Musikmann

I think I can feel some empathy here. When I was 24 and still in college, I bought my father's 1972 911T Porsche with about 30k miles and in perfect condition. He sold it to me for what the dealer offered him as a trade toward a new 1976 911S (about $6,000 if I remember).

I had plenty of money in the bank because I was living at home, going to school full-time, working full-time, and was therefore too busy/tired to blow my money on wine, women, and song

I consider myself lucky to have been in that situation, and as far as I knew, no one considered me to be the over-priviledged rich kid.

The main reason I finally bought a used Benz (the 98 E430 with 118k) was that it was ONLY $12,900. I have since paid more money to have the sunroof fixed, the radio replaced, the passenger side mirror repaired, and the center console cupholder fixed (about another $2,000). PLUS, I had another dealer look at it, and it had been in a front-end accident that the selling dealer didn't tell me about.

Just this week, after the weather had gotten warmer, I discovered that the A/C was not working well. I have beside me right now an estimate for $1700 minimum, and $4500 maximum, to get that where it should be. Oh, and plus about $150 to get to this "diagnosis".

My point is: BUY a Certified Pre-Owned M-B. You can get 2.9% financing (if you need it), 12 months and up to 100,000 miles; I think a 2000 whatever with less that 75,000 miles will quailfy as a CPO.

Anyway, good luck with your parents and your car,

Musikmann

Musikmann

One last thing: I have been told by 2 different dealerships that to CPO an eligible M-B, it costs THEM between $1000 and $1500. In my opinion, if YOU have to pay part of that (just have them work it into the the selling price) I think it could be well worth the investment on your part. I'm working on trading up right now, and I plan to do the very same thing.

AndrewAZ

Yea you bet they are a rocket I almost lost to one in my ML until I kicked down a gear and blew buy my friends. He finally got intake, chip, and exhaust and off the line I still beat him but from a roll I only slowly walk away from him vs pulling hard on him before he upgraded.

But yea if you are paying for the car who cares what your parents say. And for the most part your parents are right. Plus these cars are very very expensive to take care of when the warranty is out. I would never buy a used mercedes that didn't have the factory warranty with considerable time left on it. You are looking at spending at least $500 every time it goes in the shop, my old 2000 ML would avg a tad over $1 grand every time it went in but thanks to the factory warranty I didn't have to pay for it, after it went out of warranty I had it in and was stuck with a $760 bill and the car was traded in 6 months later. Another thing is if you are thinking about taking it somewhere besides the dealer that is a big mistake since when you go to trade the car in most people are very very picky about where you had the car serviced and they want to buy a car that was taken care of right. The dealers are the ones who do the most looking into the cars history and they want documents from certified mercedes dealers that fixed the car not your local shop or a jiffy lube.

MattB

CPO would definately be ideal. I will definately talk to my contacts at one of the Mercedes dealers close to me (same dealership chain that I worked for during high school) and see if they can get a car for me and Starmark it. If I can't, I definately would not buy any car without having it looked over by a dealer for mechanical faults and a body shop for previous body work. And of course get a Carfax. I plan on not seeing any non-wear repair bills for a while, and if that means I pay a bit more upfront I definately think its worth it. I will just have to see how much money I can earn this summer (I will probably be selling cars for the summer so it depends on how many I sell). A CPO warranty would go a long way towards negating my parents' worries about repair costs...or if a black/black Infiniti I35 Sport with navigation comes along in my price range the whole issue will be moot and I'll buy that CPO...Infiniti's CPO warranty goes to 110K.

MMM430

I know what the problem is!

Its plain as day.....they are jealous!
And whomever said it above: Its your money....do as you see fit! A right of passage......old enough to vote, old enough to pay taxes then you are old enough to make your own decision! If thats what you want.....buy it!

One item of advice....prove them wrong about the maintainance costs, etc.......do your homework, buy smart, have the car fully inspected by a Benz-o dealer!

davis449

Well mine was CPO from Mercedes-Benz, it was a smart buy, etc.,etc. but things WILL go wrong despite anyone looking at it and telling you it's ok.

MattB

I highly doubt that...it's mainly that they have a conception of a Mercedes as a large luxo-cruiser that you buy when you've made it to the top and want to show off. Now I can see an S-class falling into that category, but not a W202. I was driving with my parents the other day and we passed a W202 for sale. My parents, not noticing the Mercedes emblem as we drove by, said something to the effect of "there's a nice little sedan for you". But when I identified it as a Mercedes they decided they didn't like it any more. I have to figure out how to change their perception of the Mercedes brand, which I figure I can best do by actually showing them a W202 up close. Now I just have to convince them to look at one.

shahedC

ok, now you know that your parents have already made their decision.

