At last!! I have made the dream happen--or I am trying to! Since I was 16 I have wanted an MB---i wanted a 450 SLK. I think it was a 280 (?) convertible i fell in love with for 4500.00 dollars. My parents said that was too much for a used car, so instead bought me a Celica for 5500.00. Sigh.

Now I am in the market for a used 350 CLK convertible.. I was out of the country on business and dealing with a dealership here at home, through e-mail, I made an offer (just 2000 shy of the asking price) and got no counter. Car sold 3 days before I returned home. 19,000 miles---and the car i REALLY wanted. Black exterior, gray interior--spotless.

In person at another dealership in November made an offer about 5,000 off the asking price and never got a counter. 39,000 miles, 13 months left on warranty. White with stone two tone interior---beautiful!!

Of course now I am teed off at BOTH of those dealerships for ignoring me. This "in person" car is now discounted to within 2,000 of what I want to pay. But I really feel i was treated badly and don't want to go back in unless they come down 5 grand on that car now--. I asked the sales man to let me know if there was a price drop in the car, and have not received one notification despite the car dropping in price 3 times. I left him with my phone number and e-mail. Plus he bagged on every other car i was considering and promised me "HIS" would not last a month---all the "dogs" sat on the lot for more than 30 days. Well, HIS is there now for close to 60.

Both cars are/were 2009 as I want a certified car. I am still wary of repairs down the road. All other low mile pre certified cars in my area are about 5-7 thousand more and are an hour away at least.

Which leads me to---the 2008, not certified, 60,000 miles and more than 13,000 cheaper at a completely different, non MB dealership about 5 minutes away. I feel like 13,000 will make up for the cost of repairs, but I hate the thought of my "new" car being in the shop a lot. It has the two tone interior that I love, love love!! It's not black--i really wanted black but I can live with the dark gray, I think.

But is 60,000 miles a lot for a Mercedes? I have a car with 150,000 miles on it now and just running into problems now, but had a Saab that died at 103,000 about 10 years ago.

Anyone have thoughts about buying a non certified car? I don't think that a warranty is an option anymore. If it is---I'm all for it.

And--if i DO find a certified car---will any dealership service it or must it be the place I bought it?

This is a big purchase for me, I have never bought a car more than 2 years old, so I'm pretty nervous about it...and I want to have this car for years and years.

Opinions are more than welcome!

Thank you and happy new year. I cannot wait to post photos of my soon to be new baby---whichever it might be. You get kudos for just reading this far.

 

speaking from personal experience...bought my car with 17k on the odo. it has 96k now....i do oil changes myself and this car has been running like a charm. i did replace all the suspension but thats cuz i went aftermarket.

I only go to the deal/indy if i have a problem i cant fix myself...im not that much of adie-er but i do my own brakes and oil changes...

so i dont think 60k is much at all. i honestly expect my car to run past 200k before it croaks or if i do an engine swap...whichever comes first.

if you do find a certified car, anyone can service it. if you get a problem with it, as long as its a mechanical failuyre thats not your fault, it will be covered. for my 03 clk...it had a transmission failure due to a faulty radiator. not my fault therefore dealer took care of it promptly.


i think it all depends how well you take care of your car. dont redline it everywhere and do regular oil changes and you should be fine.

 

60K on a mercedes is nothing

 

I think you need to brush up on used MB values....I doubt there are many sellers of 2009 CLKs that are marking them up $5000+. You don't mention any actual prices or offer amounts, but do you believe, for example, that a car selling for $28000 was procured for less than $22000?? Do you believe, for example, that an investment of $25000 should only garner a profit of $100 or so?? I've bought all 5 of my MBs at auctions, so I know what dealers are paying for them. I once was unsuccessful at getting a dealer to take a $2000 profit on a CLK I KNOW they paid $20000 for, but they only were asking $23500.

 

As somone else said, without actual prices it's hard to know what your offers mean. As for a certified car, mine was not. You pay more for a certifed car normally. But you don't really know exactly how much more. Kind of like buying a warranty with a mystery price. To me, it largely depends on how much you will drive it. If you put 20,000 miles a year on it, your odds of needing a repair are greater than if you put 5,000 on it. But suppose you pay $2,000 more for a certifed car and put 5,000 on it during it's extra year of warranty. What are the odds that it will need a repair costing more than $2,000 in 5,000 miles? Less than 10% probably. Let's say the repair costs $5,000. In Vegas, would you place a $2,000 bet for less than a 10% chance at $5,000? I would not. If your are confident you can eliminate that purchase price differential and get it certified for very little extra, then go for it.

Also, it sounds like you are buying locally. Consider going elsehwere. I, and many on here, traveled to get the car they wanted. Drove mine 1,000 miles home. At any given time there are 500 or so 350 cabs for sale on Auto Trader, 50% of them are black.

 

My strategy for the five MBs I've had is to buy 3 years old with less than 50K miles, so it's still under warranty. A little common sense plus a good MB Service Advisor should guarantee that you don't end up with the rare problem car......BTW, my strategy has always netted me cars at less than 50% of original list price.

 

I have access to manhiem auction results, and I can tell you that dealers in the Nashville area don't mark their cars up anywhere near enough to take $5k less than they list a car at and still make a reasonable profit. That does not apply to MB certified used cars which I think are some of the most overpriced cars around.

I suppose if you highly value service the certified cars might be a value to you. As for me, I know what those cars bring at auction, and the dealers are really placing a high value on their service.

