Please help a M-B newbie!
09-08-2003, 07:44 PM
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Please help a M-B newbie!
Hello everyone. I would just like to get some feedback from the experts on this forum about a used car I put a deposit on yesterday.
I placed a deposit on a '99 C280 Sport (Silver/Black), with 59K miles. My wife and I drove it, and it felt good. The engine felt strong, and it seemed tight as a drum. I ran a carfax report and no red flags came up. I am no expert, but I inspected the car myself and couldn't find any hint of accident damage, aside from possibly a repainted (but not replaced) front bumper cap.
The car is from an independent dealer, not an M-B dealer. We did go test drive a 2000 C230 Kompressor Sport at a M-B dealership, but I preferred the six to the blown four. They would have sold me the C230 for $21,900, and it had 48K miles.
I am going to bring it to someone I trust tomorrow to get it formally inspected. My questions are:
1. Price. Does $17,995 sound like the right price for this (condition was excellent)?
2. Repairs. What kind of problems might I expect as the odometer rises? And are parts overly expensive for the car? I had an older 5-Series which always seemed to cost some multiple of $800 for ANY repair, but I remember someone telling me that M-B were more reasonable.
3. Tires. It seems as though the car has some agressive M+S (aggressive for snow, not for the road). Can someone recommend some good tires for the car (either long-wearing summer, or aggressive all-seasons).
4. Grille. Anyone know how much a new grille would cost for the car?
5. Miles. Is 59K miles getting up there, or is this car just getting started?
That's about it. If the inspection doesn't bring about any surprises, I should be the proud owner of a new (to me) C280 sport tomorrow. Before I take delivery, I was hoping to find out from you folks if there are any "gotchas" I should be looking for.
Thanks,
Mike
I placed a deposit on a '99 C280 Sport (Silver/Black), with 59K miles. My wife and I drove it, and it felt good. The engine felt strong, and it seemed tight as a drum. I ran a carfax report and no red flags came up. I am no expert, but I inspected the car myself and couldn't find any hint of accident damage, aside from possibly a repainted (but not replaced) front bumper cap.
The car is from an independent dealer, not an M-B dealer. We did go test drive a 2000 C230 Kompressor Sport at a M-B dealership, but I preferred the six to the blown four. They would have sold me the C230 for $21,900, and it had 48K miles.
I am going to bring it to someone I trust tomorrow to get it formally inspected. My questions are:
1. Price. Does $17,995 sound like the right price for this (condition was excellent)?
2. Repairs. What kind of problems might I expect as the odometer rises? And are parts overly expensive for the car? I had an older 5-Series which always seemed to cost some multiple of $800 for ANY repair, but I remember someone telling me that M-B were more reasonable.
3. Tires. It seems as though the car has some agressive M+S (aggressive for snow, not for the road). Can someone recommend some good tires for the car (either long-wearing summer, or aggressive all-seasons).
4. Grille. Anyone know how much a new grille would cost for the car?
5. Miles. Is 59K miles getting up there, or is this car just getting started?
That's about it. If the inspection doesn't bring about any surprises, I should be the proud owner of a new (to me) C280 sport tomorrow. Before I take delivery, I was hoping to find out from you folks if there are any "gotchas" I should be looking for.
Thanks,
Mike
Last edited by MichaelB43; 09-08-2003 at 08:14 PM.
09-08-2003, 08:19 PM
#2
98+ c280 has the M104 v6. 94-97 c280 had the straight-six
try finding out exactly what happened with the bumper. its most likely a small thing if something did happen and its not on CARFAX. nevertheless, it can be used to get the price down if its noticable from the naked eye.
$18 big ones is on the higher half for a 99 with around 60K miles. try getting them down to around $17,000 or $16,000 if youre lucky. check www.edmunds.com for a more accurate appraisal.
my 98 c280 has 65,000 miles and still runs very smoothly.. repairs for German cars are a little bit on the expensive side like your BMW but vary depending on what you need to fix. if you already can support your 5, dont worry about shelling out $$ for a C280. from what i heard, early 98s with the first M104s had several tranny issues and other small issues with engine components. some people had no problems, some people had some problems (like a defective MAS, blown battery; i had these 2 problems), and some people had some major problems. it really depends on what exact car you have and how the car was/is treated (99+ should be on the better side).
tires with stock 16" rims? try Dunlop SP Sport A2. they are good for the majority of the year, except in snow. if you live where it gets rough during the winter months, i would suggest leaving on the M + S tires. better safe than sorry.
try finding out exactly what happened with the bumper. its most likely a small thing if something did happen and its not on CARFAX. nevertheless, it can be used to get the price down if its noticable from the naked eye.
