sk2015

Hello everyone I am new to the forums, so hopefully I posted this in the correct place!

I am debating between two cars and I would love some input on which one to purchase.

The choices are either a 2012 E350 Luxury with 52k miles for $24k or a 2014 E350 Sport with 25k miles for $35k w/ remaining warranty.

A. Which one is the better buy considering the mileage difference, facelift, and the warranty?
B. Is this a good price?
C. Would you recommend buying it for long drives?
D. Are there any maintenance issues that I should be aware?

TYIA!

rediesel

Where are you located?

I think the 2014 is a better buy. These cars can vary significantly based on options. I'd run the VIN on both to see what they are equipped with. As long as factory warranty is in effect you can get a MB extended warranty. These cars are great cruisers, both have the same engine so the only difference is sheet metal.


EDIT check out the CPO finder it's a nice tool http://www.mypreownedmercedes.com/search?zip=26505

jahquan3

All things being considered I'd lean towards the 2014 as well. They are nearly identical cars, so the only real difference is the miles, year, and price. If there was a way to squeeze a CPO or warranty onto that 2012, I might lean towards that but I'm assuming that wasn't an option.

ffr2014

I would also suggest going with the 2014 based on lower miles and longer remaining warranty. There are a several 2014 E350 sedans in that price / mileage range in Virginia. It will also have the newer face-lift.

jonUF02

I think the decision depends a little on the option packages as far as what is a "good deal" but mostly depends on your priorities. If you would rather pay 1/3 less and don't mind having the pre-facelift styling, then go for the older one. If you're very risk-adverse, then buy an extended warranty.

If you really want the latest styling, and intend to keep it longer, then go for the 2014 that costs quite a bit more.

My opinion and experience, as well as many published articles say that extended warranties are for suckers and worry warts. The option on my 2012 E550 recently purchased was an extra $2700 for 3 years I think. I believe it's highly unlikely that a car with 50K miles would have some catastrophic event in the next 3 years that would cost more than $2700, so I'm a gambler in this respect, and choose to go without warranty. This is even more true on the V6 model. Even if you have the warranty you have to read the fine print on exactly what is and is not covered and follow all of their rules to the T. The warranty company will try anything to get out of paying a claim.

Either car, definitely look at the Carfax reports when buying used and avoid anything with more than "minor damage" reported. A steady history of dealer service shows that the previous owner maintained the car to recommended schedules.

If you're getting a loan, think of it this way: on a 4 year loan, every $1000 financed with very good interest is about $22/month. So spending an additional $11,000 is about $242/mo difference in payment.

cetialpha5

I think for 2014, the eco option was new, read some of the other threads. Some people can't stand it, but I've driven cars with an eco option before and it didn't really bother me. Basically the car shuts off when you're at a light and then starts up once you take the foot off the brake. You can shut it off, but once you start the car again, you have to shut it off each time. Also you could get a 2012 that has under 50k, if it the in service date was under 4 years, you'd get the balance of the 4 year/50k warranty. You can buy an extended warranty on a 2012 as long as it still has the original factory warranty. I think if you buy the 2012 from an MB dealer, it has to have a CPO warranty in order to be able to buy additional an additional warranty. There are other threads that talk about other dealers nationwide that will discount an extended warranty or CPO warranty. If you search the forums, the W212 seems to be a bit more reliable than the W211, but a bad transmission, differential, transfer case or whatever can easily go over $2700. Does the 2014 even have headlamp washers anymore? I think 2012 you could get bi-xenons with headlamp washers, but I think 2014 got rid of the washers and you just have LED lights. 2014 also has the collision assist which I think was new for 2014. You just have to use the vin checker and see what options the car has. Most of them had the P1 package, but options you don't see too often would be the pano roof, driver assistance, parktronic, real leather instead of MB-Tex which is leather-like although all dealers will call it leather, trunk closer, keyless go, etc.

mnje350

I could not disagree more! GET A WARRANTY. As much as you can get. I would not own an MB without one. That being said, I have only had the CPO warranty and extended warranty from MB. Never had a claim denied on any of the cars I have.

