E350 Buy or wait
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Repairs actually don't matter. When a dealer appraises the car, all deferred maintenance is taken into account in the appraisal of the trade in. If the car needs 2k in repairs it will affect it's trade in value.
It pays to buy a new past model (2014) if you intend to keep the car more than five years. However if you trade every three years or so the 2014 model will depreciate four years over the next three years as opposed to three years for the 2015 model. That can be a significant hit.
Cars over five years are priced more on condition since most of the depreciation has been absorbed.
It pays to buy a new past model (2014) if you intend to keep the car more than five years. However if you trade every three years or so the 2014 model will depreciate four years over the next three years as opposed to three years for the 2015 model. That can be a significant hit.
Cars over five years are priced more on condition since most of the depreciation has been absorbed.
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Get used tires. cheap! 30 a tire...machine the rotors and get cheap brake pads from autozone have a indy do the work...shop shop shop...then trade the sucker in...always ways to bring that 2k bill dow. To 1k or less my friend make it last till the MY15
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c350
Exactly. Technically the wisest financials move is to keep fixing the c350 until the cost of repairs equals or is greater than the realistic value of the vehicle. That is the point it's prohibitive to keep the c350. There is a lot of maintenance already invested in the c350 and likely some pricey ones. Also the insurance is cheaper. It'll be a very safe car for your baby for years to come. Safer than many new cars in fact, just needs some maintenance
Ego will drive the op's decision as it does for most of us. Most of us on the fence with an aging car make the "it's not safe" argument. Yes, it's safe. Just needs some work. $2000 now and invest the $55k for a few years and not sustain the immediate depreciation on the new Benz... And the c350 is likely in a sweet spot of not likey going to depreciate as aggressively as the new
Benz
Just go buy the new car, you want it, and if you can afford it that's reason enough. The intangible is that you will be enjoying it now versus pining for it and thinking and thinking of the new car
This will not end without a purchase
Ego will drive the op's decision as it does for most of us. Most of us on the fence with an aging car make the "it's not safe" argument. Yes, it's safe. Just needs some work. $2000 now and invest the $55k for a few years and not sustain the immediate depreciation on the new Benz... And the c350 is likely in a sweet spot of not likey going to depreciate as aggressively as the new
Benz
Just go buy the new car, you want it, and if you can afford it that's reason enough. The intangible is that you will be enjoying it now versus pining for it and thinking and thinking of the new car
This will not end without a purchase
I can afford to fix my car and I can afford to purchase a new one. I tend to keep my car 5-6 years (my c350 is a 2008 model, which I own free and clear). I realize that purchasing a new luxury car is rarely a fiscally responsible decision, but I think it's important to save money that doesn't need to be spent.
Petee1997, you think that if I make the repairs to my car the trade in value will increase accordingly? If so, maybe I'll bite the bullet and wait. I thought that I would be throwing the money away, which is what I'm against.
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c350
This is an interesting idea. My brother in law is a mechanic (honda) so maybe he can help me out. I've never bought used tires, anyone have any experience?
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You can get OEM parts for about $250 per axle (including new rotors and pads), so if you need both front and rear, that's about $500 in parts. Cheaper if you go 3rd party parts.
Most non-chain tire shops will have used tires they will sell you cheap, often still with useable tread life left. That With mounting and balancing, you're paying maybe $50 to $75 per tire. Or you can get a set of cheap tires (via tirerack or the current discount tire/ebay $100 special) and get a set of tires for $200 to $300, figure mounting and balancing is another $75 and you'll have a new set of cheap tires for less than $400.
Those two items will affect trade in value. You won't get what you spent on trade in, but it will still add to trade in value.
a C class sedan is definitely not large enough to haul around new born gear and go on family trips. We had a 3 series sedan when we had our son and a C class as well, sold both and got a VW passat sedan for the wife and a vw passat wagon for me.
