Is the 05 E320cdi really worth it compared to a much newer car purchase - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jimbolil · #1 01-08-2013, 10:01 PM

I was looking to purchase a 05 e30cdi with 90k on it for $18K. My wife is saying she could purchase a year old Nissan Altima or a similar vehicle with like 18K on it. What do you guys think?

Skid Row Joe · #2 01-09-2013, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbolil

I was looking to purchase a 05 e30cdi with 90k on it for $18K. My wife is saying she could purchase a year old Nissan Altima or a similar vehicle with like 18K on it. What do you guys think?

Those two car brand/examples cannot even begin to be compared, as to which is the higher grade car. Many people have low or no information when it comes to knowing what a Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel car is, is capable of, and what a value it is.

Yes, an 05 e300cdi is worth it - for the right pre-owned one for you.

layback40 · #3 01-09-2013, 05:07 AM

For $18k you could get a brand new Korean buzz box as well.
It depends on what you are after.
If you want a real car, nissan would not be a consideration.

engatwork · #4 01-09-2013, 06:35 AM

That Korean buzz box will be in the junk yard when the turbo diesel MB is just starting to stretch it's legs at 200k miles.

I DO NOT like the SBC system in the 05 E class car though. Low point in MB engineering if you ask me.

layback40 · #5 01-09-2013, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

That Korean buzz box will be in the junk yard when the turbo diesel MB is just starting to stretch it's legs at 200k miles.

& the nissan wont be far behind it !!

~ hope no one thinks I was suggesting a Korean buzz box as a serious alternate !!

Zulfiqar · #6 01-09-2013, 10:01 AM

As said those two cars are galaxies apart in build spec. The choice of purchase depends on what the user wants out of a car.

My problem is that it is hard wired into my head that a car should last a long time - this may or may not be the same with everyone. In my experience I have seen people think that any car above 125,000 miles is toast. For them MB or Renault products rank the same - and they immediately compare such prices.

A person who knows these cars - will not bat an eyelid on the decision. Just like my other half who usually thinks Im cuckoo for driving an old car. To my win I recently had to swerve the car at above 65 mph to avoid collision with an 18 wheeler spare on the highway at night - and the way the W124 handled was remarkable - Im pretty dead sure that her '10 Nissan Altima would have not took that nicely.

TheDon · #7 01-09-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

That Korean buzz box will be in the junk yard when the turbo diesel MB is just starting to stretch it's legs at 200k miles.

I DO NOT like the SBC system in the 05 E class car though. Low point in MB engineering if you ask me.

It's the only downfall of the car but it can be dealt with. I would make sure the SBC was recently serviced and all warranty items replaced.

jcyuhn · #8 01-09-2013, 10:38 AM

Depends what you want. The Altima won't even begin to compare to the Benz in terms of smooth, quiet, comfort, performance, amenities, or general feeling of quality. The two will have about the same cost/mile for fuel - I expect the Benz will provide comfortably higher MPG, but diesel is quite a bit more expensive than regular gasoline. On the other hand, I wouild expect the newer, lower mileage Altima to require fewer repairs for at least the next five years. And on the Altima you won't have exposure to potentially large expenses like on the Benz. For example, I bet you could replace the engine in the Altima for less than the cost of an SBC replacement.

vstech · #9 01-09-2013, 10:51 AM

what's SBC?

figure the resale value into your decision as well... what do you think the 05 will be worth in 5 years? how about the Nissan?
I figure in 2018 the 05 will be worth 6-10K... depending on how many miles you rack up... the Nissan will likely be a 2K car by then...

jcyuhn · #10 01-09-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

what's SBC?

figure the resale value into your decision as well... what do you think the 05 will be worth in 5 years? how about the Nissan?
I figure in 2018 the 05 will be worth 6-10K... depending on how many miles you rack up... the Nissan will likely be a 2K car by then...

SBC is Mercedes Sensotronic Brake Control, the brake-by-wire system fitted to 2003-2006 model year 211 chassis E-class, along with a few other models (CLS, SL). Here's a wikipedia article on it: Sensotronic Brake Control - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. MB USA provides a 10 year warranty on the SBC unit, though that would mean an '05 is getting toward the end of the coverage. A failed SBC unit costs several thousand dollars to replace.

If you are correct regarding the value of a 6 year old Altima, then it should be possible to purchase a 2006 Altima for $2k. Looking at DFW craigslist I find 2006 model year Altimas range from $6K to $10K, the exact range proposed for the CDi. I expect depreciation to be the same for both cars under discussion.

vstech · #11 01-09-2013, 11:29 AM

Hmmm...
what are 11 year old MB's going for?
I can't imagine the values to be equal in depreciation... but I understand it.

