wawy

Well said.....

Phil C55

They can say that was the price for the car just above that one on their list when they did the ad. Anywhere you look today, they have the price of $22,480. It is what it is, and your report to the BBB won't mean a thing to a Nissan dealer, sorry but it won't. A retail business doesn't HAVE to sell anything to anybody it doesn't want to. If you think they are really that shady, you probably shouldn't do business with them. Actually $22,480 asking price for a 57k mile C55 seems about right at a dealer. An old friend of mine that still buys cars at the big dealer auctions saw a C55 roll through about six months ago and the car brought $24k hard money wholesale. Most stores make $2k on a used car or it isn't worth their time.

Unless you have bought and sold 1000+ cars, I suspect I know a few things about pricing, wholesale, retail, trade-ins, holdback, shorting a trade, trunk money, etc.

Don't get all up in the air about it, money talks. Go there and give them a check with your offer, if they take it you got the car. If the say no, there isn't enough money in the deal for them to do it. These things aren't pets, they want them sold to make money.

loudandheard

I have a few friends that worked as a car sales man for a few years. They told me that you are told not to ask questions and just to make the sale. The more you can get for the car the better for the sales man. So they are in the business, but of separating you from your money and the more that they can get the better.

As for that particular C55, I can't see why they would purchase that car from an auction to sell locally. That's not the best market for a car like that, I think it was probably a trade in and I'm sure they probably only gave them $16500 tops. So at the price they posted, they would still make a pretty penny.

As for the purchase price that you paid for your car, you shouldn't put people down for looking for a better deal than what you did. I would want to get the best deal for the car that I wanted and car dealerships are know for working on the price. We're talking about used cars and even knew cars can be discounted, unlike walmart that will sell you new items for a set price, but has sales every now and then.

Like I said before, money talks bs walks, but I don't know if that's a company that you would want to deal with any ways. Good luck

Phil C55

We went through dozens of salesmen like your friends, most couldn't control a sale so they were left in the dark on the numbers. I worked at a store with twenty-two salesmen and for three years in a row I was number one in gross per vehicle in all five catagories (new car, new truck, van, used car and used truck). I always knew where I was at in a deal money wise. I was there to make money, I also made friends of customers who I still see today after being out of it for eight years.

When I first started out an old timer told me my happiest customer would pay the most gross profit. I said that doesn't make any sense, but after many years these words proved true. You see, the guy that understands ALL businesses have to make money to survive, is OK with paying profit. The chiseling nickel dick that beats it to $50 over still thinks the world is out to get him and tells everyone how he got screwed.

I find it interesting that you know what the Nissan dealer put into a car without driving it, seeing records, tire condition, etc. I have seen three appraisers have three different numbers on the same car and have a spread of $1,000 from high to low. You are sure they could make a pretty penny and yet you have no idea what reconditioning thy put into the car. Maybe the AC didn't work and they spent $800 at the MB dealer and $1,000 on tires. Now they would have made about $150.

As far as what I paid for my car, I'm fine and very happy with it. I could care less what someone else pays for any car, doesn't change how I feel about my car. I looked at several C55s from $17,950 to $29,000 so I too saw the range on vehicles before I bought. It's only money and I will make and lose a lot more of it before the whole game is over, God willing.

ml3504me

http://houston.craigslist.org/ctd/1852051364.html

did someone post this one?

thtguy

there are 2 decent C55's here in the Tampa Bay area. an 06 with 53Kmiles, all options can be had for around 20K, kick myself for not buying that one. Lokey MB in Clearwater has an 05, with 80K+ for 18K.

mrobinso

OP, regardless of Phil's postings providing reasons for the dealer's decision to bait-and-switch on the C55's price - we all know it - its bad business practice and you shouldn't buy a car from the dealership anyways.

Now, do you think the dealership cares about your lost business? Of course not. Regardless, this dealership just lost a customer and you can be satisfied in knowing that you spread the word of this dealership's total lack of integrity to about thirty members of this forum. Heck, if I were you I would even go on Google, look up the dealership on Google maps, and write a review telling your story so you can share it with others.

