Does a Canadian model in the U.S. add any value?
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 540
Likes: 39
From: Suburban Washington DC
1995 S280 5-speed
Does a Canadian model in the U.S. add any value?
Or special interest? There is a 2011 E350 diesel coming up for sale soon that caught my eye. Already titled in the U.S. Besides the speedometer, is there anything different from U.S. models? Is it worth any more or less here because it's Canadian?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
I would buy a W212 that lived as far SOUTH as possible. (Think Winter road salt, rust, extreme expansion/contraction of rubber parts, etc) Last I checked, Canada is about as far NORTH as possible.
So, it's a flat NO for me.
So, it's a flat NO for me.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 765
Likes: 171
From: Walnut Creek, CA
325Ci, 325Cic, C300
Same. It's not only the frequency of heat cycles, but the amplitude of said cycles. Even without salt it can't compare to the cars around here where cooling parts, even the plastics can last the life of the car.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 1,550
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
He's just looking to flip it.
How'd the sale of that manual C class go? I wouldn't bother with a diesel as mentioned earlier, lots of mysterious problems where there aren't too many experts because they sold so few of them. The later years also have some expensive problems which require expensive MB parts to repair that you don't get on the gas models. And aside from the salt problem, what regular US buyer would want a speedometer in kilometers? Changing out the cluster isn't that cheap either. The Canadian model is cheap for a reason. Skip it.
How'd the sale of that manual C class go? I wouldn't bother with a diesel as mentioned earlier, lots of mysterious problems where there aren't too many experts because they sold so few of them. The later years also have some expensive problems which require expensive MB parts to repair that you don't get on the gas models. And aside from the salt problem, what regular US buyer would want a speedometer in kilometers? Changing out the cluster isn't that cheap either. The Canadian model is cheap for a reason. Skip it.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 540
Likes: 39
From: Suburban Washington DC
1995 S280 5-speed
He's just looking to flip it.
How'd the sale of that manual C class go? I wouldn't bother with a diesel as mentioned earlier, lots of mysterious problems where there aren't too many experts because they sold so few of them. The later years also have some expensive problems which require expensive MB parts to repair that you don't get on the gas models. And aside from the salt problem, what regular US buyer would want a speedometer in kilometers? Changing out the cluster isn't that cheap either. The Canadian model is cheap for a reason. Skip it.
How'd the sale of that manual C class go? I wouldn't bother with a diesel as mentioned earlier, lots of mysterious problems where there aren't too many experts because they sold so few of them. The later years also have some expensive problems which require expensive MB parts to repair that you don't get on the gas models. And aside from the salt problem, what regular US buyer would want a speedometer in kilometers? Changing out the cluster isn't that cheap either. The Canadian model is cheap for a reason. Skip it.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 540
Likes: 39
From: Suburban Washington DC
1995 S280 5-speed
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
Anyone buying a used car will want to know where it has been with a past owner. If they don't ask for this information -- or if you don't disclose it -- they indeed may not notice the metric speedometer.
Virtually ALL the others (so far) have responded that you should avoid this car. You can assume that any willing buyer will want the same information...
Last edited by DFWdude; Sep 25, 2020 at 08:49 AM.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 540
Likes: 39
From: Suburban Washington DC
1995 S280 5-speed
Anyone interested in the car's history will check the Carfax. And diesels seem to bring top dollar whenever I see them being sold. Missed a 2012 S-class the other day because it sold so quick.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
So, let's ask you the question... Why would you not provide the information?
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 540
Likes: 39
From: Suburban Washington DC
1995 S280 5-speed
The few Canadian car's I've owned all showed on the Carfax their origin. I'd have no problem saying it's Canadian. Personally, I'll take a Canadian car over one from Ohio, Michigan or other rustbelt state where they use more salt on the roads than they do in Canada. Canadians know how to drive on snow so they don't need to treat the roads with so much chemicals.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
Well, US Carfax is not Carfax Canada. I don't know the differences and am not sure I care, as it should be clear by now that I personally would not buy any used Canadian car. I do know that US Carfax does not report any Canadian vehicle lien information.
And there will have to be extra paperwork somewhere (that must travel with the car), showing that the car is legally imported, and legally titled in the US.
Changing subject, you have not told us how many miles this 2011 W212 has. (Or is it kilometers?) Even a lightly used 2011 could have 100,000 miles or more. MB values plummet after 100,000 miles.
And there will have to be extra paperwork somewhere (that must travel with the car), showing that the car is legally imported, and legally titled in the US.
Changing subject, you have not told us how many miles this 2011 W212 has. (Or is it kilometers?) Even a lightly used 2011 could have 100,000 miles or more. MB values plummet after 100,000 miles.
Last edited by DFWdude; Sep 25, 2020 at 09:35 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 1,550
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Just remember that because it's Canadian, it might not qualify for the settlement. Or maybe it only gets whatever settlement Canada gets. I'm not even sure it would qualify for whatever recalls that might come in the US. Probably no extended warranties either. But I don't think there are any extended warranties for the W212 although there's a couple on the W211. The same problem happens with Pzev cars, if they weren't sold in Pzev states, the 15 year/150k warranty didn't apply.
Banned
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,957
Likes: 1,640
It's much easier to import USA specs cars into Canada, then the opposite. Canadian cars don't always comply with US/50 state EPA and DOT standard, so they must be modified to meet those standards before being allowed on the road.
