To all the people who have purchased a used or have purchased a new C32 and plan on trading it in with 20-30K miles on the clock. I will soon be in the market for a new car, with about $35K to play around with. I have considered both a used '02 or '03 C32 or a new 2004.5/05 C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan.

I would (obviously) prefer a C32 for its performance, better looks, road presence, etc. However I am trying to decide if purchasing a used high performance vehicle is a good decesion. People buy AMG cars for one reason, because there fast and these people pay the premium for the added power, so in turn it is common that these cars are driven extremely hard. In some instances the owners may not care because they know they will be trading the vehicle in in a few years.

What would owners who have purchased used C32's suggest in terms of buying a used vehicle, with or without the Starmark warranty? Have you had issues with your used AMG? With the issues MB's have been having recently Im not sure how much faith I have in a C32 for 100K Miles. Being a current MB owner I know that the quality is not what it used to be and the little problems can be both annoying and costly to repair.

Owners who have purchased their cars new, would you sell your car after 20-30K miles to a friend or would you recommend for someone to buy a used AMG vehicle based on how you have driven/treated the car?

All comments are appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

New v. Used Is All Relative.

First of all, you are talking about two completely different cars. The 2-something lameassmobile that you are considering your "safe choice" is pathetic. Get some huevos. Take the chance and go impractical. Buy the C32, but be smart. If the seller brags about the car's circle-track capabilities and top speed of 200, you might want to look elsewhere. Like a woman, if she has been "run hard and put away wet," take her for a test drive, but don't sign on the bottom line.

 

I seen a used C32 in Gurnee it had all features navigation, blue/charcoal leather etc. In great condition with like 30-35k o n the clock it went for 35-36k I believe a member on the forum bought it from Florida.

Bottom line buy a low milage car and test drive a starmark certifyed car would be better but probley going to cost more.

 

goodluck getting a 25k mile c32 for $30k, you are more in the high 30 to low 40 range for that car.

 

Vomit-
Your comments are extremely childish, by telling me to get some eggs...whatever you were referring to there is irrelevant. Just because I cannot afford a new C32 doesn't mean that you should comment on my other choice of cars. For the majority of people in this world, being able to own a Mercedes, even a base C230 is quite a feat. I would be extremely happy with one and the C32 is a stretch, but I realize how much nicer the car is.

I would ask the owner about the car, but most likely the vehicle will be purchased from a dealer so finding out the past history will be hard to do.

Fr0zen-
Thanks for your comments, it seems you can get an '02 C32 these days for about $36K with between 25-30K on the clock. I would most likely be looking for a Starmarked warranty car.

s4iscool-
I stated in my original post that I had around $35K to play around with and by looking at prices I would be able to get a 25-30K mile C32 for between $35-40K.

 

I bought my 2002 C32 as a used car in December 2003. While the car has had some number of minor issues, such as the driver's side heated seats not working, all issues thus far have NOT been related to the C32 being a high performance car, and were fixed by the local MB center on the still-in-effect new car warranty.

I drive my car relatively aggressively, but I would expect most owners to do so. The car is presumably designed to stand up to such stresses, and as long as maintenance has not been neglected, and the car not deliberately abused, you should have no worries. In fact, for a high performance car, I would not want to purchase a used car in which I knew that the original owners never ran it hard.

I also sprang for an extended Starmark warranty just in case there are any issues down the road, plus it would probably also make the car easier to resell should I decide to upgrade.

 

Get a used C32, but can I recommend getting it after the release of the new C55 so the price would drop even more?

or

If you're into motor tuning/modifying your car, get the newer generation C320 with all the nice updates and send it down to Brabus for some tweaking/extra horses with warranty still intact.

or

save more money and get the new C55.

or

want more bang for your buck, you can always get a new Audi S4

 

the c32 has already taken its biggest hit, from 55-60k down to the low 40's. That will not change with the arrival of the C55. A new C55 will be over 60K, making it out of the price range for shoppers looking to get a 40k car. Even if the c55 had a new body style (w204) it wont hurt the C32 resale

 

s4 is cool.

 

You ask on a C32/55 forum whether you should buy the forum car or some neutered, nutless, watered-down MBZ 230. What did you expect? Your question, as I understood it, was not whether a poor boy from the projects like yourself could afford to buy a MBZ (even a lame one), but rather whether you should take your 30-35 Gs and spend it on a new chick car or a used stylish vehicle. The answer, to me (and my huevos), is obvious.

I hope this helps!

 

with 25k on the odometer...mine is worth about $39k private sale according to kellybluebook.

it's next to impossible to find a 02 C32 for around $30k unless it has a LOT of mileage or it's been in an accident. BUT you never know...you may get lucky sometime.

as far as the C55 coming out, I don't think it'll really hurt the resale of the C32 that much since the C32 didn't really affect the resale of the C43 and C43 vs C36. I'd say the resale of the C32 is as low as they can go right now.

if you can't find a used C32 for the price range you're looking for. The C230k isn't a bad choice at all consider the pkg it comes with. You can also look at the A4 1.8T, the 325i (I think they'll have some discount to keep the car in low $30k since the new one is set to arrive soon) or the Jaguar X-type 2.5

 

oh yeah, this is just me, but the chances of considering a used AMG or MB is slim for me as I have no idea how well the previous owner took care of it. One of the reason that I didn't try to hunt down a used 00 E55 when I got my car.

