oaybar007

Hi Everyone,

I'm trying to decide if I should trade my 2011 base C300 4matic up to a 2012 C300 4Matic fully loaded. P1, Nav, AMG wheels, etc.

I bought my 2011 in March for a great deal. 24k. The car was a former corporate/business lease car with 16k mileage. I did all the research, called MB and the service was pre paid and up to date. MB warranty still applies until 2/2015, and I have the option to buy extended until then. So not bad at all. A pretty solid car. Since then I've had it serviced and all recalls done, and detailed the car so much that the car looks brand new.

I was new to MB, coming from an Audi which I still own that is now over 10 years old, and I really didn't value all the extras at the time. I've never had a car with navigation and all the technology MB has available and didn't think I would care. I did, however, become accustomed to driving a car that was a sport model with 18" wheels, spoilers, stiffer suspension, 6spd all wheel drive, turbo, 3 spoke thick steering wheel..and that stuff mattered to me. I just couldn't find anything that fit my budget.

I needed a car rather quickly and the c300 was a nice departure with a comfortable ride, decent engine and pretty docile road manners. So I bought it and I have been pretty happy. What I am trying to decide now is if this particular year is worth keeping long term. I only have 21k mileage on it now and it's dawning on me that while the car is mechanically young, the amenities in it may not fit my needs 4-5 years down the line. The small Audio 20 screen and lack of basic options otherwise in my car like the folding rear seats seem like they will get old. Also, the other updates to the interior and exterior make the car feel a bit fresher which may be nice looking back at in 5 years. AMG wheels also complete the look I am accustomed to.

I found a face lifted 2012 car that has 15k miles on it and also checks out. MB Warranty until 11/2015, P1, Command, 18" AMG wheels. It's a Carmax car and I have the option to buy their MaxCare warranty at a great price as well. Apparently it's a universal warranty that you can use at MB as well, pending a deductible payment. I didn't catch that on my current purchase from Carmax. Price on this car is 28.8k. I have offers on my Audi and current car (no negative equity on the MB ) from Carmax buyers that will allow me to get into the new car with zero funds out of pocket for a down payment. The trades will give me a nice down payment. I'll just have a slightly larger car payment if I purchase the extended warranty. In Maryland you also get a credit towards taxes/tags equal to 6% of your trade in value so that takes another chunk off. So I'm in a spot where I still have some value in my current car.

I'm trying to decide if it's a good move to trade up to a newer car or keep my current car and buy an extended warranty from a Mercedes-Benz dealer. I like the c300 and feel that with the updated look that I would be happy with it for a while. The only part I dislike is the headlights. I'm really not sure why MB would go backwards from Projector to Bucket halogens but it's not that huge a deal to me.Either way I would be happy I guess, but I'm just trying to get some advice.

What do you guys think, trade up or just stay put?

Current car:


What I'm considering. I think it's Magnetite Black by the way.


The old daily driven 10 year old Audi:

Trancebolt

Hello there,

I am a longtime mercedes driver, and have had two newer C classes as well. I can tell you one thing for sure, people FAR overexagerrate the cost of repairing these vehicles. My dads also worked for/sold mercedes for 15+ years, and was a maybach relation manager.

First of all, these C classes we have, pre 2015, all have a very small depreciation and a VERY cheap 5th year of service cost.... lowest of the first 5 years of ownership. I get 21mpg average driving spiritedly.. (last time i reset gauge was 6k miles ago, and before that was around 20k, always averaging 21++)

My 2010 owned luxury c300 rwd is at 72000, and its paid off too;

The best thing about these cars is that once something needs 'repair', its often negatively looked at as a 'waste'. Truth be told, most of these parts wont ever break and the ones that do will last equally as long as they did the first time. As in, another 5-? years.

Cost of a new car is a minimum of 350 a month lease (depending on what you do, but for the sake of arguement) and consider no down payment, youll be paying a bare minimum of 3000$ a year rounding down alot...

