isbelldl

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, & the last MB I owned was a 1976 300D that I had 14 years ago. My wife & I are ready to buy a new car, & really like the 2013 C250, but I don't have any recent experience with MB. What sort of things should I be looking for, & are there many common issues I should expect? I'm specifically looking at this one: http://www.donohooauto.com/Used-2013...AL/vd/32958581 I'd love to hear any advice you have.

Thanks,
Daniel

michail71

Damn, that's a good deal on that car. With the age, options and mileage that car usually goes for $25-$26K.

Check the front bumper and make sure it hasn't been damaged from a curb. And always give yourself some room when you park.

I'd get it inspected by an independent shop before purchase in case there are any non-warranty issues with the car.

michail71

Oh, the car fax shows an accident. That's probably why it's $21K. Definitely have it gone over by a mechanic.

isbelldl

Thanks, I did not catch that it had been in an accident. The dealer has quite a few on the lot, & it was the 3rd one we looked at. We started out looking at one with 16k miles on it, but it threw a CEL during the test drive, so we decided to move on. The second was a 2012, & I really don't care for the turn signal stalk position. It had a few other things that weren't quite right as well. After looking at the one I showed, we decided it would have to be 2013 or newer, & would have to have memory seats (I'm about 10" taller than my wife). It felt good, but I'd rather not have a car that started with fleet use, had 3 owners, & an accident. Honestly, things are moving a bit faster than I was prepared for. Just yesterday, we still thought we wanted something different. After driving the C250 though, I'm not sure either of us is ready to go back to the other options.

What about this one: http://www.donohooauto.com/Used-2013...AL/vd/30456165
Slightly higher mileage, but single owner, no accidents shown, & a few extra options.

Edit: Now I'm leaning towards this one: http://www.donohooauto.com/Used-2013...AL/vd/30599938
Same as what I drove previously, but single owner, no accidents shown, stayed local, & has maintenance record at local dealership, again slightly higher mileage.

WhiteonBlack

Just keep up with maintenance and the car should be great. My 2013 has been reliable so far I just changed my front brake pads couple days ago with brembo ceramic pads and the brakes are amazing. Really happy with my 2013.

Dynotrick

Go with the silver one - better optioned - keyless go is awesome.

dieseldoc

I agree. The silver one is very nice.

isbelldl

We went for the black one in the last link. It was the highest mileage of the ones we considered, but 33k is still low by our standards. Additionally, it has always been local, & had regular maintenance records at our local dealer. Those combined just made us feel more comfortable. The extra features of the silver one would've been nice, but weren't enough to really matter. Most importantly, my wife & I are happy. I'll post more details later. Right now, I have to figure out how to program the garage door opener.

michail71

I can't get over how much cheaper cars are over there. I should have flown up there and driven one back.

dieseldoc

Good place to buy used Mercedes is Texas Cars Direct in Dallas. Prices are great. Huge selection. They will pick you up from airport. Look at their website. I bought my C class from them.

isbelldl

Yeah, I was pretty happy with the purchase process there. The prices tend to be well below KBB values (at least for the C250, didn't look at much else), and they gave me more than the highest listed KBB trade in value for my car. There was never any pressure during the buying process. We test drove 4 other cars before settling on the one we ended up buying. They scan your license & ask you what car you want to look at. They then bring it to the front & tell you it's ready. You're basically given as long as you need to test any car without a dealer riding along. It made for a very easy & comfortable purchase process. The only real downside is that cars sell fast. One of the cars I test drove the night before was sold before I made it in the next day. If you wanted something they only had one of, it could easily be gone before you got in. I think there were about 20 other customers in there on Saturday when we purchased.

As far as my car goes, I'm still learning the ins & outs of the entertainment center, but I think I've settled in pretty well already. We drove about an hour to visit family this afternoon, & when we left, I hopped in the driver's seat. My wife looked at me & said, "Wait, isn't it my turn?" This is the most excited I've ever seen her with a car. It does seem to be in pretty good shape. The only issue I found was that the underside of the bumper was scuffed (as michail71 warned about). To be honest, I'm sure we would've done it eventually had I found a clean one. The rest of the underside was clean. Otherwise, the front tires are worn a bit more than the rears. The rest seems to be in good shape. I'll post pictures when I have some time & daylight.

michail71

The big thing with the bumper damage is to make sure it's not more than cosmetic. The bumper can get pried off and some of the paneling around the wheel wells can get damaged. If it's just scraped up you have the benefit of having someone doing it for you.

The Comand system is rather involved. I'm still learning the ins and outs of it myself.

The rear tires were probably replaced not too long ago. The rear tires wear out much faster on these cars being RWD. So your fronts are probably factory original. And since they are staggered they can't be rotated.

Enjoy! And you got a great deal. I paid about $4K more 3 months ago.