2007 vintage E-class or BMW 520d?

[Diapason]

Quick show of hands please.

I'm reluctantly getting rid of my old, trusty Lexus IS200 and since new cars over here cost roughly the same as 3 newborns and a kidney, my options at seem to be falling to the 2(ish) litre Germans of 2007 era. I'd probably go for the 1.8 Petrol Kompressor in the Merc, and the ubiquitous 520D in the Beemer. Road tax over here is basically shocking as you creep up over 2 litres, so I'm resisting the urge to get a larger engine.

Helpful facts about me:

1) I'm 37, but I tend toward the fat old fart sort of 37 rather than the goes to the gym daily sort of 37.

2) Very few people drive as fast as I think they should, so yes I am probably a tosser.

3) In my defence, I know how to use indicators, and I despair of people who don't.

The arguments in work are basically whether I'm enough of an old fart to drive or Merc, or enough of a tosser to drive a Beemer. I'd like to think I'm both, but I'd value the opinion of Wammers who've never met me and who fundamentally couldn't give a crap about any of this.

Which will it be then?

 

[diplomat2.6]

They are both plasticky and nasty, if you ask me.

I know people who have had both and the maintenance bills have been telephone number shocking. The 520 has needed turbos (£2k) and Gearboxes. The Merc has required a replacement gearbox solenoid (£1350).

The last 'proper' BMWs were the E39/E46 and the last 'proper' Merc is the 190e/230e. New ones are just tatt. I am a long established tosser, after having both an E34 518 and and my current tosserwagon is a 530i. In fairness, real tossers drive the 3 series, especially the 4 cylinder models, although they seem to have moved on to Audi A4s now.

You will never find anything as reliable as your IS200. Why don't you buy an LS400 for £800 and spend the rest of your budget on fuel and tax?

Why not get one of those smoothed-off Passat things - they are very high in customer satisfaction?

 

[rockmeister]

neither

a reasonable mileage Jag XJ diesel

 

[browellm]

neithera reasonable mileage Jag XJ diesel

Which XJ diesels are under 2litres?

 

[Guest]

A Citroen C1, it's all the transport an old fart or tosser could need and you can spend all the money saved on a disguise:^

 

[Diapason]

Just to show how seriously I'm taking all these suggestions, I actually just did a feckin' search for a Citroen C1...

 

[rabski]

Not entirely sure what to recommend, but I'd definitely go for the 'neither' option.

2007 was not a good year for MB in terms of quality IIRC and the 520D is likely to be on the verge of big bill territory.

I don't know the tax position there, but could you go older and bigger engine without being hammered?

 

[Diapason]

I thought 2007 was when things got good again for MB? 2006 I know is to be avoided, but the "facelift" in 2007 apparently solved a lot of problems. That's just what I've read on the hyperwebz, though, so it might not have anything to do with the truth.

Sadly, older and bigger isn't really a goer. You can see the rates for pre-2008 if you choose "Private Car Standard" from the dropdown on this page: https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/menu.do?page=motortaxinfotype

It kinda rules out a lot of the more interesting stuff in my current financial position! Post-July 2008 things change a bit, but I can't afford anything decent from that era at all.

 

[MJ.]

Don't, whatever you do, do the Merc.

I did, a 2007 C Class for 6 months and would never go there again. In the garage as much as on the road with electrical (crankshaft sensor - twice) and brake problems - feckin expensive.

Why German ?

 

[Diapason]

Don't, whatever you do, do the Merc.I did, a 2007 C Class for 6 months and would never go there again. In the garage as much as on the road with electrical (crankshaft sensor - twice) and brake problems - feckin expensive.

Arse. I'm not used to that kind of crap and I wouldn't respond well to it. I never even bother to check the oil on the IS.

Why German ?

Snob value. That's pretty much it. I'd cheerfully buy another Lexus if the right one existed, but I don't really see it. I like the idea of the performance of the GS450h (although I'm not mad on the looks), and post-2008 it gets a most excellent tax break for being a hybrid (!) but I have a young toddler and the intention to have another in due course, so the boot space is a dealbreaker there. The GS300 is higher tax and doesn't have the same draw for me, the LS is just too big and again there's the road tax. The IS250 or 220 never really pumped my nads, but maybe I should look at it again.

