Thinking of a change - thoughts please...

CrazyRed

Just wanted to lob this idea out to the combined wisdom of this forum and get others' input:

Currently running a pretty-close-to-immaculate auto Merc C250TD estate of 1998 vintage. However, the mileage is clocking up rapidly (I'm a full time carer, but also do voluntary work which is knocking the mileage up savagely these days, although the revenue is helping with the running costs) and I'm as-near-dammit 190,000 now. Obviously, at this sort of mileage, the odd niggle is rearing it's ugly head - the latest being only this week when the gearbox dropped out of gear as I went through a puddle on the way back from a hospital appointment.

I've got the opportunity to 'take over' one of my MIL's cars to help her finances out a bit - a Mitsubishi Shogun V6 3.0 24v (manual). The deal would be that I sell the Merc, pocket the cash that'll raise (realistically around £700), swap my insurance onto the Shogun and then run the Shogun as my 'main' car - it's a 1998 (on a private plate) with a mere 67,300 miles on the clock.

(We need to keep a 4x4 type vehicle in the family because the MIL has a livery yard and said farm has a degree of stuff needing doing - harrowing the fields and rolling the sand school - that needs a good towing vehicle to do, plus, come the winter as she's rural, a 4x4 is a distinct advantage in getting out of her drive (she also has a 2WD car that she uses every day - we'd be swapping cars for the winter months)).

A big part of me thinks I'm mad to even contemplate it - I !!!!! enough about how much whoosh-juice the Merc uses round town - I can't see a 3.0 V6 even getting close to the Merc's 24-26mpg, BUT the potential for the Merc to bankrupt me in short order if I'm not careful is always there. I know the Shogun well, having worked on it for the last 2-3 years, servicing, brakes etc., and know there's little-to-nothing mechanically wrong with it.

Insurance is likely to be similar costs, same as VED because of the age.

Advantages are that it'll help the MIL out as there's one less vehicle she has to worry about insuring and taxing, and we gain a much lower-mileage car that's a bit higher up and thus easier for the wife to get into and out of.

Anyone got any thoughts, or advice, please?

tykesi

Any chance of a cheap LPG conversion on the Shogun? That could make it a lot more tempting! If not as you say the 24-26 MPG is a pipe dream for a motor that big with a V6 petrol.

Rolandtheroadie

I'd keep the merc and start running it on vegetable oil or biodiesel to save a bit of cash.

AdrianC

I've got a '96 24v Shogun LWB. 25mpg? Good luck... 15-20's more like. And don't think it'll be anywhere NEAR as pleasant or relaxing to drive as the C-class. It's a big heavy oil tanker of a barge.

Yes, they're eminently LPGable - but is it going to last long enough to give you payback? Look very carefully for body and chassis rot. There's plenty of other things to go wrong on something as big and heavy as this, too.

If you're only worried about getting in and out of a drive in winter, then consider a second set of wheels with winter tyres.

colino

Keep the Merc., sell the Shogun and buy a mini tractor for the field work. You know it makes sense.