sonicyouth

I've been shopping between a 3 series and a c300 and am slowly finding myself more attracted towards a c300. I found one with the following specs listed at $32,893 and was wondering how much i should/could get it down to...others experiences and what's realistic...the mileage is around 8,300 miles,it's a 2010, has the flip nav (multimedia package), sports, , p02, black , wood, heated seats....more details below. looks clean, one owner, 11 months old only...


THIS CERTIFIED ONE OWNER(NOT A RENTAL CAR OR SERVICE LOANER!!)
HAS THE PO2 PKGAMG SPORT PKG MULTIMEDIA PKG(FLIP SCREEN NAVIGATION HARMON KARDON AUDIO VOICE CONTROL) SATELLITE RADIO HEATED SEATS BI-XENON HEADLIGHTSIPOD MEDIA INTERFACE 4-WAY LUMBAR SUPPORT SPLIT FOLDING REAR SEAT AND SO MUCH MORE. INCLUDES A 100K CERTIFIED WARRANTY RWD ABS (4-Wheel) Air Conditioning AM/FM Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Cruise Control Dual Air Bags Dual Power Seats Harman Kardon Sound Heated Seats Hill Start Assist Leather Moon Roof MP3 (Multi Disc) Navigation System Power Door Locks Power Steering Power Windows Premium Pkg Premium Wheels Side Air Bags Sirius Satellite Stability Control Telescoping Wheel Traction Control -

sonicyouth

Stevedotmil

Nothing wrong with a service loaner. Especially a manual one. Nice fine decent price.

sonicyouth

..it's not a service loaner, nor is it manual.

anyone else have any thoughts on how well it's priced?

ucfbeta92

Given the miles and options, and if it were also a CPO, I think the price is reasonable. Have you compared prices for similar models in your area?

mhass350

I just went through this when I was looking.

Here a car similar to yours in Germantown, MD (located between Baltimore City & Washington DC): http://www.eurogermantownmercedes.co...aspx?id=292046
They are asking $35,580 and I do not think it has the P2 package (no power sundshade) and it has 23,000-miles, not 8,000-miles.

You can always go to www.mbusa.com and search for certified pre-owned cars nationwide or you can narrow down to your area.

To answer yourquestion, it seems like a good deal - butthats based on the Balt/Wash Metro area mark-up.

The P2 package and the MMP are nearly $10k in options alone. And you would have 40,000 miles & 2+ years (depending on in-service date) remaining on the original warranty + the 1-yr or 100,000-mile CPO extension after your original expires.

FWIW, I bought my '08 C350 last week at a local BMW dealership (got a great deal on it - they didn't know what they had) and I have a loaner 2011 BMW 328xi (4-dr) while they are taking care of the "We Owe" list and I must say I am not impressed by the 328 at all. I have to hold my coffee on my way to work because the flimsy cup holder comes out from the passenger side dash...

ucfbeta92

I've always felt that a BMW is fun to drive and packs that little bit extra punch (at least when compared to a W203), but MB has a plusher, more comfortable ride. Also, the W204s dashboard / center console has more modern amenities that come standard, such as the scroll wheel and the display (even if you have the basic one and not the roll-out COMAND) - these aren't available in most BMW 3 Series that are on the road today. You need to get the navigation option in the BMW to get any color display, otherwise you are stuck with a very dated looking dashboard.

From the exterior, I find both very attractive, although the BMW looks smaller to my eye (I understand the difference in size in very nominal). I like that they have the folding mirror option that we don't have (in the US, except MY08). But they don't have turn signals on the side-view mirrors like MBs have, which is a great touch.

sonicyouth

The details of the car are below, it has 8300 miles and he's currently asking 32,893

I haven't found another similar - I've found some 2008's with similar features, but they want around 29k, and the mileage is in the 20's or 30's....to get the same in a 2010 for few grand extra seems worth it.

i wonder how much i can negotiate him down to, my original budget was 30-31k, inclusive of taxes, etc...i think i'll be way over budget, that's my only concern.



