hutch - dont take yourself so seriously, the 300 SERIES or CLASS is not what is important :)

it isn't depressing, it is reality and these are considerations people should take time to think about :rolleyes:

more importantly -

now next time you take a moment to post something, make sure it conveys something worth reading, something informative to others or help or a question.

Don't chastize or admonish others over mundane trivial details and then end your post with disillusionment :smash:

now, if you would like to share your thoughts around the subject at hand, by all means do so! We will read it, otherwise you know what to do :y

runny snots in the c-class forums are the worst :p:

oblu -

I'm not sure if interest rates will go up Spet 18th when the Fed meets, they have gone down actually the last 2 weeks.

the devaluation of the dollar won't stop and people are going to hold onto their money this fall which will be bad for corporations and consumers since it will spread into less travel and less spending unless something drastic changes in the next month

besides, you will save thousands if you wait until Nov/Dec and the next wave of 300s wont even be here until mid Oct

having spoken to a few car dealers/salsa people it is SLOW out there - real estate is DEAD right now and many many forclosuers and lost money in contracts over real estate will continue as more banks weekly file chap 11

I am in the midst of all of this and keeping a close eye but it is suppose to get much worse is the general feeling and anyone telling you to buy hasn't lost enough to be concerned. The panic button has already been hit and the "perceived" feeling of the public is of no confidence - no confidence in consumer spending means tight wallets and lots and lots of people are losing lots of money. It isnt all bad news though, there are some stocks making great money thanks to last weeks 1/2 % cut

my prediction

I remember a few weeks ago when the DOW took a big hit everyone was spinning "its a great time to buy!" I am hearing the same thing now, cheap stocks blah blah blah I think if something doesnt change it will be a slow 4th and a slow half of next year as the housing gets worse since only 2005 2 year arms are the ones that lsot money, next year another wave will come in for those that took 3 year arms or people who took out big homeequity loans aand their houses are no longer worth what they owe thanks to devalution and they can no longer refinance because of the credit crunch

what does this mean in buying a MB c350?

well, rates should stay LOW and I would wait until after Oct because wwe will know more about the market and the projected 4th quarter spending as well as interest rates to say nothing of the fact there will be more supply for MB 300 series/class in the market so more bargains can be made :zoom:

I don’t see anything wrong with owning the demo. In fact my wife & I would have gotten the one our dealer had, same color combo we have now but with multi-media and a few extras. That car had 300 miles on the clock, and a scratch on the bumper and they weren’t willing to come off sticker for that car as it wasn’t’ the fact it was a demo, but it was their only C300 w/ 18” AMG & Multimedia/ Nav. Oddly enough the day they put the maronie back in the glass a couple marched right up and bought it 30 minutes later. Also I admit I gave the demo some pedal as well, nothing negligent or irresponsible and I would say it would suffice to assume most MB shoppers would have equally treated the car respectfully. Most newer cars, motors & drivtrains require a break-in period, but I believe the cars are broke-in from the factory to a certain degree. On a side note when I was a kid, my parents bought a “Demo” Audi 5000 CS Quattro in the late eighties, if I recall it had just over 1000 miles, we had that car in the family some 13+ years and over 170K+ miles not one drivetrain or motor related problem, as you may know of Audis of that vintage it had it’s share of window regulator issues, stuck sunroof and interior lighting twitches but overall the car was fine. I know in California dealers can sell any non-titled car, truck or vehicle as a “New” vehicle long as it has less than I believe 4000 or 3000 miles I could be off a little but it’s definitely over the 3K mile mark. I used to work for a Dodge dealer and the managers all drove their demo’s up to this magical mark and would still sell the cars near MSRP, the down side is that the Warranty period starts the day the car went in service not titled as contrary to belief. So yes it’s legal for the dealer to sell a 600 mile car as “New” and for full sticker at that, it doesn’t mean the public will buy it unless it’s an in demand product but yes it legal at least in California.

-Ryan

wow thats a lot of macroeconomics :)

i'd take on the perspective on simple supply and demand. i think the car is hot now, and will probably remain hot until the end of the year. And i think the consumer segment that is looking to purchase this car is less affected by the economic factors you outlined. I agree with you that the overall consumer confidence is not too bright; and perhaps the sub $20k or even $30k car arket will feel the burden. But for the "luxury" segment (or even "entry luxury" segment as in the case of C class), I'd venture to say that the pressure is probably less felt.

Demo Demo
 

In July 2005 i bought my 2nd MB It was a 2005 C230k SS it was the demo
Had 4000 miles on it and paid 9-10k off sticker. think it was 38,900 I paid 29,900 including tax and tag. Car now has 25k miles and has never had a single problem with it. I mean none, zero. Not even a light bulb.

I bought a 2002 in 2002 (Brand New) no miles. Was in shop a dozen time in the first year.

"Other variables:
- Dealer gave me a pretty good deal on my trade in."

No, dealer is getting back what he gave you for your trade by not discounting the demo. In Richmond, VA, the dealer is dropping $1000 on every W204 and these cars have no miles.

Buy the demo, it is almost identical to what you ordered with a few extra goodies so I think it is a perfect situation for you since you wouldn't be settling on any options.

That price however is not accetable, I agree that thousands would have to be taken off this car to make it worth buying for you. I don't think you mentioned are you buying or leasing? If leasing, who cares if it was a demo that was treated harshly, you'll give it back while it's still under warranty. If you buy it, I'm sure you'll be fine, that's what a warranty is for.

Either way, the car is not brand new and once it's not brand new it has instantly depreciated quite a bit. So my suggestion is go in ready to deal with your offer, be firm, and if they refuse leave. Simple as that, sometimes you just have to walk away.

wow, nice deals there.
we are not getting much slack here in the Southeast. i contacted most of the dealers in the Southeast. most of them selling at msrp. few at few grand over msrp. none below.

visited 3 local dealerships here; 2 only offered KBB "fair" condition pricing on the tarde in (which i believe is the normal practice regardless of how good condition the car is in), 1 offered price a bit higher than "good" condition pricing. I doubt I can make any dealer offer "excellent" on this 2001 model 98k mile car :)