GREAT NEWS 92 W124 300D C.A.R.S DOES NOT QUALIFY! - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

shindig · #46 08-17-2009, 01:56 PM

I hate to say it, but my 1988 300E is headed into the Cash For Clunkers program this week in exchange for a 2009 VW Jetta.

I love my old W124. And it still has some life left in it. But the reality is that it has been costing me about $1500 to $2000 a year in maintenance and it spends a lot of time just sitting in the garage (especially in the summer since its AC compressor failed).

My wife's car was recently hit by someone else and totaled. The insurance money plus the CFC program will get us a brand-new Jetta with payments that are about equal to what I was spending on maintenance for the 300E. (Spread out over 12 months, I was spending about $125 to $165 per month in maintenance on the 300E. The payments on the Jetta will be $136 per month).

The emotional side of me hates to let the car go. I'd rather sell it to someone who would take care of it. But, looking at the facts, it's a 21 year-old car with some body damage and some minor rust at the rocker panels. The rear suspension needs to be rebuilt. The fuel distributor needs to be replaced. Its serpentine belt and radiator hoses should be replaced soon. It leaks oil and transmission fluid. Plus, there are lots of little electrical gremlins to deal with. It's only worth about $1000, but with the CARS program, I can get $3500 for it.

Now that I have a baby daughter, I have less time to keep the old 300E running, while at the same time the idea of getting a new car with the latest safety features is very appealing. I would not be able to afford a new car without the CFC program.

I have a deal already inked for the new Jetta. Once the insurance check from my wife's car comes, the Mercedes will be paying the ultimate price so that my family can have a new, safe, and reliable car. I take some solace in knowing that even though its engine will be seized, the 300E will be sent to a parts recycler who will strip it and part it out.

I expect to be blasted to a certain extent in the comments. I know how passionate we are about our Mercedes. But in the end, for me, it just came down to doing what was best for my family.

babymog · #47 08-17-2009, 02:09 PM

No blasting, got to do what works best for you. No real love for an aging rust-belt 124 gasser, they're not classics and you're buying a reasonably economical and durable car in exchange.

pawoSD · #48 08-17-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shindig

I hate to say it, but my 1988 300E is headed into the Cash For Clunkers program this week in exchange for a 2009 VW Jetta.

I love my old W124. And it still has some life left in it. But the reality is that it has been costing me about $1500 to $2000 a year in maintenance and it spends a lot of time just sitting in the garage (especially in the summer since its AC compressor failed).

What everyone seems to forget is that, sure, the car costs 1-2k a year in maintenance.....but compare that to a car payment on a yearly basis. Older car is always cheaper. Much cheaper insurance, and cheaper to own. Even if a car payment is only $250 a month (which is un-realistically low).....that's $3000 a year + insurance on a new car. = $$$$ And a new car will age and need maintenance too, on top of the car payment. Especially once the warranty expires.

Its WAY easier to work on a W124 300E than it is on a new VW.....another scary thing that would make me steer clear of one. After looking extensively under the hoods of new cars at the past few auto shows.....I can see it looks like a nightmare to work on a vast majority of them.

shindig · #49 08-17-2009, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Even if a car payment is only $250 a month (which is un-realistically low).....that's $3000 a year + insurance on a new car. = $$$$

Understood. However, in my case, my new car is $136 per month. And I own it. And it includes maintenance for three years. And, since I am dropping the Mercedes, my insurance bill will actually go down.

I know that in most cases what you said is true, but not in my case.

And yes, the VW will age and it will need maintenance. But you cannot overlook the years of trouble-free service it will (hopefully) provide in the meantime. Not to mention the benefits of having six airbags, electronic stability control, proper LATCH hardpoints for my daughter's car seat, etc.

I agree that it can be better to keep an older car running than to buy a new one. But for this older car, the numbers just don't add up.

babymog · #50 08-17-2009, 02:32 PM

Personally, I've had a very bad experience with VW warranty, and with VWUS corporate, plus I don't like the look/feel/ride of the Jetta. That's personal experience only YMMV. I'd much rather have the ride and safety of the 124 around my family and me.

The Jetta is smaller and cheaper than a new E-class, makes a lot of sense to many people. Granted, you will probably spend as much time in service first year with the new VW as with the old '88, but the '88 is certainly on its way out, especially if used regularly and on PA roads in the winter. Plus the VW is warrantied / free maintenance. In any old car, things will fail, your family might be stranded occasionally, the extra money spent on a new car might well be worth it.

For myself, I almost always have bought a car a year old or so to save a little $$, some older just for fun. My Wife on the other hand, always gets new cars, and typically drives them for close to 100,000miles so we get our money's worth, and I keep my family in safe, dependable, and attractive automobiles.

I'm perfectly okay with this arrangement and the '88 rust-belt 300E to '09 Jetta. Good timing so it's a good deal and Jettas aren't terrible at holding their value either (compared to the average).

pawoSD · #51 08-17-2009, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shindig

Understood. However, in my case, my new car is $136 per month. And I own it. And it includes maintenance for three years. And, since I am dropping the Mercedes, my insurance bill will actually go down.