Many Canadian or Euro cars don't have TPMS systems for example, or they may have a very simplified version that monitors tire rotation.
Many Canadian or Euro cars don't have TPMS systems for example, or they may have a very simplified version that monitors tire rotation.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,359
Likes: 1,555
From: Pepper Pike Ohio
24 GLS580 '23 E450 4matic 12 E350 4Matic
The few Canadian car's I've owned all showed on the Carfax their origin. I'd have no problem saying it's Canadian. Personally, I'll take a Canadian car over one from Ohio, Michigan or other rustbelt state where they use more salt on the roads than they do in Canada. Canadians know how to drive on snow so they don't need to treat the roads with so much chemicals.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 251
From: Virginia
W212 M276 DELA 30 ; W211 M113k, W126 M117, W126 OM617, W211 OM642 ; R107 M117 X2, Sierra 1500 LZ0
When I was looking for my E400, I tried to jump on a recent Canadian import that ended up in NC, simply because it had rear heated seats, which were unavailable in US-Spec models. I thought that would be neat, but someone else did too and got to it before me. So there's definitely a potential for different options.
Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 93
Likes: 29
From: West Los Angeles
2003 W203 C230, 2021 RS6, 2022 992S, 2024 Q8 Etron
Canadian cars are not worth more for sure. Sometimes they are worth less because Canadian models typically have less standard equipment than US models.
If the car is a recent import or still in Canada, make sure it has a letter from Mercedes that states it is in compliance with FMVSS. Mercedes is one of those manufacturer that will only issue the letter to the original Canadian owner of the car and not an importer.
If the car is a recent import or still in Canada, make sure it has a letter from Mercedes that states it is in compliance with FMVSS. Mercedes is one of those manufacturer that will only issue the letter to the original Canadian owner of the car and not an importer.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 443
Likes: 91
CLS400 4Matic EC Tuned
For those of you talking about salty roads and rust, this applies to all of Canada except the Vancouver area, where roads are salted probably 7-10 days of the year. It doesn’t snow here, it rains.
The Canadian models are all built and assembled in Germany, and we all know these ones are much better than the US models that are assembled in Alabama. Therefore, depending on the type of Mercedes, it could add value if it was from the only part of Canada that doesn’t snow (Vancouver) and if it was a special model.
The Canadian models are all built and assembled in Germany, and we all know these ones are much better than the US models that are assembled in Alabama. Therefore, depending on the type of Mercedes, it could add value if it was from the only part of Canada that doesn’t snow (Vancouver) and if it was a special model.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 1,550
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
For those of you talking about salty roads and rust, this applies to all of Canada except the Vancouver area, where roads are salted probably 7-10 days of the year. It doesn’t snow here, it rains.
The Canadian models are all built and assembled in Germany, and we all know these ones are much better than the US models that are assembled in Alabama. Therefore, depending on the type of Mercedes, it could add value if it was from the only part of Canada that doesn’t snow (Vancouver) and if it was a special model.
The Canadian models are all built and assembled in Germany, and we all know these ones are much better than the US models that are assembled in Alabama. Therefore, depending on the type of Mercedes, it could add value if it was from the only part of Canada that doesn’t snow (Vancouver) and if it was a special model.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
The Canadian models are all built and assembled in Germany, and we all know these ones are much better than the US models that are assembled in Alabama. Therefore, depending on the type of Mercedes, it could add value if it was from the only part of Canada that doesn’t snow (Vancouver) and if it was a special model.
In 2014, the Alabama plant began assembly of the current C-Class (and that's the only car they build there). I would buy an Alabama C-Class without hesitation.
My U.S. acquired 2016 E350 was bult in Stuttgart, Germany.
Last edited by DFWdude; Oct 1, 2020 at 08:57 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,694
Likes: 1,829
From: Dallas-Ft.Worth,TX
2016 E350 Sport
And just to clarify, 95% of all Canadians live within 100 miles of a US border from Atlantic to Pacific oceans. Accordingly, the use of salt and chemicals to melt ice in Canada is not really any different than that used in Northern US border cities. All use salt and chemicals at the first sign of snowfall. Given the choice, I would buy a used car from the southern US (California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, etc) anyday over one from the rust belt.
Doubtless Canadian MBs are just as nice as American MBs. HOWEVER, the inspections and paperwork required to import a car from Canada to the US -- and periodically prove it meets US safety and emissions standards throughout it's life -- is not worth the hassle. This alone makes such a car less desirable, and consequently of less value than a car built to US specs, certified to be sold in the US...
And to be perfectly clear... Canada is a wonderful country. I visit friends in Vancouver whenever I visit my sister-in-law in Seattle.
Doubtless Canadian MBs are just as nice as American MBs. HOWEVER, the inspections and paperwork required to import a car from Canada to the US -- and periodically prove it meets US safety and emissions standards throughout it's life -- is not worth the hassle. This alone makes such a car less desirable, and consequently of less value than a car built to US specs, certified to be sold in the US...
And to be perfectly clear... Canada is a wonderful country. I visit friends in Vancouver whenever I visit my sister-in-law in Seattle.
Last edited by DFWdude; Oct 1, 2020 at 10:21 AM.