2008 CLK 35O
- Washer fluid pump and tank, 450$
- Starter Motor, 550$
- CD Changer, Power amp and Sub, 1200$
- Power Steering pump $900$

Yeah, the warranty paid for itself.

Current Car
2010 E350, exteded warranty cost 2500$ for three extra years.

- Dynamic Seat bladders, 1200$
- Rear view Camera, 700$
- Rear window Screen motor, 900$

Yeah, the warranty paid for itself

Current Car
2011 S550, 4400 for 2 years extended warranty

- Replace drivers side seat heater, 1200$

I am pretty sure that the warranty won't be a waste of money.

The 2008 CLK was purchased with 39k miles
The 2010 E 350 was purchased new
The 2011 S 550 was purchased with 41k miles.

All cars have had clean carfax, one owner and all maintenance records. I have not regretted any warranty I have purcased on these cars. These cars are expensive to repair when the break. It does not take a catostrophic failure, to rack up an expensive repair bill. To think that won't happen is a BIG roll of the dice and just bad advise.

fosterelli

You're asking a $10K question. If you want to spend more, you'll get (in my opinion) much nicer styling, and less age & miles on the vehicle. Not to mention a lot of remaining warranty.

You'll have to decide what your priorities & preferences are, inspect the vehicles closely (pre-purchase inspection w/ technician could be worth the $$), note basic condition differences (dings, scratches, scuffs, etc.), ownership history of both, and so on...then weigh your options accordingly.

We absolutely love our 2014.

sk2015

Thank you for all the responses!

I am located in Cleveland, Ohio. Both cars are not CPO as they are not being sold at a Mercedes dealership. I will definitely have to look into warranty situation with my local Mercedes dealership and see what can be done. Both cars have clean carfaxes and very little scratches on the body. Both cars were serviced at the local dealership. I will see what else is available in my area and see if I can also locate a CPO vehicle.

fosterelli

From my understanding, if you're buying from a non-MB dealer, and there is factory warranty remaining, you may be able to purchase an extended MB warranty from a MB dealer (and you can check with a local MB dealer prior to buying from the other lot - just get the VIN). Now, I also understand that if you're buying from an MB dealer who chose NOT to make it a CPO - then your vehicle is barred from MB extended warranties.

DerekACS

Keep in mind that the 2014 has over 2000 new parts. The 2014 has a lot more than just a styling makeover. For example, the 7 spd transmission was revised to shift faster and smoother than the 2012. The MY2014, starting from 01/14 production, also has strengthened floor boards that result in this car achieving the highest crash test rating for small offset crashes, Top Safety Pick +. Collision prevention is also standard on the 2014.

If you can find a 2014 with the full LED lighting package, you would be very happy with its performance @ night. These lights are superior to the bi-zenons found in many 2012s.

Good luck with your search !

Diamond White W212

IF the 2012 is still eligible to purchase the Mercedes ELW (Extended Limited Warranty) you will likely find it much cheaper from one of the MB Dealerships that is a forum vendor here. Search in the Extended Warranty Discussion section of the forum https://mbworld.org/forums/extended-...scussions-191/
You could even ask there if the 2012 is still eligible for warranty. If it is, I think the 2012 is a great deal. I'm also a believer in having a warranty on a used MB and its the first car I ever purchased a warranty on. Even before I hit 50,000 miles I ended up getting the transmission replaced under the original factory warranty.

cc16177

I can't disagree with the warranty portion of the post enough. I own a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan (purchased in Dec 2014) and a 2011 Mercedes E550 (purchased in June 2015).

Between the two vehicles which i've put 20k miles on between the both of them (higher than usual i'll admit) i've had a grand total of $8,000-10,000 in CPO covered repairs.

Higher than normal? Sure. Rare? I don't know. All I do know is every penny I spent on both CPO warranties have paid me back.

I would not buy a car without a CPO warranty unless I have disposable income i'm ready to throw at a car.

Bottom line: I would be very wary of any Mercedes that does not include a CPO warranty.

