New to the MB world, looking to purchase a 2012 c250-c300
06-23-2015, 06:16 PM
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2012 c250/300
New to the MB world, looking to purchase a 2012 c250-c300
Hey guys,
So my name's Sebastian, i am new here to the forum. I recently lost my big turbo MazdaSpeed 3 to a fire. This was my 2nd Speed3. I am now going into a luxury route. I've been looking to get either a 2012 c250 or c300. I have seen some good deals on some. Mostly all below 30k miles for under 23k. I just wanted to introduce my self and also wanted to know what are your guys tip and advice when looking into buying a used c250 or c300. Performance for me is not mi priority, i am going more for looks this time. I would love to get a c300 4matic but if I don't find any good deals I'll be very happy with a c250. I am obviously going with the sports edition. I would appreciate any tips and advice from you guys.
So my name's Sebastian, i am new here to the forum. I recently lost my big turbo MazdaSpeed 3 to a fire. This was my 2nd Speed3. I am now going into a luxury route. I've been looking to get either a 2012 c250 or c300. I have seen some good deals on some. Mostly all below 30k miles for under 23k. I just wanted to introduce my self and also wanted to know what are your guys tip and advice when looking into buying a used c250 or c300. Performance for me is not mi priority, i am going more for looks this time. I would love to get a c300 4matic but if I don't find any good deals I'll be very happy with a c250. I am obviously going with the sports edition. I would appreciate any tips and advice from you guys.
06-24-2015, 01:14 AM
#2
Welcome Sebastian! Sorry about the fire, but great choice IMO, I still love my MB after owning one for several years. I personally chose the safe route when buying my C350 4MATIC, as I wanted a certified model from an MB dealership. There's no shortage of vehicles out there, so the #1 thing I can tell you is buy from whomever you feel the most at ease with and whoever offers the best warranty. Mine was almost new, so I'm probably not the best person to advise you on what to look out for. The condition of the body was very important for me, so I had them remove a couple of minor dents as part of the agreed upon price of the vehicle, which they accepted to do. Just my opinion here, with my very limited exposure to the C250, but it seems a little under-powered for the size of the car, as I've had one a couple of times as a courtesy car during routine maintenance, and they were brand new models. I'm not a speed demon by the way, but driving the C250 made me think that over time the engine will struggle to power the vehicle. The C300 feels just right, and my C350 feels like a bomb. I'm a former Jeep Wrangler owner, so I'm sure not everyone is blown away by the C350's performance like I am 
As for the 4MATIC, it was an absolute must for me, since our winters here in Canada can be brutal. I couldn't imagine driving through several inches of snow in a RWD vehicle. The 4MATIC absolutely blew away both my Wranglers with its handling in the snow. I don't know if the type of winter you endure is the only thing to consider when deciding whether the 4MATIC is for you, so maybe someone else can help answer that.
As for the 4MATIC, it was an absolute must for me, since our winters here in Canada can be brutal. I couldn't imagine driving through several inches of snow in a RWD vehicle. The 4MATIC absolutely blew away both my Wranglers with its handling in the snow. I don't know if the type of winter you endure is the only thing to consider when deciding whether the 4MATIC is for you, so maybe someone else can help answer that.
06-24-2015, 03:20 AM
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2012 c250/300
Welcome Sebastian! Sorry about the fire, but great choice IMO, I still love my MB after owning one for several years. I personally chose the safe route when buying my C350 4MATIC, as I wanted a certified model from an MB dealership. There's no shortage of vehicles out there, so the #1 thing I can tell you is buy from whomever you feel the most at ease with and whoever offers the best warranty. Mine was almost new, so I'm probably not the best person to advise you on what to look out for. The condition of the body was very important for me, so I had them remove a couple of minor dents as part of the agreed upon price of the vehicle, which they accepted to do. Just my opinion here, with my very limited exposure to the C250, but it seems a little under-powered for the size of the car, as I've had one a couple of times as a courtesy car during routine maintenance, and they were brand new models. I'm not a speed demon by the way, but driving the C250 made me think that over time the engine will struggle to power the vehicle. The C300 feels just right, and my C350 feels like a bomb. I'm a former Jeep Wrangler owner, so I'm sure not everyone is blown away by the C350's performance like I am
As for the 4MATIC, it was an absolute must for me, since our winters here in Canada can be brutal. I couldn't imagine driving through several inches of snow in a RWD vehicle. The 4MATIC absolutely blew away both my Wranglers with its handling in the snow. I don't know if the type of winter you endure is the only thing to consider when deciding whether the 4MATIC is for you, so maybe someone else can help answer that.
As for the 4MATIC, it was an absolute must for me, since our winters here in Canada can be brutal. I couldn't imagine driving through several inches of snow in a RWD vehicle. The 4MATIC absolutely blew away both my Wranglers with its handling in the snow. I don't know if the type of winter you endure is the only thing to consider when deciding whether the 4MATIC is for you, so maybe someone else can help answer that.
