[Reinhard]

Voted YES even if an MB will keep blowing holes in the wallet for long term maintenance over time.

I have been in this particular "E" countless times since this is the most commonly used "taxi" in the EU and UK.
But then - generally the car that gets used as a taxi sure has a few aces - cabin space, comfort, ease of maintenance, low maintenance cost. The "taxi" cars tend to be good long term all rounders that get the job done.

I have my fair experience of owning a "taxi" car for almost a decade & certainly found it very good. So yes - I'll buy a solid German taxi with a very good diesel engine certainly!

[abhinavsureka]

Voted NO.
The mercs that have come out in the last 15 odd years are most unreliable.

I would any day prefer a 530d or something. Or if I'm only interested in the backseat i would get an even older 7 series.

The repairs on the old mercs are too expensive and the service the BMW dealers like Infinity in Mumbai and Indore give is way better.

[over.drive]

Voted No for multiple reasons.
(1) A used 2013+ low run car would cost around 25L where I am
(2) I have been using a 2008 E280CDI W211 for the last 6 years and I have found the Merc to be the most unreliable of the 3 Germans (I own a 2009 E60 530d and 2011 Q7). The refinement from the V6 engine and driving comfort in the Merc is amazing but my car has spent several months in the workshop for issues with Turbo, ESP, Fuse Box issues, AC problems and so on.
(3) The kit provided on the 2013 50+L car is a joke. I maybe wrong but I think some of the variants do not even come with a rear cam fitted as standard.
(4) All those complex electronics in the newer cars scare me. Like carrying a ticking bomb in your pocket. You never know what to expect next.
(5) Some major repairs can cost as much as buying a decent car

[sreejith1830]

I own a W212 250 CDi for the last 10 years with a current odometer reading of 88000 kms. Mercedes kind of made a come back with this vehicle and the engineering is almost at par with the good old days (W124). In Europe I have been in w212 taxis and driven couple of them which have clocked more that 300000 kms and the vehicle still feels like the day it rolled out of the showroom.
The reliability is exemplary. Though people on this forum believe BMW F10s are reliable, my experience with BMW has been otherwise.Even on the handling front, the w212 is competent. The Indian BMW F10 is a bit of a soft handler compared to the version abroad and does not do justice to the BMW heritage.

As a used car the w212 is the winner.If you find a good example, its a keeper.

[Abby28]

The pros of owning a 5-series vis-a-vis the W212 (the BMW 530D being a much more fun-to-drive car, relatively cheaper repairs / easier to maintain) outweigh the cons (rear-seat comfort).

Plus in my state, I get many more examples of BMW to choose from as compared to the Merc.

Hence, voted "NO".

[alikidwhy]

Voted for No.

Yes, plenty of examples do 200,000 kilometers and more in europe but the difference between our infrastracture is huge. They have open highways and proper motorways where speeds average 80 miles per hour which doesn't take too much of a toll on the car.

In Delhi, we can't anyway drive a 10 year old car so it is out of question.

Also having driven 520D, 530D, E Class (Petrol) extensively, I would suggest the 530D.
Reason : Mercedes is for the backseat and chauffeured owners.
The BMW puts a smile on your face.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

My concern is, with registration being only for 15 years (+ 5 years maybe), and with BS 4 being definitely out, anyone buying such a car will have to completely lose any redemption of that money they resale, and 12-15 lacs is a ton of money for me to sink into something with a definite expiry date ranging from 5 to 8 years.

All cars lose value. If you were to buy a Hector or Harrier for 12 lakhs, you wouldn’t expect to sell it for more than 4 lakhs after 8 years. So the 12 lakhs you spend is to use the car for the next 5 to 8 years without worrying about resale value. Here you might just get 1 or 2 lakhs after 8 years but you would have enjoyed a far superior vehicle. Money well spent in my book.

[blackbeast]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Voted a big Yes.
These cars run as taxis in UK and Germany and the drivers swear by them. The Diesel models are work-horses that easily run 500,000 KMs without a hitch.

If this is true in our conditions, why do you think they are going for throw away prices in the used market. Think about that.

[Sting]

Voted Yes - As an owner of the facelift version my overall recommendation leans towards a yes.

It does many many things quite well and probably excels in no one particular area.

