RoadHazard

I know you ran Carfax above, but here it is in Autocheck, where it is just as you described - very clean.
https://www.diigo.com/item/pdf/5gt7b...8161898248be97
Makes me wonder why the price is so low in comparison to market value, especially from a dealer.

tusabes

Not too many cl600 buyers in Alabama lol

nvkevin

Yea, that's why I was so intrigued by this one specifically. There are other CL's listed on the net that have 50,000 more miles and are 5k more. It doesn't appear to have any issues, but that doesn't mean anything haha. Appearances can be very deceiving. I am very anxious to see what the MB dealer says when they do the inspection on Monday. Time will tell and I'll be sure to keep you guys posted!!

Welwynnick

People are very cautious about these cars. Its like you have to chose particularly carefully to get a good one - the most expensive Mercedes is a cheap Mercedes, etc. The feeling is that there are good cars and bad cars, partly from build, partly from ownership, from maintenance and from driving. My first TT was definitely a cheap car, and many would describe it as a bad experience. The original seller's advertisement (which I still have for entertainment) described it in glowing terms - pristine condition, full Mercedes history, zero faults, etc, but in many ways it was a bad car. As the years went by however, the shortcomings began to look superficial, and the core quality was intact all along. I've now got something that really does the job in all respects, which I never would anticipated in the first year. To begin with, I assumed this was car that I would cut my teeth on, understand what made them tick, how to deal with them, and what to look for next time. Therefore I couldn't wait to get it saleable and move onto a mythical "good" car. Well, now I don't really think there are "good" Mercedes and "bad" Mercedes. I certainly had a bad car when I bought it, but equally its a good car now, and that good car was there all along. I see them as all being fundamentally good and having almost unparalleled capability value, but all having the same potential for trouble. The problems can all be resolved, but every car will be hit at some time. There's no escaping coil-pack or ABC problems etc at some point in the car's life. Each second-hand car is just a snapshot in its own individual automotive career, and what lies behind it and what lies in front are little different from one car to the next. However, the point that you see each car is different. Therefore I wouldn't obsess about what's in today's snapshot, as long as the fundamentals that you would apply to any car are reasonable. Is the body straight and solid? Is the engine smooth and quiet? Have the previous owners maintained the car properly? So keep an open mind and don't worry too much about the risks, because they're not risks - they're inevitabilities, they're going to hit every car, but a capable owner can deal with all of them.

One of my best posts I think. Thanks for your patience,

Nick

tusabes

I do think there are good ones and bad ones . Yes coil packs and abc issues will eventually hit the good ones but some were always very bad

Some had nothing but trouble even when new under warranty , and their troubles continued after warranty and were never fixed . Many have been water damaged and literally will never be right , even after SAM replacement etc the water gets in the blower motor and wiring harness etc. Door faults , transmission faults , etc.

There comes a point where a lot of the bad ones just need to be parted out to keep the good ones going

nvkevin

Thanks for the insightful post Nick. I suppose when you look at it that way, there is always an upside and things aren't nearly as bad as they once seemed. I think I am keeping a pretty open mind with this car, especially seeing as it is my first Mercedes and I am pretty excited to get into one. It has been a long time dream/aspiration of mine to own one of these vehicles.

ItalianJoe1

Excellent post Nick, very well put.

When I got my second CL, I was peeved by some things that weren't as nice as the first car. For the initial couple days, I was very sour about it. I ended up coming to the same conclusion as you, that the car was essentially solid, actually had more options, a few less miles, etc. I was going to have to maintain any of them, so getting into this one right away is just me knowing that the issues are addressed and wont' bother me for a while, makes it easier to enjoy the car. Yes it's a couple grand out of my pocket up front, but when you buy a 6 figure car for 1/10th of it's original price, what can you expect?

Plan for the worst, be pleasantly surprised when it's not really that bad, and enjoy the awesome vehicle you have once you've gone through it fully.

fastlife23

I own a cl65 and live in Chicago. I've owned this car since Sept and it is a 3rd car to me. The car sits a majority of the time but I do make it a point to start it and drive up and down the alley at least twice a month. I'm not going to daily drive this vehicle because I don't intend to have it in the snow or rain or play the odds against the number of bad drivers we have in the city. My car has sat most of its life anyways since it has

tusabes

You should try to drive it more often , these cars hate sitting and the hydraulics need to be exercised and electrical system kept fully charged

fastlife23

tusabes i had it out today and last night but it is weather dependent. I dont drive it in the rain and sure as hell not in the snow. Also cold weather is not a friend to over 700lbs of torque.

nvkevin

Well, I talked to the dealer today after not being able to get a hold of them yesterday and the MB dealer calling me to ask why the vehicle did not show up for the inspection appointment. The dealer stated that they would NOT be taking the vehicle to the MB dealer for the inspection that was previously agreed upon. This is a huge red flag for me. I fear they know something is wrong with the car and don't want to have it looked at by a professional. The dealer informed me that if no one purchases the car, it will be sent to an auction. So, I am moving my search elsewhere.

I still want the TTV12, so I am broadening my search to include the S600. I have found a few that I am looking at that are higher in price (due to advice from this forum that cheaper is usually not better) and that have better service records. Also, I think that after talking with the wife, a sedan may suit us better unless a CL pops up in our price range that is what we are looking for...

Thank you to everyone on here for your sound advice and insight...

biker349

see if you can get someone who knows mercedes and has a star diagnostic system to go to the dealer with you and inspect and scan the car. if the dealer won't allow that run away. if he does and it's okay i'd low ball him since he said it would go to auction. huge red flag as you said. did he give you a reason like they didn't have the time? if so you can offer to take it yourself. good luck!

nvkevin

I would love to do both of the tings you mentioned, but the vehicle is located in Alabama and I am in Nevada. This is why I was relying so heavily on the inspection from an MB dealer. They didn't give a reason other than they wouldn't consent to another inspection seeing as how the car had one some 9 months ago. That would be all fine and well if they would release the inspection report to me, but they won't. No big deal. Just means my search continues for the ever elusive TTV12....

Speedriven1

This has nothing to do with buying the "cheapest" or whatever, just general advice: don't buy a car you haven't seen. Even at $8500, spending a few hundred bucks to go out and see the car should be a no-brainer.

nvkevin

I agree. I am just doing research up front. There is no way I would sign any kind of paperwork without seeing and driving the car first. I have purchased several vehicles, new and used, that are not even remotely close to me. I have flown to destinations several times to view, and eventually purchase said vehicle. I am simply doing as much legwork as I can via phone and internet first.

On another note, once said TTV12 is purchased, I will be contacting you Speedriven1....

fastlife23

After the dealer blowing off the inspection I would not even think twice about buying this particular car. Clear indication they're is problems. Transperancy is hard to find

nvkevin

100% agree!!!

fortee9er

I use AutoCheck instead of Carfax had not heard of VMI. What is it?
Thanks

tusabes

I explained exactly what it was at the beginning of this thread

fortee9er

I missed it! Thanks for sending the quote with the explanation.:duh

Jack_88

Reading all this, and I see every one mentioned is cheaper than the one I just bought. Makes me wonder if I've overpaid. Also, I haven't even seen it yet. I had my brother take a look at it, given it was local to him. He's very particular, and I know he looked over it as well as anyone possibly could have.

RoadHazard

16k isn't overpaying by a long shot. The vehicle we were discussing here was bottom of the barrel. I wish you luck with your CL600, enjoy it while it's trouble free!