coconutpolito

Alright, I'm buying either a benz or a beamer in the next couple of months. It will be either an '05 C230K or an'05 325i. My concern is that Mercedes no longer offers the free maintenance while bmw still does. Could anyone tell me how much more will it cost me per year to maintain the benz? How much $$$ is the normal oil change? Also I've been reading about the service A and B. What are these and how often should you get them and of course whats the cost? This will be my first brand new car and so I am extremely excited. Thanks for all your help. Also do you think that I should get an '04 C230K with the free maintenance or the '05 C230K without the maintenance? Any input will be greatly appreciated.

amdeutsch

A = ~$100
B = ~$600

Prices are somewhat dealer dependend. Please this forum for more detailed experiences.

If you are going to wait a couple of month, depending on your location, it might be a mute point between 04 and 05. Limited to no availability of 04 MBs is the chance you'll be taking.

revstriker

Also, you may be able to find some places other than your dealer that will offer service A and B for less.

As for how often, I would plan on servicing you car once a year. Service A the first year, service B the next, then back to service A.

I would NOT let the free maintenance be a deciding factor (or a factor at all) in which car you get. But if you do want to put a value on it, call it $1,400.

ColaGuy

I just picked up an loaded 04 320 sport sedan for nearly 5K off. BMW would not budge on prices on an 04 330 or 525 I looked at. For me it was a no brainer to go with the 04 MB as I expect little movement on price for the 05's.

my .02

Joel

Jkw

Enjoy your new Benz!
Jkw

Buellwinkle

FWIW, most MB dealers offer loaners, most BMW dealers don't so you may want to check into this aspect if it has value to you, specially with MB which is not known for their reliability. Also consider that the '05 MB's only need a service about every 13K miles so in most cases it's a once a year thing. My dealer charges $199 for an A and $299 for a B when I asked, that averages to about $20/month so just consider that in your purchase decision.

Also, what I noticed is that MB is a lot more aggresive in pricing, so while C230 and 325i sedans may sticker for similar prices, I bet the MB dealer will be more aggresive in discounting the cars. For example on CarsDirect.com in my zip (92677), a moderately equiped 325 (auto, sunroof, leather) is $31.5K, a C230 with a similar sticker price of about $33K (auto, sunroof, std leather, CD changer) sells for just undrt $28K. So if you look at it that way, with MB you are getting a $33K car for $3,500 cheaper and that more than makes up for the $1K you'll save during the 4 years of free maintenance. It's a tough choice but my local BMW makes the decision a lot easier for me, he has a horrible service reputation and no free car washes and no loaners. Also consider the burden that Mini has put on the service departments at BMW dealers, verify with waiting customers to see what it's like when you drop of your car, will you get it back the same day or week? Will it be repaired correctly the first time or not?

Incendiary

You can get a 325i for under invoice through the end of June due to manufacturer-to-dealer incentives.

Did you test drive both of them? I'd let that be the deciding factor.

If you're only concerned about $ as the bottom line, then go with what everyone above said as your guide.

GL.

Dr Chill

After back and forth negotiations here in south FL, the best on a new 2004 325i is $2000 under sticker (MSRP). The BMW dealers down here sell cars even now near sticker on 2004 models. I hear, dealers ship their cars from all over the country to FL to run through the auctions because the hot market here brings higher dollars.

Incendiary

You can always buy from an out of state dealer and have them ship it. It'd be cheaper, even including the transportation costs, if you can get below invoice (as you should be able to right now).

Dr Chill

Decided on a 2004.5 C230K sedan instead for $5000 under sticker.