It's not because they don't want you to have something nice... they do care about you, and just want you to drive a "normal" car instead of something that might be perceived as fancy.

But since they care about you, you can try to convince them by proving the safety of Mercedes-Benz.

See the attached pictures of my 2004 C230 Sport. My gf was driving, and hit another car at an intersection and then a pole.

Even the grill looks intact and my there were no real injuries except for a slight "seat belt bruise".

See how the car only got crumpled in front of the front tires... even the engine seemed to be in one piece..

MattB

I totally understand why they think that me having a Mercedes would be perceived as showing off, I in no way think that they don't care about me. Like I said, I don't need or feel entitled to drive a Benz. Would I like one? Yes. But if my parents put their foot down and say no way I won't be mad. My argument about it being seen as showing off is that the majority of my friends who I would allegedly be showing off to drive nicer and newer cars than a 2000 C280 so there's nothing to really show off. If I could find a car that replicated the fun-to-drive factor of a good german sport sedan without the badge I'd buy it. Sadly the Infiniti G35 is out of my price range. It's not the Mercedes badge that I care about, it's the fact that they're fun to drive.

And that is quite impressive how your car held up in that crash.

shahedC

yeah, I was quite impressed myself...

the weird thing was that, here are the events that led up to the crash

* Several weeks earlier, I had just parked in a commuter parking lot, and my door was hit by a Ford Aerostar van. The culprit lied to the insurance company and didn't have to pay for it, but I got it fixed.

* A few weeks later, I was sitting still in bumper-bumper traffic on an exit ramp. I got rear ended and had a cracked bumper. Luckily I waited for a cop to show up this time, and the culprit paid for it.

* Fast forward a couple of weeks, and my car is total'd in the wreck you see above..

it was just bad karma... and it wasn't even my fault any of those times!

Musikmann

I sincerely hope that your insurance company pays you what the car "was" worth before the various accidents.

Musikmann

AndrewAZ

Any time you drive a Mercedes/BMW it is perceived by others that you are showing off your wealth.. Why? because most people in their lifetime wont be able to afford even the cheapest C class mercedes and seeing someone who is under 25 driving a car that they will never have a chance to own is perceived as showing off. If you take a ride down the street in an average part of town you notice that the cost of just about every car when it was new is around $15-18 grand vs a C class which when new was a tad over $30 grand and sells used for the price of the average persons new car. Remember the average income in the US is around $30,000 a year recently teens where polled and asked what income they thought they would make when they where 30 years old and $75,000 was the most common answer which is twice as much as the average income for a 30 year old today.

Bottom line comes down to can you shell out $1,500 a year for repairs? Can you afford the insurance? If you answered "no" to one of the above dont buy the car if you answered "yes" to both then buy the car and deal with your parents later.

MattB

Yes to both questions. $1500/year is what I have budgeted right now for my Infiniti. I also would not buy any German car without a comprehensive extended warranty, and from information I've gotten from dealers wear items such as brakes and tires aren't really any more expensive than they are on most cars. Oil changes seem to be on the expensive side though...

And I honestly think it's kind of rediculous that people percieve an older model Mercedes as showing off...all the W202s I've looked at are less expensive than a new Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. When I see a W202 or W124 or E36 BMW 3-series on the road I don't think "wow rich person", I think "decent sport sedan worth $5-15K". I see it as making a smart purchase decision to buy a lightly used one for less than a new econobox.

MercedesFTW

I was talking to my parents the other day...

And they really don't like the idea of me buying anything but a MB or BMW (as I'm looking for a new car). They recognize the fact that such a car does have a stigma attached to them, but they have personal experience on how safe they are...My current Ml was hit by a small hyundia or something, from the rear...the other car was totally mangled from the front, but all we had to do was replace the rear bumper. I barely felt anything. The other people had to go check in at the hospital to make sure they were fine. Apparently they think all other cars aren't safe enough, and was appalled by the fact I was even thinking of American Cars! *sigh*

AsianML

Oil changes aren't that expensive. It's probably an easy DIY. I haven't checked, but have you posted the same question in the W202 forum so they can give you feedback on maintenence and other costs?

MattB

Just did. Hopefully the operational costs won't be outrageous and I can use them as hard evidence that it's a reasonable car. My parents do like the fact that the C280 has only 194hp vs. the 255 of the Infiniti I35. This will all be a moot if I can find a black/black I35 Sport...the sport package on the I35 makes up for the A33 platform's handling deficiencies.

