kkoepp31

Looking to get a general consensus on the C400, as I need to replace a lease with GM that is going back in November. Currently we also have a 2011 ML550 that, knock on wood, has been great to us. It doesn't have any of the modern advanced driving aides, so that really isn't nearly as much to go wrong as the new cars have.

What I'm looking for is something decent on gas that can take a 45 mile commute (each way). Because of the distance comfort is key. Distronic and aides like that would be a huge bonus. I'm also addicted to power, as the ML has plenty of it, and my previous vehicles were high horsepower forced induction Subaru's.

From everything I've seen, mostly just online, I love the overall look of the C-class, both inside and out. The 400 seems to offer a ton of power and I found one 2015 CPO, completely loaded, and less than 8k miles for $43k.

Driver Assistance Package
Multimedia Package
Interior Package
AIRMATIC Package
Lighting Package
Pano Sunroof, etc.

My fear is that with all these options, and being an hour+ away from the dealer, that it's got potential to be a basketcase. The CPO warranty is OK, but doesn't match the benefits of an Audi S4 CPO, especially considering there is an hour dealer less than 20 minutes away. The Benz just seems to offer so much more than the Audi, outside of pure sports driving ability. I'm trying to get the dealer to throw in the 2-year extended warranty but I'm finding no dealers willing to discount pricing at all. This has me very frustrated with the entire process, as I've found cars sitting on lots for an entire year that dealers will not budge on pricing.

Any opinions here are greatly appreciated. If I should run away then that's definitely what I want to hear. I've got no problem doing maintenance myself so the distance to the dealer only impacts me if something breaks.

Thanks!

Mike5215

The CPO can be extended to a total of 3 years. One additional year is $2200, two years is $4500. Its transferable to a private buyer, or any unused premium can be returned in cash to you.

I always recommend the full three years. On a car with 8k miles, you'll have no issues in the first year. Years two and three you may see an AirMatic failure or something otherwise expensive.

CPO is an excellent warranty that covers a lot of areas. If your car breaks down, the nearest dealer will send a tow truck. I'd forget about trying to get the dealer to throw it in. Just buy it and include it in the financing.

richysh

I bought my car used, not cpo, and when i called this mercedes dealer (forgot where; one of the place that was on this forum where you can purchase extended warranty for cheap), i found out that my car was a cpo before and they were able to extend the warranty for 2 years with unlimited miles for 24xx, which i bought last month. And this is mercedes warranty, not 3rd party. Mines a 2015 c400 with 32k miles btw. I purchased it end of this past April with 23k miles for 37k plus taxes and it only has pano roof, 19inch wheels, pano roof, sports package, and static led headlights and tails. So far, i had the transmission software update due to the unsmooth gear change from 3-2 and both of my front axles changed because they were clicking when i had my steering wheel turned and accelerating at the same time. Other than that, i love the car! transmission is still not smooth though when it's shifting from 3-2.

kkoepp31

I was quoted at $1800 for 1 year extension and $2500 for 2 years, which seems like a no brainer to take the 2 year. CPO will end November of 19, so this route would get me nearly through 2021 without worry. That's huge considering I put on nearly 30k miles a year.

This car is stretching my budget to the max and it's honestly a little more than I want to spend. Something to sweeten the deal could get me to caves but I'm finding no dealers willing to budge even a few hundred on price. If the car really is worth the money I could justify it.

Side note, this one comes with 18" wheels. I'm guessing I'm getting a slightly more comfortable ride versus the 19's. I'd like to pick up a set of replicas for a winter setup.

yjchua

With the Driving Assistance Package alone it's already worth its price. You're going to love Distronic Plus with stop-and-go pilot. That makes a big difference in traffic jams and goes a long way in reducing driver fatigue.

unr1

Agreed. It's my favorite feature.

kkoepp31

Driver assist is the major reason I'm thinking C400 over an S4. My commute is 45 miles of very rural highway and I rarely get stuck in any sort of traffic, but mostly want something that can help keep me in the lane and adjust to the occasional slow poke hogging the left lane. I could go drive a C300 about an hour away but I'm not sure how comparable that would be to a 400. For ergonomics and general feel of the interior I'm sure it will work.

abstractls

55k miles on a fully loaded C400 here, no issues at all

Jawknee_5

I bought my 2015 C400 last October with just under 11k miles on the car. Since it was a CPO, I was able to get the extended 2 year unlimited warranty for the car that will end in 2022. Overall, I like my C400. The ride is smooth minus the gears/shifting of the transmission. Just coming up on my Service A maintenance and I'm taking her in for the maintenance work as well as minor warranty work (tailgate lift doesn't work, one of my door handle lights is out, curbed my wheels). So over the duration of almost 1 year, the car has held up fairly well.

I also get roughly around 360 miles on a full tank of gas if you were wondering how the mileage/gas was.

Igotsoul4u

The basic info you mentioned seems like a great deal. I bought a 2015 C400 CPO in December 2016. 11k miles. $37k. Got the extended warranty on account of the car being a first generation model in a new factory. So far I think it's been a wise decision. There is definitely some build quality issues. My side view mirror can pull apart easily. I wonder if the wind noise is related to this issue. It could be a design flaw. Rattles have been annoying but most have been fixed. I am glad I will have long term solutions with the warranty if anything gets worse. Also opted for an Easy care warranty which paid off the other day when I got a nail in my front run flat. Still had to buy another front tire because the other tire had 25k on it. The tires are wearing on the quicker side, especially the fronts.

I wish I had an airmatic suspension. The sport is quite stiff and probably elevates the likelihood of rattles. It would be awesome to switch modes on long trips. The seats have plenty of adjustments and they are comfortable, but firm. Backseat passengers have had no complaints. Gas mileage has been good in my opinion. When I had a z28 camaro it was painfully obvious how often I had to fill up. I don't feel this way with the C400. I drive a lot and fill up once a week. Never tracked my mileage because the engine puts a ridiculous smile on my face. The cruise control is the best I have ever had. Very easy to adjust with 1mph or 5mph increments by tapping quickly or holding the lever down longer. I personally love the tone of the engine. Its a well mannered deep rumble that can roar when you stomp on it. It is a highway beast! No problems zipping around left lane campers. The transmission could be better, but at times it can be awkward. The modes significantly impact the overall vibe of the transmission. Sport gives me the smoothest shifts. It seems to shift better the more you lay on the accelerator. It's definitely faster then my old 97 camaro and the fastest car I have ever owned.

Overall I am very happy after 10k miles and dealer service response to my concerns. The rattles do concern me and I hope they do not come back or increase.

I had a C300 for a weekend and I was impressed by it's acceleration, but the C400 is a whole different level of performance.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

would easily take my b8.5 s4 over a c400.

l3it3r

I'm in a loaner C300 again (sunroof fabric cover stopped working for some reason) and I miss my C400 like crazy. The difference is immense.

Mike5215

I'd like to drive a 400 but around here they're like unicorns.

l3it3r

Where are you?

richysh

i feel you man. I luckily had two in my town but noth were not what i was looking for. Both were at the same dealer but i was looking for one with 19" wheels with pano roof and led headlights but both didnt have 19s and one didnt even have keyless go and pano roof. I had to travel 200+ miles to get mine.

Mike5215

I'm in Gainesville FL.

Igotsoul4u

Wax on wax off
They stood no chance on twisty back roads.

Mike5215

Beautiful car, but it's clearly a cupcake killer.