C-Class (W204) 2008 - 2014: C180K, C200K, C230, C280, C300, C350, C200CDI, C220CDI, C320CDI

Really Bad Timing on Buying

Old 09-11-2008, 01:28 PM
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Really Bad Timing on Buying

YES, I like my car but to see how much many of us lost on buying this car 5+ months ago is sickening. The car was new, hot, and supposed to be in great demand so dealing was not that easy. I guess the dealers and us buyers were both wrong as plenty of 2008's are left over and in many combination's to suite any want.

The great deals being posted seem confirmed by this post as well.
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/258733-local-mb-dealer-offering-20-000-off-sticker-cl550-other-sales.html

$4-7k off and "much cheaper financing". Yes I am a little irritated as that is a big difference from just a few months back even! Depreciation is bad enough let alone factoring in all the money being lost on MSRP now.
Old 09-11-2008, 02:07 PM
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2009 C300 Sport 6MT
Enjoy your car! Don't look back. There is no point doing so. Money comes and goes. You did your best when you bought it.

What really matters is that you liked the car and bought it and is enjoying it, more importantly sooner than many people - priceless.
Old 09-11-2008, 02:35 PM
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C300 Sport
My motto in life - "No Regrets". I paid MSRP for the car, got it in 1 month and have been having fun with it ever since. Of course if I had waited for a good deal, I would have probably been in an accident because of driving distracted ogling at a C!!
Old 09-11-2008, 03:26 PM
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05-350slk and 08-c350
Originally Posted by racetested
YES, I like my car but to see how much many of us lost on buying this car 5+ months ago is sickening. The car was new, hot, and supposed to be in great demand so dealing was not that easy. I guess the dealers and us buyers were both wrong as plenty of 2008's are left over and in many combination's to suite any want.

The great deals being posted seem confirmed by this post as well.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=258733

$4-7k off and "much cheaper financing". Yes I am a little irritated as that is a big difference from just a few months back even! Depreciation is bad enough let alone factoring in all the money being lost on MSRP now.
enjoy of what you have and are abled to afford. Just think about those that are not able to buy even the price has lower. Enjoy it, friend.
Old 09-11-2008, 03:57 PM
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2003 CL55 AMG
You like your car so enjoy it. There's that saying... "good things to happen to those who wait...."

Remember the iPhone? $600 when first released but couple of months later price went down by couple of hundred $$'s.
Old 09-11-2008, 05:04 PM
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'14 GLK250 Diesel
We got ours off the first shipment to the Pacific NW, over 13 months ago. MSRP was the rule. I wanted the car then because we were about to embark on a huge road trip [over 5k miles all over the West].

10k miles later, I have absolutely no regrets about the car, the decision, or the price.

My rule of thumb is 25% depreciation in the first year [from MSRP], and 10% more for each year to year four....figure about 50% at the end of 4 years. Nothing I have seen for this car changes that approximation for me.
Old 09-11-2008, 05:52 PM
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X3 and 2012 C coming soon
I got mine for a few hundred over invoice. No regrets here.
Old 09-11-2008, 08:28 PM
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2008 Black Out C350 Saks Edition / 87 VW GTI
Don't feel bad, I got my for 42K back on October, Then I order a C63 and the dealer offer me 30K as a trade in.
Its allways a bad time buying a car.
Old 09-11-2008, 08:54 PM
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2000 CLK430 Cab - sold; 2009 C350 White with Mocha P2,MM,18" AMG,Pano roof
I agree with everyone here - no need to feel bad. The current prices have everything to do with the current economy and little to do with the choice of car. I was offered $3K off a BMW 335i 3 weeks ago - a car they rarely discount in my area. But I like the C350 better. I ordered a 2009 C350 that was in transit. And I chose a 2009 over a similar 2008 just because I wanted a 2009 and the seat memories - I'm paying nearly $4K more for the 2009 and those seat memories! It's only money.

Last edited by SDGuy; 09-11-2008 at 09:00 PM.
Old 09-11-2008, 10:21 PM
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2008 R350 & 2008 C300
Lol...lets rub it in...I was at my dealership this past weekend...nine left over C300's...all $10k off M.S.R.P. they weren't odd optioned cars either, all were 4matic P1 cars and a few had MM. The price on the 2009 models went up $1k over what the 2008 M.S.R.P. was on top of the $700 and change it went up at the first of the year in 2008. So I figure those of us that bought shortly after the launch saved close to $2k, plus what ever deal you made, so I don't feel too bad. When I go to trade this car in is when I'll be shedding tears, resale is rated far below average according to Kelly Blue Book and with all these left over cars selling for far below M.S.R.P. it isn't going to get better.
Old 09-11-2008, 10:54 PM
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2011 BMW 335xi titanium silver.
I got the iPhone a few months after release, paid for a stealth sim first, then later for a software unlock. Probably spent over 700 in total. Who knows, for the holidays, it could be 199 with a plan. Still enjoy the phone despite the cost.


