offer on my car
#26
MBWorld Fanatic!
I have a 2012, which has a bit of a value jump with the new m278 turbo engine, but I also looked at the Nada recently, and there is no way I'm letting it go for $18k "retail" price. I'm sure trade is 5k less. I searched within 500 miles on Autotrader.com and there are only a handful of E550 2012-2014, all of them over $22k except one private seller with some visual modifications that would turn me away based on pics, and one stupid cheap at $13,700 with front damage on the Carfax and 121k miles. This radius includes from Miami to Atlanta. I think this car is rare enough that a well kept example is selling above what the "books" say. I'll probably have it another 2 years or more, putting it over 100k miles, and then the value will probably be so low that I'll just never sell it. Only sold my last one because I had nowhere to keep it and I didn't want it to weather away in the street.
#27
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2016 E350 Sport
I have a 2012, which has a bit of a value jump with the new m278 turbo engine... I think this car is rare enough that a well kept example is selling above what the "books" say. I'll probably have it another 2 years or more, putting it over 100k miles, and then the value will probably be so low that I'll just never sell it. Only sold my last one because I had nowhere to keep it and I didn't want it to weather away in the street.
Something else to consider, though.. We Americans are now satisfied (sadly) to buy neanderthal, box-on-frame pickup trucks with roofs and extra seats, windows and doors. Accordingly, our domestic manufacturers have passed the tipping point, just last year deciding to abandon the SEDAN car marketplace (or is it surrendered to Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai?)
This shift in customer demand is not about price, either. Consumers are gleefully buying (err, leasing) $68,000 domestically produced SUVs in place of similarly priced luxury sedans. The profits on a new SUV are at least 2x-3x that of a unibody sedan, so the US manufacturers are more than content to push SUVs on us until we succumb to the hype (as apparently we have)
Given this evolution, used sedan prices are falling across the board. I have a friend who is a finance manager at a local Toyota dealership. He says they can't give away newly off-lease sedans... of any Brand. So he suggests now is the time to buy a used sedan while pricing is low, before it goes even lower.
In combination with the rate at which MBs, BMWs (etc) depreciate, we need to be honest and realistic in valuing our cars. The writing is on the wall. No matter how "rare" and valuable you think your MB is, the sedan market is changing, and all it takes is another oil price trade war to put your luxury MB (especially a V8) in the pricing gutter.
The situation is different in Europe, where fuel economy is more highly valued. So, while MB-USA turns out SUVs by the thousands at its Alabama USA plant, MB-Europe will continue to make sedans and estate wagons as they always have.
Bottom line? I'm perfectly happy to keep my Mercedes for the long haul, because I know it's built like a tank. My 2001 MB at 115K miles is literally worth nothing, yet it has no rattles or squeaks, so I know that MB's flagship model (E-Class) will be the same.
Last edited by DFWdude; 03-27-2019 at 08:28 AM.
#28
Is anyone here that help me to chose my car? I will try to get the car on lease transfer BMW X5 xDrive 40e so, here is a detail for a car
Original payment:$819Payment with incentive:$819Incentive Applied:$0Current Miles:8997Lease Miles Remaining:21003Miles Per Year:10,000, Original term:36 months, Months Remaining:17 months, Lease End date:8/31/2020Lease End Buyout Price:$42,409.00
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#30
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
But you are right that logically when you DIY - you can't beat value of "classic" Mercedes.
Reading how other members are pulling 40- years old cars from the barns and put them on the road for few hundreds buck- make you confident that there is no upper limit how long you can drive them.
I've seen 1960's MB diesel showing on local craigslist. Was tempted to buy it for restoration, but that era cars offer HP in 40's range and AC who work only when it feels like it, so showing-off might be short lived.
Now have you seen pricing on new diesel pickups? They have even more gadgets than new MB, but MSRP is over $140,000 for a nice one. Still you can get them with huge discounts.
Last edited by kajtek1; 03-27-2019 at 10:43 AM.
#31
MBWorld Fanatic!
