blacksabbathh

Hi!

I’m new to this forum and new to car ownership in general. I was gifted my first car (a MB E 350 Sedan).

It was paid for in full cash so no financing. Could an experienced Mercedes-Benz owner tell me the annual costs of ownership? By this I mean what payments do I have to make yearly and how much on average will it be?

I understand there is a) maintenance, b) repairs, c) gas, d) registration and e) insurance. Am I missing anything else? And what’s a ballpark estimate on how much this will be annually?

Regarding gas - my commute to school is 1.1 miles and my commute to work is 1.2 miles. That’s about the only driving I ever do. I did purchase a battery trickle charger so the battery wouldn’t deteriorate.

I don’t know whether this makes a difference, but I live in California.

Thanks for any insight!

whoover

What year is the car? How many miles on it?

blacksabbathh

The year is 2016. Mileage is 13,557.

wagonsrock

Such short driving distances are really bad for internal combustion engines because the engine oil never gets hot enough to evaporate water that condenses when fuel is burnt. Strongly advise you to take it on a 20-30 miles highway drive once a week to get everything up to operating temperature. Its great that you have a trickle charger because batteries are the other victims of short drive cycles. For expenses you will need an annual oil change, even though miles will be low; and every 2 years brake fluid needs flushing and replacement because its hygroscopic and absorbs water, which is bad for lines, brake pistons etc.

blacksabbathh

Thank you SO much! I didn’t know all those details about the internal combustion and stuff. I will certainly warm it up whenever I drive to avoid that happening. Thanks for the tip and informing me about the other annual maintenance duties.

whoover

Insurance will depend on your zip code. You probably know about that. Repairs can be expensive if things break, but keep your fingers crossed and with such low use you might not have many problems. But understand that these are complicated cars and stuff can happen.

I would recommend letting a Mercedes dealer do the service once a year. They are expensive but will do things by the book, which is important to get a long life from these cars. You can certainly get your oil changed for less money elsewhere, but in the long run I think it's false economy. And having a good relationship with a Mercedes service adviser can be very helpful if something does break.

blacksabbathh

Thanks for your help! I’m willing to pay more to ensure the longevity of this car. I live in a relatively small, quaint town so there’s not many Mercedes dealers with specialized services, but I’ll try and find one. Thanks so much, again, for the advice!

whoover

It's hard to imagine a town in California without a Mercedes dealership .

blacksabbathh

I’m in a small town called Woodland about twenty minutes away from the University of Davis, CA. There’s not much to do here. A place called Precision Auto Care is the closest I’ll get to that, haha.

chassis

Your driving mileage sounds low. Here are some estimates based on 10,000 miles per year driven, which might exceed your driving.

Gasoline at $3/gallon and 20mpg average $1500/yr
Tires every 30,000 miles at $1,000 for 4 tires mounted and balanced $333/yr
Brakes every 40,000 miles at $1,200 for front and rear rotors and pads $300/yr
Oil, oil filter and air filter change each year $200/yr

Total $2333 per year or $194 per month or $0.23 per mile for the above parameters.

Insurance not included above because it varies widely.

State safety or emissions inspection and certification not included in the above.

All of the estimates above are just that, estimates. Actual costs will vary based on driving quantity, style and where/how you secure parts, repairs and maintenance.

rraisley

You know, that isn't really fair to a car of this quality. It would be much better if you would gift the car to me. I could drive it the appropriate distances, take good care of it, love it and call it my friend. I would then agree to call a Uber for you, at my expense, to take you to work and to school and anywhere else you like. Just think how much that would save you (chassis has given you some of the figures)!

Don't mind me; I'm just jealous. Enjoy your car!

whoover

I passed through last weekend! Yeah, it's a trip to Sacto, but probably worth it.

blacksabbathh

Ooh, okay! Thanks for the estimates! I just wanted rough figures, and you provided them for me so I really appreciate it!

blacksabbathh

Omg there’s the comment of thee avid Mercedes-Benz lover I was waiting for! Hahaha. Aw, I hope you get one. There’s no doubt in my mind you’d treasure and love it. :’)

And thanks—I will! 💛

blacksabbathh

Oh, definitely worth it! Anyway, to reiterate, thanks again for the generosity of your time and advice!

Cao Black

LOL, you're not that remote in Woodland. Sacramento is only about 20 minutes away as well.
Alternatively, try searching "benzshops.com" for shops in your area, and then due diligence. Depending on the service or repair needed, you can choose an independent shop or the more expensive dealership service dept.
Good luck, and enjoy the car.

mercedes.fan

Was also gifted my mercedes and I can tell you one thing, the true cost will exceed whatever you budget for😂 So keep that in mind and as said before, service it at a mercedes dealer to ensure longevity.

ua549

My '18 must be exceptional because my total maintenance costs for almost 2 years of daily in town driving is less than $200. That said the $500 'B' service is due in November.