SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Is this a good deal for a 2005 SL65
Really need your advice on this car, is this a good deal? The buy it now price was $127,000.00 Should I jump on this?
Can anyone do some indepth research on this. The carfax came up clean. I'm very tempted. Right now I'm driving a 2006 E55, it would be a dream come true to have this car added to the garage.
Thanks in advance for your help
Sincerely,
George
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-...QQcmdZViewItem
Last edited by george1234k; Jun 9, 2006 at 03:35 AM.
i avoid all private transactions with people i don't know personally or to whom i haven't been referred by someone i trust.
you could get almost exactly the same price from a dealer. i went to see a very similar car at MB miami with a price negotiated down to below 130k. i think it was 128k. and they'd CPO it for you. that'd be my choice every time.
my preowned experience is very limited. i'd always acquired new. for my current SL65, i knew quite enough about the sole driver to feel confident it was treated properly.
an auction car's history might as well be a fiction. there's absolutely no way to know how it was treated, or whether it was serviced or repaired outside the dealer network.
buying privately from an original acquirer might be just a shade better than buying an auction car.
but overall,. buying from a dealer, who has deep pockets and a reputation to defend and a manufacturer relationship to preserve, holds advantages over buying privately or an auction car through most any channel.
while i know how well i care for my cars, one who buys from me without having had prior experience with me cannot know how i care for my cars. that said, a car i sell privately could die a tragic death the day after title transfers. (do you think i'd want to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit? what if i purchased a demo car directly from a dealer and sold it privately thereafter. the buyer finds later that there'd been frame damage and i've already represented the car had never been in an accident? what then?
at least through an authorized dealer one typically receives warranties and guarantees over and above that which a private seller would typically offer. and should there be problems after the transaction, it's more likely that those problems could be resolved. granted, that could take time. but with an individual that time could stretch into never.
being very familiar with your profile location, and reviewing your car list, i'm fairly certain of this: you got there because you're knowledgeable. you must know how well an individual seller can be protected in such a transaction.
a dealer -- especially an authorized dealer -- has much more at risk than does an individual. while they can prevaricate as well as or better than most, they can't hide as well from their obligations as can individuals.
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yes, if one shops cars as the highly-educated shop antiques, then why not consider private transactions.
but if one doesn't have a greasy thumb, then perhaps one should avoid private transactions the same might be said for dealer transactions involving auction cars.
to date, i've purchased only one preowned car: the current SL65. what mattered most in my decision was that there was a single driver, very well known to the dealership, who'd gotten it from and returned it to the dealership, that the service history was clean and it was starmarked. accordingly, it was a non-auction car with a near-auction price. does it get any better?
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