I have a 96 W210 E320 M104 inline 6 engine with 165K miles on it.
The car looks and runs great. I still enjoy driving it.
Everything is in good condition and no major problem except the paint on the hood is starting to show its age.
There are no wiring harness problems but I recently noticed some oil leaked near the front of the engine (dreaded head gasket problem). This leak is not fresh, it just looks like there is some dust on a previous leak. Been monitoring it but no significant level drops on the dipstick.
Just did a rough estimate that I may have between $4000 - $6000 of future repairs/maintenance on this car in the next 2-4 years.
Who knows, it may be more.
I am not a mechanic so I can only do the basics of car maintenance (oil changes, brakes, spark plugs, etc.) and everything else, I would have to send to the dealer or indy.
Currently the car is valued from $6,000 - $9,000. Which means, I can save $10K-$15K if I just sell now and get a new $30,000 vehicle.
I would like to keep this car and drive it as a daily driving car but I have been recently thinking about the future expenditures and wonder is it really worth it?

I look up to those on this board that have much higher mileage than I and ultimately I would like to get 300,000 miles on this car.

Please let me know your thoughts.

You answered your own question.
The headgasket problem ( perceived ? ), I would get an expert opinion on, before I'd loose any sleep over it.
If you really did have to spend the amount of money you quoted, it only adds up to about 12 - 18 months payments on a new car or lease.
Your call.

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2007 C 230 Sport.

Well, I'm not sure where all those savings are going to come from. Your new $30,000 car will be worth $15,000 in 2-3 years, meaning you're SPENDING $15K on depreciation.

Your E320 won't lose much more value over the next three years and I seriously doubt you'll spend half of the $15,000 depreciation cost of the new car. Think about how much work $6000 gets you. You'll need a seriously major repair or two to get there.

Also, don't forget that even new cars need service, so it's not "free" driving either. The newer car might have a higher insurance bill, too. If you don't have $30K in the bank, you'll pay interest charges on the amount you have to borrow, and if you do have the $30K, you face the opportunity cost of investing your moolah.

Keeping your E320 will be cheaper, no way around it. But, it's nice to have a new car, and if you don't mind paying for it, go for it.

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John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

blackmercedes is right on the money here. You can't get much of a car for the $6000 worth of repair work that you talk about. Your car is a relatively low mileage example. Just maintain it, enjoy it and save that new car depreciation for some other joy or necessity of living.

Good luck,

It's the uncertainty that has me wondering about future problems.
My past experiences with German autos are that they are expensive to maintain and repair. I have been keeping track of my expenses since my warranty expired. I am averaging $2,000 per year.

If I can just get the maintenance costs to a $1000 per year, I would be a happy camper.

I am sure my car has at least another 100,000 miles in her.
Hope to be trouble free miles.

Thank you to all that replied.

There is uncertainty REGARDLESS of what you drive. ALL cars and trucks are mechanical contrivances that can experience failures.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to do as much maintenance as possible yourself. This way you not only save money but also can discover little problems before they become big problems.

Good luck,

When to sell is a very personal decision. It is not cheaper to buy a new car. If this were true, only poor folk would be driving new cars.

I dont think you have a head gasket problem. A leak from the front means you need a new upper timing cover seal... a much cheaper fix.

The time to let go of the car is usually when the body starts to deteriorate beyond what is acceptable to you. Mechanicals can usually be dealt with.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

Is the car paid off? Once a car is paid off, you have to spend way more than $2000/year before it financially starts making sense to get a new car. $2k/year works out to about $167/month - you're not going to find a comparable level of automobile for that amount in car payments.

If you WANT a new car, that's a totally different thing. Then it doesn't make sense to be putting money into a car you'd rather not keep.

Well put.

To me, the main factors that go into this decision are reliability and safety, not cost per se since it will almost always be cheaper to maintain and repair a car you own than to buy a new vehicle.

Older vehicles MAY be somewhat more likely to leave you stranded (e.g., alternator or starter conks out on a road trip) compared to a brand-new, under-warranty car, and for some people that's enough to make them buy new. (Some people are more averse to risk than others.)

Safety is not likely to be a factor with a W210 vehicle as you already have airbags, etc. (Just don't forget to have your front spring perches inspected!)

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Steve
'93 400E

I agree, the priority for me was safety and reliability. I recently replaced my 83 300D with an 87 420SEL. The diesel was still reliable, but with 268k on the clock I was starting to wonder when it was going to break down. The car also needed some front end work and a steering box which added up to not much money but a bunch of my time. On top of that I'd had a couple near misses commuting to work with idiots swerving through traffic and panic stopping in front of me, I really wanted to have ABS and an air bag.

So, I convinced myself that I "deserved" to get a newer car, prerequisites were low miles, ABS and air bag. I looked at many W126 cars until I found one that was a one owner, 105k, and dealer maintained. I paid $7500. Since buying it a month ago I've replaced the timing chain, guide rails and tensioner. Everything looks immaculate, I'm hoping to get at least another 100k out of this car.

I'm certain your E320 will last a long time, but if you find yourself tempted with a different car and torturing yourself all day on eBay and CarTrader then you'll probably break down like I did and treat yourself to a new car.

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Matt
Seattle, WA
87 420SEL
83 300D
69 Dodge Charger
64 GMC C10 truck

Yes the car has been paid off for several years now and I have been enjoying not having a car payment.

What can you buy for $167 anymore?
Not much that I would like to drive at least.

I have been looking a Toyota 4Runners. They are just outstanding when it comes to reliability.
Relatively inexpensive and I am sure they can be driven past 200,000 miles. I have even heard of some owners going past 600,000 miles on Toyota gas engine trucks with no rebuids on the engines. No major repairs, just the routine engine oil changes and replacing of wear and tear items.
And the resale on these are some of the best that I have seen.
No I don't work for Toyota if your wondering.

Of course MBs and Toyotas are apples and oranges but for a daily driving vehicle, you gotta wonder if spending the extra $1000 - $2000 a year is worth it. At least that's what made me post this topic here.