Mercedes Hybrid

[Rat Catcher]

In front of me last night up above in Dublin:



https://www.motorcheck.ie/free-car-check/132D17546/ :
2013 Mercedes-benz E-class E300 Bluetec AMG Sport 4DR Auto
BODY TYPE Saloon
FUEL TYPE Diesel/electric
COLOUR Silver
TRANSMISSION Unknown

Too good to be a taxi?

[Tony]

Sclass has one.... The old cunt..

[mercenary for hire]

I posted somewhere before that a UK suit was telling me his company had problems with them breaking down.Some just randomly stopping on the motorway for no apparent reason.In the end Mercedes took them back.Maybe the newer ones are better.

There's a good reason why other car makers haven't tried to build diesel hybrids.

[john m]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2018/02/20/european-auto-industry-on-edge-ahead-of-german-court-decision-on-diesel-bans/#3859c61a237e  Diesel is under attack in Europe .Its all part of the scam VW get caught scamming and fined billions .Solution Ban Diesels so VW can sell you a new car and make Billions .I dont see how any driver could invest in a replacement Diesel Vehicle with any confidence you would get 9 years out of it .If the German Court gives the Government permission to ban Diesels you can be sure the Gay Foreigner will follow his Furher or follow London and put a Daily tax on Diesels driving into the City .

[mercenary for hire]

Erm they're stalling for time until they sell off some older engines I reckon.I wonder are they even building the diesel engines any more?VW have hybrid jettas in the US for years now.Same with ford and the hybrid mondeo/fusion.As soon as public opinion changes enough you won't be able to buy a diesel any more in the VW group.

[john m]

Just a thought .If Diesel fumes are so Dangerous to health .Why are Taxi reps not looking for a scrapage scheme to protect our health .Most drivers spend up to 8 hours a day sitting within six foot of an active exhaust pipe .Are there any studies being undertaken of drivers health .Before the Smoking Ban Barmans unions were monitoring bar workers health and when the smoking ban was proposed and the Vintners objected then the health report was presented to the Vintners and as they were made aware if they continued to allow smoking on the premises the barmans union threatened to sue them .Over the last 10 years the amount of Diesel cars has balooned based on information given out by government about how good they were for the environment .What damage has been done to our health .

[john m]

Erm they're stalling for time until they sell off some older engines I reckon.I wonder are they even building the diesel engines any more?VW have hybrid jettas in the US for years now.Same with ford and the hybrid mondeo/fusion.As soon as public opinion changes enough you won't be able to buy a diesel any more in the VW group.

Satans Wheelbarrow Is 10 this year and I was thinking of changing it but I think ill hold on to it as I cant buy a Diesel as I dont know what the Government will do especially if the Greens make up any part of the next government Im holding on in the hope that there might be a scrappage for old diesels or a better incentive to go Hybrid or electric .

[mercenary for hire]

Go out and buy an old one and get a few years out of it.New one would be a high risk.Alternatively you could buy another blue one,grind off the chassis numbers and transfer over yer reg plate.I'd say there are a few already doing it.Seeing as yer man in suitability checked my VIN number last time.

[john m]

I was only talking tothe Rodent about it yesterday .If im changing im looking for a 6 or 7 year old Petrol vehicle .Cheaper to buy cheaper to maintain will offset the extra fuel costs of fuel.I wonder how many lads get blinded by the 9 year rule before it came in a 6 or 7 year old car was grand for a replacement .Its a business and we need to run it like a business keep costs to a minimum .Average new car is around 27K or 3 K a year just to own it over its  lifetime by the time its 6 or 7 it will need the same money spent on it as a used car .With all the uncertainty around transport issues I couldnt invest in a new vehicle

[Rat Catcher]

I posted somewhere before that a UK suit was telling me his company had problems with them breaking down.Some just randomly stopping on the motorway for no apparent reason.In the end Mercedes took them back.Maybe the newer ones are better.

There's a good reason why other car makers haven't tried to build diesel hybrids.

Had to be a downside... I saw one or two low mileage 13/14 Ds for around 20k. Might have been tempted, they're a mighty impressive motor for that kinda money.

[mercenary for hire]

You'd get a decent Lexus hybrid for 20k.Check out the IS300h if you don't wanna buy one of the bigger ones.I reckon you could bring one in and VRT one for under 17k with a 14 reg.A few taxi drivers using them in town.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-is300h-2-5-hybrid-executive-12-months-warra/17357613

[Rat Catcher]

Interesting.

[the driver]

The manager of a pub in Howth brought in a low mileage,mint,142 reg 300h for 14,900 including air fare,ferry cost and VRT.The 1 thing to watch on them if you buy the top of the range version is the privacy glass.I hear it costs 600 euro to replace it with standard glass.They average about 40 m.p.g.

I have heard that high milers are giving gearbox trouble but you know yourself this may only be pub talk.

[mercenary for hire]

40mpg isn't great but I sometimes meet other drivers who can't  get more than 50mpg  from their Priuses.I'm surprised the gearboxes are giving any trouble.As far as I know they've got CVT gearboxes like the Prius.The under the bonnet bits are similar  to the Camry hybrid toyota sells in the US.The Toyota/Lexus ones are considered some of the best available.

I'd bet me dog/wife that any of the ones that broke weren't getting fluid changes.After googling I can't find any examples of ones that failed.Doesn't mean it doesn't happen though.

[Rat Catcher]

I think the most common cause of automatic boxes failing is lads putting them into park while the car is still rolling, I came across a couple of rentals that were very soft in that way over in the US. Unlike most modern manual boxes you do have to change the oil (ATF) in them from time to time. I was thinking of an automatic Skoda next time to give the old legs a bit of a rest but a good few lads have told me that the DSG box is pure shite, good for 150k kilos at the outside and around a grand and a half to replace. 40 MPG would be a step backwards for me, couldn't justify that even for a nice motor that I could call an office and fill up with filing cabinets and keyboards and little post it notepads anall.