It won't change anything but it will forewarn others thinking about buying a car from this dealership.

If you are not in a hurry to purchase, sit on it a few months. C55s and C32s are slow movers. Keep an eye on the ones that have been sitting and if you are patient, I am sure another deal will come your way.

Lastly, and this is just a personal preference tip, I would only look at cars for sale that you can drive to.

Newzchspy

Owning BOTH, I can tell you that in MY case , the C32 is quicker than the C55!!!(stock)

Phil stated: " As far as what I paid for my car, I'm fine and very happy with it. I could care less what someone else pays for any car, doesn't change how I feel about my car. I looked at several C55s from $17,950 to $29,000 so I too saw the range on vehicles before I bought. It's only money and I will make and lose a lot more of it before the whole game is over, God willing."



Hate to say it BUT Phil does have a point. They have a product (car), you want it, they are willing (??) to sell it and there has to be some "accord" in order to get it!! Remember, profit is NOT a bad word in any business, whether it be cars or widgets.

Viper98912

To me, the C32 is like a wind up toy, it's not blasting you to the finish line, it just keeps going and going. The C55 leaves some to be desired in the top end, but it makes your neck snap back in the low rpm's. C32 is smooth, it doesn't do any snapping. Might wanna get your C55 checked

moosejaw

i can verify he's checked it

Newzchspy

Drew is correct, BOTH have been on same dyno and the stock C32 I have/had is as Jerry Tune described it on I-90 as "extraordinarily strong" After the Jerry Tune, tune, it was ridiculous!!! The C55 has been on the same dyno with the same DAs and is a strong car, JUST not a quick as the C32. That all changed when Kleemann came along BUT that's another story Lemme put it this way, I believe (again this is my opinion) that a stock strong running C32 will outgun a Stock strong running C55 in most situations. Modded is a whole other story!!

Newzchspy

Why don't we do this, If you're ever in my area, I'll race my C32 against your C55 and my C55 against your C55??? Again, even without mods, my C32 was a very strong car. and FWIW, I have the 55 engine in two vehicles, so I am familiar with its capabilities!!

RLx02

Mine loses steam at around 120 or so O_o check out the video.

Newzchspy

Good Point RLx, The C32 does NOT lose steam at 120, in fact, GPS unit has seen 165 (but this was modded and with new tires and fresh Jerry Tune!!) . Jimmy was ahead of me at about 185 in the Black Series.

RLx02

the speedo has seen 165 in my car, on a private track in mexico of course, but there was still much more to go, although slowly.

Viper98912

I'll take you up on that

Since I still don't believe that:
A) A C32 is "mostly faster" than a C55 - comparable on the long runs? Yes, of course. But C55 takes it in the first half, C32 brings it in the second half.
B) A C32 is "better out of the hole" than a C55 - revert to A

Stock for stock, regular summer or all-season street tires

Hell, you may own a good one, and I drove a slower one. Just putting your experiences vs. mine.....

wawy

In my experience one of the first things I've noticed when I went from my C32 to my C55 was that it was a tad quicker. This was on the same roads, same time of day, temperature etc. This was even after I replaced the intercooler in my C32. The only way this will ever be settled is to get a few stock C32s and C55s and line them up at a dragstrip or somewhere deserted. Not just one of each, but a few -- that's the only way we'll know...

PC Valkyrie

Even though I'm personally not that interested in drag racing or rolling acceleration "runs" people have on the street, I do find this debate about whether the C32 or C55 is faster in a straight line pretty interesting.

The 2 cars have comparable weight (the C32 is NOT significantly lighter than the C55), comparable weight distribution, have the same transmission gear ratios, and have the same shift speeds in "S" mode. Unless MB/AMG signficantly understated the C32's power numbers or overstated the C55's power numbers, the power to weight ratio favours the C55. Of course, there are always variances in the power output in individual cars (some C32's may be more powerful than most others, or some C55's may be less powerful than most others), but I find it hard to believe that most C32's are faster than most C55's out there in stock form. If I recall correctly, all the major N. American car mags (C&D, R&T, MT) recorded slightly faster trap speeds for the C55 for their the 1/4 mile runs.