 

Thanks so so much for all your help!
Sorry bout the price thing--OK here are the prices
Black Gray certified--Started at 40,000, dropped over 4 months to 34,000 I offered 32,000
White Tan certified--Started at 39,000, has dropped to 34,900--I offerd 32,500 when it was at 38,000 and the SWORE they would not sell that low as they already had no profit--
that car is now on the lot 60 days--and we're not too far apart, but the dealership has never called me back. I've been in there twice and am kind of shocked they have not reached out! Maybe it's just me--but they know I'm interested!
The 2008 is 21,900. I think that's a huge difference in price for one year and 60,000 miles. I am just so panicky that I might get that "one" problem car.

 

Oh just found another
black/black (not the sweeeeet two tone interior)
11,000 miles
2008
34,900
original warranty just expired...it must be on that additional one year warranty--
great on the miles---high on the price


Awww damn---the black/black is sold, so is the gray with two tone interior. damn damn damn.
White--two tone is the only thing in my area that I really like--i wish i had time to get out of town and shop, but I can't even get 90 minutes outside of town to shop these things!
I appreciate all your input I was ready to go grab that Grey one on the vegas odds post. Thanks so much.

 

Don't fret the ones that are gone, you end up finding a great deal and a color combo you like. Looking forward to seeing pics after you close the deal

 

Keep looking. You will find what you want. It took me a couple of months to find my 9800 mile car spec'ed the way I wanted it!

 

For what it's worth...I had mine shipped in from Texas because I could not find one locally with all the options I wanted. The dealer even split the shipping to Calif with me. 15k miles, 2009 still under warranty, $33450, but it's a hardtop 550.

However.....Mrs. rizzo loves my car and was toying with the idea of trading the Beetle 'vert in for a CLK cabrio, so I took a quick look around and found a 2007 CLK 350 at MBZ Oxnard (CA). Silver w/black top and int. sport pkg., nav, heated seats, iPod. CPO car with 15k miles. Asking $28k

We went and looked at it yesterday. It is really clean.
Many many good bargains out there ...

http://mercedesbenzofoxnard.net/Oxna...r-Car/3817233/

 

I saw that one too Frank---the only problem is silver---:o(
anything but blue or silver and I'm all over it.
Got a beat on a couple more---but so far the white with the two color interior is the one that is at the top of my list---it's just a TAD out of my price range---by 2 grand. If it was black i would be JUMPING-- in white, I'm jumping just a TEEEEENY bit less. Taking deep breaths.
Have any of you had any luck with buying on a credit card? double miles right now and I would love to get an airline ticket out of this--lol

 

Just say "no" to credit cards.

Paying the minimum monthly payment on a credit card amount of just $6200.00 would take 28 years to pay off.

Seen that on 60 minutes awhile back.

Cash down, and finance is much better. Your not going to drive any car for more than 6 maybe 7 years.

 

Oh i have the cash and will pay off in 1-2 payments--I just want the miles!

 

Go for it then....

 

I'm with you on the credit card.
I got 0 percent on the VW and negotiated with the dealer to put $15k on the Amex.
Some dealers are not ok with it because it costs them a couple of points...

 

Ok, I think i found it--not the two tone interior--but a nice black with gray (it looks) interior...which was the color combo i FIRST fell in love with back in October certified, under warranty for almost a year more. Good miles--great carfax report- I have car number 2 picked out too---my back up black/black--a year older but a late sale means almost a year left on warranty.
Dunno how I'm gonna get home with my car and my new car----HA! What a problem to have. Cross your fingers for me and my credit card. :o)

 

Don't have me come down there for you too, TOUGH GUY!

 

Good luck on the car and let us know what happens (with pics, of course). Now, just a few things to think about - if it's a MY2008, check the engine serial number to make sure it's outside of the range with the "balance shaft" problems - M272 (3.5 V6) engine up to serial No. 2729..30 468993 or M273 (5.5. V8) engine up to serial no. 2739..30 088611.

As for putting it on a credit card, most dealers won't do that. It has nothing to do with any sort of weird rules or laws, but the fact that they have to pay a percentage of the price as transaction fees, so at 2% on a $20,000 car, that's another $400 they lose in the deal. Some dealers will negotiate on it, and others will allow you to pay up to a certain amount on your card. It just depends on how much profit they have built into the sales price.

 

Whew!! I DID IT!
Ok, not all of it, they would only let me charge 5,000.00 and I left home without my checkbook--- , so i have a loan that I have to pay off next week. (no penalty)

This car shopping is not for SISSY'S. I was EXHAUSTED at the end of it.
She's (are all cars shes?)a 2009 black on black with 14 months left on the original warranty and 31,000 miles. For the price I paid they made me give up the extended CPO but i was loopy by the end of it and said yes. Never heard of anything like that. I will probbly pick up an aftermarket warranty down the line.

What a fantastic ride home.

I put that puppy in sport and drove home the canyons. i can't wait to get the top down again tomorrow as the weather in So Cal has been amazing.

I thank you for the cheerleading and yes, pictures coming at you tomorrow. I want to go sleep in it now.

 

Congrats on the purchase mate

 

+1

 

Congratulations! Yes, negotiating to purchase a car can be exhausting. Of course you can save the aggravation and go with a no-haggle dealership. But in the long run, negotiating usually pays off.

 

W00t!!!

I take the canyons to and from work every day.