Fung63

I see many members here that are searching for a previously enjoyed C63 (really this can apply to any MB). Many of them is a first time MB purchase or are not 100% sure what to look for. Lets share our opinions and experiences for future MB buyers.

As a background, I bought a MY2010 C63 CPO. Like most people here I checked local and distant dealer inventories. I was down to two C63s I really like, one from a local dealer and one from a dealer approximately 1k km away. Ultimately I went local, however both options have their own pros and cons. Here are some of my thoughts

Local
Pros

• face to face dealings - relationships are easier to build in person. For example, prior to buying this latest MB, I've bought 3 other MBs at another dealership. Over the years, I have developed a solid rapport with my sales guy. I know he wont lie and rip me off, to me this goes a long way. Also, if I want to test drive a car... say that CLS 63 on the lot, I can. I can go in with shorts and sandals and no one will bat an eye... well maybe the MB greeter

• you can see and test drive the car - check to make sure dealer is accurate, car is as discribed with no surprises. Lets be honest here... the MB CPO 150 pt inspection sounds rigorous... but for anyone who has bought a CPO car before... lots of things fall between the cracks. you have a chance to do a once over.

• Fixing problems - A test drive although nice is still not the same as you driving it day in day out. After taking delivery of my C63, I noticed some minor issues... I scheduled a service with the dealer I bought it from and it was all fixed free of charge.

Cons

• limited inventory - you may only have a handful of dealers in your area. your choice is definitely not the same as the rest of the country

• longer timeframe - if you want to stay local but dont want to compromise and the local dealer doesnt have what you want... you will need to be patient. Buying a CPO no matter from where requires a degree of compromising. With less choice, you will need to be more flexible to the local inventory. For example, I wanted a MY2010 + and in Ob black, I told my local sales rep and since its a CPO, they are at the mercy of what turns up or comes back from lease... this was a reason I ultimately bought local but with another dealer cause I was lucky that they had what I wanted.

Distant Dealers
Pros

• broader inventory - there will definitely be more options with distant dealers vs local dealers. local you may have a couple dealers within range... with distant, there will be lots more. Thus, higher chance to get car with colour and options you desire

• cherry pick pricing - with more selection, there might be a dealer who is very competitive with pricing and you can start from there. This imo is the #1 reason why we look at far away dealers... cost savings can be quite large. Different states / provinces may have different valuations on these vehicles.

• Higher leverage on negotiations - with more choices, you may find two similar vehicles. It's definitely easier to negotiate price when the 'out-of-state' sales rep knows he/she is competing against another dealer for your business.

Cons

• delivery - either you fly in or ship it to you, you need to budget this into the equation for cost of car. My distant dealer wanted $500 to transport it approx 1k kilometers.

• solution to issues - key reason why I ultimately went local. with a distant dealer you are buying this vehicle pretty much unseen. if there are issues, you may either need to ship back (if big problem) or go to local dealer (which means you need to swing a 3 way deal to get problems resolved).. some members have expressed they had to eat the costs. A way to minimize this is to budget the cost of picking up the car if possible... Spend an extra day in the area, drive it around and if you notice anything, have them take a look at it. Problem is that you may feel you have already invested some $$ flying in and you need to make this deal work out. Treat this as a sunk cost... keep your head cool and walk away from the deal if it really isnt what you are expecting

Anything I missed? Or should add?

otakki

Good summary of Pros and Cons. Can't think of anything additional. I bought mine CPO from a dealer 660 miles (slightly over 1k km) and everything worked out well. My other choice was on the same trip, although at 1300 miles. I drove there in my trade-in and drove back in the new car. All I can say is, don't lock yourself in to local because that's what most people do. You will definitely have more choices and leverage when you don't limit yourself.

DuaneC63

Good summary of pro and cons. But I've never found a local dealer (both when I lived in San Francisco and San Diego) that could be price competative when put up against a non local dealer. Fortunately in Cali there are lot of MBZ, Porsche, and BMW dealer to pick from and your worst airline ticket is about $100 and the longest drive back is usually around 500 miles. It's also a major PIA to get a non Cali car registered here. I've never has an issues with getting warranty work done by the non-selling dealer. They don't care they get paid by the factory.

b16

Bought mine CPO from MB San Diego. 2009 C63 +LSD with 42,000 miles on it. We negotiated the price that I was happy with. I then told him I live in Walnut Creek, CA which is about 500 miles away. He said he could deliver no problem same day at no extra charge! I was ecstatic!!

He then called me back and told me he thought I said "Walnut, CA" which is only about 100 miles away, lol. He said no problem, he'll honor our agreement and have someone drive it up the next day. The delivery guy left SD at 3:00 a.m. to have my car to me by noon. I couldn't be happier with my experience.

Even later I found the fog lamp was cracked and the lower front grille was cracked. MB SD told me to take to a local dealer to be fixed and they would cover it.

This was the best car buying experience I've had.

otakki

I bet the guy had some fun during the 500 miles. I'm sure they will do anything to get the car off their book as soon as possible. Getting it to you as quickly as possible is the goal since you can still change your mind as long as the car is not driven off the lot.

I learned that with one previous car purchase when the dealer insisted I drive back in the new car and they would deliver my old car back to me 100 miles away. Then they jumped ship on me. What I should have done is drive back home in my old car since I know now they will deliver the new car to me simply because I can change my mind as long as the car is not off the lot. Moreover, I can use that as a bargaining chip to get them to deliver the car to my front steps.

b16

The guy who delivered my car was really nice. Older maybe in his mid 60's. He said the car can scoot. . I guess he does this for a living with a bunch of dealers, driving as far as Seattle!

True, I hadn't put any money down yet nor signed any papers until they arrived at my house so I could have refused if I wanted to. Guy said it happens an he just has to drive back.

Fung63

In Canada, we have like 5 days or 500kms to make up our mind. Catch is that you have to find something else the dealer has.

definitely would like to hear more people's stories and experiences on buying their CPO.

otakki

How does he get back (assuming you didn't trade in your car)?

b16

I dropped him off at the airport.