2005E55AMGLOL

my brothers looking at getting a used 2006 E55AMG.

whats a good place in the bay area to take the car to for a pre purchase inspection, and whats normally the time it takes to complete that and how much is the cost?

any recommendations?

thanks.

zoink

I think the best place is a dealer/tech who you have good relationship with.

Cost for PPI, I think around $150-$250. From what I know, PPI is just visual check.... I personally wouldn't bother doing it if I see/feel nothing's wrong with the car when test driving it/looking it in person and the car is still under warranty. I would rather bring it to a quality body shop to check whether there was any accident history. And also check carfax.... it's a good insurance, IMO.

eFive5

Do yourself a favor and get a CPO car. With the current special finance rate from the dealer, you can't beat the it. Do the math....You'll know what I mean.

I've been shopping and had PPI done at Fletcher Jones in Fremont ($150) but ended up buying a CPO car myself.

2005E55AMGLOL

the cars not for sale by a large volume benz dealer like fletcher jones, or smythe european, its for sale by a small privately owned dealer that specializes in euro imports and other higher end cars although i did see a couple of accords and an old chevy caprice on the lot.

would you buy a car of this caliber from a smaller independently owned dealer?

also, i went with my brother to check the car out today. its a 2006 every option 97k sticker, CPOed for 100k, has 13,598 miles on the clock. they are asking 65k and said their rock bottom would be something in the high 50s. seems like the owner owed about that much so they bought the car back giving him a nice tradein value because they made some money off him on the new car he bought (i think they said some kind of porsche). anyways, the owner said theres not much wiggle room for this one.

whats ur guys take?

zoink

Well, check carfax... dealers are sneaky. They always said trade-ins just to make you feel more comfortable. Usually independent dealers like that likely got the car from dealer's auction.

And as you may have known, logically, dealers are using the auction as the last resort. If they have too many cars, for instance. This means dealers choose the worst cars or ones they think they cannot sell (high mileage, bad condition, etc.). While I'm not saying there are never good high-end cars from dealer's auction, most of them are just junk (based on personal experience going to different dealer's auctions ).

Anyway, be your own judge.... but for sure CPO would be voided if MBUSA knows that you bought it from non-MB dealers (independent or not). Just double check w/ MBUSA.... give the VIN. And if they ask, just tell them that you were asked by a friend and don't know why.

Good luck! Sounds like a nice car & good price.

Dragoncoach

[QUOTE=2005E55AMGLOL;2773152]the cars not for sale by a large volume benz dealer like fletcher jones, or smythe european, its for sale by a small privately owned dealer that specializes in euro imports and other higher end cars although i did see a couple of accords and an old chevy caprice on the lot.



There are lots of higher end used car dealers. I just would be VERY careful and get a full inspection if before spending $60k on a used car. Why not spend a couple hundred extra to be sure the car you are buying is in excellent condition? Check warranties and in service dates as well. If the car was sold in '05, the warranty may only run till sometime in '09. don't be penny wise and pound foolish. I know a mechanic in the South Bay. He's a great guy and **** about how the cars he fixes. Charges $100/hr but only for the time he spends actually working on the car. The only thing is he works out of his house (it's in a good neighborhood). So, if you can get by that, it's all good. Good luck in your search. It's a lot of fun "trying on cars" for the right fit. pm me if you are interested.

2005E55AMGLOL

thanks for your guys help.

after checking out the car and talking with a couple of friends who who sell cars and other friends who are car nuts, it seems like honestly, this car isnt really gonna work.

when my brother and i talked to the owner, he was really iffy about the car leaving the lot. i even offered to leave my M3 (which i was driving at the time) on the lot to see if i could take the E55 for a day to do an PPI, and i mentioned i had an 05 e55 amg as well, and i could have even left that car with him for a day. he refused, citing there was liability issues and he may lose potential customers (yeah right if ur pricing an 06 E55 for 65k!).

anyhow, he said that theyre moving to basically a place a mile down the road in a week for a grand opening, and that after that if the car continues to sit on the lot, theyre might be some wiggle room. Honestly, i havent seen many E55s for sale, dealership or not, here in the bay area.

There was a techite grey E55 at smythe european about a month ago.

it was a 2005, fuly loaded again, pano, keyless, active seats, etc 96k sticker, and 35,000 miles. no CPO though, just the factory warranty till May 2009. Also, one of the exhaust tips were bent, and all 4 wheels were pretty rashed, as definitely it looks like the previous owner couldnt drive/park worth a damn. they were asking 49,775. The guy was pretty firm, saying that 48,000 would be rock bottom and the car would be sold as is.

My brother offered, with my suggestion, something low/mid 40s, provided the wheels were replaced and the exhaust was fixed. anyhow, that fell through as well.

if anyone whos local in the bay area wants to check out the car and kind of inquire about it, id be curious to see what you get told and if our stories match. if thats something you wanna do, PM me for the name of the dealer.

zoink

Bro... FJ has one for sale: '06 27K miles loaded... asking $53K. If I'm not mistaken it could be CPO.... not sure.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/647320647.html

If you want I could hook you up w/ someone who may be able to help you get that one cheap. Just let me know or PM me.

Dragoncoach

Forget the dealer. If he has confidence in the car and wants to make a sale, he'll let you take it, especially if you leave your M3. The guy is an idiot. He probably thinks he has one of a few E55's for sale. Some of these dealers treat their cars as if they were their children. Keep looking and have fun doing it. I test drove a few 55's and one dealer took a copy of my dl and threw me the keys and said take it out for a spin! Real nice (and trusting) guy.

2005E55AMGLOL

pmed u zoink