Ownership is not in India but fair to say I’m well tuned to Indian conditions.

Positives:
Goes on and on and on.. like some have mentioned already, 500,000 kms is not surprising.
Ages well- despite being 2 generations old it still has a road presence and look that some newer cars cannot match up to.
Durable interiors - show no sign of wear despite heavy use
Space- front, back seats have luxurious leg and head space. Boot is cavernous.
Comfortable ride

Negatives-
Not exciting to drive (I have the Diesel E220) including a lethargic gearbox.
If something breaks - expensive to repair. I haven’t found it to be high maintenance.

Cheers
Sting

It has taken me to some beautiful places though.

1. A road trip to Bordeaux, France.
2. A sunset in the Channel Islands.

[advenk999]

Voted NO. Prices in Bangalore are ridiculous. Similar examples indicated here are upwards of 20L making this a ridiculous proposition.
This is way too much money to sink in for a 7-10 year old vintage that may fetch little or next to nothing on the next upgrade.
I'm also not a fan of the W212 steering, which I personally feel is vague and disconnected in comparison to BMW F 30. The ride for sure is comfortable and carpet like, but is no handler to the Beemer, which on the other is firm and taut. I prefer the latter anyday.
I've seen many examples of this version at my regular FNG undergoing suspension replacements and gearbox issues. These from what I've observed were higher run cars around 85k to 1.2L kms.
Throw in the idea of a remapped F30 530D, the one GTO has, and I'll sell anything to get my hands on one!

[sandeepmohan]

Oh yeah.

My boss drives a E500 and a colleague and friend drives a 2013 E400. The latter costs just 20 lacs in my part of the world. A wee bit more if you want the AMG Line. The car looks beautiful and has a level of class not seen on other cars. It is is loaded with toys and safety kit too.

That said, one must be prepared for high insurance and up keep costs. It is also better to avoid high mileage samples. Almost a given with anything German.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

My concern is, with registration being only for 15 years (+ 5 years maybe), and with BS 4 being definitely out, anyone buying such a car will have to completely lose any redemption of that money they resale, and 12-15 lacs is a ton of money for me to sink into something with a definite expiry date ranging from 5 to 8 years.

Well outside NCR you can legally drive a car as long as you want, after 15 years you are required to renew the RC every 5 years. I myself have a 99 OMNI (which is BS I) with every document valid. Bhpian BeamerBug_06 has a 95 Zen in Mumbai with all documents valid. Move to BS VI doesn't effect the BS IV cars plying on our roads, we also moved from BS I to BS IV gradually over the years, with the old cars still plying on our cars.

[ACM]

Voted Yes, but it will probably be a post face-lift 350d eventually or a 530d as the possible 10 yrs limit on diesels makes them less desirable around the 5 years mark and the petrols are eye wateringly fuel inefficient.

[jayanttalwar]

Voted Yes!

I myself bought a 2 year old e250 last last year. One can easily find 2015-17 models in range of 27-35 ,I got a 2016 model run 23k.

The other car I was considering was a 530d,but couldn't find newer examples and it does not make sense to go for old diesel luxury car in Delhi. We choose the E250 over the 520d due to the following reasons

-The cabin with wooden inserts,big windows and panaromic sunroof makes the car feel big and airy compared to the 5 series

- The 520d somehow wasn't that much fun to drive ,even though it has a better gearbox and steering wheel combo, the E250 has more power and torque,with 500 nm it pulls like a train. The 7 speed gearbox feels much better than the pre facelift gearbox. The facelift seems sportier to drive.(we owned a 2012 E220 for a short while

- The car was to be used as a family car so comfort had to be kept in mind unless we found a 530d which met our criteria.

I feel the w212 e class is the right mix of power, comfort and quality.

In my 20 months of ownership the only problem I faced was with the AC,the car is sitting in the workshop for that right now !

[HammerHead]

Voted for 'No'. Its a simple heart over brain decision for me really.

Originally Posted by ajmat

As my independent tells me, Mercs and Skoda's mainly come in for routine servicing. BMWs come in for repair! Range Rovers never seem to leave his premises!

You have summed it up nicely. Only if you could bring Jaguars in the equation that would help me shape up my decision on picking up a pre-owned luxury car.