balthus

We are long-time MB owners. My 2013 E350 wagon is purring along with just under 35k miles and my CPO extended warranty runs another 14 months.

About 2 & 1/2 years ago, my husband was driving a beautiful low mileage 2010 GLK that was totaled when he was hit by a truck and for a number of reasons he opted to buy a 2016 Subaru Outback.

We always buy MB CPO's that are a few years old and usually have 2 cars a few years apart in model year.

Neither of us has a long commute so his car only has 14k miles on it and he likes it ok but does not love it and he recently had his first non-oil change service issue and was very disappointed with how the Subaru dealership handled the problem which was not even a big issue and it made use bit concerned about the future.

Not going to go into those details here as not relevant but I had my wagon in for a B service and a few other things this past week and instead of getting the standard C class sedan as a loaner my SA gave me a E300 (not sure if it was a 17 or 18) and we were pretty wowed by it although quite overwhelmed by the technology but we just had for 2 days so really didn't spend much time trying to figure anything out but the very basics..

It did get us thinking about trading in the Outback which is paid for and has good resale (although likely not from MB on a trade) and I started looking for a CPO 17 E300 as well as 16 E350 CPO's which run about 10k less but do not have all the bells and whistles and cool interior of the new E300.

Does it make sense to buy a 16 at this point with the older styling although I have read a lot of pro's and con's about the 300?

And with the 19's coming out in the fall since we are not in a "have to buy a car now" mode will pricing on 16 or 17's drop when the 19's come out?

The C class is too small and I do not like the interior design. We'd even consider a 2nd wagon but to be in our price point we'd be looking at a '15 and not sure that makes too much sense when we have a '13.

Or we could look at a 17 or 18 CPO GLC in about same price point although I have disliked the nav screen mounted on the dash but I imagine one gets used to it and he'd probably be happy with that as he liked his 2010 GLK but it had the nav integrated in the console.

Sorry I know I rambled on a lot above but looking for advise and suggestions as to whether or not to do something now, wait until 19's come out & maybe CPO pricing drops or just keep the Outback since it's paid for and see what happens after my 13 wagon ages in a year or two. Not sure what MB has coming down the pipeline,

Thanks in advance.

DFWdude

Googling a bit, I think you will find the the E300 (72.9") and the Outback (72.4") to be the within 1/2" of the same width (discounting mirrors). That's hardly worth discussing, except the mirrors may sit higher on the Outback... with two sedans of the same height, the mirrors will be on the same level. Just for comparison, my 2016 E350 (W212) is 75.9" wide (discounting mirrors), some 3" wider than the others. If 3" matters then it matters...

You had to buy the Outlook for some reason... If your husband likes the cargo capacity of the Outback, IMO he will find trunk size and especially access a challenge with either Mercedes. Personally, I much prefer the trunk lid width on the W212 series over the W213. Not only is W212 wider overall, the trunk lid liftover area is MUCH wider. Just visually compare the rear view on both MBs, and you get the idea. I wish all of these trunks were 4-5" deeper.

Althogether, your choice between W212 or W213 is all a matter of styling choice. I like everything about the W212 visually, especially the rear end with it's "ribbon style" taillights. IMO, the W213 is nearly the same up front, but (factually) narrower and far too tucked-in at the rear, giving not only lesser trunk access, but a squashed look overall... and I really don't like the taillights at all. But that's just me.

Inside, I much prefer the W212, with it's Comand system integrated in the dash, and elegant sliding access to the center console. The tablet style Comand display on the W213 looks like a tacky add-on afterthought, and the tipping garage door center console lid looks tacky, if not plain cheap. Add the black painted look of the interior wood, and, well, you get the idea.

If entertaining a W212 at all, please look into a 2016 model with Comand NTG 5.1 system (not available previous years). In a coupe it will have Apple Play and Android Auto available (IMO the only post 2016 bell/whistle to wish for). On the sedan, the hardware/software is there and you'll have to sweet talk the dealer into adding AP and AA. Not to mislead, because MB does not support it in the sedan (no one knows why). At least it is possible, as others here have done this upgrade. I will probably wait til my warranty expires before chancing the upgrade on mine.

I see you're not adverse to buying pre-owned. You propbably know you will get much better deals on the 2016 W212 than anything newer. In my experience, all MBs depreciate about 45-50% by year three. And there should be a good number of 2-3 year leases ending about now and if you find a lower mileage one, it will have some warranty remaining so you can ferret out any bugs in time.

raja777m

brand new wagon:
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...archRadius=500

I liked it, just the wife wasn't interested in the matte finish interior (we currently have the milky* burl walnut wood) and beige/grey interior, she felt the interior is too dark and dim when we sat in the black on black GLE 450 for a test drive.
This above vehicle is something I would get if I had the money for a new one. It had all the packages I currently enjoy and it is a new car..!

edit: actually I had a filter 2015-2017 brand new and I found this for some reason. sorry if you're limited to a year. But my opinion is W212 looks better than the w213, except for the Wagons.
After joining this forum, I loved the looks of the wagon, will definitely take a look into one.

balthus

Thanks and I edited my original post as we learned that the Outback width with mirrors is 81.9" so the width is not an issue for the E300 with mirrors open or closed. He picked the Outback as he liked the GLK and at the time we could not find a CPO in color with options we wanted and we needed to buy a car. He is from Seattle so practically everyone in his family drives one and his sister bought one after 35 years of driving a BMW and we bought new for a change.