You can get about $8k off e class sedan/wagon's right now, or if you fix your car and wait till the end of the year, many have gotten 10k to 12k off e class sedan/wagon's last winter. So in theory a somewhat well equipped e350 sedan can be had for the upper $40k range new.
good luck and congrats on the new baby!
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c350
If your brother is a mechanic, he should be able to help you change your brakes.
You can get OEM parts for about $250 per axle (including new rotors and pads), so if you need both front and rear, that's about $500 in parts. Cheaper if you go 3rd party parts.
Most non-chain tire shops will have used tires they will sell you cheap, often still with useable tread life left. That With mounting and balancing, you're paying maybe $50 to $75 per tire. Or you can get a set of cheap tires (via tirerack or the current discount tire/ebay $100 special) and get a set of tires for $200 to $300, figure mounting and balancing is another $75 and you'll have a new set of cheap tires for less than $400.
Those two items will affect trade in value. You won't get what you spent on trade in, but it will still add to trade in value.
a C class sedan is definitely not large enough to haul around new born gear and go on family trips. We had a 3 series sedan when we had our son and a C class as well, sold both and got a VW passat sedan for the wife and a vw passat wagon for me.
You can get about $8k off e class sedan/wagon's right now, or if you fix your car and wait till the end of the year, many have gotten 10k to 12k off e class sedan/wagon's last winter. So in theory a somewhat well equipped e350 sedan can be had for the upper $40k range new.
good luck and congrats on the new baby!
You can get OEM parts for about $250 per axle (including new rotors and pads), so if you need both front and rear, that's about $500 in parts. Cheaper if you go 3rd party parts.
Most non-chain tire shops will have used tires they will sell you cheap, often still with useable tread life left. That With mounting and balancing, you're paying maybe $50 to $75 per tire. Or you can get a set of cheap tires (via tirerack or the current discount tire/ebay $100 special) and get a set of tires for $200 to $300, figure mounting and balancing is another $75 and you'll have a new set of cheap tires for less than $400.
Those two items will affect trade in value. You won't get what you spent on trade in, but it will still add to trade in value.
a C class sedan is definitely not large enough to haul around new born gear and go on family trips. We had a 3 series sedan when we had our son and a C class as well, sold both and got a VW passat sedan for the wife and a vw passat wagon for me.
You can get about $8k off e class sedan/wagon's right now, or if you fix your car and wait till the end of the year, many have gotten 10k to 12k off e class sedan/wagon's last winter. So in theory a somewhat well equipped e350 sedan can be had for the upper $40k range new.
good luck and congrats on the new baby!
It's funny, I think that for 2k, I'd rather get the car now, but for 4k I'd rather wait. Think I can ask my dealer? "Hey, can you give me an additional 4k if I wait two months?" lol. I don't see that going over well.
Last edited by dandlewood; Aug 21, 2014 at 12:14 PM. Reason: homonym error
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yeah, its space is incredibly deficient. I love the car, but I can barely fit the stroller in the trunk, let alone anything else. Once you pack my wife, car seat, and diaper bag in the car, there's no room for anything else.
It's funny, I think that for 2k, I'd rather get the car now, but for 4k I'd rather wait. Think I can ask my dealer? "Hey, can you give me an additional 4k if I wait two months?" lol. I don't see that going over well.
It's funny, I think that for 2k, I'd rather get the car now, but for 4k I'd rather wait. Think I can ask my dealer? "Hey, can you give me an additional 4k if I wait two months?" lol. I don't see that going over well.
I'm going by what other's have posted they got last winter and what I was able to get last year on my E wagon.
Wait a couple of weeks, when the 2015's start hitting the show rooms, start calling/emailing a few dealers and see if they are willing to give you 10k off the remaining 2014. Some may want to clear out inventory and may just give you a good deal.
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No fight at all
It is your time and your dime. I guess if you feel the need to replace your somewhat new car then go for it. I will save the financial advice as you seem to have your mind made up.