$18 big ones is on the higher half for a 99 with around 60K miles. try getting them down to around $17,000 or $16,000 if youre lucky. check www.edmunds.com for a more accurate appraisal.
my 98 c280 has 65,000 miles and still runs very smoothly.. repairs for German cars are a little bit on the expensive side like your BMW but vary depending on what you need to fix. if you already can support your 5, dont worry about shelling out $$ for a C280. from what i heard, early 98s with the first M104s had several tranny issues and other small issues with engine components. some people had no problems, some people had some problems (like a defective MAS, blown battery; i had these 2 problems), and some people had some major problems. it really depends on what exact car you have and how the car was/is treated (99+ should be on the better side).
tires with stock 16" rims? try Dunlop SP Sport A2. they are good for the majority of the year, except in snow. if you live where it gets rough during the winter months, i would suggest leaving on the M + S tires. better safe than sorry.
09-08-2003, 10:06 PM
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2008 SLK-280
My 1994 C280 has 112,000 miles on it and still runs and drives like the day it was new. I love how it still has the "Wow" appeal. I had a few non maintenence repairs that were kind of out of the ordinary. Mass Air Meter, Ignition key tumbler, melted wires going to the reverse lights just to name a few. Each repair was about 600 dollars. You shouldn't have to worry about any of these because they were early C280 issues.
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S all the way. This is an incredible tire for summer and winter. You will not be dissappointed.
Price: A little high, try talking them down.
Grill: You can get the S600 Avante Gard grill for 81 dollars on ebay. It dresses up the car a lot.
Miles: 59,000 miles on a Mercedes is like a Nissan on the showroom floor. Don't expect to see any wear on anything until you hit about 150,000 miles. KEEP UP WITH THE FACTORY MAINTENENCE SCHEDULE!!! I am on my 3rd Mercedes and have always kept up with the maintenence schedule. The only drivetrain repair I have done was a transmission rebuild at 170,000 miles on a 190E.
Final thought: Get it, you'll love it.
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S all the way. This is an incredible tire for summer and winter. You will not be dissappointed.
Price: A little high, try talking them down.
Grill: You can get the S600 Avante Gard grill for 81 dollars on ebay. It dresses up the car a lot.
Miles: 59,000 miles on a Mercedes is like a Nissan on the showroom floor. Don't expect to see any wear on anything until you hit about 150,000 miles. KEEP UP WITH THE FACTORY MAINTENENCE SCHEDULE!!! I am on my 3rd Mercedes and have always kept up with the maintenence schedule. The only drivetrain repair I have done was a transmission rebuild at 170,000 miles on a 190E.
Final thought: Get it, you'll love it.
09-09-2003, 01:52 AM
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
the price sounds high... in terms of repairs.. its a benz everything is expensive. I own both bmw's and benzs and bmw parts are definitely not more expensive.
09-09-2003, 01:32 PM
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2016 BMW Z4 sDrive35i M Sport
I checked Kelly Blue Book's website and they said you can expect $18,100 for a 98 280 Sport with 60K on it and the value (private party) was rated at around $15,335 in excellent condition. I would try to negotiate somwhere between there. Yokohama makes good tires, I have them on my 95 and they handle great and ride smooth. Don't pay an astronomical amt. of money for Michelin's (often recommended for Mercedes), they're not worth it. An Avant Guarde grille will run you around $400 OEM and you can get them cheaper on ebay and other places, but most people here, including me, would recommend the OEM insert.
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09-09-2003, 03:19 PM
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The one big thing I would check for on any 1998/99 model is if it had synthetic oil all it's life or if it was possibly sludged. The FSP (Flexible Service Program) is a real worthless disaster - it NEVER was and NEVER will be able to sense oil duration. We were sent the lawsuit extending our engine warranty to 10 years or 100,000 miles, still I would NEVER EVER pay that much without records!
09-09-2003, 04:26 PM
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C280
Price isn't too bad. I just paid $18,500 with all taxes, BS fees, and a 2 year Starmark from the dealer for my '99 C280 w/ 45K on it. The mileage sounds OK for a 99 and you should have lots of life left in the car. I would shoot for a price closer to $17,000 to make it a bit more reasonable to reflect the mileage, and/or get them to throw in the most comprehensive aftermarket warranty they have.
Go with a set of Dunlop Sport for the tires. If you can, check the VIN # with MB to see what warranty repairs have been made. If the MAS sensor has not died yet, you can bet it will soon. Expect $300-500 for each shop visit unless it's only an oil change.
A new grill is about $100 for an aftermarket one, and use the bumper to your advantage in negotiations. Minor bumper damage is no big deal (especially if it is a city car), just check behind the bumper to make sure that everything else is OK.
Go with a set of Dunlop Sport for the tires. If you can, check the VIN # with MB to see what warranty repairs have been made. If the MAS sensor has not died yet, you can bet it will soon. Expect $300-500 for each shop visit unless it's only an oil change.
A new grill is about $100 for an aftermarket one, and use the bumper to your advantage in negotiations. Minor bumper damage is no big deal (especially if it is a city car), just check behind the bumper to make sure that everything else is OK.