Having said that, nothing beats a head to head "test". For the members who have driven both and claim one car is "faster" than the other, does anybody have any objective numbers in the real world (accelerometer or GPS measurements of acceleration runs?, head to head 1/4 mile times)? To me, "feeling" that the C32 is faster than the C55 (or vice versa), means nothing, as the subjective feeling of acceleration can be very misleading. Does anybody have head to head acceleration runs of a C32 vs C55 on video to show us?.....it seems there are these videos made all the time of other cars, but I've never found one of a stock C32 vs a stock C55.

And the same thing about dyno numbers......that says nothing about how the power is put to the ground as the shape of the torque/HP curve is different between the two cars, which is what matters in a head to head "race" or comparison.

Another thing that intrigues me about this discussion is the notion that the C55 "runs out of steam" at high rpm's, while the C32 apparantly keeps "pulling all the way to redline". Again, does anybody have any objective or video evidence of this? Does the C32 actually pull and out-accelerate a C55 at very high speeds??

Of course, my personal experience is with the C55 only, and the only time I push the car is at racetracks on lapping days, reaching speeds of up to 200-240km/h regularly. Sure, the C55 "feels" more neck snapping at lower rpm's (which I suspect is due to gearing at lower speeds), but to me, the car does accelerate in a rather linear fashion all the way to redline. I would be surprised if the C32 feels like a N/A BMW M engine (M3 or M5), where it is strongest at high rpm range.

Viper98912

Yup this is true, all this feel talk really isnt real data. Plus, we need multiple cars.

Looks like this may be the beginning of the next large W203 AMG Meet-n-Greet & Track/Dyno Day!

Viper98912

Yup this is true, all this feel talk really isnt real data. Plus, we need multiple cars.

Looks like this may be the beginning of the next large W203 AMG Meet-n-Greet & Track/Dyno Day!

Slater126

Good post. Maybe I'm a simple man but with a newer car like the C55, just check KBB and get trade in, private party, and average retail values. Generally, you don't want to pay more than the "private party" value for the car's mileage and condition, because that's all you're going to be able to sell it for.

That price is a lot more reflective of a fair deal than Joe Blogger who says he paid $14,000 for a 10,000 mile car from an old lady whose husband died while climbing Mt. Everest, that's for sure. Those stories are normally a bunch of BS. It's too hard these days to get true steals because everyone, sellers included, knows what cars are worth, thanks to the internet. Even for the rarest cars, you can still go on e-bay and see what a given model is bidding up to. Few people are going to let a car go for substantially less than value, unless there's some hidden issues.

If you can't get near a fair price, walk and find another one. It's not like C55s are that rare.

Newzchspy

The thing is, I have OWNED (and still do) BOTH at same TIME ( stock and subsequently modded) MY C32 was quicker than my C55 stock and is just a hair behind the C55 now that BOTH are modded. BUT it cost a helluva lot more $$ to mod the C55 than the 32. If you're a modder, the C32 is the way to go!! If you're looking for probably a "nicer built" car, then the C55 is that car. Again, absent headers, perhaps cams and a crank pulley for the 55 engine, there's not much you can do to a 55 engine (other than going with an SC. Tunes don't seem to do much for a NA 55 engine either.

My best C32 run is 12.7, so if you're C55 is better than that, you got a strong running C55!! Objectively, the majority of NA C55s on Dragtimes (stock) is about 13.2-13.5 at about 104-107. Objectively, there's a ton of C32s in the LOW 13s stock at about 105-107. Thus, it s a very close race, BUT seems to me that in the qtr., a stock C32 has a slight edge numbers-wise as well. We also have much more data for the C32 on Dragtimes.

I hope we get the chance to run someday!!

Viper98912

If your C32 ran a 12.7 stock, then you have a freak (or bad track timing system).

F1Bobby

I do love my C55.... Everything is for sale!

moosejaw

I can verify that time was not stock.....
What Newz is claiming has validity
Give him his day in the sun......