06-24-2015, 02:27 PM
#5
Senior Member
Two great cars.
I live in Georgia and have a C250 RWD. I've driven both, and the C300 is not much faster at all, and especially not faster feeling. In fact, I think the C250 is much more fun to drive than the C300.
For more of a performance feel, you're going to need to step up to a C350, which will cost you probably another $5-8k or so.
I would just test drive both and see which feel you like better. And for the record, the RWD C250 will do just fine in bad weather. Since you're in Florida you definitely do not need AWD unless you prefer the driving feel of AWD. I prefer RWD.
That being said, bad weather performance is usually chalked up tire selection and driver skill. The stock Continentals on the C250 leave something to be desired for wet traction and road feel, but better tires make a big difference.
Beyond that make sure it passes inspection and go with your gut!
I live in Georgia and have a C250 RWD. I've driven both, and the C300 is not much faster at all, and especially not faster feeling. In fact, I think the C250 is much more fun to drive than the C300.
For more of a performance feel, you're going to need to step up to a C350, which will cost you probably another $5-8k or so.
I would just test drive both and see which feel you like better. And for the record, the RWD C250 will do just fine in bad weather. Since you're in Florida you definitely do not need AWD unless you prefer the driving feel of AWD. I prefer RWD.
That being said, bad weather performance is usually chalked up tire selection and driver skill. The stock Continentals on the C250 leave something to be desired for wet traction and road feel, but better tires make a big difference.
Beyond that make sure it passes inspection and go with your gut!
06-24-2015, 05:41 PM
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2012 c250/300
Two great cars.
I live in Georgia and have a C250 RWD. I've driven both, and the C300 is not much faster at all, and especially not faster feeling. In fact, I think the C250 is much more fun to drive than the C300.
For more of a performance feel, you're going to need to step up to a C350, which will cost you probably another $5-8k or so.
I would just test drive both and see which feel you like better. And for the record, the RWD C250 will do just fine in bad weather. Since you're in Florida you definitely do not need AWD unless you prefer the driving feel of AWD. I prefer RWD.
That being said, bad weather performance is usually chalked up tire selection and driver skill. The stock Continentals on the C250 leave something to be desired for wet traction and road feel, but better tires make a big difference.
Beyond that make sure it passes inspection and go with your gut!
I live in Georgia and have a C250 RWD. I've driven both, and the C300 is not much faster at all, and especially not faster feeling. In fact, I think the C250 is much more fun to drive than the C300.
For more of a performance feel, you're going to need to step up to a C350, which will cost you probably another $5-8k or so.
I would just test drive both and see which feel you like better. And for the record, the RWD C250 will do just fine in bad weather. Since you're in Florida you definitely do not need AWD unless you prefer the driving feel of AWD. I prefer RWD.
That being said, bad weather performance is usually chalked up tire selection and driver skill. The stock Continentals on the C250 leave something to be desired for wet traction and road feel, but better tires make a big difference.
Beyond that make sure it passes inspection and go with your gut!
06-25-2015, 12:26 AM
#7
MBWorld Fanatic!
if you plan on lowering it don't get a 4matic it will cost you 3000$ lol I'm happy with my 2012 c300 4 matic wish I got the c350 4 matic for that extra kick but i live in canada where the winters are awful so i need the awd. A lot of people say stay away from the 4matic if you can as there are more issues but i've noticed its 2008-2011 haven't seen many 2012+ but will see i guess.
1. make sure its a clean title
2. hopefully with service records
3. buy pre paid maintenance
4. make sure it has the HK stereo as the audio 20 is ok but the Hk is way better
5. the rest doesn't matter lol
good luck in making a decision
1. make sure its a clean title
2. hopefully with service records
3. buy pre paid maintenance
4. make sure it has the HK stereo as the audio 20 is ok but the Hk is way better
5. the rest doesn't matter lol
good luck in making a decision
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06-25-2015, 03:16 AM
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2012 c250/300
if you plan on lowering it don't get a 4matic it will cost you 3000$ lol I'm happy with my 2012 c300 4 matic wish I got the c350 4 matic for that extra kick but i live in canada where the winters are awful so i need the awd. A lot of people say stay away from the 4matic if you can as there are more issues but i've noticed its 2008-2011 haven't seen many 2012+ but will see i guess.
1. make sure its a clean title
2. hopefully with service records
3. buy pre paid maintenance
4. make sure it has the HK stereo as the audio 20 is ok but the Hk is way better
5. the rest doesn't matter lol
good luck in making a decision
1. make sure its a clean title
2. hopefully with service records
3. buy pre paid maintenance
4. make sure it has the HK stereo as the audio 20 is ok but the Hk is way better
5. the rest doesn't matter lol
good luck in making a decision
06-25-2015, 11:27 AM
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2010 C300, 2013 C63 AMG
If I remember correctly, lowering my 08 cost less than $500. But off to the other details.
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven
, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.
2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven
, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
Last edited by ilumunus; 06-25-2015 at 11:58 AM.
