We don't need a 6-berth twin-axle tintent any more so we're going to the NEC Caravan & Motorhome show in October to seek out a suitable replacement.
We're looking for a single axle 3 or 4 berth weighing no more than 1500kg which will mean we no longer need the D3 - but what to do .
We love the D3 but it's pretty expensive to run. It's used daily so I get through a tank of fuel every 10 days or so which is hard on the wallet, servicing ain't cheap and it wears out a set of tyres every 2 years or so.
So, I've been looking at a replacement and in my sights are the new Volvo XC60, the Audi Avant and the Merc C Class estate.
On Sunday, me and SWMBO went to our local Merc stealer and had a drive in an E220 CDI Estate. The Dealer tells me they are going o have a few 'new' Avantgarde versions of these available very soon, pre-registered jobbies priced at around £26K.
Sounded attractive so he took my details and said he'd get me a trade-in price for the D3.
Rang me yesterday to say the most they could offer me was ........
£9500 or should that be
What do you think - are they taking the or what
I suppose I ought to quickly say that our D3 is a 2006MY, 55 plate HSE with almost 64K miles on the clock. Haven't done any research on 2nd hand D3 values but the local dealer had a 55 plate S model on the forecourt on Sunday for just under £16KNow an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
29th Sep 2009 9:20 am
Bodsy Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
Take the Avantgarde at £26k & sell the D3 on here or privately. You should get at least £15k i would think Bodsys Brake Bible
I saw his post the other day Bodsy - thanks for the reminder.
I'm perhaps being premature. Can't sell the D3 until a new tintent is purchased - there's not much that will tow 1900KG around and we still want to use our 'old' one until then.
If MasterDisco3 is not in a tearing hurry, I might have just what he's looking for but probably not until around next March.
Then again,we love the Disco and will hate to see it go
Decisions, decisions Now an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
29th Sep 2009 10:02 am
NeilD
Member Since: 01 Dec 2008
Location: Sunny Surrey
Posts: 4845
They are taking the buddy.
A year ago a 6 month old HSE D3 with 10k on the clock was £31k. Now they are £34-35k.
Some garages need to wake up that the used market has gone up as well!.
Good luck, Merc sounds a good price - check their service costs though - we had a A class once and the servicing was ridiculous!
Member Since: 23 Jun 2009
Location: Gone
Posts: 1087
As a former Merc driver I would suggest a lot of research before you take the plunge. A LOT !!!
I've had a ML320, E270 CDI Estate, E500 Estate and a brief encounter with a C270 CDI estate. My experiences were not too positive with any of them. If you think a D3 is costly to run then you might be in for a very nasty surprise indeed. Try £1482 for a 72000 service. No, I'm not joking either. Menu price said £636 but then add in brake pads all round (£260 for the fronts alone), change of brake fluid, 8 litres of engine oil @ £32 per litre (lots of oil is how they keep change intervals down) etc etc. Then a blowing exhaust manifold which the warranty would not cover, another 800 odd quid I had to find. Airmatic suspension fault fixed under warranty. Car off road for 9 days. Gearbox fault which involved a strip & rebuild. Warranty paid but 6 days off the road. And so on. Loads of issues, loads of grief and loads of money too.
Also bear in mind the adaptive servicing. If you do a lot of town driving which it sounds like you do (tank of fuel lasts 10 days means short trips to me) then you will be lucky to get 10000 miles before it starts asking for a service. A very expensive service !!
My main gripe though was build quality, or rather a distinct lack of it. Mercs are nowhere near as well built as they used to be. This is reflected in residual prices which was the main reason I bought a D3 and not a GL. Cost new for a GL420 Avantgarde was over 50K. 2 year old examples were not even fetching half that.
When you factor in the cost to change (15k versus 26k) of £11k, that's a load of cash to keep running a very nice D3 for a very long time. Unless you really don't want the D3 any more, paying another 11k on a product which depreciates like a stone is financial suicide. In 3 years time your D3 will still be worth 10k and the 3 year old merc about the same so you investment now of 11k to do the change has all but disappeared. Might as well spend it on beer then At least that would give you some happy memories whereas the Merc is not likely to do the same unfortunately.
Audi & Volvo I have no experience of so can't comment. All I know is that "The land of silver" is not quite as shiny as some might believe. And no, I would never buy another one, not now, not ever. I've owned 4 and they were all as bad as each other. One I could pass off as being exceptionally bad. Maybe 2 even. But all 4? Nope. Oh, and all 4 were main dealer supplied as well so supposedly had the Merc multi-point check before delivery. All the build quality of a cereal box I'm afraid.
