2001 E240 Avantgarde or 07 Camry

[DocGM]

Just wanted to know your thoughts if one would make a choice between these two...

More power to all Tsikoteers!

[DocGM]

Just wanted to know your thoughts if one would make a choice between these two...

More power to all Tsikoteers!


P.S. Hey! I made a mistake in posting this topic in the other thread category. Hope the administrators can delete my other thread...
Again sorry for that mistake.

[OTEP]

If the Benz is in good condition, I'd probably side with it. It's a keeper car. Pwede na ipamana sa mga anak and so on. Since it's off warranty, you are not hostage by the dealer. You can now take it to a real professional maintenance and repair facility. Parts are not that hard to find since Mercedes Benz parts are manufactured way beyond the 15 year support required by US laws. Then there are tons of replacement parts also which makes keeping these vehicles on the road economically feasible.

We have a '87 W124 230E here. And it still drives and rides better than newer 'executive' sedans. And of course, it's a Benz so it never really gets old, goes out of fashion, or runs out of parts (our oldest is a '56). Even if your W124 is just the 'pang-taxi' Euro version, it still has more street cred and panache than the Japanese brand. Benzes are instantly recongnizable. Swipe the badges off a Japanese mid-size and most common fold would be hard-pressed to identify it.

Yung '87 Toyota Crown which it shared market segment back in '87 parang wala na sa radar ngayon. Meron pa bang mint condition nito ngayon?

But then, if you just need an appliance car for the next 5 years or so, the Toyota will suffice.

[basti08]

yup, the Benz is a car for keeps... although, if in after 4-5 or so years, you will decide to sell the car, i think the Camry is better. depreciates slower and cheaper parts. while you have the car, you enjoy the new-ness, more powerful engine, more features too.

[IMm29]

personally i'd take the '07 3.5L Camry. it has the bells and whistles to elevate it to older merc and bmw territory.

[ryan]

Speaking of the Toyota Crown, my father-in-law (foreign expat) had one as his company driven car that cost almost 3M during the mid 90's ('94 or '95) but sold it for only 200k+ last year.

Is this the current body E-class? I wouldn't mind as a alternate car especially if its in good condition.

[mikmik316]

a matter of perception also... a Mercedez Benz is a Mercedez Benz... marami sasaludo sayo jan... madaming business partners ang magtitiwala sayo dahil maganda tsikot mo...

the camry.. well... its a toyota... only the car enthusiasts know that this version is mala-"lexus" na (that's my impression when i saw & checked it thoroughly sa dealership). Kung lexus lang sana ang badge nyan e same level na yan ng benz... sad truth is all the Lexus quality is warped into a mid size Toyota..

If you need a car for status symbol & overwhelming positive perception... it will be the benz...

But if you want a bullet-proof car... it will be the Lexus... er Camry...

[Bry]

I'd go with the second hand unit.

[theveed]

Tough call...

I'd side with Otep... IF... you have a couple of other cars to depend on...

In general, if you don't have the patience and resources, stay away from older Germans unless you're absolutely sure it's pain-free (based on previous ownership)...

[OTEP]

Our W124 is pretty bulletproof. Almost everything is still original including the paint and interior. Engine is not babied but is a flawless performer. Even GlennSter considered purchasing our unit a few years ago.

The body is very rigid. No squeaks, no rattles, no rust even if it's pushing 20 years old. Gotta love the details like the bullet-type door catches, the one piece door frames, gobs of sound insulation (including a double bulkehead engine compartment).

Changing a flat tire is very idiot-proof and easy thanks to the Euro-style jack. There's also a built-in bucket in the cargo floor for 'dirty goods' or in case you need something to hold water in (e.g. overheat).

The car itself is easy to work on if that's your cup of tea. Almost every component is serviceable in contrast to 'assemblies'.

I'm just not sure if a Camry can age as gracefully. Who even remembers where the '87 Camry is today?

[kmo]

the 01 benz is full of headaches ... baka magsisi ka pag ito pa binili mo .. true it is a benz and a very good form of luxury pero if masiraan ka sakit sobra sa ulo .. i have a few friends who has this model and nagsisi sila coz of the problems they encountered with it ... just get the 3.5 camry and be satisfied with the japanese reliability and quality and besides, itll eat the benz for dinner hehehe with 277 hp on tap tsaka maganda naman rin camry e you cant go wrong in the long term

[swimstroke]

Hehe, tough call, pero kung may iba ka pang tsikot at hindi naman ito ang daily drive/pangharabas mo, ok na yung Benz. Kung dito ka aasa, dun tayo sa brand new.

[OTEP]

You must have some semblance of mechanical skills with the Benz. I guess it's one of the price you have to pay. Which is perfectly all right here. The last time I went looking for my dad, he was inside the trunk of the '56 hacking stuff up. hehehe.

I don't think you'd need to hack stuff up on an '01 but you at least need to have basic a understanding of automobiles. Having everything diagnosed and fixed at the dealer will get expensive fast. And considering the age of the car, don't expect it to be perfect.

Getting a car from an owner who has 'given up' can prove to be a great bargain. Most of their problems border on trivial anyways. Pero alam mo naman ang mga mayayaman na walang hilig sa sasakyan. Walang pasensya, palit agad. hehehe.

Sometimes if feels like taking care of a Land Rover. Only difference is parts are actually available and reasonable priced.

[kyle618]

id get the benz... for the same price as the camry (1.99m) .. you could get an 01-2002 E240 Avantgarde model with low to mid mileage. (w210 body = not the current body) but still ***y as hell. sobrang ganda talaga ng 210. up to now napapalingon pa rin ako kahit e230 or e200 lang. it really shows class and prestige. i miss our beat up 96 e230

and yes... the majority of the depreciation nangyari na so hindi na sobrang baba pa yun price ng e240 after maybe 2-3 yrs benta mo na lang.

[Flagg]

Why not an E39 525i?

Buysit daw yang W210 MB. Plus, IMHO, it's fugly.

[squala]

Post-124 E-Classes began to deteriorate in dependability, and they're always bettered by their 5-Series counterparts.

[IMm29]

i agree with Otep. if you're more of a hands-on kind of a car guy, go with the '01 model. although, in general, euros age more gracefully than their jap counterparts, this aging process, requires some TLC. not to say the jap aging process doesn't require TLC, but then perhaps at that point, for more owners, letting go of it and buying another ride might have been the option taken.

now, if you're not into putting that much elbow grease at this point in time, take the camry.

[ronald_m]

Don't get the w210 body.Tons of problem i should now coz i have one,lol.What to look for on w210 body?Maf sensor goes south,Check for body rust,bubbles.Tranny problem is common on w210 body especially with 722.4 trans(lifetime fluid my a$$).Bas/asr problem.Blower regulator is common problem,Rear window regulator goes kaboom.AC condensor sensor problem.

If you don't want headache and you're not mechanically inclined stay away from w210.Go get a 5 series.
note:W124 is the best car built by mb.

[theveed]

Tandaan nyo nalang, 9/10 times, unless the owner has tons of cars, people don't sell cars if there aren't anything bugging them that they can't resolve hehe.

Honestly, while MB/BMW guys may hate me for saying this, Euro cars are NOT easy to maintain, kahit sabihin mo "madaming pyesa" it's still not easily available and you still have to choose shops that can do repairs.

They're clearly for those who can afford the hassle of owning one.

[basti08]

hindi ba nagdeteriote na ang quality ng Benz ngayun? it would just be a headache kung makakuha ka ng lemon unit. besides Toyota has some reputation na rin. and dependability and reliability always come as standard.