Would you swap?

[daveface]

Morning,

 

Currently I have a Candy white 16-Plate vRS TDI with heated leather etc ... 34k miles etc ... 

 

 

My Dad will be trading in his 64-Plate Mercedes E250 SE with 24K miles, however we have talked and he would be happy to swap cars with my an px the vRS instead!  His is more or less the same as this one... But with cream leather..

 

https://www.motors.co.uk/car-51044919/?i=7&m=sp

 

So I guess the question is .... would you swap? I'm on the fence as I really like both cars and obviously the vRS is a (or feels at least) more sporty (young?) ... though I am at the ripe old age of 33! 

[ElliottLW]

The merc is a lovely car but the tech is alot older and its slower for sure.

 

If i was you, I'd be keeping the VRS

[daveface]

36 minutes ago, ElliottLW said:

The merc is a lovely car but the tech is alot older and its slower for sure.

 

If i was you, I'd be keeping the VRS

 

Mmmm the tech isn't so bad really, as for how fast I'm not sure but I know it's 201bhp

[shyVRS245]

1 hour ago, daveface said:

Morning,

 

Currently I have a Candy white 16-Plate vRS TDI with heated leather etc ... 34k miles etc ... 

 

 

My Dad will be trading in his 64-Plate Mercedes E250 SE with 24K miles, however we have talked and he would be happy to swap cars with my an px the vRS instead!  His is more or less the same as this one... But with cream leather..

 

https://www.motors.co.uk/car-51044919/?i=7&m=sp

 

So I guess the question is .... would you swap? I'm on the fence as I really like both cars and obviously the vRS is a (or feels at least) more sporty (young?) ... though I am at the ripe old age of 33! 

If you like wearing a flat cap, slippers and holding a pipe between your teeth then the Merc is perfect for you. Your Dad would be getting the better deal from the swap IMHO.

[SC03OTT]

At nearly 33 myself, it’s not a swap I’d be making. Nothing about an E Class is SE spec appeals to me. 

[shyVRS245]

10 minutes ago, daveface said:

 

Mmmm the tech isn't so bad really, as for how fast I'm not sure but I know it's 201bhp

That 2.1 Merc diesel is really rattly I know someone with a similar car and it was worse than my old 64 plate Vrs Tdi DSG. The modern 2.0 litre Merc diesels are much more refined, unless your deaf then no problem.

[penguin17]

I'd stick with the Octavia, personally.   I just think that generation E (and C) class are a bit 'meh'.  They seem to have been designed and sold exclusively with the company car driver in mind.  I bet it does everything well but with no real excitement either. 

 

As above, the older generation of MB diesels seem to have been lifted directly out of their Sprinter vans; they tend to get very agricultural and loud.   The latest engines, in fact the whole car, is a million miles away from a few years ago.  You just have to look at how many times MB have done a 'refresh' in the last couple of years to know that there was loads of improvement required to keep pace with Audi and BMW. 

[daveface]

4 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

If you like wearing a flat cap, slippers and holding a pipe between your teeth then the Merc is perfect for you. Your Dad would be getting the better deal from the swap IMHO.

Well not really a swap, he gives me his and px mine against his new car. Lol I do have a flat cap living in the country 

[daveface]

4 hours ago, SC03OTT said:

At nearly 33 myself, it’s not a swap I’d be making. Nothing about an E Class is SE spec appeals to me. 

 

It's a nice spec but I would be changing the wheels asap! And maybe black out the chrome bits!

 

4 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

That 2.1 Merc diesel is really rattly I know someone with a similar car and it was worse than my old 64 plate Vrs Tdi DSG. The modern 2.0 litre Merc diesels are much more refined, unless your deaf then no problem.

 

When I have been in it I haven't noticed it being anymore noicey than the Octavia, TBH I have always thought the vRS was quite rough! 

 

4 hours ago, penguin17 said:

I'd stick with the Octavia, personally.   I just think that generation E (and C) class are a bit 'meh'.  They seem to have been designed and sold exclusively with the company car driver in mind.  I bet it does everything well but with no real excitement either. 

 

As above, the older generation of MB diesels seem to have been lifted directly out of their Sprinter vans; they tend to get very agricultural and loud.   The latest engines, in fact the whole car, is a million miles away from a few years ago.  You just have to look at how many times MB have done a 'refresh' in the last couple of years to know that there was loads of improvement required to keep pace with Audi and BMW. 

 

All fair points! I think I will borrow it for a few days and see how it goes! 

[shyVRS245]

24 minutes ago, daveface said:

 

It's a nice spec but I would be changing the wheels asap! And maybe black out the chrome bits!

