nota_amg

Alarsen21, if you don't mind me asking, what is your budget?

pierrejoliat

Yes, I wasn't worried it was leaving anytime soon.

Alarsen21

I was looking at about 15-20k seeing as most I see are about 17ish, give or take. I’d be able to push the top a little bit if I found the perfect E550 in Lunar Blue with the Beige interior with the Premium package II and pano roof. I really missed my opportunity with one that was in Arizona. Was a Lunar Blue with beige and 78,000 miles (IIRC) for $15,900. I live in Minnesota but would be able to fly and drive it home if in another state. I’ve also been looking in Canada as well just to see and there are two which are pretty reasonable given the CAD to USD and KM to MI conversions. I might consider them if the border were to open soon but I don’t know about all the paperwork or shipping from Canada what that would cost.

nota_amg

gotcha, okay. I'll keep my eye out and let you know if I see anything locally that may meet your needs.

Alarsen21

Don’t know if you saw but I edited my last post but thought I’d let you know. Additionally, there are a couple somewhat local ones but I don’t quite like the black color because I see it a lot. I know I seem like a demanding guy but I guess if I’m spending this kind of money I really want to find my perfect car. I don’t mind traveling to find the right one so it does necessarily need to be local. Thanks for the help.

nota_amg

I know exactly what you mean.

Also, I know you're looking for a pre-facelift, but they made the E550 with the 4.7 in Canadia till, I think, 2016? Only till 2014 in the US though...

diesel_dan

Yes, because you are a kid still in school, and you want to have a cool, but way faster than anyone expects, car (sedan). 4.7 bi-turbo E550 fits that to a charm...

I'd love to buy my car for 20K, but that's half what I paid, and I paid less than half of what it was new... When I was your age, having a reliable car that couldn't all-of-the-sudden have HUGE expensive repairs, was the most important, to me... You may have rich parents that will backstop this purchase, if you get one for "the right price"; but if it has totally been crapped on, and you end up holding the bag...?

If you want a MB in this range, there are TONS of 350s out there - big time lease vehicle for mid-management. And they aren't slow...

Best of luck... Wow, twenty grand and when something breaks...?! Let me just say that you need a hard reset on the car you are looking at - this isn't about affording the purchase, it's about the upkeep...

Like a horse: the least expensive thing is the purchase price...

Alarsen21

Hey, I get your points about reliability being the more important factor when buying a car versus the expensive fast cars. I appreciate your input however to assume something like family members backing the purchase is a little condescending. I’ve worked my *** off with a part-time job at a company for nearly six years now and have been working throughout college. I’ve been saving little by little to eventually have a solid down payment. I’m not asking family members to help me get this for me, this purchase is solely on me. If family members contribute on their own it’s greatly appreciated but I’m not gonna run around with my hand out. As they say, to assume makes an *** out of you and me.

pierrejoliat

Life is about choices, you seem pretty set in wanting that V8, When offered a car in your color with tan interior and pano, in your price range, you respectfully declined. I understand, I wish you the best in your V8 search! I know Minnesota well, I worked in Wayzata
many times and built a cheese and whey plant in Turtle lake, I never met any young people there that didn't work hard and had a pretty good Idea of where they were going, I applaud your journey!

diesel_dan

I did not mean to offend you, at all. From your posts it sounds like you are on a pretty tight budget. I'm trying to have you go into this with full knowledge - eyes wide open, so to speak. Our one owner, over-maintained fully loaded '13 we bought with abut 28K on the ODO. We bought an extended warranty (thankfully) and between normal maintenance we've paid and repairs the warranty co. has paid, we're close to $18K in costs over 5 years and 8 thousand miles. Now if you can do your own work, you'll save some, but it still is an expensive car, if things go wrong. We're keeping the car out of warranty - hoping pretty much all that can happen has. That said, I would not have this as my only car...

I'm sorry if I offended you and my point about a "backstop" wasn't about purchasing ability, it was about these cars are expensive if/when they break.

Again,
Good luck

Alarsen21

Hey,
I appreciate your input and thank you for your kind words. I thought you were selling a E350 in the color I was looking for. If you have a E550 for sale in my price range I would consider it.

Alarsen21

Thank you for clarification. I apologize myself for misinterpreting your post and wording. I hope that there aren’t any hard feelings between us and hope you don’t take me as a arrogant a**hole because I came here looking to get guidance from those that know more about these cars. I honestly am on a relatively tight budget and appreciate your honest input on the expense these cars can have. With this additional information I might have to change my mindset and maybe look at other models that would better fit my price range.

machinemanjr

https://www.copart.com/lot/31345941/...atic-tx-dallas

For what this will likely sell for (no reserve, insurance sale) you could fix it and have a nicely optioned e550 with under 20k miles. Cheap way to go, if you have the cash and are not financing a purchase.

bmwpowere36m3

I wonder what it'll go for... damage is always deceiving, but both headlights are intact and the hood/fender/bumper gaps don't appear too askew. Someone who could do all the prep-work themselves and then have it sprayed, could have a nice car if the price it right.

KEY08

It looks like it hit a pedestrian with that tell-tale hood damage. No thank you

LILBENZ230

Could've been a deer. That's what mine would have looked like a little more centered.. surprised it totaled that one but not mine.

bmwpowere36m3

My first thought was animal, in one of pictures there appeared to be a "tuft" of something brownish between the hood/bumper.

diesel_dan

Air bags deployed? I've heard those can be pricey - anyone know what ours cost? And is it acceptable to put in ones from a wrecking yard, or do they have to be new...

KEY08

I would make sure insurance will cover a salvage title car and what the dmv may need to make sure it’s road worthy.

LILBENZ230

Ah, that deployed airbag would explain why this one was not repaired. That being said it shows a clear title, so I'm not sure it will be branded at all.

Left Coast Geek

geez, there's like 8 or 10 airbags in a W212, and if they all went off, that means you have split seams all over the place. there is of course, the steering wheel and passenger airbag (heck, my 1993 E class had those), front and back seats have airbags inside the outer bolsters, then there are side curtain airbags that drop out of the headliner above the front and rear doors. so you're looking at reupholstering the seats, replacing the dashboard, steering wheel, and the headliner.


edit: ok, looks like just the steering wheel airbag went off. but between the buckled hood, the damaged front bumper cover, grill and some plastics under the hood, I'm betting that's $6000 or more in body work to make all pretty again. assuming the chassis didn't get tweaked. at least it didn't take out a headlight, those full LED headlights are $1600, and the power supply is another $900 if it got damaged.

LILBENZ230

The W212 has a driver knee airbag and front driver/passenger pelvis airbags. It does not have rear side thorax airbags (at least not in the sedans). It of course has full length curtains.

bmwpowere36m3

Yup driver's side airbag blew... that's another $1k. Doesn't appear like the pelvis or side-curtain airbags went off, nor the passenger side.

It all adds up, if the car has distronic and/or parktronic and those sensors potentially need to be replaced, bumper, trim, hood, radiator support, bodywork, paint... I'm sure there's a reason the insurance decided not to repair and auction it. Cars of that age and older with similar and more damage would have been repaired all the time in the past... the reality is labor, part cost and added electronics have made many vehicles not economically viable to repair anymore.

LILBENZ230

My car did not have any deployed airbags (or distroninc or parktronic) but the deer took out a headlight. Total cost was $13,500.

diesel_dan

The rear side bags were optional, at least for our year, as ours does have them... Or maybe we're talking something different... Weren't the '14s hood aluminum?