99c280sport

Local dealer to me has an 05 E500 with 3000 miles on it. They've had the car for at least 5 months cuz I remember seeing it on the lot back then and now one of the execs is driving it.

What do you guys think? Is there a great bargain to be had with this vehicle?

Obviously the negatives would be it's basically used and possibly abused by whomever. But with the current $5000 manufacture to dealer rebate and the fact it's got 3000 miles on it what should I offer them.

The car has an MSRP of $69000 and as you can tell it has many options (some aren't even neccessary for me) and people here are claiming $5000 under invoice or $10000 below MSRP.

Is this car worth going after or should I just get a brand new one?

Thanks Everyone

DWP

Our '03 E500 had over 500 miles on it, and a 9/02 build date, when we purchased it "new" in 9/03. It wasn't officially classified as a "demo" or "executive" car by the dealer, but the 500+ miles indicated that it did more than just sit in the sun over the nine months or so it went unsold. Why it went unsold for that long is another matter; probably because it's an E500 (a fairly macho car) in wussy colors, Desert Silver/Stone.

The deal we got on our car probably wouldn't have much bearing on the car you are looking at because of the many differences in the details. I can tell you, FWIW, that before we took delivery the dealership detailed the car so it looked like it just came off the truck, and we haven't noticed any problems so far that I could blame on pre-delivery abuse.

BudC

When I bought my last Mercedes, the salesman told me to NEVER buy a demo. I already knew enough not to do it. All you have to do is check out various forums on the Internet and read what people do to demos.

I'd never buy any of the following:

- lease car
- program car
- cars bought at auction
- multi-owner cars

Save up and buy a car at the end of a model year then drive the wheels off it.

aceman

if the msrp is 69K, i would offer invoice minus 6500.00 on it. that's me. I bought a new one for essentially invoice - rebate - 750.00 so you should definately get them to go into their holdback. PLUS they are getting some dollars for the fact that its a demo from MB and another thing in your advantage is its a pre-price increase car!

good luck!

aceman

Miguk_Saram

Drive it yourself first.. and pay very close attention to the small, miniscule details (interior appearance [scratches, leather wear and tear, door scuffs, loose panels, et al], creaks and squeeks, engine noise, et al)..

If you like the car, then try to get them to replace some "worn" items (tires and such) to sweeten up the deal..

Oh! And get them to extend the factory warranty to [current mileage] + 50k; and just to cover yourself, buy the extended warranty (negotiate it seperately..and yes NEGOTIATE!)

I'm not so sure that "how someone else drove the car" really matters (other than the psychological impact).. these cars are built to perform - German Engineering! And, unless the previous drivers went into the engine and drilled holes into it or poured salt into the gas tank.. I don't think there's a whole lot to worry about (well maybe a few headaches, but hey, some of us have had those with NEW cars!).. besides, as long as it's covered under warranty..

I'm sure there are varying opinions on this board, and I am anxious to hear them, so please fellas.. chime in.

My $.02

BudC

If a car has been used as a demo, it's almost certain that the guidelines that Mercedes, AMG, BMW or any other German car manufacturer have specified will have been violated. Break-in guidelines are there for a reason.

I've owned German cars since the 50's and I can assure you that you CAN screw things up by abusing a brand new car (German or otherwise).

Break-in procedures cover not just the engine but also the brakes and transmission.

People never look at a purchase over the long term. If the car is going to be traded in a couple of years, it doesn't matter but if you plan to keep it over the long term then it DOES matter and saving a couple of thousand up front is meaningless.

aceman

I think we can debate the +/-'s of a good breakin period. Working int he auto industry, today engines are designed to tighter tolerances, tested longer, lubricated better, and for the most part, from discussions i've had w/ engine designers/engineers, are designed to be driven normal from day 1. Who knows why MB puts the break in period of 1000miles. most car co's these days no longer have the breakin. I wouldn't NOT buy the car based on teh fact that you didn't break it in. LIke the other poster said, get the extended warranty if you're uncertain...just my 2 cents!

aceman

HELL ONA HARLEY

A tough decision for sure.... Well, maybe.
Anyway one things for sure, You don't want to buy the E's I've test driven.....

99c280sport

Thanks everyone for your comments so far!

As for the extended warranty- what's going on with it now?

I know there was a major price increase for the additonal 3 years so who has

the best prices nowadays. I already sent Lisa at Chico Courtesy an e-mail

and haven't heard back yet. What are people paying now?

HELL ONA HARLEY

Don't hold your breath waiting for Lisa to return your message.... I had no luck dealing with her and actually bought the extended warranty from MB the day I bought the car at an excellent price... Some here have had better luck with Lisa, guess its a hit and miss thing with her. Your right about the price of the extended warranty going up.... The extra $$$ your paying for it now covers many electrical components not covered under the old warranty (like mine)... This is money well spent and I definatly recommend getting it. Just do yourself a favor and get it when purchasing your car and don't wait till later (you have up to one year after purchase)... You'll have more leverage on the purchase price at the time of pick-up of your car rather than later.

Do yourself a favor and do a search in this forum under Extended Warranty.... You should find alot of good info, including a letter from MB I posted a few months ago with prices of the "new" warranty.

Good luck with your decision.

99c280sport

What should I offer for the extended warranty now that it retails for over

$4000. Anybody get it for less?