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Original poster

Car Question - Mercedes A160? To buy or not to buy

23 replies

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:01

I currently have a Citreon Saxo 1.4 T reg, and am think of changing it. Friend came to me as she had be offered a Mercedes A160 wasn't interested herself but thought of me. SOrt of friend of a friend.

Its a A160 Elegance 5 door and has 60,000 miles on the clock (t reg) and they want £5k. I test drove it before I knew the age or mileage and liked it. DH said he would buy it if I wanted it.

Dilema, my car only has 33,000 miles on the clock and the mercedes is the same age as my current car, but (shallow person alert) would look better on the drive, and is bigger than my current car. Also a lovely blue colour. What to do? Think we would get around 2 - 2.5 for my car. Help

OP posts:

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:09

How much would insurance be, deegward?

Original poster

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:10

Can't find out, but its insurance group 6, don't know what my saxo is to compare. Have tried to findout on line but for some reason won't give on line quotes (think I have done something wrong)

OP posts:

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:12

Parkers says it's a bit overpriced as a private sale - mileage is a bit high for the age - see if you can knock them down if you really want it!

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:14

Saxo 1.4 is Group 4/5 so not much diff there.

Original poster

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:15

Yes I did a glasses guide thing on it and it said the same, I really don't know. If I could ge the price down, but then I still won't have got a newer car IYSWIM. But....

OP posts:

Original poster

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:16

oh ta

OP posts:

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:18

Put your Saxo into this page of Parkers and see what they say it's worth - that might be less too.

I've only ever sold a car privately once and that was when we were leaving the country so not part-exchanging - I find it all very fraught!

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:18

Put your Saxo into this page of Parkers and see what they say it's worth - that might be less too.

I've only ever sold a car privately once and that was when we were leaving the country so not part-exchanging - I find it all very fraught!

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:18

oops.

btw I meant to add that I would imagine the Merc would be much more solid and better built than the Citroen. Don't know how they compare for reliability though.

Original poster

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:25

About the same on reliability as the things they say could go wrong with the saxo hasn't, and hasn't on previous ones I've owned. ooohh I just don't know

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suedonim · 03/10/2004 17:32

Personally, I wouldn't touch a car that had 60,000 on the clock - too much potential for niggly but expensive things to start going wrong. But have a look at What Car magazine and see what they say. I think they have a website, too. Hth.

Demented · 03/10/2004 17:35

We had a Mercedes A class and it was a nice enough car, we changed it because it wasn't big enough and our circumstances changed, DH began working from home, car was going nowhere (sitting at the door most days) and at the time we needed the equity from it. I wouldn't have one as a main car, especially if you have young children and need a pram etc with you but it's a nice, good quality small car.

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:37

Top Gear A Class road test

JanH · 03/10/2004 17:40

Saxo test (from 2001 though)

Think if you want to change anyway you'd be better looking around a bit! And if not then I agree with suedonim, 60,000 is a bit high to change to.

Original poster

deegward · 03/10/2004 17:52

Thanks all, I think we are coming to the same conclusions ourselves. It would be a second car, dh has jag estate, and only for short journeys. But agree its the 60,000 miles thats putting us off.

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miggy · 04/10/2004 13:24

We have one as a second car, supposedly cheaper option BUT the servicing costs are horrendous and ours is new so dread to think what repair bills are like.
Also-have you driven one? Dh is tall and finds it ok, I am short and have the seat quite far forward, because of the way the roof slopes, there is then very little head room and I find it quite unpleasant. Might be worth checking.
We wouldnt have another one (thats the royal we there )

NomDePlume · 04/10/2004 13:33

DH has one of these as courtesy car at the mo, as his c class estate is in for work. DH HATES IT. The courtesy car is brand new but DH says that my S reg Ford Focus drives better ! He really dislikes the driving position (he's 5' 9.5" tall) and also the fact that it is so tall and narrow that even wide corners at low speed feel very unstable. I also agree that they are hugely expensive (although that come with the MB marque, I guess), not a great buy.

NomDePlume · 04/10/2004 13:37

60k is pretty much average mileage for a t reg car. My S reg Focus had 64k on the clock when we bought it in July, no problems at all and the drive is still very smooth.

A Mercedes with 60k on the clock is still in it's infancy ! They generally quite happily do 150k. So long as it has a good service history and warranted-for mileage (on MOT certs etc) then I wouldn't hesistate to buy a car of that age with 60k on it.

NomDePlume · 04/10/2004 13:38

It's more a case of the mileage on your car being low at 33k, rather than the mileage on the Merc being high.

JanH · 04/10/2004 14:10

I think that was the point, NdP - bit silly switching from a low mileage car to an above-average one, even if it is a Merc.

OTOH - low mileage cars can bring their own problems, if they have been used a lot for short journeys so haven't been opened up much...Honest John has a FAQ page and one of them is about running in, which includes the information that a diesel engine should be regularly revved up to 4500rpm - I don't think I ever do that with mine - it's here , Q13 for petrol and Q15 for diesel. (It also includes a list of cars with 3 shoulder belts in the back!)

NomDePlume · 04/10/2004 14:18

Hmm, someone said that they wouldn't touch a car with 60k on it, as though that was high. I'd agree if the car was less than 4 years old, but it isn't. My last comment re mileage was intended to point out that it is the 34k car that is the 'exception to the rule', rather than the 60k being at the high end of the spectrum. I'll shut up now

hana · 04/10/2004 14:42

we have an A-class and it's been ok. The services each year are a bit pricey (though we've always taken it to a Merc Garage) It's never needed any additional things done to it, it's nearly 4 years old. The boot really doesn't hold a great deal - we struggled with our pram before dd was old enough for a stroller type buggy.
We'll probably get something bigger after we have our second.

Original poster

deegward · 04/10/2004 14:58

It would be a second car, so don't need it to be big, just up and down to school all the time. Ds2 is in a stroller buggy now anyway

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