DFWdude,
I agree with the assessment of the rapid decline of the sedan in America. I greatly prefer the handling characteristics and lighter weight (aka quicker acceleration) of my E550 over the body roll of an SUV. My wife "hates" driving my car because it's not tall. I worked at a rental car company around 2005 and I saw much of the same attitude, mainly from women. Well have to wait for the next recession and gas hike before consumers shift back to the sedan, but times are good now, so bigger is better. Funny thing is that I'm seeing a lot more hatch backs coming out, which were very unliked 10+ years ago. Europeans always embraced the utility of the hatchback, and now Americans that can't afford the SUV are catching on. I always just thought a hatchback looked cooler as a small car than a sedan, and the extra cargo space is always welcome. I would love to drive an E63 wagon, or prefereably an E550 wagon which doesn't exist. Things like the CLA, new A class, or Audi A3/S3 sedan just make me scratch my head and ask why even bother putting the back doors on it when the back seat is useless and paired with a tiny sedan trunk.
I test drove a Porsche Cayenne S recently. I thought it may drive sporty enough for a change as they are becoming pretty affordable in the 2011+ style, but it does not. I got back in my E550 and felt the torque thrusting me along and knew I would have to go up to a turbo model Cayenne with the lowering air suspension if any.
I agree with the assessment of the rapid decline of the sedan in America. I greatly prefer the handling characteristics and lighter weight (aka quicker acceleration) of my E550 over the body roll of an SUV. My wife "hates" driving my car because it's not tall. I worked at a rental car company around 2005 and I saw much of the same attitude, mainly from women. Well have to wait for the next recession and gas hike before consumers shift back to the sedan, but times are good now, so bigger is better. Funny thing is that I'm seeing a lot more hatch backs coming out, which were very unliked 10+ years ago. Europeans always embraced the utility of the hatchback, and now Americans that can't afford the SUV are catching on. I always just thought a hatchback looked cooler as a small car than a sedan, and the extra cargo space is always welcome. I would love to drive an E63 wagon, or prefereably an E550 wagon which doesn't exist. Things like the CLA, new A class, or Audi A3/S3 sedan just make me scratch my head and ask why even bother putting the back doors on it when the back seat is useless and paired with a tiny sedan trunk.
I test drove a Porsche Cayenne S recently. I thought it may drive sporty enough for a change as they are becoming pretty affordable in the 2011+ style, but it does not. I got back in my E550 and felt the torque thrusting me along and knew I would have to go up to a turbo model Cayenne with the lowering air suspension if any.
#32
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
I thought with the low gas prices that the V8 wouldn't be an issue but I suppose that used buyers want fuel efficiency too. For giggles, I looked up the value of a 2014 Kia Optima which was my second choice after the Accord. While the Kia didn't hold it's value as well as the Honda according to those valuation websites, the Kia is still worth more than my W212 that cost just as much back then. Such a joke.
Agreed.
Something else to consider, though.. We Americans are now satisfied (sadly) to buy neanderthal, box-on-frame pickup trucks with roofs and extra seats, windows and doors. Accordingly, our domestic manufacturers have passed the tipping point, just last year deciding to abandon the SEDAN car marketplace (or is it surrendered to Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai?)
This shift in customer demand is not about price, either. Consumers are gleefully buying (err, leasing) $68,000 domestically produced SUVs in place of similarly priced luxury sedans. The profits on a new SUV are at least 2x-3x that of a unibody sedan, so the US manufacturers are more than content to push SUVs on us until we succumb to the hype (as apparently we have)
Given this evolution, used sedan prices are falling across the board. I have a friend who is a finance manager at a local Toyota dealership. He says they can't give away newly off-lease sedans... of any Brand. So he suggests now is the time to buy a used sedan while pricing is low, before it goes even lower.
In combination with the rate at which MBs, BMWs (etc) depreciate, we need to be honest and realistic in valuing our cars. The writing is on the wall. No matter how "rare" and valuable you think your MB is, the sedan market is changing, and all it takes is another oil price trade war to put your luxury MB (especially a V8) in the pricing gutter.