Will your C ever cost you more than 3000 a year on maintenance consecutively? No. I have yet to spend that much on maintenance overall total after the 50k warranty. at one time there was close to 2500 about a year and a half ago, and thats all since i bought it. I hear alot of people pissed about the key ignition breaking, or cars not starting..... Be gentle with your keys !!!! hang nothing on them, turn through each phase slowly and dont jam the key from 3>1 position and throw your car into drive.... Be nice to it =D

New C's have been re-modelled and sculpted so many times the original flavor is gone. My personal favorite ones are the closer to 08. Circular LEDs and what not.

The only time I would consider upgrading your C for a new one, is if theres a serious cosmetic issue you have with waking up every day to it.

I like shutting my console flap nad having an old school, clean interior look; The new C's you cant shut that flpa, they built in the E class dash...

For me, the reasons to switch are inversely catalystic to my choices than yours'.

So, for mechanical/cashflow/longevity reasons, yuou should sincerely stay and enjoy the long LOOOONG ride if you care for your baby right! (going in for motor mounts, creaks, lugs and what ever maintenance soon... just for a few rattles nad what not)

ORRRR if you need the new facelifts or something they did, and can part with the GUARANTEED 350+ a month, AND THEN STILLLLLL facing the same types of repairs post-50k warranty as well..

catch 22 in my opinion.

Own it till its literally EOL, and trade inf or a new purchase.

IMO the 15s are HIDEOUS!!!! but a bluetec hybrid sounds amazing.... Or a c63 coupe =D

Otherwise, youve got the mother of mercedes'. people downplay it since its smaller, no. they spent more years of research on this car of ANY model to date.... (recently the E class passed it but still) Its the body the E coupe was designed off (our C coupes) and more and more..... Why pay 30000 more for a 350 than a c350 ( i drive a 300) juts for the super plush interior redesign? Damn near same engine, and ours are lighter.

Ive been tempted to switch to a bluetec e350 2011 but im not fighting the urge. my c300 is a wonder the own. (for my benz models driven, see profile)

victort

I say keep it. I don't see the point in wasting thousands for the same car with more options. If you wanna upgrade or update, then go for something else, like an E class

spyked

The ONLY reason to move from 2011 to 2012 is the more MB-appropriate interior and maybe the better multimedia options you want. And those are all important reasons to upgrade.

But, remember that the 2012 is the same engine as the 2011 (assuming C300) - the updated engine in C300 didn't arrive until 2013.

None of the W204 issues like 4MATIC transfer case failures, EIS/ESL, and broken door handles are solved by upgrading to 2012. The only potential reliability issue you are resolving is rear tails melting, but sounds like you got the recall completing so that's not even an issue for you.

A mantra of mine, especially in cars, is "better the devil you know." That applies especially to used cars. UNLESS you must have the updated interior, in which case, go get the upgraded car already and don't look back!

oaybar007

Thanks for the input. The updated technology and fresher appearance is my main reason for wanting to upgrade.

I agree that the w204 does have its gremlins but I think overall it is more reliable than many other cars out there. I drive 6-9k miles annually so the wear and tear on the car will not be severe. I also take great care of my cars.

Financially, my logic for upgrading is to finally sell my Audi without the time consuming private party experience, upgrade to a better optioned car, and purchase an extended warranty as part of the contract all in one fell swoop. I think this car fits the bill so far.

I have looked at a few e class cars and continue to look at other makes, truth be told, the value proposition and overall experience of the w204 still beats so many others.

victort

if you just wanna get rid of the Audi, sell it to Carmax. They've been fair in my experience. You can always save that money for later on when you find a car you really like

oaybar007

I am considering that. I agree, they are very easy to work with and are very candid in explaining how they get a value.

The extended warranty is another reason I am considering an upgrade.

I inquired with MB about purchasing an extended warranty on my current car and the cost is higher than the MaxCare warranty, and the length of the service agreement is not as long.