Many can afford to disagree with me.

sk2015

I am leaning towards the 2014 as the warranty is pretty important on a merc.

Also, one last question is what are your thoughts on the 2014 e350 4matic vs a Subaru Legacy. I know merc surpasses Subaru on pretty much everything but this car is primarily for the snow so I want to know that I am purchasing the best car for that situation.

Cheers!

cetialpha5

To be fair, you got all that done at a dealer. If you went to an indy mechanic, it might have been a wash or if the car was older, there's always the option of aftermarket parts or junkyard parts. But a car that's only 3-6 years old probably doesn't have a full line of aftermarket parts and junkyard cars aren't that common early on and those parts that are available tend to be priced high due to their rarity.

Also on the extended warranty, it's supposed to be cheaper if you buy it within 30 days of getting the car.

LEDs are supposed to be better than bi-xenons, but they did get rid of the headlamp washers. 2012 was also the first year for direct injection, usually first year technology can be tricky like the problems they had with the 350 engine when it first came out in 2006.

cc16177

When you say the car is "primarily for the snow" what does that mean? Do you have multiple vehicles and this will be your "snow car" or do you just live somewhere with lots of snow?

If it's the first, I would probably just buy the Subaru...

sk2015

Yes I drive a Nissan Leaf during the summer time. But also living in north east ohio means lake effect snow and a lot of it. My wife drives a 09 e350 4matic and that has faired very well in the past couple winters we have had here. I have heard great things about subarus AWD system and wanted to see if anyone had any insight on the comparison of the systems. I am still leaning towards the MY14 as the car is very beautiful and both the Subaru and used MY14 only differ by 3K in price.

jonUF02

My co-worker is a big Subaru fanboy. He showed me this video comparing Subaru AWD system to others. It's pretty impressive. There are more on Youtube if you search. I'm not sure how the 4matic compares, as it's not part of the testing. I would hope it's equal to the Subaru type more intelligent AWD system.



on a side-note: headlight washers is absolutely the most useless option ever on a car. I have never used it. I would probably pay a little extra to delete the stupid holes from the front bumper.

schorert1

while I agree with this, do you actually have to "use it" or does it deploy automatically after ten windshield washes?

jonUF02

On my old CLK, it's a separate button. I guess the E550 I ended up buying does not have it, so I don't know. I was mistaken because of the cut-out in the bumper for the tow hook.

Yidney

Every warranty thread has a poster or two who basically says "of course get one - it will pay for itself!" There are at least two such posts here. None of those sorts of posts ever addresses why any warranty company would sell warranties on your model of car if that was even remotely true for everybody. Common sense tells you it is not true. Warranties on anything - TVs, washing machines, or cars - are a huge profit center. That's why there are so many extended warranty companies sending you flyers in the mail. My factory warranty expired three and half years ago. I could have spent several thousand dollars by now to keep a warranty on it. But my covered repairs in that time had I bought one remain at exactly $0. My experience is closer to average than yours. It's great it worked out for you, but that's a bit like winning $10k in slot machine and then telling everybody who walks by to put their money in it because it will pay them too.

KEY08

^ The truth. and those that pay $3-$5K for extended warranties know it.
Insurance companies are not in business to lose money, ever.

jonUF02

I can't agree more with the previous comments. Warranties might as well be called "mechanical insurance". And insurance is nothing more than legalized gambling. There are a few exceptions, but in the end, the house always wins big.

jahquan3

It can go both ways. IMO a warranty isn't needed but you better hope for the best. With cars that I did have warranties on I would nitpick any little thing and would take it in. Also I would not look around for a good deal since I had a warranty. Repair/Maintenance prices at the stealership don't always show the true cost when compared to a person who goes to reputable Indy shops. They slap almost any price on those invoices you see, since they literally rob people anyway with some of the prices they charge. I've seen people spend 3x as much on the same work when going to a MB Dealership and still having major issues with worst results then Indies.

jahquan3

I read somewhere it washes on the first spray of the day and every ten sprays thereafter. I believe someone else asked but it does shoot from the two openings for towing.