kbk

I have been in the market for a CLK 55 (or an M3) for a couple of months. I just found a great deal on 2005 CLK 55 with lighting pkg and nav. The car has 6800 miles and overall looks good upon visual inspection. The only problem that I found were: little scratch on the rear panel, two side mirror blinkers with condensation (blinkers with water in them), and fron driver side door ding. The dealer told me that they are gonna fix everything if I decide to buy the car and it will look brand new. I am going to test drive the car on monday to see if the car is mechanically sound.

Now here is the thing that really bugs me. The price is $52,900 and the car is not certified preowned (according to them, the car is too new to be certified... hmmm ). The dealer assured me that the car has no problem with it and I am just lucky to come across this deal. Carfax checks out fine with no record of factory buy back (i.e. lemon). Any thoughts?

Chi500

"Too new to be certified" sounds a little funny but there is always the factory warranty for another four years so I would probably go with it. Just make sure you let your salesman know about your concerns and that you are looking at an M3. I'd try to get the price even lower.

lowphat

That's strange for such a new car - I'd be looking for evidence of flood damage if I were you.

It's a dealer's job to always be on the "lucky" end of the transaction. Unless you have an ongoing relationship with a particular dealer they are going to get the max they can out of every deal. If it seems like a "deal" then something's up.

Good point about the warranty though.

RJC

Have the dealer print out the FULL service record, these can now be obtained via VIN even if done at another dealer...

Improviz

I'd recommend going over this one with a very fine-toothed comb...you can sometimes score great deals, but dealers aren't in the charity business, and if they're selling a 2005 for 2004 book, I'd spend some extra $ to make sure it wasn't flooded, wrecked, etc...

Is this a Mercedes dealer that has it? If so, I'd be a bit more "at ease" with it...

Anyway, you can check for flood damage, evidence of having been in an accident, etc....I'd also want to take it to a reputable Mercedes mechanic (or dealer) and have it looked over, and a few (not just one) body shops who specialize in cars of this type to make sure it wasn't crunched...the warranty will take some of the worry out of the mechanical stuff, but I wouldn't ignore it entirely; however, I'd be more concerned about the wrecked/flooded angle.

Here are some sites with stuff you can do yourself to check for flood/accident damage, and some prepurchase inspection firms, in no particular order:
http://www.freevehiclehistoryreport....inspection.htm

http://www.omegamotors.com/buylikeap...buy_step5.html

http://www.ins-help.com/Newsletter/410f019.htm

http://www.diynet.com/diy/ab_buying/...271205,00.html

http://affinity.progressive.com/auto...ood_damage.asp

http://www.naaa.com/html/news/index.cfm?story=1002

http://www.smartcarguide.com/inspection/Page4.htm

http://www.mennoniteinsurance.com/ac...to/410f019.htm

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...e/1266976.html

http://www.nada.org/Content/Navigati...c_08_09_01.htm

Good luck!

kbk

fellas, thanks a lot for your advice! Yes, the car is sold by a mercedes dealer. I hope they are willing to give me a detailed service record after the test drive. I will let you know how it goes.

ndabunka

Even if it IS a Mercedes dealer, that doesn't make the cars good. When I was shpooing for my CLK55 I first tried to buy two separate CLK430's from two separate Benz dealers. In one case, supposedly was owned by a Holloywood moviestar. That much turned out to be true but it had also had coke spilled in the gear changer TWICE (and benz only services that ONCE for free). I knew there was something up with the second CLK430 because the mirrors were wired "backwards" and there were "minor" electrical issues. After more extensive reasearch it was discovered that this second 430 had come from a dealer in Texas and the car had been located at a dealer that had "flooding" issues with other cars (supposedly not this one though). By the way, BOTH of these cars were listed as "Certified Mercedes" but if I had bought EITHER one, I would have had the pleasure of taking them into the serivce department over and over to get the things straight. Just a word of caution, even though it might be a Merc dealer, they are still simply CAR dealers and are subject to the same criteria (sales pressures).

kbk

Just came back from the dealer. All I can say is that the car felt as machanically sound as a new clk55 that I test drove a month ago. My main concern is electronics but there is no way of knowing until I own the car.

