Sivanevets

debating between leasing/financing a new GLK250 or buying a 2013 GLK350...
I waited till the frankfurt show to see what GLC looks like... while I like the well rounded GLC with more space, I prefer the boxy character of the current GLK...

We went to the dealer booked test drive in Toronto, both of us like the car a lot, but its a bit stretch with options.

My wife wants a new car for the summer, I advise her to wait until the GLC for retail, which may lead to a cycle end discount?

Diabolis

I'd buy a new GLK 250 now if I were in your shoes. They won't get any cheaper new than they are now with the GLC coming out in 2016. Besides, the 7 GTA dealerships are all corporate stores and as such neither nickel and dime nor compete with each other nearly as much as any other brand and/or dealership. Your chances of getting one once the GLC arrives is about as good as you getting a C63 507 coupe these days despite that it is still officially offered as a 2015 model. In other words, buy one while you still have a chance and presumably still some choice of options.

As for the price... just a word of warning. You are buying a PREMIUM vehicle both in name and in price. While IMHO the diesel GLK is an amazing value and a great package (plus it is more reliable and much better on fuel than the 350 gasser), if you find it to be a stretch financially I would seriously consider other options. They are MBs and they don't get any cheaper to run over time.

formerjeepguy

Do you really want to be an early adopter and buy the first model year? If you want a GLC give it a few years for the flaws to be identified and addressed. I prefer to buy models that have been in production for a few years or are near their production cycles with the idea that most of the bugs have been worked out and there will be fewer trips to the shop.

VentoGT

I have to imagine you will get a cycle end discount as long as you are willing to wait and take what is left--you won't be able to option out a car you exactly want, but with a discontinued model on the floor it won't be selling for retail when the GLC is released. Might as well wait and see if you are open to being flexible with colors and options [and engine options too--I wouldn't count on a diesel sitting there waiting as there are way more gassers, at least in the US].

Sivanevets

Thanks for the helpful input guys... The fact is I like the GLK styling more than GLC.. and there the inventory does not have what excatly I wanted (Silver-blueish exterior, mocha or beige interior, HK audio upgrade)... So I have to wait up to 6month for the factory to make from scratch...
Budget wise, we are ok for leasing brand new, but my wife wants financing.
Thats why we are also looking at off lease 2013 GLK...

VentoGT

CPO cars are also a way to go--Mercedes financing is the same as new on CPO and you will save some money...even more on the GLK I'm guessing when the GLC is released because then it's the "old model". Again, you'll have to be willing to either settle for what you can find locally or open your search to nationwide but it should be possible.

Diabolis

Current MBFS finance rates are 0.9% for a GLK (0.4% if you're an existing MBFS customer) - borrowing money doesn't get any cheaper than that.

And, you would already have trouble finding a spot on the GLK 250 production line in Bremen even if you wanted to order a new one now (AFAIK the 350 gassers are made in Egypt, China and Vietnam) as the Bremen plant is already retooling for the GLC. You're already looking at whatever is sitting in the lots - the good thing is that the MB Corporate stores in Toronto all have access to each others' inventory, so you have 7x more choice than someone in, say, Edmonton.

A loaded GLK 250 is going to set you back about $53K. A used 2013 on the other hand might come in around the $40K mark, but do you really want to buy someone else's used and discarded goods even if they're CPO'd? I've never waited for the oil to warm up before putting the hammer down at -15C on any leased car - it's both under warranty and it's going to be someone else's problem by the time it develops any issues (never mind how peope treat the service loaners which MB sells with under 5000 km on the clock). Buy - finance - a new 250 now if you want to drive it relatively trouble-free for the next 12 years like your '02 C240.

Sivanevets

It is true.... What do you guys think about Star Advantage program by Mercedes?

Diabolis

Unless you're certain that you could come up with the lump sum payment at the end of your term (as in "you have already won the lottery and can buy it outright but just want to sleep on a bed made of money for a while longer"), I'd think twice. It's like a lease where you're forced to buy out the vehicle at the end of the term instead of returning it or trading it in. It stinks way too much like the sub-prime mortgage loans in the US that led to the '08 financial collapse... we'll give you the car real cheap for the next four years!* *Fine print: Then we'll call in the loan and you have no choice but to come up with the lump sum payment that you still owe us. Oh, sure, you may be able to re-finance it again SUBJECT TO APPROVAL, meaning that you could still owe $32K but if the market value of the car is $22K, it's not exactly going to get approved for the whole amount.

You might as well lease it for the extra 1-2% in interest and then have the option to buy it out it for the same lump sum if you want, trade it in for something else if by then you want a new car, or return it if your circumstances change and/or you don't want to keep it for any reason. I'd stay away from that one.