S550 and cpo. Worth it, questions before it's done...
12-27-2013, 11:56 PM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
S550 and cpo. Worth it, questions before it's done...
Looking at used S550 '10, with 11k on it. They are Cpo'ing the car, and putting new brakes on.
Is there anything I should be asking that they do on this CPO? Supposedly they go over the car with a find tooth comb and do all recalls and technical service bulletins. Are these cpo's just blowing smoke up you a$$, or do they really look over the car close and fix stuff that may be off?
Lastly, he told me there are some scratches on the AMG plus 1, 20's from a curb and part of the cpo means they will refinish the wheels and they will look brand new. The curb marks aren't terrible, but my guy told me the car looks brand new and he said per the cpo they will do this.
Also, i don't know if there are any updates to the command system that would need done, or firmware? He wasn't sure if there were updates.
navigation updates? He said they ususally charge for that,m to update nav?
Just wanting your thoughts and opinions...
Is there anything I should be asking that they do on this CPO? Supposedly they go over the car with a find tooth comb and do all recalls and technical service bulletins. Are these cpo's just blowing smoke up you a$$, or do they really look over the car close and fix stuff that may be off?
Lastly, he told me there are some scratches on the AMG plus 1, 20's from a curb and part of the cpo means they will refinish the wheels and they will look brand new. The curb marks aren't terrible, but my guy told me the car looks brand new and he said per the cpo they will do this.
Also, i don't know if there are any updates to the command system that would need done, or firmware? He wasn't sure if there were updates.
navigation updates? He said they ususally charge for that,m to update nav?
Just wanting your thoughts and opinions...
12-28-2013, 02:03 AM
#2
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12' ML350 4M & 10' E350 4M
CPO is actually great to have on your car. In the long run it will really pay off!
How much are they asking for the car and what options? Also what color combo?
How much are they asking for the car and what options? Also what color combo?
12-28-2013, 10:15 AM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
My 2010 S550 is my second CPO car. Remember that the included CPO coverage lasts no more than 12 months, or 100,000 miles whichever comes first. To extended the coverage to a total of three years/135k miles it's $4500. It was a painful check to write, but based on my experience with the 06 S500, it'll be money well spent.
My 06 had over $13,000 in warranty repairs over 3 years. At 11k miles it's unlikely anything will crop up in the first 12 months. You don't want to be hanging out there with a W221 out of warranty unless you have very deep pockets. The reason you're seeing a 2010 traded in with low miles is likely because the warranty has run out based on time.
CPO in my opinion is the only way to buy an S Class. Nobody backs their cars like MB. CPO cars should be fully reconditioned but some dealers are more diligent than others on the cosmetic stuff. While the CPO warranty steps in as the original factory warranty to cover any mechanical stuff that may get missed, things like wear and tear aren't generally covered, so check the car over for broken trim bits and stuff and have them addressed before you take close the deal. CPO used to include a map update but that's no longer the case. Updates are free under the original warranty so hopefully the prior owner kept up on it.
Under the CPO plan, while major previous damage will preclude the car from being certified, there is an acceptable level of minor collision damage, so a CarFax is still a good idea. I'll also ask for the internal MB service history looking for patterns of unresolved problems, like multiple instances of alignments, tire replacement, wheel rebalancing... any indication the car may have drivability issues.
My local dealer does a great job on its CPO cars. On the other hand, I drove three hours to another dealer to see a CPO 08 S550 and the condition was terrible. It looked like someone hauled gravel with it. Apparently the center console cover leather was worn...so the dealer SPRAY PAINTED it.
A CPO car should come with the completed inspection checklist, as well as the original window sticker.
In short, CPO is the gold standard in preowned vehicle warranties, but it doesn't relieve you of all the due diligence you'd do with any used car purchase.
My 06 had over $13,000 in warranty repairs over 3 years. At 11k miles it's unlikely anything will crop up in the first 12 months. You don't want to be hanging out there with a W221 out of warranty unless you have very deep pockets. The reason you're seeing a 2010 traded in with low miles is likely because the warranty has run out based on time.
CPO in my opinion is the only way to buy an S Class. Nobody backs their cars like MB. CPO cars should be fully reconditioned but some dealers are more diligent than others on the cosmetic stuff. While the CPO warranty steps in as the original factory warranty to cover any mechanical stuff that may get missed, things like wear and tear aren't generally covered, so check the car over for broken trim bits and stuff and have them addressed before you take close the deal. CPO used to include a map update but that's no longer the case. Updates are free under the original warranty so hopefully the prior owner kept up on it.
Under the CPO plan, while major previous damage will preclude the car from being certified, there is an acceptable level of minor collision damage, so a CarFax is still a good idea. I'll also ask for the internal MB service history looking for patterns of unresolved problems, like multiple instances of alignments, tire replacement, wheel rebalancing... any indication the car may have drivability issues.
My local dealer does a great job on its CPO cars. On the other hand, I drove three hours to another dealer to see a CPO 08 S550 and the condition was terrible. It looked like someone hauled gravel with it. Apparently the center console cover leather was worn...so the dealer SPRAY PAINTED it.
A CPO car should come with the completed inspection checklist, as well as the original window sticker.
In short, CPO is the gold standard in preowned vehicle warranties, but it doesn't relieve you of all the due diligence you'd do with any used car purchase.
Last edited by Mike5215; 12-28-2013 at 07:51 PM.