 

I bought my used 2002 C32 in Nov. 2003 with 35K miles. I drive the car everyday (even in the snow and ice), just yesterday the odometer turned 39K. Its been a blast to drive and runs great. Two minor warrenty issues (seat heater & thrust arm) taken care of by MB.

Now, if this was my ultimate dream car, my preference would be to purchase new if possible, but my second choice would be to purchase with some level of assurance/warrenty;Starmark. For me, this car is a play car, fast, fun and practical. I'll save the dream car treatment for a 911TT.

 

What is a thrust arm? How did you know it was kaput?

 

Yeah, ditch the 230 idea...

 

Vomit-
Poor boy from the projects? Do you know anything about me or where I can from? In terms of asking on the C32 forum, I was EXPECTING a honest opinion, not choose the C32 because I own one. We are all adults here and I was expecting a respectable answer.

FrankW-
Thanks for the help, Ive looked at the other vehicles; not a big BMW fan, Audi's Ive heard horrible maintainence stories and with the Jaguars Ive heard even worse.

I do agree with you that I am skeptical purchasing a used AMG, thats why I was asking the forum for thoughts/advice.

Thanks again

Tugboat-
Thanks for the response, those are the kind of comments I would like to see more of. What went wrong with the thrust arm?

 

I've changed my mind. I think that you would be much happier with the new 230.

 

Thanks for avoiding the question.

 

Don't worry about used.

Remember the car has 350HP and in US it is pretty hard to use it for more than a few seconds without ending up in jail. In the US, no matter how fast people think they have driven, it is nothing compared to running at 150 on the Autobahn for a hour. The motor is rock-solid, few failures of any kind have ever been reported in C32's (1 or 2, vs 1000s of E46M3s for example).
Also remember the auto tranny will help protect the engine from being forced into staying at redline, unlike manual HP cars.

Do get the Starmark-type warranty to 100K miles, let MB pay for anything that might fail. (This is true of any new MB, they all have "issues" and they are expensive to fix, no matter how small). If you can't get a good warranty, I would pass.

Plan on some shop time for the small stuff, ie computer glitches, error codes etc, most everyone has a few. Good news is the previous owner will have undoubtedly sorted out some of the small issues before you get it.

 

Don't take it to heart Turbo2. A lot of the forum members, well the better more constructive ones, don't frequent this forum anymore...leaving you with some scum or I should say eccentric individuals.

If you can get a qualified mechanic or someone who understands the ins and outs of cars, to inspect the used car with you, I'm sure you are more than likely to find your dream C32 without a hitch. But I gotta tell ya, nothing beats the smell of a new car how about an S4?

or

How about saving up more money for a new C55 or C32?

 

Turbo,

I think the c230k is not that good value. I would rather get an A4. That is an excellent car and regardless of what you may have heard of maintanence issues they are ironed out now and mine runs well even modded. It is a beautiful engine.

As for used c32 I would get one with starmark or extended warranty. It is not cuz I think people would have abused this car because the majority of owners treat this car like their baby. Also this car can take some abuse. The engine is fantastic. I would get the warranty because of all the electrical issues and so far I have had just minor bugs (though my intercooler pump and throttle actuator did fail). When they fix it up it was good as new. Bottom line is that a used c32 is a great value and the car is put together very well. As long as there is warranty go for it. Without it just be prepared for small electrical bugs which you can hopefully iron out by the time you hit the 50k . If not MB Dealer is very expensive




Hope that helps,

Prasith

 

rrf-
Thanks for the response, you brought up some good points (no manual transmission). If I was looking at E46 M3's that would be a totally different story, wouldnt want to buy one of those then have the block crack on me! That must of really pissed off numerous M3 owners. I have planned on computer glitches, those I can handle but its bigger mechanical issues that I couldnt.

Thanks again.


mbphreak-
Thanks, I understand what your saying, sometimes not saying anything is the best solution, obviously not everyone knows that.
I do have a qualified MB mechanic that could look at the car prior to purchasing it which is a positive. I know what your saying about the smell of a new car, its really enticing. I am not a big fan of S4's, there great cars just not for me. Personally, I wouldnt be able to afford to save for a new C32 or C55 and I dont really see the point. They usually take a dramatic hit in resale value after a few years, I would rather just purchase used and save my self $20K or so. Thanks for the suggestions.

Prasith32-
The C230 isnt the greatest value out there when compared to other cars in its class (I.E.- BMW 3 series, A4, etc), however I am a big MB fan and really like the looks of the car. The Audi's just dont do much for me, even though they are faster and I could not see myself behind the wheel of a BMW. I agree with getting the Starmark warranty. Thanks for your comments, they were helpful.

Thanks again to all.

 

I've always thought of myself of Vomit, but "scum" works too. San Francisco meets Philadelphia, the two American cities of "brotherly love."

 

LOL, you clown. I dig your jokes man, just gotta lighten up sometimes.

 

I really did not mean to offend anyone. I just found the "We are the world, we are the children" statements about how starving kids in Africa would love to have any MBZ to be comical. Lowell (Turbo) is probably a billionaire flying down to San Diego right now in his Lear Jet to fix my bad attitude.

I will try to be kinder, gentler Vomit (Vomit-lite?)