Hi Car Folks,

I'm considering on purchasing a used W204 C300 with <50k miles for ~15k-18k.

Some relevant info about me:

I am 26 years old with a secure job in the U.S.
I currently earn 30k/year or $1700/month after taxes.
I am renting an apartment and drive the extra family car ('01 E320).
I have zero debt.
My currently monthly expenses are:
- $400 rent (utilities included)
- $300 food
- $80 gas
So ~$800/month
I've looked at monthly car payments for the 15k-18k range and it is around $200-$300.

I have been searching autotrader for C300s as well as alternatives (A3, G37, IS250) and have found several that I like.

1 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic 41K miles -$17K
2 2011 Audi A3 2.0T Prem Plus 36K miles -$17K
3 2012 Infiniti G37S Sport/Premium 50K miles -$18K
4 2008 Lexus IS250 48K miles -$13.5K
5 2006 Audi A3 2.0T 50K miles -$8K

Out of the four models, I like the W204 the most. It's been a car that I've really admired since I was in high school, and I believe I'll still find it aesthetically pleasing ten years from now, so I wouldn't plan on getting rid of it had I purchased one. What worries me though is the reliability of these cars, and how much it's going to cost me if and when things break. I'm aware German cars will be more costly, but is it that much significantly higher than Japanese that it should be a reason to avoid? We have a 2001 E320 with 145K miles, which I don't recall having any major problems up until after 100K miles.

As you can see in the list above, I've included two cars that are relatively lower in price (IS250, '06 A3). My other option is to go with a relatively cheaper car to begin with. I'm aware I'll be saving 5-10K in the long run, but in terms of routine repairs and maintenance, won't I be paying similar to what I would with one of the cars priced at 18K? If I'm expecting to pay the same in repairs/maintenance on a ~10K car as a 18K car through it's lifetime, I think I would prefer the latter because I can see myself owning it for 10 years, as opposed to selling the 10K car 5 years or so from now to upgrade to a new one.

I've been going back and forth between these couple models and would appreciate any insight, suggestions, feedback, or personal experience from anyone on here.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Cheers!

 

There are a couple of things to think about. First, you are buying a 45-50k car. Things like oil changes and brakes are going to be more expensive than say a corolla. We have owned different c class models for over ten years and have never had a single issue outside of one sensor. Second, the best way to own one of these is to do your own maintenance. I work for an automotive service company and make plenty of money where I can easily afford to have all maintenance done on my cars. I choose to do my own maintenance for a couple of reasons: I enjoy working on cars on the weekend. I own several different cars and enjoy wrenching. I save money, money saved is money earned. These cars are relatively easy to work on. I can change brake pads in 45 minutes all corners. Lastly, there is a sense of pride in doing your own work. The one thing to keep in mind is things like rotors, pads and tire do cost more than average. No real fancy tools are needed though.
From a personal perspective if this is a huge stretch for you financially then maybe holding off makes a little more sense. Another option for you may be to drive for Uber or Lyft and make a couple of hundred a month on the side.

 

Thanks for the input AtlasGrey! Yes, I forgot to mention, but whichever car I end up purchasing, I plan on trying to do as much repair work as I can by myself. I too find it very rewarding to accomplish a fix on my own. Challenging, but certainly worthwhile.

As for driving for Lyft/Uber, did you mean with the new car? I haven't considered that, but I'm assuming a C300 would fall in the luxury category of Lyft and Uber. I'll have to look more into this, thank you for the suggestion.

 

Yes I meant with the new car. I have a friend that drives for Uber a couple of nights a week and sometimes late on the weekends. He makes good money for driving people around and you could easily cover your car payment and maintenance with a couple of nights a week in driving. Just a thought since you are on a 30K salary.