Assuming the mileage is genuine. What is YOUR preception of a 'high mileage' car, any chassis, which will stop you from buying it? Personally, I do not mind any chassis car, powered by OM60x engine, with over 300K. If I can get it under $2-3K and can get 100K out of it then I am laughing all the way to the bank. There is a car with 400K for sale locally that I am interested, am I nut?

What is your take?

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Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

I'd consider it depending on condition. If cared for it should still have a good bit of service left in it, or it could be knackered at half the miles.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

id consider anything sub 200k low mileage, up to 299k average mileage, and past 300k high mileage

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

It really depends on upkeep. My dad's 300SD has 190k on the engine and 342k on the body, and its still in great condition and drives nice. My 300SD has 322k on it and the engine/trans are great and it drives fine, but the 32 winters its been through have taken their toll on the body. It really is amazing how long these cars last, even in brutal conditions.

My wife's C240 wagon is almost 10 years old and it still looks, performs, and feels like a new car...its actually superior to the VW wagon I had for a while, and that was brand new.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

My 85 300D engine has only 110k km on it (68k miles) since major rebuild. But everything else has 430k km (267k miles). Even this is not really a lot, but it did see those brutal winter conditions for first 20 years and it is no longer as pristine as I always tried to keep it.

A lot of suspension and drive train parts are original. Front fenders replaced once on body and new paint once. Lots of body and chassis rust repairs done.

But still lots of life left if the maintenance is kept up.

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

I think there's an age related part to the equation as well as a service records and evidence of work done part to the equation too.

100,000 miles on a 1980s diesel with out service records is probably not going to be great
500,000 miles on a 1990s diesel with full service history and evidence of recent big repairs is probably a better bet

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I've seen ruined diesels with under 100k on them before. I've seen amazing running cars with 450k before. I treat it on a case by case basis.

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68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

Low mileage means starts easily and runs smoothly requiring only external engine parts. Transmission shifts as it should. Good maintenance means suspension, brakes and climate are in good repair or close enough to be easily fixed. Interior & body are rust free and in decent shape.

I hate it when every system needs work and having the car stop working is a real possibility.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

I bought my 190D because even though it had 308K miles on it (315K now), the engine was so smooth. Unfortunately everything else around it wasn't and I wasn't as good at identifying problems back then so it has been really very expensive (especially the could of times I was forced to take it to my mechanic instead of do the work myself). Transmission was rebuilt as well as injectors (maybe not needed but I went with it anyway) and mostly rebuilt suspension. It has front LCA bushings, idler arm bushing, tie rods, motor mounts, and transmission mount sitting in the trunk waiting to go in. It shall soon be at the point where it doesn't need anything major mechanically. Brake lines, front discs, master cylinder and AC expansion valve are really all that are left, maybe tuning the injection pump (around $500 or so to get it done, or $1200 if I go for the 400E brake upgrade). Then the rest of the work will be cosmetic, rust that needs to be treated and patched is the main concern there, but I have a rust free parts car to use for that. In it's current shape I would probably not buy it again but I still love the car. The interior needs so much work.

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Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.

Like any car, these need repairs along the way. If you do the repairs WHEN THEY'RE STILL SMALL, the car will last a long time. Don't wait for a tiny fuel leak to become a big one, or a power steering box leak continue to leak. Do something about it early. The car is trying to tell you something, so listen.

The concensus way back was anything over 100K was high milage, and especially american made cars. Which, really didn't pertain to condition or anything especially. On mercedes benz diesels, I would consider high milage to be above 12K per years old. So, 1994 with 13 K per year at 260 K on the odometer would be high milage. Again, it would not be any inkling or bearing on the quality or the condition of the vehicle necessarily!

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Rebe

Want to buy a low mile '83 300D? Only 333,000 miles

For me it's a combination of price and condition. If a car has 700,000 miles on it, but starts easily from cold, runs and drives well, has no obvious major problems, and is priced right, I have no problem with it. If it has 100 miles on it, but doesn't start easily from cold, doesn't run or drive well, has obvious major problems, or isn't priced right, then it's no deal.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Your intentions factor into the characterization. If you're looking for a car to clean up and flip for a profit, 150K miles might seem high. If you're looking for a car to drive for a couple of years then sell, 150K miles is fine but 250K miles might seem high since it'll be knocking on 300K miles at selling time. If you're looking for a car to get you through college, 350K miles might be reasonable if you can wring enough miles out of it.

Sixto
MB-less

I bought my '83 300CD turbo for about $2,000 less than the service records $ from previous 2 years or so, trans, radiator, ps pump, tires, etc. Even had the wrench set for valve adjustment under spare - didnt know what they were even for a few years. Car had just under 200,000 miles when I bought it, 14 years ago. biggest expense was front end suspension worn out & rear axle rubber boots (<- new halfshafts).

I agree with what everyone has said about condition being relative to upkeep, when it comes to high milers. Frankly I have also found that condition tends to vary inversely to the number of hands the car has been through.

I would just add that there are miles, then there are MILES. I have friends who live way out of town and commute an hour each day, but they have a relatively clear run until the very end, limited stop and go and idle/crawl on a freeway.

OTOH I know people who live on the other side of our area in the suburbs who have roughly the same mileage accumulation, but it is all in stop-start. I don't consider that "highway driving" when it comes to assessing mileage on a car, for that that is MILES.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22