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OT: What to buy as a daily drive

2K views 33 replies 11 participants last post by  redghost 
#1 ·
I am looking to buy something to commute in.The drive would be about 180 miles round trip per day when I am going into the office. I have narrowed it down to three models.

1) 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with Quadradrive 4WD. These were the top of the line WJ Jeeps and have great reputations. I had an older ZJ Grand Cherokee and put almost 400,000 on it.

2) 1986-87 W126 300SDL. I had both a 1981 300SD and a 1986 300SDL and I loved the big S-Class for comfort, styling and safety. I would love another OM603 powered SDL, especially since I averaged 28MPG in a big S-class sedan when I had it. Rudy, the SDL also had 383,000 miles on the clock when my ex-wife insisted on having it.

3) 1984-89 BMW e28 535i I had a 1984 and it was a blast to drive. I saw one in a parking lot today and had to add it to the list. At around 250,000 the BMW had the least amount of miles on it when the then wife - soon to be ex - killed it.

What are your thoughts? Am I nuts for wanted any of these and should look at newer cars? I LIKE older cars, the 2004 would be the newest car that I would drive as I HATE the 2014 Jeep Cherokee my wife has...

Maybe I should go completely crazy and buy one of Fonzi's W114s :)
 
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#2 ·
I am looking to buy something to commute in.The drive would be about 180 miles round trip per day when I am going into the office. I have narrowed it down to three models.



1) 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with Quadradrive 4WD. These were the top of the line WJ Jeeps and have great reputations. I had an older ZJ Grand Cherokee and put almost 400,000 on it.



2) 1986-87 W126 300SDL. I had both a 1981 300SD and a 1986 300SDL and I loved the big S-Class for comfort, styling and safety. I would love another OM603 powered SDL, especially since I averaged 28MPG in a big S-class sedan when I had it. Rudy, the SDL also had 383,000 miles on the clock when my ex-wife insisted on having it.



3) 1984-89 BMW e28 535i I had a 1984 and it was a blast to drive. I saw one in a parking lot today and had to add it to the list. At around 250,000 the BMW had the least amount of miles on it when the then wife - soon to be ex - killed it.



What are your thoughts? Am I nuts for wanted any of these and should look at newer cars? I LIKE older cars, the 2004 would be the newest car that I would drive as I HATE the 2014 Jeep Cherokee my wife has...



Maybe I should go completely crazy and buy one of Fonzi's W114s :)

Sorry I got rid of all my w114. That's good for you. They are great combinations of rust, terrible reliability, often lacking power, and gas mileage like a 450sl.


Wow. You plan to commute to an office 90 miles away? That's nearly 4 hours of driving every day.
 
#3 ·
hee hee I was never serious about a W114...
Right now I do 104 miles door to door... I am currently driving to Andrews Air Force Base... Looking to work from home all the time, but sometimes I need to take the drive... The small Volvo is not comfortable, the Jeep is a disaster and I hate it, and the Suburban is doing Winter duty at my son's house in NY.
 
#4 ·
Well, none of these would be a first choice for me, but assuming these are the three choices you are limiting us to, I would go with the Jeep.

While I love the 300SDL, it could be a problem for you in the winter- I wouldn't want to drive one 90 miles one way in a bad snow storm. That said, 30 years on, the HVAC system will be a problem. Never great to begin with, you will be fighting failing solder joints in the control unit, inoperable vent flaps, etc.

Not intimately familiar with the BMW, but it's another 30 year old German RWD car.

Stick with the Jeep.
 
#7 ·
The ultra reliable and ultra comfortable Lexus LX470.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I would rather choose a well kept Benz over an Asian car. For example, a W210. You can get them for next to nothing.

Our 98 still looks like new and is a super comfortable highway car with good fuel economy. @230k km with no mechanical work needed.

A/C on any car of this age can be suspect. Check that out - repairs can be costly.
 
#10 ·
My condolences on having to drive 180 miles.

With that said, in my opinion, none of the cars you are considering would be able to take that kind of beating. I am especially skeptical that 04 Jeep won't just fall apart on you. If you can find 300 diesel in a great shape (and it isn't destroyed by rust), then it can take miles but probably not snow and salt.