I know that in most cases what you said is true, but not in my case.

And yes, the VW will age and it will need maintenance. But you cannot overlook the years of trouble-free service it will (hopefully) provide in the meantime. Not to mention the benefits of having six airbags, electronic stability control, proper LATCH hardpoints for my daughter's car seat, etc.

I agree that it can be better to keep an older car running than to buy a new one. But for this older car, the numbers just don't add up.

For $136 a month, that is indeed a good deal. I'd have to agree with you then. Its still no W124 in terms of safety though, air bags or no air bags. However, VW's are pretty tough in an accident. Certainly well above the average.

Are you getting a diesel jetta?

I saw recently that if you clunker a car to buy a smart car, you can get one for $99 a month. I might have considered it if I had a really beat up old car....but my W124 is far too nice to do that with. And my pre-W124 vehicle (Rav4) would not have qualified for the program. If it had, I'd have junked it in an instant to get a Smart.

babymog · #52 08-17-2009, 02:39 PM

BTW when we started buying new cars, I ran the numbers ad-naseum, and it made more $$ sense to buy a new car and pay over 4years at a low new-car interest rate and end up with a paid-for 4-year-old car than to buy a similar car 3-years old, pay for it for 2-years (same payment, higher interest, no warranty) and end up with a 6-year-old car that someone else enjoyed for the warranty period and ordering as they wanted. The longer you keep the car, the more sense it makes. If you're comparing it to buying (or keeping) an '88 (21-years old) it's really hard to project the maintenance costs for the next xx years or the residual value (near zero).

shindig · #53 08-17-2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Are you getting a diesel jetta?

The '09 Jetta will have the gas 2.5L I-5 engine. I looked at the TDI, but it was $3,000 more than ours, and since we weren't really planning to buy a new car now, every dollar counts. Plus this will be primarily my wife's car, and I am very confident that on at least one occasion she will fill it with gas instead of diesel. I know she'll disagree with me, but I absolutely guarantee that it would happen.

shindig · #54 08-17-2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

BTW when we started buying new cars, I ran the numbers ad-naseum, and it made more $$ sense to buy a new car and pay over 4years at a low new-car interest rate and end up with a paid-for 4-year-old car than to buy a similar car 3-years old, pay for it for 2-years (same payment, higher interest, no warranty) and end up with a 6-year-old car that someone else enjoyed for the warranty period and ordering as they wanted. The longer you keep the car, the more sense it makes. If you're comparing it to buying (or keeping) an '88 (21-years old) it's really hard to project the maintenance costs for the next xx years or the residual value (near zero).

I did the same math when I bought my '08 Honda new back in 2007. I had been looking at used Honda Pilots, but they held their value very well, and a new one with a full warranty only cost a little more than a two-year-old Pilot with low miles. We tend to keep cars for a long time (100,000 miles or more), so I am sure we'll come out ahead by buying new.

shindig · #55 08-17-2009, 02:56 PM

Thanks all for your fair opinions. I really am interested in hearing both the good and the bad, not just a justification for my decision (though I also appreciate your justification as I have literally lost sleep over the thought of giving up the Mercedes!)

a2t · #56 08-19-2009, 06:05 PM

what the hell are you sorry for? if you have an old 124 thats beat to crap and can get into a brand new jetta for same $, you'd be an idiot NOT to take it!

shindig · #57 08-20-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a2t

what the hell are you sorry for? if you have an old 124 thats beat to crap and can get into a brand new jetta for same $, you'd be an idiot NOT to take it!

I know. The "trade in" is coming up at 2pm, just 45 minutes away. I had been feeling bad about it, but more so for the times I have "shared" with that car. I bought it from my parents, and they've had it since I was 16. It was the third-ever Mercedes I drove. I took it to my prom in high school. I drove it on my first date with my wife. Four generations of my family have ridden in it.

That's all about the past, though, and I'm over it. It can go on to a parts recycler, help other 124s out with its parts, and help my family get a new car at a very affordable price. The old 300E will always have a special place in my heart, though.

a2t · #58 08-21-2009, 04:22 PM

you'll forget all about that thing the 1st time you climb into the nice new jetta interior and tromp on the go peddle

pawoSD · #59 08-21-2009, 06:20 PM

So the deed has been done....moment of silence for the death of a M103.

BodhiBenz1987 · #60 08-21-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shindig

I would not be able to afford a new car without the CFC program.

Then you really shouldn't be buying one with it, either. I can't see how $3,500 is the dealbreaker.

Enjoy your Jetta. I hope your 124 at least ends up in a junkyard instead of going straight in the crusher like a lot of them are, so at least somebody can grab a few body parts off it.

I'll be glad when this program ends, but the whole thing is depressing. Not many people really give a crap about cars or posterity. I'm not sure why I didn't know that all along, but it for some reason has come as a kick in the face to me.

Throw it away, America! You need a new one.