chatham

hello, I am looking to purchase an E350 and I would appreciate any input some of you have. it looks like I will purchase up to a 2010 model year as far as my budget is concerned. would like to keep it under 25K dollars. any problems for these cars I should be aware of? anything I should know?


thank you

El Cid

Look at Stickies for service and bulletins on this thread, usually 2nd and 3rd. The 2009 and earlier are W211's, so may need to look there in looking at those cars. Most problems have probably been corrected by now, but those threads will let you know what to look for.
There was a major change between 2009 and 2010 for the body and interior.
Need to decide if you want Luxury or Sports versions. Little different styling on exterior and interior. Major difference is in ride and comfort levels. Luxury rides more comfortably.
Good luck in your search.

justaguy

What you should know is that repairs are very expensive ... Since the car is over 5 years old you will not have any factory warranty left . It's a big gamble ... Guaranteed it will suck up your money like a vacuum cleaner .

despicable merc

Huh... 25k? Why don't you lease a new car instead of dropping 25k. In two years 2010 car will worth like 10k and god knows how much money you will invest in it.

mikeyle

obvious exaggeration, in two years a 25k 2010 e will still be worth 18-20k, the big depreciation is in the first two years, not the 6th and 7th. these cars are prone to problems like any other cars, what makes them unique is labor and parts needed to repair a merc is higher than other cars. If youre buying for a 5-6 year old e350, just make sure you leave maybe 2-3k aside in your budget every year for any unexpected repairs, you prob wont need to use it you definitely need to have it available. There is some truth to the saying "theres nothing more expensive than a cheap mercedes". Leasing is a better option if you switch cars often, if you plan on keeping this for 5+ years than buying is a better option.

maguzma

Unless you purchase a used W212 with extended service (A & B) the cost of ownership moves up. I still can't comprehend an oil change for a MBZ costs $265.00. And a "B" service is about a $100.00 more. Some places offers discounts but the price still does not justify a plain oil change. My last and first "A" service cost almost $280.00 and I asked what was performed and the mechanic reported that he changed the oil checked the other fluids and windshield wipers. But when it came down to service it was just an oil change. In fact, it took a whole 30 MIN. From my business perspective, that is over $200 dollars in labor charges (if they paid retail on mobile one).

Substance

Depriciation is big the first year and the year warranty expires which is generally 4th year. No one wants to touch a used outside warranty merc unless its cheap. High mileage hurts german imports value more than others.

Nevertheless if you are a car enthusiast and if 25k is what you can afford it is worth the risk in my opinion. I would rather spend the money on a car I enjoy than the one merely gets me from point a to b. In the end you will spend more on repairs & maint and probably lose a lot of value once you want to sell but oh well. Cars are never good investments. Buy the car you think you will enjoy most. Just my opinion

beshannon

Far too broad a question.


You need to narrow your search and ask more specific questions about a more specific car.

Trancebolt

under 25k is unrealistic.... you must consider the tax license and other fees, plus optional ex warranty.. which is smart.

I just bought a 2012 e350 bluetec, with 27k miles for 36000. It ends up at 42 before you leave. So a 25k car is less actually...... unless u mean 25(+5-6000/-0)

justaguy

I'm also in the market for a 2012 E350 ....did you buy it from a dealer ... If so is it a CPO and if so how much factory warranty is left on the car ?

QUOTE=Trancebolt;6200345]under 25k is unrealistic.... you must consider the tax license and other fees, plus optional ex warranty.. which is smart.

I just bought a 2012 e350 bluetec, with 27k miles for 36000. It ends up at 42 before you leave. So a 25k car is less actually...... unless u mean 25(+5-6000/-0)[/QUOTE]

Trancebolt

Mbz Calabasas<br />
Cpo<br />
27k, total of 3 1/2 year unlimited warranty with factory warranty going to 50k/4yr(17mths), then a one year unlim cpo warranty, then a one year extended warranty, everything but tires brakes rotors and negligent dmg like keysctatches etc.<br />
<br />
35k &gt; 41k, -2500d <br />
One owner, 10k yr lease for 2.5 yrs, purchased mid 2/15/2012 originally. <br />
<br />
Had new tires Goodyear eagle runflats, but mines a bluetec. Full tank of gas is 70 worth lol...

Oh, and payment wasn't due for 1mth15days and they pay two payments for you after three months up yo 1200 total

justaguy

Sounds like a deal I'm looking for but I'm thinking of waiting until Jan or Feb when no one is buying . Maybe I can push the price closer to 30K in dead of winter .

Trancebolt

My dad would suggest getting an 011 non direct injen and around 30k miles for a non bluetec you can hit 30k but not b4 tax license etc and ull need to buy two years warranty to git 3 1/2 since its a yr older...

Added an edit to my other post too

El Cid

Might try end of December also as very few people purchase cars then. That's why you see so many December special car ads. Closer to the end of the month/quarter, the better the deal

BeachBunny

There's a couple of 2012 E350s in Florida for ~28k. High mileage, but some of them are very well equipped.

I just passed on a 2012 E350 with Distronic Plus, Lane Tracking, Leather seats w/heating AND ventilation. VIN is WDDHF5KB0CA526369 and as of today it's still on the lot. I pulled the service history and there's *NO* reported problems/complaints. Just serviced at the dealer and that's it.

mleskovar

Should be easy to get a '10 for under $25K....where are you located? Repair costs can be softened by using indies.

Alex.currie44

I guess I am blessed but I have had 2 W124s which were supposed to be dogs and rust buckets yet I had no issue with either including one I put 300,000 km on. Trans was changed at 34000 under warranty and no further issues on the last one other than wear and tear. Most expensive repair was timing chain, sprockets and tensioner after 250,000 km.
I had 2 W211's. One a 2003 E320 2WD which survived a huge shunt on the left front corner costing a ton and a 2009 W211 E350 4 Matic wagon. No issues.
The current W212 E350 4matic wagon is a great car and no issue over 2.7 yr.
Get a clean, no accident, well documented service records car with a year of warranty (i.e 2011 or later and under 50000 miles) and enjoy the thing. Naysayers abound but most of us seem happy with our lot in life and the ability to afford these cars.

Alex.currie44

In this part of the world 15000 miles is considered average driving. A 2012 delivered early in the year is nearly 3 yr old. 25000 miles is less than 9000 a yr. Even if it is just 2 yr on the road 12,000 is pretty average.

The key is has it been in any accidents and has service been done and up to date.

mikeyle

i had a w140 that was like 9 years old with 100k miles, and i drove it 50k miles over 5 years as a secondary car and i probably put about 5k in repairs into it over the 5 years, avg of 1k a year to drive a s class that was a total joy to drive was well worth it. for 25k you could get a problem free honda accord or camry, but honestly if you want a merc than youre not considering these cars so i say go for it, youll be happy driving it the 360 days a year its not in the shop.