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Exactly. Technically the wisest financials move is to keep fixing the c350 until the cost of repairs equals or is greater than the realistic value of the vehicle. That is the point it's prohibitive to keep the c350. There is a lot of maintenance already invested in the c350 and likely some pricey ones. Also the insurance is cheaper. It'll be a very safe car for your baby for years to come. Safer than many new cars in fact, just needs some maintenance
Ego will drive the op's decision as it does for most of us. Most of us on the fence with an aging car make the "it's not safe" argument. Yes, it's safe. Just needs some work. $2000 now and invest the $55k for a few years and not sustain the immediate depreciation on the new Benz... And the c350 is likely in a sweet spot of not likey going to depreciate as aggressively as the new
Benz
Just go buy the new car, you want it, and if you can afford it that's reason enough. The intangible is that you will be enjoying it now versus pining for it and thinking and thinking of the new car
This will not end without a purchase
Ego will drive the op's decision as it does for most of us. Most of us on the fence with an aging car make the "it's not safe" argument. Yes, it's safe. Just needs some work. $2000 now and invest the $55k for a few years and not sustain the immediate depreciation on the new Benz... And the c350 is likely in a sweet spot of not likey going to depreciate as aggressively as the new
Benz
Just go buy the new car, you want it, and if you can afford it that's reason enough. The intangible is that you will be enjoying it now versus pining for it and thinking and thinking of the new car
This will not end without a purchase
Agreed.
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yeah, its space is incredibly deficient. I love the car, but I can barely fit the stroller in the trunk, let alone anything else. Once you pack my wife, car seat, and diaper bag in the car, there's no room for anything else.
It's funny, I think that for 2k, I'd rather get the car now, but for 4k I'd rather wait. Think I can ask my dealer? "Hey, can you give me an additional 4k if I wait two months?" lol. I don't see that going over well.
It's funny, I think that for 2k, I'd rather get the car now, but for 4k I'd rather wait. Think I can ask my dealer? "Hey, can you give me an additional 4k if I wait two months?" lol. I don't see that going over well.
See now this is a reason. Space, the C Class is just way too small for a family. However what are your other cars? If you already have a family car then keep the C350. For us we have a God awful 2012 Caravan with a 2014 Coming in soon.
Last edited by C280 Sport; Aug 21, 2014 at 02:41 PM.
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c350
Wifes car is a VW bug(which I hate). My car is the big car, lol.
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Repairs actually don't matter. When a dealer appraises the car, all deferred maintenance is taken into account in the appraisal of the trade in. If the car needs 2k in repairs it will affect it's trade in value.
It pays to buy a new past model (2014) if you intend to keep the car more than five years. However if you trade every three years or so the 2014 model will depreciate four years over the next three years as opposed to three years for the 2015 model. That can be a significant hit.
Cars over five years are priced more on condition since most of the depreciation has been absorbed.
It pays to buy a new past model (2014) if you intend to keep the car more than five years. However if you trade every three years or so the 2014 model will depreciate four years over the next three years as opposed to three years for the 2015 model. That can be a significant hit.
Cars over five years are priced more on condition since most of the depreciation has been absorbed.
then the car ended up having some pricey things done to it.....glad I got out of that one when I did......
good luck with the decision OP
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Ego factors into everything, but it's certainly not the main thrust of my decision to purchase. I've become a recent dad and have found that the c350 just doesn't have enough space to comfortable tote around everything I need (stroller, baby seat, wife in the back with the baby, etc) so I've decided I needed to upgrade. We travel 5+ hours several times a year, so back seat comfort and storage space has become increasingly important. Just to be clear, I don't think my car is unsafe(aside from the brakes/tires, which are an easy, if costly fix). Aside from the screeching sound, it's in excellent mechanical condition and has less than 40,000 miles on it.
I can afford to fix my car and I can afford to purchase a new one. I tend to keep my car 5-6 years (my c350 is a 2008 model, which I own free and clear). I realize that purchasing a new luxury car is rarely a fiscally responsible decision, but I think it's important to save money that doesn't need to be spent.
