Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
I don't think MB dealerships are particularly bad
|
Doesn't sound like it from your prior post.
Given you didn't answer the Xentry pricing question I'll answer it for you. Last I checked it was $ 20,000 to buy one system and $ 6,000 per year to keep it active. If the subscription is canceled it will brick after a few months.
I'd figure a small dealer will have 2 systems and larger one 4 to 6. Who pays for this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
I do not want to pay this much because breakdowns and expensive repairs have become all too common based on my personal experience.
|
You do realize that there are people that are saying the same thing about a recent $ 14,000 Chevy spark? I've heard this same line over the past 4 decades across all makes even though the lifespan of a car has steadily gone up.
Something else to consider, a regular car costs X and a MB some multiplier of X so repair costs will be higher. The cost to buy a used car might go down but cost of repair won't regardless of the brand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
Repairs on my '06 and '08 Mercedes have cost over $14k in 15 months. Definitely way too much money combined with lousy reliability to hold on to them. Both are 120-130k miles and I have them serviced regularly. These cars have too many parts -in my experience- that are prone to failure and once they're past a certain age/mileage become too expensive to maintain.
|
At 12 years / 130 K miles the car has fulfilled it's primary mission regarding the first and second owners whom likely owned the car for 4 years each. Your solution would be to buy new / CPO and turn it every 4 years, it all comes down to cost per mile.
The amount of electronics in a modern car regardless of brand is staggering. All it takes is the failure of one small part to take down an entire sub system. All of this resides in a hostile environment of heat / cold / rapid temperature swings / vibration / shock.
Think about the physical stresses to electronics when a the interior of a car sitting in the sun goes from 110 *F to 70*F over a few minutes. Or from below zero to 75. I haven't even touched on the range of under hood temps. . .
Electronic components are rated from low to high as Consumer / Industrial / Automotive / Military, this should tell you something about the automotive environment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
I remember my Mercedes cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s being very reliable with proper maintenance, even with high mileage. So I'm going back to that, focusing on clean W126 and W124 models.
|
With less to break, reliability might be greater regardless of brand however, age takes it toll.
Our guy below thinks the 90's were bad so take them of your list.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
I don't mind not driving the latest and greatest. We'll see how I'll do with those. They are likely going to have repair needs too but it won't be failing computers that cause all 4 wheels to lock up or leaking air struts or steering angle sensors or intake manifolds that have non-replaceable plastic parts on them.... and on goes the list.
|
Rapid depreciation should be a tip off that the car might not be a good value to the general public. A complicated car that is $ to repair will have a very low residual value. Think of it this way, you are getting a high end car at a discount but need to spend some $ to keep it going, this is cost of ownership that many overlook.
My 97 SL 320 Sport was about $ 90 K new, bought it in 2011 for $ 6,000 and immediately installed about $ 2,500 in _parts_ to get it to my standards. Currently it has an external coolant leak at the head gasket and I want to rebuild the transmission as a preventive measure.
Even with all of this and adjusted for inflation, I'm about at what the original owner would have paid in _sales tax_. I consider this a pretty good deal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andres
Mercedes is probably one of the finest new car money can buy but I'm not willing to spend that much money on a car. They just depreciate too quickly. Buying a 10 year old one and have reliable wheels doesn't seem to be an option anymore so I'm trying something else. YMMV
|
Try a Toyota / Honda but don't expect the body to resist rust very much.