Another thing to keep in mind - at 180 miles per day fuel costs would add up. You probably want something not too thirsty.
 
#13 ·
I'll toss in another recommendation for a 210. I loved mine. I'd recommend a post-facelift (2000-2002 sedan/2003 wagon) 4Matic, both for snow handling ability and for being immune to the front upper spring perch rust problem. The post-facelift versions also have a bit more robust transmission.

Don't let the size fool you. I got 28-30 MPG out of my 2001 wagon on the highway, loaded or not.
 
#16 ·
I too lust after the SDL. It was a wonder to drive and offered a luxurious ride. Though not as spacious and appointed, the W124 in 94-95 with the OM606 is no slouch. I drove that from Seattle to DC, down to Orlando, then back west. Sitting in her for hours on end, day after day, was in no way painful. Superior build quality and lack of rust. AC did bite it after 17 years, but could have been fixed if I really needed cool air. The road trip returned 34-36MPG @ 80mph. The only downside I encountered on the trip was the torrential rain in Lancaster PA where visibility was nil. No amount of wiper was going to win that battle.

A jeep is not going to be a great ride most of the year. It might be handy in a light snow storm or mud/flood situation. The build is more truck than car and I would be tired just driving it home at the end of a day from stiff seating, off road dynamics, and not having the cozy feel of a benz surrounding me.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I have quite a different impression about Mercedes quality than many of you.
Certainly I do like the 107SL's mainly for their looks and the DIY support like this
forum.

BUT, my experience with "Asian cars" like the Isuzu, Toyota, and Lexus makes me
perceive these rice burners have better engineering and quality than Mercedes. The
engines are more maintenance free, last longer, accessories are more reliable, parts
generally less expensive than Mercedes. STILL, they do not have the styling and soul like
our older vintage R107's.

I would never purchase another new Mercedes - see my tag line - but I would consider
a pre-owned Mercedes after I have extensively researched to insure I am not purchasing
a vehicle with some Engineering Flaw - see my tag line.

As you can see, my experience with purchasing a new Mercedes has disgusted me :smile
 
#18 ·
My ZJ was pretty comfortable with really nice supportive seats and EVERYTHING still worked at 15 years and 300K plus miles! I mean everything, HVAC, radio, windows, seats, 4x4, lights, etc. I was very impressed compared to the W126 I was driving at the time which had HVAC issues, power mirror failure, window lift failures, sunroof failure, & etc. What strikes me about the W126 is that everything is designed to come out get rebuilt and put back in. The only things I had to replace were the mirror - found working ones for $5.00 at the local yard, and things like suspension and brake parts. The ZJ was sold when the rear end started to whine - wish I was never talked into that...

I have not driven in a 2003-2004 WJ Grand Cherokee so I have no experience of the ride quality of that model.


I like the idea of a W124 OM606. How is the leg room on those? My biggest complaint about the Volvo S60 is the lack of leg room. I put four Bizzaks on every car each winter put if we have one like last winter RWD will not cut it. Of course if I can schedule my work from home days when it is bad out...

I have not thought about Japanese cars. My old Subaru went almost 300K with no issues except regular timing belt changes. It rusted away at the beach though... Maybe a early 200s Lexus or Land Cruiser would be cool...

If I expand my choices, what about a mid 200's M class?
Guess I need to haunt the M forum :)

keep the ideas coming!

Thanks!!
 
#19 ·
One of my friends on Facebook told me of a guy wanting to get rid of a 2002 S55 AMG in Virginia. It need a hydraulic line for the rear suspension and a TPS for under $5k. It has 137K miles on it and is owned by an old man who is giving up driving. Trans and HVAC work fine...

This listed for almost 100K in 2002. WHat am I getting into if I buy this thing?
 
#33 · (Edited)
a 2002 S55 AMG in Virginia. It need a hydraulic line for the rear suspension and a TPS for under $5k. WHat am I getting into if I buy this thing?
If you never woke up in a tub of ice next to a phone, this probably would be the biggest mistake of your life.