 

 

When I have been in it I haven't noticed it being anymore noicey than the Octavia, TBH I have always thought the vRS was quite rough! 

 

 

All fair points! I think I will borrow it for a few days and see how it goes! 

Make sure you lock all the doors when you borrow it or people may try to get in the back thinking it's a taxi!

[daveface]

8 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Make sure you lock all the doors when you borrow it or people may try to get in the back thinking it's a taxi!

Hahahaha could do with the extra cash 

[Wangarai]

11 hours ago, daveface said:

So I guess the question is .... would you swap? I'm on the fence as I really like both cars and obviously the vRS is a (or feels at least) more sporty (young?) ... though I am at the ripe old age of 33! 

 

A difficult question to answer and when you ask it on a Skoda forum you can expect the answer to be skewed towards Skoda!

 

The answer is really what you think (and feel) about the cars; both are desirable for their own reasons. I would spend a weekend driving both and this would hopefully steer (no pun intended) you towards one of them. Obviously, it's not all about driving/handling and would depend on how you percieve the style of the car, brand, tech, quality of interior, etc.

 

You could be very practical and assess the trade-in value of both and depreciation over the next three years but that would really negate whatyour Dad is trying to do for you.

 

I tend to write a for and against list to try and evaluate options - this may help to focus on what is important to you.

 

Good luck with tour decision! 

 

 

[teescom09]

The merc is superior in almost every respect and I don’t like mercs!  BMW or Audi everytime. Both orrible diesels so thats not the issue. The Skoda is a cheaper quality version of a Golf made up by being slightly larger. Only thing that matters is the values now and in the future really. 

[classic]

I presume the 2 cars are similar in trade value at the moment ? 

If so, the deal means your Dads new purchase costs him about the same to change, so the question is whether the extra quality of the Merc means you get a better car.

I would guess from your Dads perspective he is giving you a Mercedes in exchange for a Skoda. That probably makes him feel better about whatever monetary value the Merc has lost, as the car has gone on to benefit you. That’s fine as long as you personally feel the 4 year old Merc is better value than the 2.5 year old Skoda - it really should be !! Your Octavia is still under warranty and servicing will probably be cheaper than the Merc. Those Mercs are pretty big boats to drive around in for what space you get inside.

Will be interesting what you decide after running it a few days.

 

[toni8b]

I find this e class rather unattractive from the inside (reminds me of old age, not sure why) but I guess swapping would be a no brainer, unless there is something I am missing in this story. Merc should be much more comfortable drive and silent interior which should be more than enough for decision. Of course there are other factors to consider, like booth space and a access to one. Merc should keep its value from now on, and it shouldnt be hard selling in the future, much more easily than the Skoda.

[daveface]

4 hours ago, classic said:

I presume the 2 cars are similar in trade value at the moment ? 

If so, the deal means your Dads new purchase costs him about the same to change, so the question is whether the extra quality of the Merc means you get a better car.

I would guess from your Dads perspective he is giving you a Mercedes in exchange for a Skoda. That probably makes him feel better about whatever monetary value the Merc has lost, as the car has gone on to benefit you. That’s fine as long as you personally feel the 4 year old Merc is better value than the 2.5 year old Skoda - it really should be !! Your Octavia is still under warranty and servicing will probably be cheaper than the Merc. Those Mercs are pretty big boats to drive around in for what space you get inside.

Will be interesting what you decide after running it a few days.

 

 

Thanks for your comments, yes both cars are within £100 of each other on trade in values at the moment! Indeed the running costs will be slightly more but that's not really a problem. Indeed, my Dad has lost quite a bit on it has he got it from new! But he isn't bothered if I have it or not lol 

 

As you say It will be interesting to see what I think after a few days! 

[daveface]

29 minutes ago, toni8b said:

I find this e class rather unattractive from the inside (reminds me of old age, not sure why) but I guess swapping would be a no brainer, unless there is something I am missing in this story. Merc should be much more comfortable drive and silent interior which should be more than enough for decision. Of course there are other factors to consider, like booth space and a access to one. Merc should keep its value from now on, and it shouldnt be hard selling in the future, much more easily than the Skoda.

I know what you mean about the inside, but that doesn't bother me pertically much. The boot is a little bit of an issue as the dog won't be able to go in anymore but that just means she will have to sit inside somewhere... Indeed I'm more looking to the future and the Merc might be a better bet for resale/value!? 

[daveface]

First thing I would do though is swap the alloys to something like these....

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283223668595

 

Or something else OEM style. Which would make it look much better! 