NZ_Benz

My mechanic drives a C class so go figure that, the mechanics choice a big A+

1985mb

See if you can find a Car & Driver or other comparison test for the W202 C-class and its peers. You might find some interesting alternatives and viewpoints in there. From what I remember, "fun to drive" was not really the W202's forte when compared to its competitors. The car has many other qualities, though, and I'm very supportive of your efforts to convince your parents to get whichever car you want.

shahedC

Yes, my insurance company covered the costs, but I had to pay the deductible for the first door accident. The second accident was covered by the hitter's insurance company.

shahedC

Also, check this out:

Road and Track Magazine Online
Best All-Around Sports Car
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....9&print_page=y


To summarize, here is their list:
9* Mercedes-Benz SLK350
8* Nissan 350Z 35th Anniversary
7* BMW Z4 3.0i
6* Dodge Viper SRT-10
5* Honda S2000
4* Lotus Elise
3* Porsche Carrera S Coupe
2* Porsche Boxster S
1* Chevrolet Corvette Coupe

Personally, I think the SLK would've gotten a better place if they counted the SLK55 AMG.
Also, the Z4 would've gotten a better place if they counted the Z4 M Roadster.

Finally, since you're looking for low price, the S2000 is the best price.

1985mb

I'm guessing he's looking for more of a 4-door sports sedan rather than an out-n-out sports car.

1985mb

I haven't found the W202's comparison test article. For what it's worth, the following is Car & Driver's review of the W203 C320 in a comparison test with 6 of its peers. If someone on the forum doesn't like this review, please write to the C&D editor and not to me.


Fifth Place
Mercedes-Benz C320


Let's canter to the crux: In this group, the Mercedes C320 offers the least horsepower (215) at the steepest base price ($40,644). That's not a swell combination. It's like a heavyweight boxer with Nancy Reagan's forearms.

This Benz quickly became regarded as the limousine of the bunch. Its ride is supple, as if there were four feet of suspension travel. And the ****pit is the quietest at wide-open throttle and at 70 mph — like riding in the Town Car that collected you at the airport last week.

But in the hills, our C-class went all wobbly. Its body weaves and dips and bobs and rolls and dives and squats whenever you start working the contact patches. This doesn't seem to affect outright grip — in fact, the C320 was a surprise winner on the skidpad — but it sure distracts the pilot, who's bombarded by warnings of imminent tip, roll, and general mayhem when no such crises loom. What saved the Benz from embarrassment was its adaptive five-speed, which learns what mood you're in and is ever coiled to offer timely shifts and useful engine braking. That, and its brakes. In this class, a 172-foot stopping distance is the bee's knees.

We've also just about had it with Benz's traditional slow-mo throttle tip-in — as if operated via various hawsers running through 20 feet of eaves troughing. Ditto the steering — now rack and pinion — which is improved but remains too heavy and slow-witted to satisfy. Those two traits alone do to the Benz's fun-to-drive quotient what CFO Scott Sullivan allegedly did to WorldCom stock. Why does the 3525-pound Benz feel as heavy as the Passat? The C320 takes itself too seriously, as if someone decreed, "Cut 90 percent of the fun and it'll be regarded as a miniature Maybach."

There are also ergonomic slip-ups that a company with Mercedes-Benz's experience shouldn't be making. The interior is sufficiently somber to depress a funeral director. The left side mirror is smaller than a dog's ear. The scatter of switches on the center stack resembles launch control. The tach is the same size as the fuel gauge. And the LCD showing what gear you're in — a big deal with manumatics — is so tiny as to be useless.

It's not for nothing that Benz drivers are regarded as rich. Our C320 was dipped in the optional Capri Blue paint. That cost $640. Except, in order even to ask for that option, you have to pony up a "Special Order" fee. Another $1000. The road to pretension is littered with, well, invoices.

Highs: Quick-thinking transmission, supple ride, sports-car brakes.

Lows: Delinquent body motions, mushy throttle response, a window sticker from hell.

The Verdict: Big lux, big bucks, few yucks.

MattB

Exactly. I want something that is calm and smooth enough to take on dinner dates with girls, has the capacity to carry 4 people so if my friends and I are going somewhere we can take my car if need be, and yet I can still toss around curves and drive fast. After driving a 1998 C280 today it seems that a 2000 with the touchshift transmission would do nicely in that regard.

ml430_owner_315

i bought my 16 yr old a 2005 ml350 inspiration edition last year and he broke it being stupid 8 days later racing a chevy tahoe and he said the engine just shut off on him... at least he was truthfull with me about the racing though...anyway the dealers estimate of the damage was 17grand so i paid it and sold it to a friend of mine because i thought that he couldnt be trusted with such a nice car and so i told him that i would buy him another car only because he was so truthfull with me... after a lot of looking i ended up buying him a c230 coupe since it was inexpensive and he wouldnt get made fun of because his friends all have decent cars. i think your parents should let you get it since it is your money but you better have some extra cash because the maitnance isnt cheap on a mercedes.

NdnMbLova

i have a 99 C280 that i got senior year of h.s. i just now completed freshman year of college so ask me anything.