James Ruppert: The great estate debate

If that’s too old and scruffy, give some love to a 2011 E220 CDI BlueEfficiency SE automatic. It has just over 100,000 miles and has a recent enough service and a decent specification with all the usual Comand, climate and, oh, a cigarette lighter and ashtray, so we’ll have to see if there’s a whiff of smoke. Still, £5800 is reasonable and ref lects the increasing diesel-sceptic tax.

If you don’t need a huge amount of space then downsize to a C-Class, which is pretty much the same size as the old E anyway. Just £5300 gets you a 2011 200 CDI BlueEfficiency with 100k miles. It’s a pretty clever way to get around and those engines deliver just shy of 60mpg in ideal conditions. Yes, it’s our duty to make Mercedes estate cars cool again.

What we almost bought this week

Dodge Caliber 2.0 TD SXT Sport: Note we say ‘almost’. In his review of the Caliber in 2006, this magazine’s Matt Prior advised readers not to buy the model. A cheap-feeling interior and crashy ride, poor body control, unresponsive steering, a laggy Volkswagen turbodiesel and a sticky clutch were his criticisms. Our find is a 2007-reg with 90,000 miles for £1799. Best walk away, then.

Tales from Ruppert's garage

BMW 320, 85,539 miles: One thing I noticed swanning around in the freshly MOT’d Baby Shark was the fact that the wipers were fairly marginal. They worked okay but could be better. Luckily, I have a retro stock of old blades in their original packets. The 320’s are held on with the old pegs. I could get the nearside one out but not the other. I left the new/old stock on the flat surface of the Lorry. The next day I drove off with it on board, so it fell off and I found it a day later as flat as a pancake. As you don’t really want to see a picture of a one-dimensional windscreen wiper, here’s the brand spanking new exhaust in situ.

Readers' Ride

MGF 1.8: Thanks to Craig for sharing this 2001 MGF 1.8 he bought for his other half: “The car I chose had 77,000 miles on the clock and a good history but needed a thorough clean and a refill for the Hydragas suspension. It came with the optional hard top. I found an old Autocar article saying this cost £1095 in 1996 – I paid £1000 for both car and roof, including a full tank of fuel. My partner and I have travelled all over the Brecon Beacons and the South Wales coast. There is that same feeling of freedom you get with your first car.”

Reader's Questions

Q. I’m about to enter the shark-infested pool that is known as the used car market. Are there any new scams I should be aware of? Craig Stone, via email

A. Used car prices are riding high, so be suspicious of anything youngish and with low mileage that is too cheap. Not everything is fetching strong money, but as supplies dwindle, prices are only going one way. You should always run a history check on a used car, but rather than just one, do two checks, since some companies delve deeper into vehicle histories than others. Pay the smallest pre- purchase deposit you can, check online reviews of the seller and beware of those requesting your payment by bank transfer only.

Q. My car is approaching its first MOT but I’ve heard there’s a backlog of tests this month due to Covid. What is the situation and how has it arisen? Sandra Metcalfe, via email