C300W $33,600
040 Black
101 Black MB-Tex
P02 P02 Premium II Package: SIRIUS Satellite $3,700
873 : Heated Front Seats
619 : Cornering Fog Lamps
614 : Bi-Xenon Headlamps
600 : Headlamp Washing System
540 : Power Rear-Window Sunshade
536 : SIRIUS Satellite Radio
345 : Rain Sensor
287 : Split Folding Rear Seats
275 : Power Dr.Seat & Steering Col. w/ Memory
249 : Autodimming Mirrors
245 : Integrated Compass in Rearview
232 : Garage Door Opener
U22 : 4-Way Lumbar Support
R22 17" 5-Spoke Alloy Wheels
320 320 Multimedia Package: 7" Power Retract $2,650
518 : iPod/MP3 Media Interface
512 : COMAND w/Navigation and Voice Control
396 : Voice Control
049 : iPod/MP3 Media Interface Cable
333 333 Sport Sedan: Sport Body Styling, Mer
954 : Avant Garde Package (Sport)
952 : Sportline Package
772 : AMG Sportline
486 : Sport Suspension
427 427 7-Speed Automatic Transmission: (Req $1,490
427 : 7-Speed Automatic Transmission (Required
P47 : Automatic Package
731 Burl Walnut Wood Trim $320
917 PZEV-Emission, USA

SUBTOTAL $41,760
DESTINATION & DELIVERY $875
TOTAL $42,635

sonicyouth

another thing i don't get is - if the original msrp was $42k, and the car is under a year old, with 8,000 miles - it's dropped nearly $10k?

the carfax shows it's been driven for 11 months - that's almost a $1k a month price depreciation - is this normal? who'd want to buy a new one of these if they drop THAT much?

i also wonder what the resale value would be in a year, two years, three years..etc

mhass350

Are you trading a car in? I ask because in MD you don't pay taxes on the value of your trade-in. For example, you buy the car for $30k and you trade in is valued at $10k. You would only pay the taxes equal to $20k. It's a sweet deal.

Back to your case, I think based on the local finds/availability and what I saw here in MD its a great deal.

Go to your dealer and speak the truth with them. The 2012s are rolling out now and they need to clear lots. There is probably another $1,500-2,000 in wiggle room and if its a good dealership they will work with you in order to earn your business.

If it were me and we were in MD I would counter offer with $30,000. This would put me at a loan of roughly $32,500 after the tax and fees. I would tell the sales rep, that I am ready to sign and drive but you need to be as close to $600/month but that you could live with $613 - that's a few less beers a month.

Again, just what I would do if I was shopping for this particular car and going for 100% financing with no money out of pocket. Obviously I am making some assumptions.

For giggles, here are some numbers using 100% financing with an average credit score for 5-years:

$30,000 @ 5% for 60-months = $566/m
$32,500 @ 5% for 60-months = $613/m
$35,000 @ 5% for 60-months = $660/m

So, roughly $47 every $2500. Just helps to put things in perspective.

mhass350

I had to get out of my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and back to a C-class because my wife lost her job.

My Jeep's MSRP was $42,540+taxes & tags. I paid $39,500 in November with 32-miles on the odometer. CarMax was offering $31k, the BMW dealership I got my C350 from gave me $34,700 + I paid no taxes since my C350 was less expensive. The BMW dealership currently has my Jeep listed for sale at $36,900.

FWIW, I sold my 2005 C230k Sport Sedan for $18,000 privately in November 2010 (I sold it to get the Jeep). It had 52,000-miles and good options, MSRP in '05 was low $40's.

mhass350

Agreed. The radio & display is very antiquated. The engine has pep but not like my C350, seems about the same as my 2005 C230k was. I also don't like that I can't put my mph in the dashboard display screen. And, I'm not a fan of the orange-red.

It is a nice looking car though from the exterior.

dcjwlee

Your car is equipped almost exactly as mine is except for the wood trim (I chose aluminum), exterior color, and lack of a panoramic roof.

All I can say is that sounds like a damned good deal, considering what I paid lol.

@MHass350, hell if I lost my job I'd be damned happy to get into a C350 lol. I'd probably be driving a Geo Metro Those '11 Jeep GC's are nice.