The situation is different in Europe, where fuel economy is more highly valued. So, while MB-USA turns out SUVs by the thousands at its Alabama USA plant, MB-Europe will continue to make sedans and estate wagons as they always have.
Bottom line? I'm perfectly happy to keep my Mercedes for the long haul, because I know it's built like a tank. My 2001 MB at 115K miles is literally worth nothing, yet it has no rattles or squeaks, so I know that MB's flagship model (E-Class) will be the same.
Something else to consider, though.. We Americans are now satisfied (sadly) to buy neanderthal, box-on-frame pickup trucks with roofs and extra seats, windows and doors. Accordingly, our domestic manufacturers have passed the tipping point, just last year deciding to abandon the SEDAN car marketplace (or is it surrendered to Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai?)
This shift in customer demand is not about price, either. Consumers are gleefully buying (err, leasing) $68,000 domestically produced SUVs in place of similarly priced luxury sedans. The profits on a new SUV are at least 2x-3x that of a unibody sedan, so the US manufacturers are more than content to push SUVs on us until we succumb to the hype (as apparently we have)
Given this evolution, used sedan prices are falling across the board. I have a friend who is a finance manager at a local Toyota dealership. He says they can't give away newly off-lease sedans... of any Brand. So he suggests now is the time to buy a used sedan while pricing is low, before it goes even lower.
In combination with the rate at which MBs, BMWs (etc) depreciate, we need to be honest and realistic in valuing our cars. The writing is on the wall. No matter how "rare" and valuable you think your MB is, the sedan market is changing, and all it takes is another oil price trade war to put your luxury MB (especially a V8) in the pricing gutter.
The situation is different in Europe, where fuel economy is more highly valued. So, while MB-USA turns out SUVs by the thousands at its Alabama USA plant, MB-Europe will continue to make sedans and estate wagons as they always have.
Bottom line? I'm perfectly happy to keep my Mercedes for the long haul, because I know it's built like a tank. My 2001 MB at 115K miles is literally worth nothing, yet it has no rattles or squeaks, so I know that MB's flagship model (E-Class) will be the same.
#33
MBWorld Fanatic!
DFWdude,
I agree with the assessment of the rapid decline of the sedan in America. I greatly prefer the handling characteristics and lighter weight (aka quicker acceleration) of my E550 over the body roll of an SUV. My wife "hates" driving my car because it's not tall. I worked at a rental car company around 2005 and I saw much of the same attitude, mainly from women. Well have to wait for the next recession and gas hike before consumers shift back to the sedan, but times are good now, so bigger is better. Funny thing is that I'm seeing a lot more hatch backs coming out, which were very unliked 10+ years ago. Europeans always embraced the utility of the hatchback, and now Americans that can't afford the SUV are catching on. I always just thought a hatchback looked cooler as a small car than a sedan, and the extra cargo space is always welcome. I would love to drive an E63 wagon, or prefereably an E550 wagon which doesn't exist. Things like the CLA, new A class, or Audi A3/S3 sedan just make me scratch my head and ask why even bother putting the back doors on it when the back seat is useless and paired with a tiny sedan trunk.
I test drove a Porsche Cayenne S recently. I thought it may drive sporty enough for a change as they are becoming pretty affordable in the 2011+ style, but it does not. I got back in my E550 and felt the torque thrusting me along and knew I would have to go up to a turbo model Cayenne with the lowering air suspension if any.
I agree with the assessment of the rapid decline of the sedan in America. I greatly prefer the handling characteristics and lighter weight (aka quicker acceleration) of my E550 over the body roll of an SUV. My wife "hates" driving my car because it's not tall. I worked at a rental car company around 2005 and I saw much of the same attitude, mainly from women. Well have to wait for the next recession and gas hike before consumers shift back to the sedan, but times are good now, so bigger is better. Funny thing is that I'm seeing a lot more hatch backs coming out, which were very unliked 10+ years ago. Europeans always embraced the utility of the hatchback, and now Americans that can't afford the SUV are catching on. I always just thought a hatchback looked cooler as a small car than a sedan, and the extra cargo space is always welcome. I would love to drive an E63 wagon, or prefereably an E550 wagon which doesn't exist. Things like the CLA, new A class, or Audi A3/S3 sedan just make me scratch my head and ask why even bother putting the back doors on it when the back seat is useless and paired with a tiny sedan trunk.
