When I went to order my first MB 3 weeks ago (delivery late April) I was amazed by this statement! He said the resale value would be hurt because , " Standard transmissions just don't fit the MB customer profile." Did I make a mistake?

 

It's the salesman's bias that's showing. Are you already planning on reselling the car? That's kind of a defeatist attitude about a car that you don't even own yet, isn't it?

Well, the resale value will be less for a manny, but only because the auto starts off $1100 more in the first place, and actually, you'll have less depreciation on your car with a manny, so you'll do better with a manny, in real dollars (percentages will be the same, obviously).

This car has a much different demographic, so I don't think you'd have a more difficult time selling a manny anyway. Even if you do, do you really want to drive a slushbox until you sell it? I'd prefer to look at it that way.

 

Hell no! I told him he was hanging with too many old rich Benzers! His name is Helmut, if that tells you anything

 

Some people told me I was mistaken to get my C240 w/ a manual trans. I look at it this way, when I'm ready to sell in a few years I might have a car that's more difficult to find. In the DC area, someone's bound to be looking for a 6-spd (right?). I checked out kbb.com or edmunds.com a couple of weeks ago for 2001 C Class used prices, and there was no deduction for the 6-spd. You didn't mention whether you're getting a C240 or C230. I'd imagine 6-spd in the coupe may be more frequent than the sedan. Have fun!

 

I wouldn't worry. My salesman indicated that they are allocated a certain number each of 6-speeds and autos (coupes), and the 6-speeds are never in stock. Maybe it varies by region?

 

When I was considering what to get, the salesguy told me the coupes seemed to sell just as well with the 6 speed. He recommended an auto on the C240, but the C230 sold either way, and they didn't have any 6 speed Coupes in stock either...

 

Craig, BTW, I saw a Bordeaux coupe the other day. Didn't get a chance to see the interior, but it was nice.

 

You should always buy what you want to drive. You will always be able to find a buyer for your car at some point down the road regardless of transmission.

I personally chose an auto becuase of the convenience factor. Most anybody can drive an auto while a fair percentage do not drive manuals well enough to make me sleep at night if someone is using my car.

Just personal preference, not because I thought it would be easier to sell one day.

CP

 

Sounds to me like he was just trying to push a car on you that they had in stock. Perhaps they didn't have any manuals in stock. I also agree with the rest of the posters here; buy the car that YOU want to drive. The difference in resale (if there is a difference) will not be that big of a deal. Plus, there will be plenty of people willing to buy the manny.

Good luck.

 

There were none in the 3 dealers I wnet ( I wanted Manny with lether and Sunroof, Blue, Black or Red) but they didnt have any so I bought a Orion Blue with Automatic, sometimes I feel I made the wrong decision, but I love my car.

 

Would you believe the only C230 I've seen on the road so far around here was Bordeaux? Dang... seems to be a rare color on the forum but it's the only one I've seen locally!

 

Ask Helmut to let you have a toke of what he's smokin'...

This is a very un-German philosophy. Bad Helmut! Good car!

 

I was looking everywhere to find a manual c230 coupe i wanted black with the c7 in a manual so bad. i went to 4 dealers and none had it in stock. the last one i went to had a black c7 auto i saw it right away and fell in love with it and i felt i just could not leave it there with out it, and the wait was just to long for a manual with what i wanted. i love my car alot now. but everytime i think of a manual i start to cry i really would have loved one in my coupe.
But it did not stop me from drving my coupe hard i still love it but would have had much more fun with a manual. there i go again.

 

One of the dealers here in Atlanta had a black 6sp w/c7 that I test drove. It was nice, but had the oyster interior, so I passed on it because between black and oyster I would do nothing but clean that car. So I ordered a white/charcoal, no sunroof 6sp from the Dealer in Birmingham that luckily was already on the ship coming over. I really wanted the c7 package, but I couldn't wait, so I took it. The 6 sp cars obviously sell very well because they are hard to find. As for resale, there is an old saying in the car business "there's an a$$ for every seat" so don't worry about resale. Trade in is a different story-the dealer will try to rape you over the 6sp, but you are always better selling it yourself anyways. They told me the same thing about getting a car without a sunroof. I told them that if I wanted a car with no sunroof, it is pretty likely that there is some else out there that does too!

 

Contrary to the typical U.S. BWM 3 series/Z series or Porsche buyer:

the overall sales of sticks comprise ~ 5% of the overall market share of vehicles sold in the US. A lot of articles also keep bleating out how resale is difficult on stick shift cars, despite the performance advantage. This also has to do with a lot of people who never learned to drive with a stick in the last 20 - 25 years.

It seems most buyers that spend over the mid $20's for a car (or are older) don't want manual trannies - the marketing types have pushed automatics for years and the buying public has gone in this direction. After all, its more profit to sell more options...

Notice how there are no large cars, luxury cars, SUV's, minivans, or even mid-size cars usually offered with the larger engines?

In Europe, UK, and Asia most buyers opt for the manual (as well as smaller engines too) as they like the additional performance and control of a manual.

Even MB didn't offer a stick with the origianal 230K SLK - that didn't happen until part of the way through the 2nd year this model was offered in the US.

 

You have to get what you want? Residual values by leasing companies don't discriminate and say that if you lease a manual tranny car you have lower residual percentages. If you look at manual tranmission MBs in the past few years, the resale value drop over the automatics is a few hundred dollars on a 5 year old car yet they paid over $1,000 for the option. In some sporty cars there isn't a resale price difference between the two.

Actually my local dealer has many C230s for sale with manual transmissions. When I got mine, that's all he had.

 

From what I remember its harder to find a manual transmission in the C240. My salesman told me that its really hard to find it because they sell so fast and people dont really like the power from the auto. I test drove the auto and I concur. I like manual and that is the main reason why I decided to get my car. If it was only offered in auto I would not have gotten a C240. Im sure Im not the only person who thinks this way.