easman61

Couple of questions:
Car has 60k and it has been well maintained. Buying from the third owner who I trust and has had the car for 1 1/2 years.
He has an extended warranty which seems to be the theme here.
Just had the $400 A service done and all was well.
He disclosed that the car needs new rear brakes soon and rotors and has a bid from independent for approx $500.
He is asking $24k which seems like a good deal and an additional $3500 for the remainder of the warranty - I think about 1 1/2 years and balance of 100k miles with $100 deductible. He is selling the warranty for the prorata amount that he can sell it back for.
I can afford (I think?) to repair the car so I'm tempted to put the $3500 aside in a reserve fund called "MB". Am I crazy to go without a warranty?
Car has every option other than radar on the cruise control and panorama sunroof. Is $24k a good deal?
I've never experienced anything even remotely close to driving this beast.
What a hoot. I plan on using it as my daily driver.
Thanks in advance!

motorkas

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...-look-lol.html

3500.00 is not going to go far if something bad happens...if you know and trust the seller - that goes a long way in my book - but then again, I've found the only way to truly know someone is to go through some serious drama together. It's easy to be a stand up person when everything is going well - it's a whole other story when the s%$t hits the fan. If that happens with the 55 - it's going to be very expensive s&%t

easman61

Obviously it pays off for some people. I've had them pay off before but I know that it's like vegas - not everybody is going to win. What is the worst thing that can happen - you lose an engine? What's going to keep that from happening in my case after the warranty expires in 2 1/2 years? There are some that get major mileage on these vehicles - correct? I'm really torn now between spending the same money (incl the warranty) for a bullet proof 2010 Acura TSX. I know we're talking about two totally different experiences. Just did a cost to own on the MB and it's .98/mile - even buying used. Acura is .61 per mile. Is it worth 50% more per mile to drive a 6 year old beast with a lot of class and unimaginable (unless you drive one) power?

Tom_Boy

On something like that, pay a few $$$ extra and get the MB USA CPO warranty. On that car, it's CHEAP money!

easman61

Maybe I wasn't clear. I'm buying the car from an individual. I was quoted online last night for $4200 for a 3 yr or 100k warranty. I will run out of time way before the miles. The quote for 4 yr was $4700. My point is the warranty company (one that will actually insure the AMG) with all of their data and tables thinks they will make their required margin on this transaction. By paying this - I know I am going to spend at least $4200 to $4700 dollars on repairs over the next 3 or 4 years - even if the car doesn't have one single problem. If the concensus is that "trust me - you'll spend that much" - then I'm wondering if the MB is really for me. I realize that this is a special car but in all actuality it may be too sophisticated (unreliable?) for me.

Yuille36

Easman,

Don't let someone talk you out of getting a car that you love, any car by definition will require maintenance. Even if the car is brand new, theirs no guarantee that you won't have issues with it. But the dealer is obligated to repair a new vehicle under the warranty, so as long as you have a warranty for the AMG then your covered. And it's best to buy a factory warranty, that is valid at any Mercedes Benz Dealerships. It's just good insurance to have.

Eddie 500

An 03 E55 w/54,000 miles just sold on this site for $22K. It had no warrantee but looked in great cond.

easman61

I was thinking that buying this wonderful car at $23.5k would be a great deal but I'm not sure it will hold it's value. I understand that once it hits 7 years old (next year) there will be no financing so I would think they start dropping like a rock. It's such a cool, timeless car that it would be awesome to use it as a daily driver for the next decade - if it would hold up. Obviously, not worried about resale if that is the case. Would hate to spend $7k /yr between maintenance/repairs/depreciation.

cahiil55k

These cars do not hold value very well at all, which is what makes them the best ROI in the used cars department. If you are looking for a car that will retain some resale value, this is not a car you should consider. When you think about getting a warranty, don't just focus on the major problems that might occur like a trans or engine quitting. Little things that happen can cost you over time. I bought mine with 52000 miles on the odometer and in my 10 months of ownership, I've already had a heater issue (est. $850), power seat failure ($450), and tensioner pulley replacement ($1000). My 3 year warranty, though not the best one out there, cost $3500. In due time I trust it will pay off. You should get a warranty.

Tom_Boy

When I originally posted, it was because the factory CPO took great care of me, and I don't want to see others have their pleausre of ownership or trust in the brand ruined because of a Brand-X warranty company. If I were going to go the used route with that many miles, there is only two (2) ways I would do it... 1). If I owned an independent repair shop, or 2). with a factory backed CPO warranty. I can't recall all that MBZ has done for me in the 4.5 years I owned my car, but at Thanksgiing, they did the engine & Tranny mounts, along with a complete rebuild of the engine for being down on power (subjective, but only did 13.23 in the 1/4 mile) and excessive oil consumption (very objective testing).

I can only speak for the MBZ CPO warranty, as that's what I had.. I actually bought the car initially, then sold it back to the dealer to get the CPO Certification because I liked the car so much! Would still be driving it today if some kid had not of hit me on 12/1/09! It's that good of a car. Sure, there are issues from time to time, but will "Brand X warranty/insurance company" really cover them? I would damn sure go to my closest MBZ dealer and ask if they accept this warranty plan, and if they've ever had any issues in having the company pay claims (after the work's been completed!) IMO, getting a good deal on a car, means that when you sell it, you were happy with the ownership period, what you spent on it, how it preformed etc. It's something of a looking-back exercise averaging out all the good/bad, etc!

Take a look at the MBUSA site to get an idea of prices. Expect the 2 year CPO warranty to cost 4K.

As an example, to replace my E55, I just bought a loaded E63 (a 2008 model) with 16K miles for 61.5K. It was a CPO car, meaning never hit/wrecked chassis. That means something to me. I got the 2 year extra CPO coverage; 4K, so my E63 is insured to 12/2014 or 100K Miles! That's a solid deal IMO for 65.5K. Real peace of mind.

Happy hunting.

emoving

Car sold for $24000 but close! But that also was with the DPE's and a brand new pully from Eurocharged that I never installed!

CharlyE500

IMO, not worth it... take the chance... I did purchase the Chrysler ext. warranty for 39 months for $2800 however, I have the car for 6 months and NO problem at all (knock on the wood) There are indy shop that can fix without costing that much. As long you dont Mod. I dont think any problem. All depends how you drive and how you take care your car.
$2800 with $200 reduct fee. This is a lot of money to fix !!!

The common problem with E55 are:
Valve gasquet, Airmatic ($400 X 2 = $800 from Arnott) + 1 hr labor
Other than these, spend the money in maintainance.
I just flush the cooling, break oil, oil change, filters... costed $400 with original Mercedes parts (Indy shop)
What I suggest is just take care of your car instead of spend money in ext. warranty.

Happy holiday !

AgSilver

Well said - - - Some think preventative maintenance is fixing it after it breaks.

Alps

i bought a 2004 60kmiles abt 3 mnths ago, had a few minor niggles, but generally all ok, just make sure spec is good, it took me along time to find one FULLY spec`d