andrew gop

have been looking into getting either an s4, c43, or the new m340i. leaning hard towards the c43.

my question is: buy used from a merc dealer or go used from a used dealer lot? the price difference seems to be pretty substantial here in toronto.


assuming id go with a used dealer lot, is it worth taking into a merc dealer to do an inspection if its a fairly low milage car (car im looking at is 32k km)? id assuming at this milage issues still fall under warranty, no?


sorry for noob questions.

GWSHARK

I would get it checked out , how much is it versus MB dealer ? Does it have the spec you want ?

5ilver-5urfer

Hmmm, a 2017 that was purchased end of 2016 will likely be out of warranty in a year. I've seen enough nonsense go on in the service area of MB dealerships (I'm also in the GTA) to know that a green light inspection doesn't really mean much.

If I was you, I'd do the following:
1) Test drive a few 2017 C43's. If they feel the same, they're probably all driven similarly. Pay attention to engine noise, road noise, road feel, gear changes, vibration, brake feel / wobble, etc. This is probably the most important thing you can do when buying a used sports car. In my experience, abuse will begin to very quickly manifest in how a car feels compared to similar cars that haven't been taken through the ringer. If this board has taught me anything, it's that 99% of owners who get a tune on their cars absolutely abuse the hell out of them. They drop the tune before returning to the dealer and everyone is none the wiser.
2) Have a Mercedes mechanic take a look over the car. If anything, it may just give you peace of mind.
3) Have an independent mechanic that you trust take a look over the car as well to get an unbiased second opinion. Mercedes is just looking to move cars and make money on maintenance.

Otherwise, it's really luck of the draw. Doing all of the above doesn't guarantee that you'll buy a flawless car, but it does hedge your bet.

Good luck, and enjoy the car hunt!!!

user33

If you're buying from a new-car dealer that's not a Mercedes dealer, check out the dealer ownership. Many new-car dealerships are owned by a company that owns multiple dealerships. If the company that owns the non-Mercedes new-car dealership that's selling the car also owns a Mercedes dealership (in the area), then you can assume the car was not good enough to move to their Mercedes dealership and offer at a premium price as a Certified Pre-Owner (CPO) car. Of course, the business arrangements may prevent this, but in such a situation I'd ask if the car could be moved to the Mercedes dealer and purchased as a CPO and judge the reaction.

Another thing I learned in buying a used AMG this year is that a Mercedes extended warranty (i.e., from Mercedes, CPO or otherwise) only goes with the car if the car is purchased either from a private seller or an authorized Mercedes dealer -- if it's purchased from a third-party dealer, the extended warranty does not go with the car. I was told this when I called the Mercedes extended warranty people to verify that the extended warranty on the car I was about to buy would be valid. Since it was a private purchase, they confirmed (in writing) that it would be transferred to me and did so when I supplied them the purchase documentation.

I was told by multiple Mercedes dealers that they would not do a car check-out. I got the idea it had to do with a possible conflict of interest because some cars would be from other Mercedes dealers (i.e., a competitor). I used a trusted local German-car shop and, 9 months later, know that I got an accurate evaluation of the car I purchased (and avoided purchasing another one where the evaluation came back with multiple issues).