I asked about the service record. It is clean with only 1 entry. At 11 miles, the car came to a dealer (dunno which) to fix a battery problem. The entry said "battery wire issue." After that, there is nothing. I guess, there was no issue between 11 miles and 6800 miles. As far as flooding or body damage goes, the dealer denied everything and they are willing to document that in writing if I decide to buy the car.

All the bodily imperfections will be fixed before the delivery:
-Two side mirrors w/ blinker condensation will be replaced
-A hairline scratch (not noticeable) on the rear panel and the driver-side door ding will be fixed
-All four tires will be replaced (I complained about the balding)
-Service A will be done prior to delivery
-The car will be thorughly detailed and will look new
-The new price (after haggling) is $51,000 (from 52,900)
-All the above conditions + no accident/ no flooding will be documented in writing

I need to decide by tomorrow morning but the effort of the dealer to make me happy is making me even more anxious than reassuring. I mean, I think this is a good deal, but aren't they being too nice? What are they hiding?

C43AMG

My question is why does a car with 6800 miles on it have "balding tires" ?

kbk

I guess I exagerated a bit when I said balding. Front tires are fine. Rear tires have about 60% of thread life left and I could prolly drive the car till it hits 12k - 15k miles. I complained about this anyway, since 18" tires will cost me from 200-400 per tire. To my surprice the salesman said "ok, we will change them for you."

C43AMG

I don't know.........for 6800 miles this car seems to had a very rough beginning.Be careful - get everything promised in writing. Good Luck with it IF you decide to purchase it.

BiTurboBenz

If you like the color go for it. The W209 CLK55 is such a niche car, maybe they feel that there are not too many buyers for this vehicle. Plus you always have warranty, maybe the car had light damage. Good luck.

kbk

The car is exactly what I want. Black on black with xenon, nav, and 6-CD. I am gonna have such a difficult time deciding because on the one hand, this is a terrific deal, but on the other hand, I can just drive my 330i for 2 more yars and buy a 2008 M3 with V8/400+ HP.

I am wondering though, wouln't it be bad in terms of resale value if I buy a car that not many ppl want? I also noticed that there is no 2006 clk55 coupe, which makes me feel as if I am buying a discontinued model. I have no problem with being the only guy in my town with CLK55 (actually I would love to be the only guy) but I don't wanna drive a car that I will have a difficult time selling later on.

x-tian-230k

Buy the car to love it, not for its resale value. and if ur gonna get a 2008 M3 why we talking... Loose like u have a great deal here.... the warrenty is still in tack so GO for it...

Chappy

I would still have a PPI done. Also, ask them if this car was used in one of the AMG Challenge event(s).

allenjdmb

it would not have the full facotry warranty. It would have been sold at the MB Credit Auction with a red light. It also would have 4 new tires. That would be disclosed and warranty would be limited. Guys, I gotta say it again, just like in my other post at the 208 board earlier....there is just VERY limited demand for these cars. If the truck backed one off at our local dealer here, they would have a stroke. Same way with a C55 an S55, or a CL55. In everything but the most sophisticated (read--wealthy) marketplaces, these cars are just about unsellable. And in trying to sell al used one, all the skepticism that you guys have about the car just confirms how hard it is to move-"why does someone want to sell a 6800 mile car? What's the service history? If it's a a big dealer, they're a crook..if it's at a small dealer, they can't certify it. Why does it have a scratch? If I'm going to spend $50k, I want____ (fill in the blank)." These are legitimate concerns. It's just a LOT tougher than you may realize, especially in small markets. I can immediately think of 2 metro Atlanta dealers that used to have used AMG cars stacked to the ceiling---now they may have one in stock. When I called one recently to ask about a buy figure on a C55, my 20+ year honest friend at that store said he would not be a player at ANY price. It's not going to be long before we are at the point where the only way you'll be able to afford the depreciation on something this imited will be to lease. It will be cheaper than the hit someone will take. (The 996 went through this in the last few months of its life). Lesee, that CLK 55 was how much new--$72k depending on the equipment? At a $51 selling price (really $50.5 as they're including 2 new tires as well), that makes, at wholesale, about $25 THOUSAND dollars of depreciation in 6800 miles. And it still is a tough sell.
Check the MB service history. Did they give you a copy of the Netstar report?It CAN be certified if it meets the MB criteria. They just don't want to spend the $1100 (and I don't blame them). If it's got an MB warranty with no flags, clean Carfax and Autocheck, and no obvious defects, enjoy a great car at about $25k off list price. Just realize how tough it's going to be to get out when your new M3 hits the ground.