If all the above has not put you off buying one, I am certain a year or 2 of owning one will
The salesman told me that they (the dealership) wouldn't sell a car that had done 64K miles - they'd most likely sell it off to one of the car auction companies and I reckon that's where they got their trade-in quote from.
To be fair to the sales guy though, he did say that I would be better off going over the road to the LR dealer (Stratstones of Stockton) and getting a price from them and he's probably quite right. Stratstones can't get hold of enough 2nd hand cars to sell (their forecourt is practically empty) and have a big sign up saying 'Used cars bought for cash'.
The Merc was OK but was noticeably a 4 cylinder diesel and the ride is nowhere near as comfortable as the Disco. Very roomy though. £26K is a good price right enough but I think the cars are all 2007 models that have been sat around in a big field for 2 years cos new car sales dropped through the floor.
I'd like a closer look at the Volvo XC60 first b4 making up my mind. Trouble is, they were introduced earlier this year so are very thin on the ground at the moment.Now an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
29th Sep 2009 10:23 am
NeilD
Member Since: 01 Dec 2008
Location: Sunny Surrey
Posts: 4845
All cars will break and need pads, tyres etc at some stage of their life, no make is better than another IMO.
Member Since: 09 Aug 2006
Location: East Manchester
Posts: 4030
If your thinking about the XC60, have you also had a look at the VW Tiguan, 2.0 TDI will give 50mpg and nearly 1700KG towing limit. you should be able to get a highly specced version with your budget. +VW reliability is legendary!
Just a thought I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.
Buzz Aldrin (1930 -
Many thanks for that mzplcg - I think Sunday saw my last ever visit to a Merc dealer and the brochures will be going in the bin.
My D3 has been largely trouble-free in the 4 years I have had it. Had a couple of minor jobs done under warranty but apart from that it has been great. As you say, £11k will keep it going for quite some time.
I commute daily to work in it - a 40 mile round trip that starts in town, 12 miles of dual carriageway and finishes in town. I'm squeezing about 25mpg out of it (it's an auto) so get just over 400 miles on a tankful .Now an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
29th Sep 2009 10:32 am
Willy Eckerslike
Member Since: 12 Jan 2009
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 1612
Subaru Outback Diesel, last forever, 4wd for them tricky fields, low box for them big hills, big spec. Club Pie n Pea
One life....Fish it
D3 Gone but not forgotten
Club Men of Oak
Club Walnut sniffers
D4 Van owner
Ents long lost Uncle
Hmmm, thanks for that SJR. No I hadn't even considered the Tiguan. We have a VW dealer in own - I'll go along for a look and get some details.Now an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
29th Sep 2009 10:35 am
Ken
Member Since: 20 Feb 2006
Location: Here
Posts: 10865
NeilD wrote:
All cars will break and need pads, tyres etc at some stage of their life, no make is better than another IMO.
However, service costs do vary by huge amounts.
So do service intervals Dont just look at one service you must look at WLC (Whole Life Cost) to be fair and produce a judgement.
CBS (Condition Based Service) is a way of making the service cost affordable in bite size chunks as oppose to that big annual service however add the CBS up and you will be in for a shock
29th Sep 2009 10:36 am
mzplcg
Member Since: 23 Jun 2009
Location: Gone
Posts: 1087
NeilD wrote:
All cars will break and need pads, tyres etc at some stage of their life, no make is better than another IMO.
However, service costs do vary by huge amounts.
Try front brakes. You need the diags to turn off the SBS system (unless you like amputated fingers that is) so you cannot change your own pads without a 3 grand machine.
Supply your own engine oil?? (I like to) - they hit you with an "old oil disposal charge" which amounts to the cost of new oil anyway.
Sure all cars break, it was just the frequency of the Mercs which tended to upset me. I reckon there's more reliable Discovery 1's in the world
29th Sep 2009 10:38 am
Roel
Member Since: 16 Aug 2008
Location: home
Posts: 1215
I think it is cheaper to continue driving your D3. The depreciation from the merc will be more then 9500 pounds so the D3 will be cheaper the longer you drive it.Roel
1997 Camel Trophy Disco ex-P101JWK (traded it for a Britains 42101)
1984 90 TD5
2005 G4 Disco 3 BN55WPT
Also member of club MTR
and Club Faultmate
Interested in my 4x4 history see my website: www.mudmachine.webklik.nl
Sorry it's in Dutch and with google translator it gets funny.
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or what 
At least that would give you some happy memories whereas the Merc is not likely to do the same unfortunately.
