Want to buy E350 wagon
01-15-2019, 10:57 AM
#1
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Want to buy E350 wagon
I'm going to a used E350 wagon. It will be our family car, and we won't drive more than 12k a year probably, maybe much less, no commuting so only for weekend/vacation use. I tend not to baby my car a lot, and would rather not worry about dings, scratches, etc, but I value reliability and low maintenance. I plan to have the car for 10+ years. Am I better off getting a used CPO 2016 with less than 30k miles for 45-50k, CPO 2016 with 40-60k miles for 35-45k, or a non CPO vehicle to get the best bang for my buck? I plan to buy an extended warranty, and maybe a dealer maintenance package as well. The prices are from searching o n MB site for CPO E350 nationally, how much can I realistically knock off these prices?
01-15-2019, 11:13 AM
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Prices vary between locations, when you choose not to disclosure yours?
What are your qualifications for DIY inspection and repairs? It is common wisdom that having Mercedes without warranty is only for die-hard DIY, or mechanics will take your house on long run.
So good starting point is getting a car with extended warranty. That still will not last 10 years you are planning to keep it.
CPO cars are not as guaranteed as they used to be, so good PPI is still recommended.
Bare in mind that 1 or 2 years old MB are leased models, where users don't care much about maintenance.
What are your qualifications for DIY inspection and repairs? It is common wisdom that having Mercedes without warranty is only for die-hard DIY, or mechanics will take your house on long run.
So good starting point is getting a car with extended warranty. That still will not last 10 years you are planning to keep it.
CPO cars are not as guaranteed as they used to be, so good PPI is still recommended.
Bare in mind that 1 or 2 years old MB are leased models, where users don't care much about maintenance.
01-15-2019, 11:27 AM
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Prices vary between locations, when you choose not to disclosure yours?
What are your qualifications for DIY inspection and repairs? It is common wisdom that having Mercedes without warranty is only for die-hard DIY, or mechanics will take your house on long run.
So good starting point is getting a car with extended warranty. That still will not last 10 years you are planning to keep it.
CPO cars are not as guaranteed as they used to be, so good PPI is still recommended.
Bare in mind that 1 or 2 years old MB are leased models, where users don't care much about maintenance.
What are your qualifications for DIY inspection and repairs? It is common wisdom that having Mercedes without warranty is only for die-hard DIY, or mechanics will take your house on long run.
So good starting point is getting a car with extended warranty. That still will not last 10 years you are planning to keep it.
CPO cars are not as guaranteed as they used to be, so good PPI is still recommended.
Bare in mind that 1 or 2 years old MB are leased models, where users don't care much about maintenance.
10 years is what I'm hoping for, but things happen.
What is PPI?
I was under the impression that off-lease cars are desirable, or is it better to look for a single owner car?
I cannot justify buying a new E400, I'd rather get a different wagon (Subaru or Volvo). The CPO/used E350 (35-50k USD) appeals to me as its in the rough ballpark for a Volvo or fully loaded Subaru Outback, and I can justify spending the extra 10-15k if I get a car with a better engine and maybe better reliability.
01-15-2019, 11:07 PM
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
It's tricky to buy them private party. You could also get an extended warranty up to 7 years/100k if it still has the original factory warranty, but there's lots of limitations so you should have the vendors mentioned in the extended warranty subforum check the vin to see if it qualifies for the extended warranty. That would probably be cheaper than a CPO but wagons are hard to find let alone regular sedans being sold private party. NYC seems to have some of the best prices in the country. You can go to the MB dealer to do the PPI, also get the VMI (vehicle master inquiry) which will let you know what was done at the dealer. Probably not much when the mileage is low. As for the maintenance package, you can buy them up to 80k on the car. Major maintenance like spark plugs and transmission fluid is at 60 and 70k which would be included in the package but they normally charge separately if you're just buying A or B service. The W212 was pretty solid, plenty of people here with over 100k on theirs. My 2011 is over 100k. Only things that I can think off of the top of my head is the motor mounts, those have always been trouble points but MB always uses liquid filled mounts which don't last as long as solid rubber ones in other car lines.
01-16-2019, 01:22 PM
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
No mater what or where you buy, PPI is always strongly recommended.
Now talking about lease, I did own a car that was on 1 year lease. When car was kept pristine, I could not find records of oil changes. Those cars can take lot of abuse and negligence, but all with some limits.
Psychologically speaking, 3 years lease would require the user to do proper maintenance but than it all boils to individual character.
Used car selling is very tricky business. Most of the time dealers just detail good trade-ins and put them for sale. Even CPO is having very long check list - reports say that it is often not observed.
There is new concept in used car sales where company in Arizona made special plants and dial-a-car warehouse towers. They check used cars, repair them, detail, make very detailed photos and sell them via internet with 7-days return policy.
You can see the car on the net, pay of it, drive to the warehouse and after entering the code -pick it up at vending machine.
They sell them average $2000 cheaper than traditional dealer and 7 days return is hard to beat.
Now talking about lease, I did own a car that was on 1 year lease. When car was kept pristine, I could not find records of oil changes. Those cars can take lot of abuse and negligence, but all with some limits.
Psychologically speaking, 3 years lease would require the user to do proper maintenance but than it all boils to individual character.
Used car selling is very tricky business. Most of the time dealers just detail good trade-ins and put them for sale. Even CPO is having very long check list - reports say that it is often not observed.
There is new concept in used car sales where company in Arizona made special plants and dial-a-car warehouse towers. They check used cars, repair them, detail, make very detailed photos and sell them via internet with 7-days return policy.
You can see the car on the net, pay of it, drive to the warehouse and after entering the code -pick it up at vending machine.
They sell them average $2000 cheaper than traditional dealer and 7 days return is hard to beat.
Last edited by kajtek1; 01-16-2019 at 01:27 PM.
01-19-2019, 06:26 AM
#7
E350 Wagon for sale
I have a black 350 Wagon for sale with 30k. Has CPO through May 2019. Happy to share details with you.I
I'm going to a used E350 wagon. It will be our family car, and we won't drive more than 12k a year probably, maybe much less, no commuting so only for weekend/vacation use. I tend not to baby my car a lot, and would rather not worry about dings, scratches, etc, but I value reliability and low maintenance. I plan to have the car for 10+ years. Am I better off getting a used CPO 2016 with less than 30k miles for 45-50k, CPO 2016 with 40-60k miles for 35-45k, or a non CPO vehicle to get the best bang for my buck? I plan to buy an extended warranty, and maybe a dealer maintenance package as well. The prices are from searching o n MB site for CPO E350 nationally, how much can I realistically knock off these prices?