I hear what you are saying though. His Outback is good for cargo that is too tall for the wagon. We have alternated having a wagon & SUV or a wagon & sedan or a sedan & SUV for many years. As long as we have one vehicle with good cargo space that will not be a priority factor.

If we trade the Outback, he will get the wagon and I'd get whatever we opt to buy. We usually switch off who has the "newer" car. I guess we are somewhat old school and like the boxier vs curvier and more elegant less aggressive styling. Do you think CPO pricing for 16's or 17's will drop much after the 19's come out?

balthus

Love our 2013 wagon and 2004 wagon before that. I'd buy another in heartbeat but can't afford new and good preowned hard to find particularly in Texas. They are few and far between. I look at the inventory on mbusa but would be hesitant about buying any car without seeing it and having to have it shipped although I know people do it all the time. Highly recommend a wagon though. They are truly elegant and unique. Thanks.

DFWdude

If you are here in Texas, you should become familiar with this site, based in Dallas... www.texascarsdirect.com They sell almost exclusively Mercedes vehicles that they buy (Off-lease returns) from MB Financial. A no-nonsense dealer that sets their prices at CPO less $5-7K, -- they have several W212s less that $36K -- and you can take it to any MB dealer for the balance of warranty service.

Johnny Rad

balthus

Ah yes bought a Jaquar convertible from them many years ago when they were Texas Mustang Sales which we took to an indy repair shop and didn't keep long. I wasn't sure though how it works with dealer and if you also still get loaner, etc. Thanks for the reminder. I had pretty much forgotten about them.

DFWdude

I've just bought one car from them, so don't have a complete history. (I place car sales just one step above insurance sales, which isn't saying much. So I am always wary)

That said, they stand shoulder to shoulder with MB Dealer managers at MB Financial off-lease auctions. So they get the same opportunity to bid on cars. The story is that after shipping the car to Dallas from wherever (mine came from Miami), they mark up their bid by $1K and put it up for sale. There's a News Report video on their site explaining it.

They had seven 2016 E-Class sedans on their website the week I bought mine in March, and all seven were gone within a week. While picking up mine, there was a couple there from California picking up theirs. They said it was their second purchse from them and they were well satisfied. I spent an hour with my wife thoroughly inspecting the fully detailed and prepped car during a test drive (without a salesman present). So I completely knew what I was buying visually before making the decision to proceed. All their cars are stored inside in a big warehouse until sold

The website provides the data card a complete CarFAX report on each car they sell. They do not dicker on price, but my $64K MSRP car with 17,000 miles was sold to me at a 47.5% discount... I estimate a CPO Dealer car would have cost $6000 more. So I have no complaints. With almost 2 years (and plenty miles) left on the OEM warranty, it's already been to one of the two MB dealerships in N. Dallas to replace the "milky wood" with no questions asked...and I got a loaner for 2 days. Service rep there says I got a good one.

I bought my first MB in 2001... paid MSRP less $1K -- in cash -- and watched it depreciate 45% in the first two years. I told myself never again, so my 19th car is my first ever "pre-owned" purchase. So far, I'm very pleased, as the car has no functional problems, and is beautiful visually.

I know this sounds like I should apply for a job with this company. But as I said at the outset, I don't trust car sales people. Thankfully, I didn't really spend much time with one on this purchase. He copied my license (as expected) and handed me the keys for the test drive, and processed the sale when I got back. That's it. A take it or leave it deal, like buying a carton of milk at the grocery store. So, for the first time in memory, I didn't feel a need to shower when I got home with my new (to me) automobile. YMMV, of course.

balthus

They have been in business a long time. As mentioned we bought a Jaquar from them many years ago and I recall the transaction to have been smooth. I had forgotten about them but will check them out again.

JSch

In the past years, I have had a C class as loaner, a GLE350 and a new E300. The only complaint I had on the C class is size. I am 6' 2" and the worst part of the C class is the center console is so wide that I have no place to put my knee. The headroom and everything else was OK. The GLE was very nice, but I am not a SUV person. Although, from all the loaners, that would have been my choice! The E300 has cool features, and is very nice. The engine and transmission is very smooth, but if you push the 4 cylinder, is gets noisy and I miss the power from my E350. The wide center console issue I had with the C class, I also have with the E300. I love my E350, but there are days when my '88 W126 300SEL gives my the space and comfort I enjoy!

I would just keep the Outback..

balthus

I looked at their site and they do have some nice cars. A few issues - they are not open on Saturday which is the only day my husband and I both go. You have a limited time to get car checked out. Not sure dealers will inspect anymore. You can hold the car for a short period for $1k but of you opt out it takes 90 days to get your $ money back. Even if the car is within MB warranty, you can not buy the extended MB warranty. Their current financing rate even with 800+ credit os high, Not deal breakers but enough to consider the value of a CPO plus MB extended warranty from dealer. Thanks - will keep all posted.