I test drove a Porsche Cayenne S recently. I thought it may drive sporty enough for a change as they are becoming pretty affordable in the 2011+ style, but it does not. I got back in my E550 and felt the torque thrusting me along and knew I would have to go up to a turbo model Cayenne with the lowering air suspension if any.
#34
MBWorld Fanatic!
My wife's side of the family loves to lease cars. They are all about the "Latest and greatest" and must have a new car. They ask why we do not own new cars all the time and why some of our cars are 10+ years old? I simply smile and say "Because we can afford to buy"
#35
MBWorld Fanatic!
I like new technology. Not necessary that I need it, but this is part of my hobby to explore and that was what was making me changing cars quite often.
But you are right that logically when you DIY - you can't beat value of "classic" Mercedes.
Reading how other members are pulling 40- years old cars from the barns and put them on the road for few hundreds buck- make you confident that there is no upper limit how long you can drive them.
I've seen 1960's MB diesel showing on local craigslist. Was tempted to buy it for restoration, but that era cars offer HP in 40's range and AC who work only when it feels like it, so showing-off might be short lived.
Now have you seen pricing on new diesel pickups? They have even more gadgets than new MB, but MSRP is over $140,000 for a nice one. Still you can get them with huge discounts.
But you are right that logically when you DIY - you can't beat value of "classic" Mercedes.
Reading how other members are pulling 40- years old cars from the barns and put them on the road for few hundreds buck- make you confident that there is no upper limit how long you can drive them.
I've seen 1960's MB diesel showing on local craigslist. Was tempted to buy it for restoration, but that era cars offer HP in 40's range and AC who work only when it feels like it, so showing-off might be short lived.
Now have you seen pricing on new diesel pickups? They have even more gadgets than new MB, but MSRP is over $140,000 for a nice one. Still you can get them with huge discounts.
#36
MBWorld Fanatic!
My wife is the same way. However, when she drives one of the coupes or convertibles she loves it! She says it reminds her of being on vacation as where the SUV is all business for the day to day grind. I like being on vacation everyday because everyday is a holiday
#37
MBWorld Fanatic!
I definitely can't afford to lease at that price. I made one payment on my 3 year old E550, a check for $24,500. That would only get me 2.5 years on that lease, I've OWNED the car for nearly 4 years and it still has considerable value, vs. throwing away all that money into the air.
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#38
MBWorld Fanatic!
I definitely can't afford to lease at that price. I made one payment on my 3 year old E550, a check for $24,500. That would only get me 2.5 years on that lease, I've OWNED the car for nearly 4 years and it still has considerable value, vs. throwing away all that money into the air.
#39
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
IMHO lease is a luxury and definitely only for people who have lot of disposable income.
You can buy new car, drive it for 2-3 years and sell, what should you save some money comparing to lease, but then who wants to deal with tire kickers?
I bought couple of former CPO cars, who originally started with 1 years leases. I can only imagine cost of using MB like that for 1 year.
Had similar experience with my friends who needed new water heater. Even I am semi-retired, I could install them good WH for less than $1000.
But they prefer luxury and spend $2200 for Costco contractor to do it next day.
It is only money.
You can buy new car, drive it for 2-3 years and sell, what should you save some money comparing to lease, but then who wants to deal with tire kickers?
I bought couple of former CPO cars, who originally started with 1 years leases. I can only imagine cost of using MB like that for 1 year.
Had similar experience with my friends who needed new water heater. Even I am semi-retired, I could install them good WH for less than $1000.
But they prefer luxury and spend $2200 for Costco contractor to do it next day.
It is only money.
Last edited by kajtek1; 03-28-2019 at 11:42 AM.
#40
MBWorld Fanatic!
IMHO lease is a luxury and definitely only for people who have lot of disposable income.
