to be trouble free.

Keep coming back to W212s. What is the toughest / model reliable model / model year?

Looking at a car with 120-150k, plan to keep 5 years and will do 50-80k in that time.

Wrongly or rightly I would like a BM or Merc

Thanks!

You mention BMW and Mercedes in the same post you ask for something trouble free.

For that you would surely not be looking at anything German?

Although your last sentence pretty much waves goodbye to the priority of "trouble free".

But at least for me, if I want trouble free, I wouldn't be thinking German. Nothing is really trouble free, but if there is such a thing is Japanese. So I would be looking at Lexus etc. Yes, not exactly exciting. But neither is Mercedes or BMW. For that you need Italian, and if you are waving goodbye to trouble free anyway, might as well go the whole way.