Petee1997, you think that if I make the repairs to my car the trade in value will increase accordingly? If so, maybe I'll bite the bullet and wait. I thought that I would be throwing the money away, which is what I'm against.
I can afford to fix my car and I can afford to purchase a new one. I tend to keep my car 5-6 years (my c350 is a 2008 model, which I own free and clear). I realize that purchasing a new luxury car is rarely a fiscally responsible decision, but I think it's important to save money that doesn't need to be spent.
Petee1997, you think that if I make the repairs to my car the trade in value will increase accordingly? If so, maybe I'll bite the bullet and wait. I thought that I would be throwing the money away, which is what I'm against.
what kind of stroller do you have? I have a Bob, and it fits folded in my trunk ( S ), but I have to take the wheels off to put it in my CLS......
it's a great stroller though........also have one of those dinky mickey mouse strollers that I hate pushing because I'm always kicking the wheels because it's made for someone my 5 year old daughters size to push LOL....
I know what you mean by needing more space.....why I went from E to S after our second daughter came
being a Dad is something I never thought I'd love so much, but it's an amazing journey.......good luck with your family, the car and welcome to the forums of fun
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c350
congrats on being a Dad!
what kind of stroller do you have? I have a Bob, and it fits folded in my trunk ( S ), but I have to take the wheels off to put it in my CLS......
it's a great stroller though........also have one of those dinky mickey mouse strollers that I hate pushing because I'm always kicking the wheels because it's made for someone my 5 year old daughters size to push LOL....
I know what you mean by needing more space.....why I went from E to S after our second daughter came
being a Dad is something I never thought I'd love so much, but it's an amazing journey.......good luck with your family, the car and welcome to the forums of fun
what kind of stroller do you have? I have a Bob, and it fits folded in my trunk ( S ), but I have to take the wheels off to put it in my CLS......
it's a great stroller though........also have one of those dinky mickey mouse strollers that I hate pushing because I'm always kicking the wheels because it's made for someone my 5 year old daughters size to push LOL....
I know what you mean by needing more space.....why I went from E to S after our second daughter came
being a Dad is something I never thought I'd love so much, but it's an amazing journey.......good luck with your family, the car and welcome to the forums of fun
We have a Bugaboo stroller with some kind of crazy bassinet attachment, but it also has an attachment that allows us to snap our car seat instead, so we tend to use that more often. The stroller without the bassinet (barely) fits in my trunk, but leaves no room for anything else. I'm a little worried that the comfort box might get in the way of it, but I think I should be good. if not, I can always take it out.
Going to the dealership tomorrow to make a final decision. Telling them 10k or I walk. I'll let you guys know what happens.
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'14 E350
Hey guys,
I need some advice. Considering biting the bullet and upgrading to the E-350 (US model) 2014. My dealer has offered me a competitive rate on a 4matic premium 1 model (Mid-Low 50's) and I'm trying to decide whether to buy or a month for the 2015 to come out. Only hitch is that if I wait a month, I'll have to dump around 1-2k into my current car which I really won't get back on the trade in. Is there any compelling reason to wait for the 2015 model? From what I gather, it will be nearly identical aside from the contents of the various packages.
I'm thinking that the extra 5-6k I can save by buying the old model year would make the car a better value (as much as luxury cars can be considered as having value).
I need some advice. Considering biting the bullet and upgrading to the E-350 (US model) 2014. My dealer has offered me a competitive rate on a 4matic premium 1 model (Mid-Low 50's) and I'm trying to decide whether to buy or a month for the 2015 to come out. Only hitch is that if I wait a month, I'll have to dump around 1-2k into my current car which I really won't get back on the trade in. Is there any compelling reason to wait for the 2015 model? From what I gather, it will be nearly identical aside from the contents of the various packages.
I'm thinking that the extra 5-6k I can save by buying the old model year would make the car a better value (as much as luxury cars can be considered as having value).
