Diesel vs Hybrid and trade in

IvorBiggun

Hi

I am going to be doing more miles in the near future so want to trade in my current 55 reg Mercedes CLK 350 sport cabrio to something that gets better MPG.

I'll be doing a little over 10k miles a year mostly a 45mile round trip (22 each way) along congested A roads plus some suburban stuff at the start/end.

I quite fancy something smaller, luxurious and an auto.

I've currently got a shortlist of 2:

Lexus CT200h. Zero tax, good mpg, CVT auto, small in the back. Can get an early one for £12k.

Vauxhall Astra Elite 2.0 CDTi auto. Can get them cheaper, lots of toys (although I hear the climate control isn't great?), hard to find one with parking sensors (I am not great in reverse!). More powerful engine than the Lexus.

Any views on either of these. I would want to try double my current 27mpg. Any alternatives that I haven't considered; don't really want to go over 12K but will do if the total cost of ownership over several years (including depreciation) is low.

I would want to trade in my CLK. Looking on autotrader (used wrong postcode):

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/mercedes-benz/clk/postcode/sw1a2aa/radius/1500/keywords/350%20sport/engine-size-cars/3l_to_3-9l/sort/default/seller-type/trade_adverts/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/body-type/convertible

Shows they go from 8K (the one at £7490 aand £7825 are not a sport but a lower spec - no tiptronic, nice seats, sports suspension. 18" alloys etc) to around 11k. If I am buying a 12K car, what should I expect to pay to part exchange.

Also I only have a partial service history for the CLK but I suspect it has a full one, can I get onto Mercedes and get them to print it out for me?

Also the alloys aren't in a good state and the front spoiler has a crack and the drivers door has paint abraded where it gets opened into a post. I reckon I could get all these sort for less than £500, is it worth getting it done moneywise?

Thanks in advance for any help.

oscarward

My wife has a CT200h.

Take a thorough test drive before buying.

Yes they are luxurious, very good design, well built and her fuel bill has halved since buying one (nearly 50mpg). It suits her needs exactly as it is just used for a 5 mile commute to work and local shops.

Odd thing to drive though, the CVT takes getting used to, I note the latest Toyota CVT has 'artificial' gears built in. And I don't like the foot operated parking brake.

I took it on a long journey of about 80 miles each way. It's noisy at speed (70+), but still gave 50mpg, but the worst problem is it has a very harsh ride, really bad:eek:. The original Yokohama tyres crash horribly on a rough surface which ultimately put me off. But there again I have a Jag XF :j so noticed it more.

Like I said take a long test drive before committing.

IvorBiggun

The sports suspension plus 18" 35 profile tyres on my clk mean that I am used to firm suspension but I will definitely test drive first. Biggest worry is the lack of power compared to a 3.5 litre v6, it gets you out of trouble fast.

deanos

You can add parking sensors quite cheaply to the Astra, around £15 on Ebay for ones already painted, the back of the bumper has marks where to drill and you just wire it into the reverse light, even if you paid someone to do it would not be more than £100

gilbert_and_sullivan

Couple of thoughts, you typical journey isn't ideal for a DPF equipped Diesel.

You should get a better deal on Prius than the Lexus.

captainhindsight_2

If your after the best mpg, the new range extender cars seem the best. Check out the vauxhall ampera 235.4 mpg I think there a bmw with similar mpg too but it's not as nice as the Vauxhall

Stoke

as someone has already said, parking sensors are one of the easiest things to retrofit. It really is a case of drill some holes, wire straight into reversing lights, have a beer.

Wiring in a reversing camera is much harder and that took me a few hours on a Passat. I reckon a set of reversing sensors would take maybe an hour at most, maybe two if I ran into a few issues.

IvorBiggun

Don't like the look of the Prius much and the price difference isn't that much between the tspirit and the ct200h.
Love to get the Ampera but it is still over £20k on autotrader.

Thanks for the advice on parking sensors.

If I do buy a car worth say £2k more than the selling price of my current car how much should I expect to pay to change?

gilbert_and_sullivan

IvorBiggun wrote: »

If I do buy a car worth say £2k more than the selling price of my current car how much should I expect to pay to change?

Presumably you mean A1 conditon forecourt price for your car and the one you intend to buy?

Your car needs, what, £500 spending on obvious faults/damage, dealer will want at least £1500 on the deal after that, suspect £4k+.

You'll be far better off selling and buying privately, but you already know that, you might have to get a handy little bodyshop to sort the dings and dongs and wheels out first though.

MB wheels are a problem, refurbing the OE finish is very expensive, lathe recut and re-laquered you'll be up to around £100 a wheel by the time you've had the tyres refitted.
Its cheaper, half the price, and much longer lasting to get them shot blasted and powder coated but you won't get that sexy original finish which might well help sell the car for a higher price.

IvorBiggun

Having looked at the latest Prius (2010+) I think it is also a possibility. In T Spirit trim it has most of the toys I want (no heated seats though :-( ) but loads around to choose from. Boot and back seat look much more practical than the Lexus too.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Yes i never meant the pre 09 model Prius, looks only a mother could love.