Outside of those, there's just not much that has the right blend of comfort and wanker cachet. Make no bones about it, much of the reason for buying a BMW or MB would be because those names still hold some weight and I'm a shallow, shallow little man.

 

[rabski]

Nothing wrong with being shallow. It's stood me in fine stead for many a year.

I'm biased, but what about a SAAB? Depends on your use, but 2007 or a bit later 9-3 cabrio (from my experience) is pretty reliable, an average drive, but damned quick, comfortable and doesn't cost the earth to run. My beauty is an '04 model and now on about 130,000 miles with never a significant issue. Will still hit about 150 flat out and show a clean pair of heels to most of the traffic-light wannabes.

If you need more space, a 9-5 is a pretty serious companion and best of all, they're getting stupidly cheap now.

 

[diplomat2.6]

Chuff... I didn't realise you meant that expensive. I'd have to leave the country.

 

[Diapason]

That's a good suggestion, thanks. Historically I mentally ruled out Saabs because my mate had one and you can't drive the same car as your mate. But now he has an E-class himself so all those rules have gone out the window! Will definitely put Saab on the list.

Edit: yes, the tax rates are a big steaming pile of horse manure. That's not to mention the 30% extra tax that the Irish government stick on new cars because hey, why not?

 

[diplomat2.6]

I had a Saab 9-5 Aero and if you get a good one, they are very good value.

 

[Jezzer]

IIRC Papa Lazarou had a BMW520D of 2007 vintage. I don't think he had any problems with it.

I used to own a 2006 120D which was utterly reliable in three years of ownership (a real tosser mobile of the highest order).

I like the styling of the Passat CC (but what do I know I had a 1-series).

 

[rockmeister]

oh...tax, wow.

OK then.

I own an e class merc from 08

In theory, the Chrysler ownership problems were 'solved' in '06, but in reality Merc never could and never will afford to get back to the build quality of the W123 and W124 models, which were (still are) legendary.

Nor can any other car maker. The Japanese undoubtedly do it (reliability) better than anyone else tho. Merc are merely as bad as BMW, Audi, Jag, Ford, etc etc etc. IMO this has meant around a prob a year, By contrast, my Subaru ran for 13 years without one single out of the routine prob.

So you want a big car with a small engine that makes you look like a god, has a neutral to cool reputation in your office, never goes wrong, and you wan't to go fast. Let's add making passing women swoon with lust.

I'm guessing the budget around £10,000?

Volvo S80

like this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201301164942214/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/price-to/10000/maximum-age/up_to_7_years_old/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/model/s80/make/volvo/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1500/page/1/postcode/dt13ra?logcode=p

acceleration ain't rocketship, but with a combined mpg around 60, you might forgive it. Nice to drive, amazingly comfy, status neutral.

 

[Hornucopia]

Keep the IS!

If it works, why 'fix' it?

Presumably a GS300/430 too pricy?

 

[Diapason]

I'd intended to run the IS into the ground tbh, but when I recently went shopping for the next stage car seat for my little girl, I basically found out that the seatbelts didn't allow any seat to be safely installed, and I've no ISOfix. At first I assumed that something would work, but nothing did. Eventually one of the more senior managers in the baby shop was summoned and she, unbelievably, explained that this is a known problem with the pre ISOfix incarnation of the IS. Now, of course some people fit seats and don't think about it again, but if a shop selling baby seats refuses to sell you a baby seat for safety reasons, I'm not the sort to ignore that advice.

Googling around and checking Lexus forums would suggest I'm not the first to come across this problem, and most threads you see remain unresolved.

Anyway, apart from all that it's been starting to throw up little niggles, which I suppose you'd expect after 13 years, and I'm not inclined to spend any more money on it really. I always said that when the little hinged door covering the petrol cap rusted off I'd draw the line there, and it's damn close to that!

 

[crimsondonkey]

Say no to German wankerwagons. Overpriced entry to a club I wouldn't wish to be a member of.

Look at Japanese and Korean cars again and find something that you like.