[shyVRS245]

2 minutes ago, daveface said:

 

Thanks for your comments, yes both cars are within £100 of each other on trade in values at the moment! Indeed the running costs will be slightly more but that's not really a problem. Indeed, my Dad has lost quite a bit on it has he got it from new! But he isn't bothered if I have it or not lol 

 

As you say It will be interesting to see what I think after a few days! 

Good friend of mine has that 2.1 diesel in the SLC (WAS SLK), 2 door convertible. Car was bought 6 months old last October 2017 for £28,000. It had already lost over £12,000 whilst a demo and she recently wanted to trade it in for a Merc SUV. However she nearly fell over when she was told it was now worth £19,000. The car is only 18 months old and has done 20,000 miles. Depreciation is crippling on new Mercs as you can see.Her road tax is also £450 per year.

[teescom09]

22 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

Make sure you lock all the doors when you borrow it or people may try to get in the back thinking it's a taxi!

You’ve got them mixed up mate, no other is seen more as a Taxi than an Octavia. 

 

Are we really comparing an E class to a Skoda Octavia

Edited 25 October, 2018 by teescom09

[shyVRS245]

5 minutes ago, teescom09 said:

You’ve got them mixed up mate, no other is seen more as a Taxi than an Octavia. 

 

Are we really comparing an E class to a Skoda Octavia

Wherever I've been on holiday in EUROPE taxi's tend to be Mercs or Skoda, you should take a holiday and find out for yourself.

[wyx087]

I'd swap in a heartbeat.

 

I used to drive a '56 reg Mercedes C class "sportcoupe", done 60k in 3 years of owning it. After buying Skoda and became a 2 car family, I swapped Merc for a Nissan Leaf EV to diversify my two cars (long distance diesel and a local EV). The Skoda doesn't have a patch on Mercedes for everything car related: refinement, power delivery, driving feel and comfort.

 

Merc with its torque converter has worse fuel economy. But after forking out for £495 timing belt renew and £179 DSG oil renew. The worse fuel economy in Mercedes doesn't seem so bad, considering it's got timing chain and sealed for life gearbox.

 

I'm 31, can't see age come into the picture.

[toni8b]

Octavia has only the boot space advantage, nothing else. Slightly more expensive service for the merc should not be an issue.

[Cubbington]

I think you've just got to decide for yourself, as everybody has an opinion...but all that matters is yours.

 

Coming from owning 63 plate in estate form (perfect for work), I have the following thoughts:

 

It's not at all thrilling, and my driving became a lot more sedate whilst owning it, which was no bad thing according to Mrs Cubbington!

 

The interior was cream leather with black contrasting interior and roof lining, which I absolutely loved, apart from the driver's seat turning blue quite quickly, as I pretty much always wear jeans...I bought loads of different leather treatments and cleaning kits, couldn't get rid of it, it bugged the hell out of me, and just got progressively worse.

 

The foot operated parking brake and steering column gear selector take a little getting used to, but fine once you 'get' them.

 

It had COMAND (the better satnav) and Harman/Kardon audio, which sounded amazing, however a map update took over three hours at the dealer...so much for 'while you wait'...And to be honest, in comparison to what I have now in the Skoda, the COMAND is soooooo dated!

 

The taxi jokes from family, friends and colleagues wore thin very quickly...

 

The only reason I don't have it now is the seat almost crippled me, and I finally gave in and moved it on after 3 months of extremely uncomfortable driving - I've had physio, but am still suffering from problems in my right thigh almost a year later.

 

I'm not exactly large, but the seat base seemed just an inch or so too narrow, had next to f*ck all support, and as such, my bum sagged down and thighs rested on the edge of the metal basket of the seat frame, with no support from the bolster material! Do a little digging, as this has been reported across the forums in the US.

 

To be honest, I liked the car so much that I contacted a local classic car seat upholsterer/restorer to see if they could do anything, but the guy said it would probably take multiple attempts and weeks of getting it right, which I just didn't have the time or inclination to invest in.

 

The final attempt was to take the seat base apart, cut up some extremely dense foam into sections that I could squeeze in between the seat base and springs to try to increase the support, it was a little better but in the end didn't work, so I cut my losses and moved it on.

 

If it wasn't for this problem I'd still have it now.

 

Looking at it from a purely objective view, if you like it, spend a good few hours and miles in it and make sure it 'fits'...it's a bloody expensive and uncomfortable mistake to make if it doesn't!

 

Hope that helps,

 

Nick

Edited 26 October, 2018 by Cubbington

[SC03OTT]

Given the options here are Octavia or E Class, taxi jokes are going to come no matter what the choice is.