pkalhan

Hello All,

I hope all is well with everyone. I am new to the forum and pretty new to Mercedes. I am looking to purchase a new (new to me) car for myself in the next couple of months and am very interested in getting a Mercedes C-Class. I think their interiors are amazing and I think Mercedes in general are a very classy yet sporty car. I have been on Mercedes' website looking at their CPO cars within driving distance from where I live and found a 2015 C400 with only (I think) 9,000 miles on it and the dealer is asking $38,500 for it. I thought that was pretty nice considering the low milage, but me being a worry wart it made me wonder why there are so little miles on it. The second car I found was at my local MB dealership. It is a 2016 C450 asking $42,880 and it has 32,000 miles on the odometer (the second owner in 11 months drove it 26,000 miles...yikes!!). I like the power both cars offer, though the C450 is at another level. In your opinions which is the better car to purchase from a reliability standpoint. Please note no matter which car I purchase (assuming I pull the trigger on either one of these) I was planning on also getting the extended warranty as I like to hold on to my cars for 10 years or so. This would be my first German car so am a little nervous. I also looked at BMWs (335s & 340s) and Audi (S4s), but the Mercs just have a look that I like. Also a local indy mechanic who works on a lot of German cars said the Mercedes is more reliable than a BMW. He stated they just do regular maintenance on Merc but do actual repairs on BMWs

One last thing...what are your opinions on the CLA45 AMG? I see quite a few 2014 for sale (I assume they are all coming off leases). I test drove one from an independent dealer and I liked it a lot, but wonder how long the engine will last as it is a 4 cylinder engine pumping out a lot of power. Its just a matter of time before it goes, right? My budget for a car is $42 to $43k.

Thanks in advance for the opinions!!

Standingoten

It depends on whether you want good ride quality or tighter suspension handling.

The C400 will be compliant on less than favorable roads. C450 is stiff as hell even in Comfort mode.

If if it were me and I drive in the city where roads are crap then I would get the C400. If you usually drive on decent roads then C450 obviously.

C450 exhaust cracks and pops might just make you choose it no matter what. It’s addicting.

sean1.8t

If having the better performing car is important to you and you don't mind a stiff suspension, then 450. The 400 is a great car but when you compare it to the 450, it's just not quite as special. The c450 & c43 are pretty much the same car. But they are in a different league than the 400.

And the CLA? Blah. Really awesome car if you're 20 but being 30 myself, I just couldn't daily it; couldn't take myself serious in it. Especially after having the 450. It feels like an S-class compared to those little hotwheels toys.

Oh and also, "only a matter of time before it goes?" Haha no, not at all. Yes they are pushing out a lot of hp per liter/cylinder compared to your average car on the road, but that in no way means it's in any more danger of having the motor's internals fail

richysh

have you gotten rid of your runflats yet? If not, id recommend it. I bought my c400 with non runflats so i dont know exactly how much of a difference non runflats would make but i felt it in my 535 when i put on non runflats. It was less jarring over dips and ****ty roads and so much more comfortable.

Igotsoul4u

I personally like the stealth mode of the C400. Most people think it's a 300 and then bam...I roast them. I love the exhaust tone and the interior is super nice. I personally dislike the 450 exhaust crackle. There is some funny turbo lag and shifting funkiness at times but I have adapted to it. Fun car but not without some disappointments. In warm weather there are some annoying creaks and rattles that appear. They are all gone at the moment since the temp went down. I get worried they will increase and get worse each year. I take the car in anytime it gets annoying simply to have record of constant defect in case there is a major issue. Front tires wear much quicker then the fronts. I paid about the same price with around the same miles and felt like it was a fantastic deal considering the car was 50k+ new.

killascrimp

so true, it's a sleeper, I got a custom tune and It will beat a stock 450 any day. Plus the price The one I found I feel like I stole it. Love the 400 it rides so good and It flys.

pkalhan

Thank you guys for your reply, I appreciate it. What year are your C400? Are they 2015s? Is that the only year that the C400 was made? All the C400s I have seen for sale are MY 2015 sell for mid to high $30s with pretty low milage. What is the reliability like for these cars? Is there anything I should be on the look out for that can cause big problems down the road equivalent to the IMS bearing to the Porsche 996? Just nervous of a car that looks amazing and then a month later its in the shop. I understand the maintenance is going to be higher than my current car, which I understand and accept. It is the breakdowns and repairs that kind of concern me. I do plan on purchasing the 2 year extended warranty through Mercedes Benz for $2,500 if I decide to purchase.

Thanks again for all the replies.

Below are some of the C400s that caught my eye...

http://www.knopf.mercedesdealer.com/...46d82c94a7.htm

http://www.mbofwilmington.com/vehicl...de-id-21177219

http://www.prestigemb.com/certified/...82a0b25dcb.htm

Here is the C450 that is selling at my local Mercedes dealership...

http://www.bobbyrahalmotorcar.com/ce...4f82b9db6b.htm