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06-25-2015, 03:45 PM
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
If I remember correctly, lowering my 08 cost less than $500. But off to the other details.
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.
2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven
, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
06-25-2015, 04:45 PM
#11
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2010 C300, 2013 C63 AMG
EDIT: I'm pretty Eibach has $300 lowering springs for 4Matic btw.
Last edited by ilumunus; 06-25-2015 at 04:49 PM.
06-25-2015, 05:18 PM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
I guess will see what car he gets and what he decides to do but I've read that just getting springs cause additional wear on a lot of other parts. As I was looking for my 4matic, I'm just leaving mine stock as the sport suspension is already low with the AMG styling package. I'll save up for a c63 then play with that hopefully in 10 years or so hahahaha(maybe retirement)
06-26-2015, 03:08 AM
#13
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2012 c250/300
If I remember correctly, lowering my 08 cost less than $500. But off to the other details.
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.
2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
I've bought several used cars recently, including a 2010 C300 and a 2009 C63, and I found out a couple things when looking for a used car, especially a mercedes/luxury car.
1. You want a car with 1-2 owners. I'd rather take a car with 2 personal owners than a 1 owner who leased it. People who lease these cars tend to do very dumb things during their lease, just take notes from this forum. Some of them even put 87 gas in them because it's not their car (??). Of course there are exceptions, but it's not worth the hassle. Also, if it says "fleet" vehicle, then run away. That means it was a rental or something of the sort, and we all know how those get driven
, not to mention it's probably had 100 people behind the wheel, and dozens of backseat stories that you don't want in your new car. If it says corporate, it probably means it was a one-owner who owned a business, and just didn't want to have to pay extra taxes on it. No one is hauling landscaping equipment or doing HD work on a new C-Class. So these are fine too. IF IT HAS ANY MODIFICATIONS, STEER CLEAR.2. Make sure it has been serviced. If it hasn't been serviced, just run away. First off, God knows what could be about to blow if it hasn't been serviced properly. Second off, servicing is expensive, so that could be another 2 grand right there (if it has around 30k miles) to get it back up to date with whatever needed to be done.
3. Get a warranty. It might already have a warranty, but make sure you have at least 2 years of coverage with a good number of miles. I just got my hands on a 4 year/50k complete coverage (everything on the car) warranty for my 2010 for $1400. You might be able to get it for even cheaper since it's a newer car. PM me, I don't want to advertise where I got the warranty on this site.
4. Check the CarFax. Make sure it either has no accidents, or if it does, make sure it says "very minor damage" or "minor damage." Lots of times, I have looked up the accident reports and realized it said "involving a parked car or one car accident." Then, being a junior in college, I remember when I was 17. In my 08 C300 I was turning out of a parking space in my school parking lot, I slightly scraped a parked car. It was under $200 dollars of damage. Got both cars detailed and buffed out, boom no damage. if it's minor/very minor damage with only one vehicle involved, it probably means they just scraped some dude's fence or mailbox. When I sold the C300 in the CarFax it said "very minor damage, involved parked car." That suddenly made me realize what it actually meant. So if you can use this as a selling point to get a grand or two off the asking price, heck yeah go for it (if it's been touched up/fixed of course). If for some reason this damage was actually substantial, the PPI will notice it anyways. Also, if the car was immediately offered for sale following the accident, steer clear. But if like say it's a one owner car, and he had an accident in it 2 years ago, and just now traded it in, it's probably fine.
5. Take it to AAA to get a pre-purchase inspection done. Most Mercedes dealers (at least in my area), have stopped doing true PPIs. Now they only do exterior/brief overview inspections. AAA does good pre-purchase inspections at a decent price. You need a PPI done before you buy any used car, especially a Mercedes. The Mercedes dealer might also hide some things from you. It depends on the area that you live in/the reputation of the dealer, but one of my buddies got his SL63 PPI'd by a dealer about an hour away, and they said it was clean, and then two weeks later he brought it for servicing and while they were servicing it they "found" stuff that had been messed up for a long time. I don't have experience with this dealer, and they might just be a bad dealer, but it seems like a good tactic for making money. Say a car is clean, taking the chances they will probably get it serviced by your dealership, then just uncover all the issues, claim it will void the warranty to get it done elsewhere, profit.
6. Take a test drive of a good length. Do everything to the car that you would do on a normal drive. Make sure everything in the dash works, even if you don't plan on using it. You're potentially handing over 23 grand to this dealer, you have the right to make sure everything works. If they won't let you check it out thoroughly, something is probably wrong with it. Also make sure YOU would feel comfortable driving this car for a while, because it's going to be YOUR car. You're the one paying for it, so don't let someone else convince you which one to buy.
7. Have fun car shopping, and post pictures!
I guess will see what car he gets and what he decides to do but I've read that just getting springs cause additional wear on a lot of other parts. As I was looking for my 4matic, I'm just leaving mine stock as the sport suspension is already low with the AMG styling package. I'll save up for a c63 then play with that hopefully in 10 years or so hahahaha(maybe retirement)