A third party warranty retailed through MB was 3k minimum any way you slice it, at shorter terms vs MaxCare. If I get into a new car the cost of the extended warranty is far less, and I have the remainder of the balance of the MB Manufacturers warranty for over a year. The car will be covered under a warranty even after I pay off the loan.

I'm thinking yes, I will go into a bit more debt, but I will have nothing out of pocket in terms of cash, get rid of my other car, and end up with a car more suited to my preferences with a warranty for my entire envisioned length of ownership. If I keep my current car, I am out about 3.5-4k for an equal length warranty up front.

I could sell my Audi to Carmax to recoup that cost, but is it worth that money up front for a warranty on a car with no options?

I don't have anything in this car. It's the most basic configuration of a c300 4Matic you can get. That's my thinking, in 3-4 years is it going to really annoy me that I have no extras. As far as resale goes, I think those things will matter more as the w205s become the norm and these go by the wayside. A well maintained car with options may retain value much better than what I have now. When it comes time to trade up or out, that may really make a difference.

That said I am really considering this on preference. I hate having to plug in the Aux cable and juggle my phone to listen to my music, and having to use my phone or gps separately for navigation. I didn't think I would care as much but it's an annoyance as technology has made these things important in a car. I had a dealer loaner fully loaded and it was amazing to be able to right away navigate to an appointment and have my iPhone hooked up with my music playlist available through the dash. I did inquire about Nav+4 on my car but that was roughly $1700 to upgrade and you still are stuck with that 5" screen. Exterior-wise, I love the AMG wheels and appearance of the facelift minus those headlights reverting to bucket halogens, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Doing the math, finding those wheels resale in good shape is $900-$1300, retrofit UMI Nav+4 is $1700-the car would be better suited but with a few thousand more out the door. The newer steering wheels also feel so well executed compared to my luxury wheel. So really what it boils down to is that I should have done better the first time around on picking a car, but just wasn't as knowledgeable about the car, and what I would value long-term. Dough!

Airmousam

I think if youre going to upgrade it needs to be a 2013. Take an E for a spin too. Good luck!

victort

Sounds like you already made up your mind

abqhudson

My 2 cents:
Step up to the 2013 c300 and get the 3.5 liter motor.

oaybar007

I am going to take the advice given and probably hold off on this car. I completely agree that if staying in the c300 range, that the 2013+ models are the way to go with the more powerful motor. This particular car is optioned so well but probably just not a wise investment. Apparently there are 2013 c300 4matics to be found in the same price range.

I'll probably keep an eye out for any cars that match my price range but this may be an opportunity to just stay in the c300, buy the extended through MB, keep my Audi for fun, and plan for another car a few years down the road.

JaredP

good choice. The 2012 is a huge step up from the 2011 in interior, It's miles ahead in aesthetics with the speedometer screen and actually attractive center stack. But get the 2013 for the newer and more powerful engine which is more efficient and includes start/stop.

I would recommend the premium package, lighting package, and Media Interface.

I didn't get Keyless GO, but it would probably be worth it.

I don't have navigation, but it would probably be worth it, but will also drive up the price more than any other option. There are several retrofits for the non-nav screen to get navigation. The car may come with a becker map pilot prewire, which just requires a $200 module to add navigation. Alternatively you can use an iPhone and get a media interface plus to add Nav. There are also rumors of Apple CarPlay integration coming to our cars by the end of this year.

Parking assist is OKAY, but not worth $1000. The sensors in the front and back are useful, but the actual assist is pretty useless. It's not active, as in it doesn't spin the wheel for you, it just gives you an on screen indication of how much to turn your wheel.

tekfoc

get the 12 C300
the tranny is the updated version t0 the 13-14
the updated 3.5 is nice on power but remember it's direct injection and its noisy .
who to know the cost down the road for carbon cleaning.
I'll probably find out in my 45AMG down the line.
The 3.0 is a sweet motor easy to work on easy to get parts and a lot cheaper.
mileage is ok just have to keep the lead foot off the pedal. lol