RRH

With the economy 'tightening', road tax etc, the cost of the day-to-day workhorse X5 is starting to wind me up a little. Its great for kids, dogs, towing etc, but the depreciation is shocking. Its not that I can't afford it, just that somedays I struggle to justify the expense, when all around are predicting the worst. Its not even that its uneconomical; we went down to Devon this weekend, which is circa 600 miles round trip, and it averaged 38mpg, five up (plus dog)- and not at 56mph

Anyway, was searching for alternatives- alternatives that would do a similar job, carry kids, dogs, tow boats, race cars, the trailer to the tip etc.- and that, ideally, I wouldn't have to borrow any money to buy so therefore were 'slowdown friendly' if that makes sense?

E55 estate seems to fit the bill perfectly; late 90's cars seem to be £5-6k, and whilst expensive on petrol seem to represent reasonable value for money.

Surely they must have near enough bottomed out price-wise?

Any thoughts / sensible contributions greatly received.

Simon

fatherpierre

38mpg?

You sure the trip computer's working?

I've used a work one in the past (3.0D) and couldn't get more than 24mpg with just me in and a colleague in it. And that was on a run. It would do about 18mpg just trotting around the streets in a night shift with no thrashing.

It would give about 12mpg with enthusiastic use.

RRH

Absolutely positive; I'm one of those **** types that always fills it, and always checks the mileage, so i check it from that as well as the computer as I don't trust them germans (schumacher started that one )

Around town it averages about 27, but motorway its always 36-40. Before it went to DMS it only did about 32. It consistently does 26 when towing!

webby v7 slipperwagon

iTrader: (2)

Wahoo, i salute you sir. What a fantastic piece of kit.Obviously the AMG Version The best built E class without a doubt. Just check for rust on the front wings otherwise bullet proof.

fatherpierre

Mine was a brand new, so maybe it needed time to bed in!

I guess the fact I wasn't paying for the derv made my use a but more liberal than normal, but I never saw it give any decent mileage in the short time I used it (about 6 weeks).

webby v7 slipperwagon

iTrader: (2)

Just around the streets in a night shift Does your wife know.

fatherpierre

Best built E class was the 123 followed by the 124 if we're being ****........

No modern Merc comes close to either

fatherpierre

Silver motor with large blue lights on the top of it

RRH

I must admit mine is shockingly good on fuel; devon and back this weekend plus a bit of running about, still showing 60 miles to empty

The Impreza does about 160 to a full (albeit smaller) tank, the Ferrari somewhat (cough) less and uses nearly as much oil as petrol

fatherpierre

An E55 AMG won't give you more than 20mpg, and the servicing costs will be steep unless you know a clever indi that's reasonable.

Probably cheaper overall to run the X5

webby v7 slipperwagon

iTrader: (2)

You could be right 40 million portugese and german taxi drivers cant be wrong

fatherpierre

And me - one sad, old b@stard that uses old mercs as runabouts as an alterantive to £500 Mondeos

RRH

You could be right- it just seems a lot of money to have tied up when the world's going in to meltdown (but there again I've always been good at that )

The guy that prep's our race cars is pretty clued up, but cheap he isn't, and I suspect the AMG's aren't cheap when you do get a problem- which I'm sure is inevitable.

The secret with the X5 is keeping the speed consistent, which I guess may be difficult in your job. I flick the cruise on whenever possible on the motorway, which not only keeps the speed from straying but gives me about 4mpg extra. I must admit I'm not a fan of cruise though, and don't use it if I'm at all distracted or tired. Far too scary.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Also, remember, that era E class wasnt very good, J4ckos mate uses one at work a well used E230 kompressor but its rusting, going in holes, another mate has a high miler (120k) E320 CDI and that goes mental and costs a packet every few months, pre cats, injectors, ECU's windows wont go up etc.

I would say that a late nineties mega saloon is about the most innapropriate way of trying to beat the current economic climate, if it goes wrong, major surgery will cost more than its worth, and as said 15 mpg.

The only way to beat the current climate is to go smaller and slower, a sad truth but once you get your head around it and stop looking for ways to beat it you get used to it.

skinters

yeah - don't kid yourself that the late 90s mercs are uber reliable. My mate had loads of very expensive issues with his. (talking post 1996 with 4 oval lights here)

Apparently merc changed to a waterbased paint and it was pretty rubbish - some serious rust issues.
They also started really building to cost at the same time complexity increased too.
I was all set to buy one, but ran away once you scrape below the 'mercs are bullet proof'.
A late W124 (say 1995) is far superior in terms of true build quality but styling is more dated now.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, FP gets other people to bed his in for twenty or thirty years for him so they are ready for him.

fatherpierre

I like them when they're broken in and have had all their love and treats

TopBanana

I've heard that they rust

fatherpierre

They do. Merc took their eye off the ball with that model in terms of build quality.

It sold on the back of Merc's reputation of building top notch cars that lasted forever.

brickboy

The old expression does ring true, the cheapest car is often the one you're already driving.

The X5 has already done its depreciating, so why not hang onto it ... if it's reliable, frugal and putting out a little extra poke over standard then it doesn't make sense to take the depreciation hit AND buy a car of uncertain reliability and possibly high maintenance costs.

dpb

Aint that the truth