You can buy new car, drive it for 2-3 years and sell, what should you save some money comparing to lease, but then who wants to deal with tire kickers?
I bought couple of former CPO cars, who originally started with 1 years leases. I can only imagine cost of using MB like that for 1 year.
Had similar experience with my friends who needed new water heater. Even I am semi-retired, I could install them good WH for less than $1000.
But they prefer luxury and spend $2200 for Costco contractor to do it next day.
It is only money.
You can buy new car, drive it for 2-3 years and sell, what should you save some money comparing to lease, but then who wants to deal with tire kickers?
I bought couple of former CPO cars, who originally started with 1 years leases. I can only imagine cost of using MB like that for 1 year.
Had similar experience with my friends who needed new water heater. Even I am semi-retired, I could install them good WH for less than $1000.
But they prefer luxury and spend $2200 for Costco contractor to do it next day.
It is only money.
LOL @ G-class!
#41
MBWorld Fanatic!
Even more sobering, if I had bought the 2014 Accord Touring (instead of my used 2011 E550) for the same money 5 years ago, that car has a trade in value of $15-16k and retail of $17-19k depending on who you ask. But then I wouldn't have known the joys and pains of owning a Mercedes.
I just build a car "Mercedes-Benz G-Class G 550 4MATIC SUV" including these features:
Go for this deal without any hesitation, if you want to drive luxurious wheels then this car is for you.
Go for this deal without any hesitation, if you want to drive luxurious wheels then this car is for you.
#42
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
By the way, did your wife get the 2019 Accord EXL? I drove the 2019 Accord Touring and it's pretty nice on the inside - I understand the EXL is pretty much the same. Not in the same league as the W213 but it did make me feel like my W212 was a little dated.
#43
Senior Member
I usually just smile & say: "I own the best cars in the world, it's called: "PAID OFF..."
#44
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Thread Starter
Actually since I have about 6k miles left under extended warranty, I was thinking about listing my car for sale just to see what I get hoping the transferable extended warranty will sweeten the sale. What do you all think are the best options for listing a car for sale? Autotrader? Cargurus? Probably going to target $16k+ and see what happens.
#45
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Actually since I have about 6k miles left under extended warranty, I was thinking about listing my car for sale just to see what I get hoping the transferable extended warranty will sweeten the sale. What do you all think are the best options for listing a car for sale? Autotrader? Cargurus? Probably going to target $16k+ and see what happens.
#46
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
#47
MBWorld Fanatic!
Autotrader definitely gets the best exposure. Facebook market has been like the new Craigslist with less BS lately. Just remember you're competing with dealers, and the price tag is more than most people can afford in cash. I think few people pay cash for a car over maybe $5-10K. That's always been the difficult part of selling a pricey used car on your own unless it's something rare and desirable. I always refer people to contact a credit union for financing if they want to buy it.
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#48
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Thread Starter
Autotrader definitely gets the best exposure. Facebook market has been like the new Craigslist with less BS lately. Just remember you're competing with dealers, and the price tag is more than most people can afford in cash. I think few people pay cash for a car over maybe $5-10K. That's always been the difficult part of selling a pricey used car on your own unless it's something rare and desirable. I always refer people to contact a credit union for financing if they want to buy it.
#49
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Last time I sold SL500 for about $3000.
Bought it for $1200, so even with my time and few parts I put in it, still good deal/
#50
MBWorld Fanatic!
Hey Fisch, All auto sales are non-binding on eBay. That’s why people do it. Per their policy that has been in place since the start:
“A non-binding bid is a bid that shows a buyer's interest in purchasing an item, but it doesn't create a formal contract between the buyer and the seller. All bids made in the Real Estate and eBayMotors vehicles categories are considered non-binding.”
Either party can just back out at any time
“A non-binding bid is a bid that shows a buyer's interest in purchasing an item, but it doesn't create a formal contract between the buyer and the seller. All bids made in the Real Estate and eBayMotors vehicles categories are considered non-binding.”
Either party can just back out at any time
Last edited by KEY08; 04-16-2019 at 05:40 PM.