In the end it was a no-brainer to buy a 2014 E350 pretty fully loaded. The incentive was $9500 off a $62K sticker price. I did the homework to see what the 2015 updates will be and didn't see anything that mattered much. 2014 was when the big update occurred and the new generation won't be out until I believe the 2017 model year.
Good luck with your decision.
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c350
I just went through a very similar decision. My urgency was whether to get rid of my junk '05 BMW 545 with only 117K now or take a chance and wait but that engine codes will start coming back that would cost more than the car is worth to fix.
In the end it was a no-brainer to buy a 2014 E350 pretty fully loaded. The incentive was $9500 off a $62K sticker price. I did the homework to see what the 2015 updates will be and didn't see anything that mattered much. 2014 was when the big update occurred and the new generation won't be out until I believe the 2017 model year.
Good luck with your decision.
In the end it was a no-brainer to buy a 2014 E350 pretty fully loaded. The incentive was $9500 off a $62K sticker price. I did the homework to see what the 2015 updates will be and didn't see anything that mattered much. 2014 was when the big update occurred and the new generation won't be out until I believe the 2017 model year.
Good luck with your decision.
After walking out, they later agreed to my terms. MSRP 63k, paid 53K. (upgraded to a model that had the keyless go as well) They threw in floor mats/umbrella. I tried to get them to toss in the car seat, but no go.
Everything about this car is boss. Even the sound system decimates my old c350.
One word of caution to prospective buyers. The piece that covers the ashtray/cupholders was broken in 2 of the cars I sat in(one of the reasons I ended up upgrading). I think it was just the spring that was broken, but I'm not interested in doing a warranty repair before I take possession of the vehicle.
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'10 W212 4matic P2-Distronic / '14 Cayenne / '04 X5 3.0 / '13 Altima
After walking out, they later agreed to my terms. MSRP 63k, paid 53K. (upgraded to a model that had the keyless go as well) They threw in floor mats/umbrella. I tried to get them to toss in the car seat, but no go.
Everything about this car is boss. Even the sound system decimates my old c350.
One word of caution to prospective buyers. The piece that covers the ashtray/cupholders was broken in 2 of the cars I sat in(one of the reasons I ended up upgrading). I think it was just the spring that was broken, but I'm not interested in doing a warranty repair before I take possession of the vehicle.
Everything about this car is boss. Even the sound system decimates my old c350.
One word of caution to prospective buyers. The piece that covers the ashtray/cupholders was broken in 2 of the cars I sat in(one of the reasons I ended up upgrading). I think it was just the spring that was broken, but I'm not interested in doing a warranty repair before I take possession of the vehicle.
post some pics
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the walk out?? LOVE IT, reminds me of a Costanza moment.......not that George Costanza was the first guy to threaten to walk out.....or actually walk out.............or actually get a car for that matter............lol
good on you OP, congrats on the deal and extra's too; also get ready to never want a car without keyless go again for as long as you live now post pictures and mod list
good on you OP, congrats on the deal and extra's too; also get ready to never want a car without keyless go again for as long as you live
now post pictures and mod list
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'10 W212 4matic P2-Distronic / '14 Cayenne / '04 X5 3.0 / '13 Altima
.
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c350
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E 350
Congratulations on being a new dad and a new E350 owner . That was a well deserved upgrade. I'm in a somewhat similar situation and bought the same car. I'm sure you will enjoy it every bit as all of us do
.
. That was a well deserved upgrade. I'm in a somewhat similar situation and bought the same car. I'm sure you will enjoy it every bit as all of us do.
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2014 E63S; AMS 100 octane ECU dyno tune; EDOK TCU tune; BB intakes; sprintbooster
Congrats ... I have three car seats in the back of my '63... Being a dad is great... Driving a Benz is pretty cool too (but doesn't hold a candle to being a father)
May this car keep you and your family safe!!
May this car keep you and your family safe!!