In fact, the new Pentastar V6 has finally found its way into the new 2012 WRANGLER as well as a new transmission. Might be worth trading in my C for....

sonicyouth

Thanks for the tip - I just checked and in Cali (where they tax everything - am waiting for a fart tax), you have to pay tax on the entire sales price, regardless of trade in.

I'm stuck to 30k because I'm going through capital one and have a check in hand, with a good rate and I've finance through them before and was overall pleased. They approved me for 30k. I believe the payment is actually lower 500's or higher 400's - have a much lower apr than 5%, can't remember exactly what, but it was pretty competitive.

sonicyouth

what did you pay and what year/mileage was it?

ucfbeta92

Ahh yes, I was mainly comparing it to my '07 C230 and my '09 C300.

The 328i won't really compare to C350. The C350 would be more in step with the 335i.

sonicyouth

and i have a 2000 honda civic that's probably worth anywhere between 2500-4000 that i could trade in but here's why i'm not

1) trade in, i'd get nothing for it, would rather sell it myself
2) since it's paid off, runs well, in the event that i ever run into financial woes, i have a back up car and can get rid of the c300 ...i think it's more important to have a back up plan than a lower monthly payment...

i'm also not planning on putting anything down, just financing it all...

ucfbeta92

The initial price drop is always steep, then it depreciates at a slow but steady rate until you hit the 100k mile mark. Past the 130k mark, it won't be worth much at all.

sonicyouth

this is a completely bizarre observation - more in regards to using these types of forums..i haven't used on in quite some time, and realized that forums have become antiquated, need some 'Facebook' type interactivity where you can tag users in posts, friend/follow...maybe you can, and i just haven't paid attention..just ramblings on my part, let's resume regularly schedule discussions...

i think i'm gonna go talk/negotiate this car - i'm done with spending endless hours researching, thinking, debating...wish me luck!

mhass350

Oh, I am not complaining, I am very fortunate. I was merely saying that I experienced a 25% drop, more if I would have sold to CarMax, within 8-months. So for a $42K car to drop to $33k in a year is right on target.

I know with my bank they have a $2,000 +/- grace for what I am approved for or have a check for. Just a thought.

Like I said, I made some assumptions for an example. If you have the credit you can get a good rate right now; mine was much better than 5% as well.

Again, I was just looking for ways to help. No need to sell me on why you are keeping a car. I think its a smart move. Hell, you could always sell you car privately and then apply the cash to your loan and re-finance, maybe at an even lower rate.

Don't worry we all use these forums when looking for that extra push to pull the trigger. Buying a car is a big decision and you want to have all the facts. No problem with asking others for advice or opinions but in the end it's your decision.

Good luck, be firm and have a plan. Hopefully in a few days we will see you around the forums in your 2010 C300...

ayojin

I think that's a pretty good deal much better then mine! I purchased one almost a month ago for about that price however I didn't have any packages. I got a CPO 10 C300 with no packages only heated seat, burlwood, sirius, 4Matic. It was a loaner as well...I thought I did okay until I read this thread . Hopefully someone can tell me I didn't get completely ripped off.

Would have much rather have all those options!! But oh well still a great car. Best of luck!

sonicyouth

i'll let you know when i actually go out there and see the car. i had a similar experience where i found a 3 series (i was going to buy a bmw) and it was a 2008, had like 30k miles, but had all the options i wanted. the website claimed it was a CPO car, the dealer on the phone claimed the same. the price was about 2-3k cheaper than others, and i went in and drove it...drove like a charm and was ready to leave that day with a car

as we were about to sit down and start negotiating, they tell me it isn't a cpo, and that was an error. that really annoyed me - was a deal breaker, and i almost felt deceived, so i left....

i hope this isn't the case with this car, there isn't some huge unknown or false advertising.

sonicyouth

thanks - appreciate it. it's funny, the other day, my mom, god bless her, hears that i'm looking for a car. so she tells me that 'so and so's son has a mercedes, and so and sos daughter has a bmw' why don't you ask them .....

between review websites, youtube, and forums such as this, i think times have changed! don't have to go looking for people you know that have the car you want, the internets (thanks al gore) changed all that ;-)

Open-Road

Maybe sour grapes for me, but I felt a bit of the same here. Something with the OP's find sounds a little too good.