Mud

I agree (and do the same as) with DFWDude, etc about being the second owner of cars. I like to pay cash and get them within the original mfg warranty. In my case I bought my E350 from nxcess motorsports in Houston and the purchase was just fine, including my negotiation of final price. One caveat - I did check history with MB and also verified eligibility for ELW with MB directly. The car was as advertised, no hidden surprises. My car was a one-owner off-lease with about 25k miles on it at the time They were also willing to let a third party check the car and I saw receipts from local dealer where they had taken the car for service and a battery replacement. So for me it was all on the up and up, but it was about 2 1/2 years ago if I remember right, so I can't say how they do today. However, they do have a number of MB's and maybe at least taking a look to compare pricing.

cetialpha5

Pretty much all dealers will do a PPI (pre-purchase inspection). They basically do it so they can find something wrong so they can get the business. It's basically about 2 hours so some say around $250 to get it done at the MB dealer. I had it done on my car and I think it was slightly less than $200 because they quoted me 2 hours and then while I was waiting, I was walking around outside and saw the car was done after 1.5 hours so he only charged me 1.5. I should have taken the walk at one hour. My guess is that it probably only takes them 1/2 hour to an hour to really do. If you do it, get the VMI from the dealer while it's being done.

As for the extended warranty, I'd check with a real MB dealer to see if that's the case. I know in certain cases if the car was a previous CPO, then it wouldn't qualify for any extended warranty or if it was sold by an MB dealer without a CPO then it also wouldn't qualify. If they picked it up at auction, most of time it would qualify. But I'd run the VIN past one of the vendors mentioned in the extended warranty sub forum to see if it really qualifies or not and not take the word of a used car dealer. Looks like they like to sell their own extended warranty.

balthus

Thanks will contact my local dealer and inquire.

balthus

My MB dealer will inspect costs $190 and about 1.5 hours and says they if car is under factory warranty it should qualify for extended warranty. Thanks.

DFWdude

Financing for a used car never offers an advantageous financing rate, so I declined the financing offer before the pitch... Try to buy the car with cash or have a loan approved through your credit union before you go. Some Credit Unions offer lower rates on used cars than commercial banks, but you can bet it will be higher than new car rates.

A couple extra pointers...
1) Call ahead and ask if the car has it's documentation (Owner's manuals) and two keys.. Some cars come with only one key. You can afford to buy a car $200-300 more than you want to pay if it includes both keys, as buying a replacement second key will be much more expensive.

2) If the car has the "milky wood" dash trim AND time/mileage left on the factory warranty, do not hesitate to buy it anyway if it has everything else you want. You already know from reading here that you can have the wood trim replaced under warranty -- no questions asked -- as the faded wood is a well known problem. I don't know for sure, but think my car was discounted at least a couple hundred dollars because of the wood. So faded wood can actually work to your benefit.

3) If the car IS within warranty, and if the OEM extended warranty is important to you (it wasn't to me), call your local dealer where you will have it serviced to ask if it will be available, as answers here indicate that it is available. My local dealer accepts and services my car under warranty as if I bought it brand new from them.

4) Finally, at the site I noted, if you see a car that you absolutely must have at the pricing you can accept, DO reserve the car with the intention to inspect and claim it within the timeframe allowed. Initially, I inspected two cars that I liked at Texascarsdirect, but drove home to mull it over for a day. (both were there for weeks for some reason, so I thought I had plenty of time to think it over). By the time I was ready to go back (without reserving it) I checked the inventory on the site again, and someone else reserved my first choice. I ended up with my 2nd choice car, which I've actually come to like better (only major diff between the two was exterior color, plus the car I finally bought had full Parktronic, which is fun to play with).

To repeat, their cars sell very quickly, apparently given the pricing and no-nonsense dealing. The salespeople will not hassle you at all, because they know the car will sell to someone else in hours or a day if you don't take it. On our salesman-less test drive, we probably could have kept the car for 3-4 hours without problem, if we had told the salesman we needed enough time for a dealer inspection.

One question I had was what would happen if someone tried online to reserve the car during the hour I was test driving it. So, I would ask them if the car is on "hold" while you test drive it so you can take your time and confidently buy the car on your return..

balthus

Today's update. The dealer will not do extended warranty because car has technically had 2 owners so I would have to go with 3rd party extended warranty, My husband and I knocked off work early today so ran over there around 4:30 to look at the 2016 wagon when I happened to too spy a few loaded CLS 400 sedans. I know totally different animal but a good friend has one and loves it and as it's just the 2 of us, we decided to take one for a spin. We also took my husband's Outback and got a trade-in quote which was exactly what the guaranteed trade-in amount is from Subaru so that was a nice surprise. Going to check out the CLS forum as the one we drove was pretty elegant and would nit be too shabby sharing our garage with our wagon. TBD. Happy holiday weekend all!

mirkee1

wonder if there is something similar to texascarsdirect in California? Looking for a clean, low mileage 2016 e350