Enjoy your ride, I am still waiting for mine with little discount.
Old 09-11-2008, 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by SDGuy
I agree with everyone here - no need to feel bad. The current prices have everything to do with the current economy and little to do with the choice of car. I was offered $3K off a BMW 335i 3 weeks ago - a car they rarely discount in my area. But I like the C350 better. I ordered a 2009 C350 that was in transit. And I chose a 2009 over a similar 2008 just because I wanted a 2009 and the seat memories - I'm paying nearly $4K more for the 2009 and those seat memories! It's only money.
What discount did you get off sticker for your 2009 car?
Old 09-11-2008, 11:24 PM
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2000 CLK430 Cab - sold; 2009 C350 White with Mocha P2,MM,18" AMG,Pano roof
nyca,
I had offers that varied from 500 under invoice to 200 over invoice, but picked the 200 over invoice offer since the car had everything I wanted and didn't have the worthless teleaid. It should be at the dealer next week.
Old 09-11-2008, 11:38 PM
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'08 C 300 Sport, '01 SL 500 & '08 Nissan Frontier SE Crew Cab 4WD
Got mine the 1st month the car came out, paid full sticker not a penny more not a penny less. The gratification of being the first with this car when it first came out and driving it the last 13 months = priceless As others have said money comes and goes, over the course of a life time you will break even. I would wager some people that get $10- Off sticker might have loss $100K on their home in this economy if they bought within the last 2-3 years?? Some people may have lost $10K on their C-Class Mercedes but may have bought a home 10 years ago and made $100-$200K profit. Why worry each day what somebody else got versus yourself.

-Ryan
Old 09-12-2008, 12:21 AM
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1959 220S / 1979 230 G / 2002 A210 AMG / 2003 C320 SC / 2004.5 C320 SS / 2005 ML350 SE / 2008 smart
Originally Posted by racetested
YES, I like my car but to see how much many of us lost on buying this car 5+ months ago is sickening. The car was new, hot, and supposed to be in great demand so dealing was not that easy. I guess the dealers and us buyers were both wrong as plenty of 2008's are left over and in many combination's to suite any want.

The great deals being posted seem confirmed by this post as well.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=258733

$4-7k off and "much cheaper financing". Yes I am a little irritated as that is a big difference from just a few months back even! Depreciation is bad enough let alone factoring in all the money being lost on MSRP now.
LOL

this happens EVERY single year !!!

Old 09-12-2008, 01:26 AM
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C-300, XC70, Wrangler
Look at it this way: You just now bought a brand new, but left-over, 2008 C class. You paid a bunch for it. Now you take it out and it gets totaled.

Assuming you had insurance, you now have the quaint experience of getting either the cash value of your car, or purchasing a replacement. Both of these are at market value for a used 2008. Retail value.

Maybe you got a great deal, $4K off on the car. But the used value might be much less. Do you still have a great deal?

The only time I ever made any money on getting rid of a car was when an older car was totaled, after having been stolen. I got current retail value for a used car of the same age. Mileage really didn't matter, just age.

I'm thinking you're still having to "pay" depreciation, even if you did get a "great' deal. Then, after a few years it all balances out anyway.
Old 09-12-2008, 08:50 AM
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My mistake for posting as comments are rarely taken the same way as a personal conversation. I have no regrets, am not losing sleep, yada, yada, yada.

I have bought plenty of new cars over the years and am fully aware of depreciation but this car is the first one to drop $4-7k maybe more off MSRP and have bad depreciation combined. That's it nothing more. Just looks like I'll keep this car more than the usual 3 years to justify the extra loss.
Old 09-12-2008, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by SDGuy
nyca,
I had offers that varied from 500 under invoice to 200 over invoice, but picked the 200 over invoice offer since the car had everything I wanted and didn't have the worthless teleaid. It should be at the dealer next week.
That is a good price on a 2009. I'm getting close on my own purchase (Long Island), a dealer here has two in stock cars I am interested in, I don't think I will do as well as you did.
Old 09-12-2008, 09:04 AM
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Lexus IS 350 F Sport
dude i used to think the same way since i got my c this same time last year in sept/oct but now i dont worry about it and simply enjoy the ride
Old 09-13-2008, 12:20 AM
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Originally Posted by hmc
Enjoy your car! Don't look back. There is no point doing so. Money comes and goes. You did your best when you bought it.

What really matters is that you liked the car and bought it and is enjoying it, more importantly sooner than many people - priceless.
That's the ticket!
Old 09-13-2008, 07:42 PM
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late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Enjoy! - we all love our cars & yet time and time again we all know they suck as "investments"
Old 09-13-2008, 08:09 PM
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14' CLS550
No matter what the dealer always ends up on top!! we all know its a bad investment it loses value, and if $$ was that big of an issue we wouldnt be driving a mercedes.. i love my car
Old 09-13-2008, 09:29 PM
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C350 4Matic
Classic buys remorse, but you do it to your self. You cant live in the past man, and you cant see the future, so forget about it and drive.
One more thing, dont believe everything you read. People love to make up *****. Something about people, they love to tell everyone what kind of deal they got, even if its BS. They seem to want everyone to think they are so smart and diligent. ( BS ) I would say lets see the bill of saleor shut up!!
No thats a bad idea cus the odd guy who got what he says he got will still make you feel like crap.

Something about me.... I pay for what I can afford and never look back becouse things will always get cheaper in time anyway, but I want it now not in time.
Old 09-14-2008, 07:34 AM
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late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Originally Posted by 451/443=EW
Something about me.... I pay for what I can afford and never look back becouse things will always get cheaper in time anyway, but I want it now not in time.
Oh so true - Try being an early adopter in the consumer electronics game like me!!!

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