Chappy

The days of flipping MBs are probably long gone....I'm just glad I didn't pick up mine for the $89K asking price in the fall of 2000.

Chi500

Don't let the dealer pressure into making a decision on this before you're ready. About 10 years ago we held off a salesman for a decision for i think a month before we decided.

Stiggs

Of course the car will be hard to sell. If all you can think about is how you are going to get rid of it, then maybe this isn't the car for you. All you should be thinking about is how you got your dream car for a steal.
Of course I can't talk....I'm already selling my CLK55 and with no luck of course! Yeah...there's no market for these cars.

ndabunka

Your right to be worried about resale. The reason your getting the car at that price is EXACTLY BECAUSE the resale on these things is SO poor. As more and more mfgs come out with 350HP cars (almost as a norm), the desirability of having a Merc with 350HP is becoming less and less of a draw (afterall most of the newer Merc's have 469 or 500HP ala E55 & CLS55s). There was a time when someone wanted 350HP they HAD to look at an AMG. Not anymore. Now-a-days you can get a GTO, a Chrusler 300C, A Magnum, a mustang, a charger or a number of other cars with 350HP. They aren't a Benz but then again they are more like $30K instead of $60K.

As many on here know, I had a CLK55 I bought from a guy for his pay off. I drove it for 18 months and then sold it for what I bought it for. If I had bought it from a dealer (like you are thinking about doing), I would have had to of paid nearly $8K more than I did from the private owner. My recommendation is to search the used market and find someone that "needs to get out of his car" so that you can take full advantage of the "soft" market as I did. The CLK55 is one of the GREATEST cars I ever owned but it was also one of the fastest depreciating cars I ever owned (The 2004 CLK55 coupe is currently valued at a "trade in" value of $46K). I come in here every once in a wheil to "see the action". Good luck with your decision.

MarcusF

You may wish to inquire as to whether the car you're interested in has spent any time in the press fleet. If so, run. The absolute last thing you want to own is any high performance vehicle that has seen duty as a press car. The car in this photo was flogged all day at Willow a few years back. When we were done with it, the car ran "like" new and looked "like" new. Where do you think it ended up? Would it make a good car to lease? Maybe. To own? Not on your life.

BiTurboBenz

we can all thank MB for that, I still love my car though

kbk

well... i have decided to buy this car. Too good looking and there is no car in 50k range that can match this car. Upon my whining and nagging, the manager disclosed the full history of this car. The car was bought by a wealthy gentleman living by the central park (NYC of course) who had some serious $$$ to burn. One day he came to the dealer, test drove a CLS55, liked the car, and bought the car right on the spot. His trade-in value was high 40's (consistent with KBB value), which he didn't care too much. They are gonna write me a letter saying that the information disclosed is the whole truth and that the car is not involved in any accident/flooding. In addition to honoring all my requests (see my prev post), they are gonna change the oil and run more engine inspection free of charge (the manager told me "we did all the necessary inspection when we took the car" but I insisted that he do an engine inspection + oil change). Cannot wait to take a delivery on thursday

ndabunka

CONGRATS on picking a solid car. If the dealer wanted to (and the old ower was willing) you could probably even speak to the prior owner before you pick up the car. Probably not necessary though as your dealer is willing to put it all in writting. Enjoy the performance! I still miss mine (only every other day now though so it's getting better).

RJC

Congrats to you and I'm glad you got to see the service record. For about $18k off the sticker I'd say that's some serious depreciation, but look at it like this. The 06's are due out this month so that equals $7k off a new 05 and this one is used, so another $9k off, that's $16k off.