Considering 2008 R Class
10-26-2011, 05:04 AM
#1
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Considering 2008 R Class
Hi,
I'm considering purchasing a 2008 R Class 3.5L that has about 50k mi and a Premium II package. I may also be looking at a CLS 2008 as it so happens (just coincidence.)
My current Mercedes is at about 180k (one hundred eighty thousand) miles and mostly just regular maintenace. Except early on where some pre-emptive warranty work was done.
I likely will use this car for regular long–distance driving in the Mid-West North and East coast.
I'm looking for information like:
• Driving experience with such a heavy vehicle.
• Maintenance Experience and expectation.
• Comfort/discomfort after hours of driving.
• Inclement weather driving performance.
• Real Mileage (fuel.)
• Additional areas of consideration that I'm unaware of.
I really appreciate any and all input.
Thanks in advance,
-Alan
I'm considering purchasing a 2008 R Class 3.5L that has about 50k mi and a Premium II package. I may also be looking at a CLS 2008 as it so happens (just coincidence.)
My current Mercedes is at about 180k (one hundred eighty thousand) miles and mostly just regular maintenace. Except early on where some pre-emptive warranty work was done.
I likely will use this car for regular long–distance driving in the Mid-West North and East coast.
I'm looking for information like:
• Driving experience with such a heavy vehicle.
• Maintenance Experience and expectation.
• Comfort/discomfort after hours of driving.
• Inclement weather driving performance.
• Real Mileage (fuel.)
• Additional areas of consideration that I'm unaware of.
I really appreciate any and all input.
Thanks in advance,
-Alan
10-26-2011, 01:03 PM
#2
I have the exact car - 2008 w/ P2. My comments below. It's our second R350 and we love it. We have two young kids and use it mostly around town and road trips. My comments to your specific questions below.
• Driving experience with such a heavy vehicle.
Ride is terrific. Not a great handler, as you might imagine, but very comfy. A great cruiser on the highway.
• Maintenance Experience and expectation.
I expected maintenance to be expensive and it is, especially if you have it maintained by the dealer, which i do. However, my experience with the service from my dealer has been exceptional, so it's worth the extra money to me. We will not take it anywhere else. I often use service coupons from MB for service to save a few bucks.
• Comfort/discomfort after hours of driving.
Fantastic. Have driven from NY to FL several times, often times non-stop (except for gas) on the return trip. Driver seat is one of the most comfortable I have ever had (tied with my Volvo XC for comfort). Plenty of room for kids and cargo.
• Inclement weather driving performance.
4-matic is excellent; however, this is also somewhat dependent on the tires. I hated my OEM Continentals that came with the car, but am very happy with my current Michelins. 5K+ pounds plus 4-matic is hard to beat. Suspect the car would be unstoppable with true winter tires.
• Real Mileage (fuel.)
With just frequent short trips around town it's not unusual for us to see only 13 or 14 mpg. However, on long road trips with average speeds of 70-75, we'll see about 23 mpg.
• Additional areas of consideration that I'm unaware of.
Many people will recommend getting a CPO warranty, as repairs can be expensive. I have the CPO warranty and even purchased an additional 2 years on top of the 1 year that comes with the standard CPO warranty. Mine was a unique situation, as I originally leased the car when new. Then, when the lease was up I made deal with my dealership to turn it in at lease end, have the car certified (which involved several thousand dollars of maintenance, such as brakes and tires), and sold back to me as a CPO vehicle - all for less than my lease buy out price from MB Financial. I'm glad I have the warranty, as I plan on keeping the car for a while. However, I must say I have only had one item fail during my ownership and that was the rear latch, which just failed a couple of months ago and was of course covered under warranty. So, overall, we are extremely happy with this car.
Best of luck to you.
Frank
• Driving experience with such a heavy vehicle.
Ride is terrific. Not a great handler, as you might imagine, but very comfy. A great cruiser on the highway.
• Maintenance Experience and expectation.
I expected maintenance to be expensive and it is, especially if you have it maintained by the dealer, which i do. However, my experience with the service from my dealer has been exceptional, so it's worth the extra money to me. We will not take it anywhere else. I often use service coupons from MB for service to save a few bucks.
• Comfort/discomfort after hours of driving.
Fantastic. Have driven from NY to FL several times, often times non-stop (except for gas) on the return trip. Driver seat is one of the most comfortable I have ever had (tied with my Volvo XC for comfort). Plenty of room for kids and cargo.
• Inclement weather driving performance.
4-matic is excellent; however, this is also somewhat dependent on the tires. I hated my OEM Continentals that came with the car, but am very happy with my current Michelins. 5K+ pounds plus 4-matic is hard to beat. Suspect the car would be unstoppable with true winter tires.
• Real Mileage (fuel.)
With just frequent short trips around town it's not unusual for us to see only 13 or 14 mpg. However, on long road trips with average speeds of 70-75, we'll see about 23 mpg.
• Additional areas of consideration that I'm unaware of.
Many people will recommend getting a CPO warranty, as repairs can be expensive. I have the CPO warranty and even purchased an additional 2 years on top of the 1 year that comes with the standard CPO warranty. Mine was a unique situation, as I originally leased the car when new. Then, when the lease was up I made deal with my dealership to turn it in at lease end, have the car certified (which involved several thousand dollars of maintenance, such as brakes and tires), and sold back to me as a CPO vehicle - all for less than my lease buy out price from MB Financial. I'm glad I have the warranty, as I plan on keeping the car for a while. However, I must say I have only had one item fail during my ownership and that was the rear latch, which just failed a couple of months ago and was of course covered under warranty. So, overall, we are extremely happy with this car.
Best of luck to you.
Frank