ABC alone (and it is NEVER just the line) is $10K to get operational for the worst case scenario. ABC is hydraulic suspension, so if any component fails you can't drive it. To give you an idea - distributors at 750$ per and there are more than one, spheres at $250ish each x4, ABC tandem pump at 2-3K new (since rebuilds all tend to fail shortly), leaking struts at $1-2K each or $500ish to rebuild. TPS is another common money pit of equally epic proportions. With ABC + TPS you are probably looking into at least $5K in parts alone to get it running, more if it comes to the worst case. Tackling this requires SERIOUS DIY skills and specialized diagnostic gear (or another $5-8K in labor). That car has negative value as anything but a parts car.

Walk, no, run away. That person is no friend if he is willing to offload this on you.
 
#22 ·
As my 2006 Homda ridgeline ages and I see the prices on the used ones near $10,000 (bought mine new at $30,000), I start to wonder if I should seek out a deal on a very good condition used one. It handles like a car with AWD and has been great for fetching Mercedes parts and cars (with a trailer or dolly). It gets near 20mpg highway, which is not very impressive, but the only MB I have that surpasses it in MPG is my 280sl 5-speed, the only way I'm able to justify keeping that car.

Spend the money putting Brownhilda back together. :D
 
#23 ·
#25 ·
I can't speak to the W220 S-class at all, except that I've heard the hydraulic suspension is a nightmare to fix. If, OTOH, it's covered by a recall, then you might be golden. Get the VIN and find out if it's covered.

I've had a 2001 Lexus RX300 and a 2007 RX350. The RX300 was a credible vehicle, and did pretty well, though I only had it 140K or so. The RX350 was great, although I only had it about two and a half years and 57K miles. They're ideal for folks whose idea, like my roommate's, of the ideal car is boring. Good, solid, reliable, conservative in mechanical design (though I just can't warm up to that spindle grille in later years). Hell, when I bought my first Toyota product, a friend who was a factory tech rep for Mazda at the time told me that I wasn't going to go wrong buying Toyota.

I now have a 2008 ML320 CDI. I love the hell out of it. However, the W164 has several known issues that can be expensive to fix. In addition, the 2006-2007 ML350s (and a few 2008s) have the infamous M272 balance shaft problem; while MB has settled a lawsuit by agreeing to cover some of the cost, it's still a hideously expensive repair that requires pulling the engine. The diesels have their own issues, and the OM642 basically is known for minor pesky oil leaks. Before you get one, look through the W164 forum.

I can't speak to the late W163s (through 2005). I expect they're pretty well straightened out, but don't take my word for it.
 
#29 ·
I had my turbo turned up to 13psi from 7 and removed the ALDA on the OM617. I had a boost pressure and Pyrometer installed in the sunglass tray. On the OM603 the factory boost was 9 I went to 15 there and removed the ALDA etc...

On both I ran 5% to 20% bioDiesel

Spun the tires on the SDL more than once :eek
 
#31 ·
I had my turbo turned up to 13psi from 7 and removed the ALDA on the OM617. I had a boost pressure and Pyrometer installed in the sunglass tray. On the OM603 the factory boost was 9 I went to 15 there and removed the ALDA etc...
I have read about that sort of thing, but never really seen a need. Although it would no doubt be fun to do. I bought a boost gauge about 10 years ago - still not installed. Reason for it would have been so I would know if a leak developed in line to firewall relief valve and Alda. My engine has only 100k km on it (62k miles). Boost is 8.3. Still quite chirpy.
 
#34 ·
I found the W124 with OM606 to have ample leg room for front passengers. Good headroom for drivers over 6ft. Back seats got cramped with long leg front users. Folks in back did not like the 700 mile days, while driver had no problem.

The Airmatic on my W220 crapped itself the other day. Expensive and time intense to get this back to drivable. The quality of the cars after 1995 seems to have fallen greatly (though the W140 is a superb car for long trips and much better than the W220) Newer editions have too many finicky bells and whistles that do not fix simply. The leather is thinner, the other interior bits more asian and crappy. Driving one on extremely long trips is very comfortable. I did a 23hr Denver to Seattle trip that nobody had complaints about. We did not arrive refreshed, but also were not sore, just tired. Even back seat riders had lots of leg room and only had to get out to pee or gather food.
 
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