I guess to the OP, the question is still valid. is it WORTH IT!
I say yes. the MB is going to have refinements the nissan will NEVER have. but the looming "I TOLD YOU SO" from the spouse is NEVER worth the trouble.
I'd have her test drive both vehicles, and let her decide which she likes better. it's always going to irk her at the pump the Diesel costing more to fill. but the Altima may require Premium, so the fuel isn't much different. it's always going to irk her if you choose something she isn't 100% behind.
spark plugs and wires are annoying to me. and I've got the tools to work on them. if you always have the cars serviced, that point is irrelevant.
I know which one I'd choose, but I couldn't afford either one right now.

ah-kay · #12 01-09-2013, 11:48 AM

Let her makes the final decision or she will NAG you til the kingdom comes.

There is a lot of choices if you have $18K to play with. A 05 CDI ( 7+ years old ) will not be trouble free while a Altima will be relatively trouble free in the next 3 years. You can even buy a new car with 5 years bumper to bumper cover. The ride and comfort level will be different but it comes with a relatively big maintenance costs for MBZ. No one has a crystal ball so go with your wife's heart.

SD Blue · #13 01-09-2013, 12:19 PM

From reading the original post, it sounds as if your wife, like many people, believe that just because a vehicle has lower miles it must be better. As you know this is only slightly true and more often than not, not true at all. Compare apples to apples and you may be surprised what you find. Compare the same car 5 years from now and then 10 years from now. If you are buying used, then compare a Mercedes with 100K to a Nissan Altima with 100K.

By the way, I've used a Nissan as a work vehicle and believe me it is not much more than a 100K vehicle and certainly not a 200K (as a general rule, there are exceptions).

Walkenvol · #14 01-09-2013, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD Blue

By the way, I've used a Nissan as a work vehicle and believe me it is not much more than a 100K vehicle and certainly not a 200K (as a general rule, there are exceptions).

Charmalu 's 82 Datsun Kingcab Diesel 473k would be one of those.

I have 3 friends who have all driven the Nissan Quest kid hauler over 300K without major problems...one of them did 425K.

I recently sold a '95 Nissan Pathfinder with 180K that had the priviledge of being the starter car for 3 different teenage drivers along with the associated bumps and bruises that comes with that. Was running great when we sold it to someone we knew who now has it up over 200k. Just like with old MB's, many of the nonessentials were failing such as cruise control and power door locks.

If the fluids are changed, my observation is the exception is the car not to be running well at 100K...Nissan, Honda, Hundai, GM, Ford, Toyota, and most others. There are so many competitors in the automobile market today that the ones selling total crap are being flushed out of the market. They all share much of the same technology and suppliers also (likely due to reverse engineering unfortunately).

Will the MB likely go longer - yes. 2 or 3 times longer - no. 50% longer may be a reasonable amount. With major rebuilds you can keep pretty much any car running indefinately.

As for depreciation, I'm about to sell a '96 Toyota Avalon with 240K that's still running great. KBB.com shows the resale to be between $2,500 fair - $3,500 excellent. How many comparable MB's are worth considerably more than that?

barry12345 · #15 01-09-2013, 01:12 PM

With the mercedes you may be getting into a car that many types of repairs might have to be dealer. You need reserve targeted funds just in case of this. On the otherhand the newer nissan or almost any other current newer car puts us somewhat into the same boat when it eventually slips by warranty. . The mercedes while worthwhile should be owned by someone with at least some reserve funds to maintain it when needed. Not a person squeeking by on a budget. Overall cost per mile of ownership should be higher by expectation.

Unfortunatly the big three cars are still to be avoided in my opinion. This may change with time but so far nothing has really changed enough with them yet.

People are becoming more warranty sensitive with time in my opinion. I had to ask questions about even if I could change the oil on my wifes newest toyota corolla. The dealer said only if I used their filter and synthetic up to their standards or prefferably buy their synthetic oil for under seven dollars a litre from them. A litre is about the size of a quart.

I find an oil change for seventy dollars at the average dealer today still offensive. Has to do with my age and past life experiences. Basically for a touch over four litres of synthetic oil and and a filter is involved.

The car was sold new 12/12/2011. It had 7,800km or a little under five thousand miles and was truly spotless with no door dings or stone chips. Just coming up to it's first due oil change in fact. I got the dealer to throw that in as well.

Short term leasing pool recycle. Automatic, air, keyless entry, bug deflector and widow side shields. 13,250. Two years bumper to bumper warranty left and a further two years power train.

I think you should have a really astute buyer try to negotiate a price on the mercedes if you know one and want the car.