Hello - I'm currently driving an E92 bimmer and my wife and I are close to buying a second car with a baby of the way. We've got out eyes set on a 2006 silver R350 with grey leather interior, 45k miles with moonroof and navigation. Might be some other options but those are the only ones I could really tell visually with my limited Benz experience. I was able to haggle the dealer down to $20k for this (not a Mercedes dealer so not CPO). Just wondering what you guys think of this deal and if there is anything I should be weary of? Is there anything I should look out for in this specific vehicle such as any common issues and what not? Is it possible to get this CPO'd by Mercedes after I buy it so they cover it under their warranty (I will pay for it obviously). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

A solid tank with all wheel drive and economical (V6) fuel consumption (compared with the R500). Just check the past history for maintenance to see if it's been kept up at the dealer (or elsewhere). ie. Oil changes (with the proper synthetic oil) every 15,000 kms, brakes brake fluid replacement, transmission fluid replacement, air filters, proper spec. tires, and interior condition. Largely mileage is a top consideration. Seems like low miles. My '06 still has under 100,000 kms on it, and although I've been tempted by the recent crop of used R500s (due to more options like heated seats and other goodies) I'm completely happy with the 80,000 kms I've put on, no complaints. You should avoid opening the panoramic sunroof when the roof is wet (after washing or rain or snow), due to increased resistance from the rubber/fuzz side glide seals (and stress on the electric motor). Love that Iridium silver yours is. Maybe get an upgraded Nav DVD disc.

 

For a really nice one, $20K from a dealer actually sounds cheap. Ones with 60K or so miles go at Manheim for $17K+ before fees. So make sure it goes to a Benz dealer for a PPI, you get paint and body inspected, and carfax/autocheck are clean.

I'd suggest aftermarket warranty for that car. Will last longer and cover more than CPO for not much more money. Email me at brucem105@comcast.net if you'd like a quote.

Good luck!

Bruce

 

From my research, you're better off buying a 2007+ R-class...they seem to have more of the bugs worked out of them. We LOVE our 2006 R500 and it's a $68k MSRP car, but w/o a warranty, the last three years would have been miserable. Good luck...it's a great car, so you just need to be patient and find a good one.
PL