almost a year ago, i acquired a 1997 c140. 20,300 miles. starmarked and owned by a very elderly lady who purchased it new in december of 1996.

i found it on the mbusa website. paid 37k+tax, etc.

car was, is cherry.

today, i took it into a mb dealer for some warranty work. they gave me a c240 as a loaner. nice little car. but nothing special. it is the base c class benz.

just for the hell of it, i went to the mbusa site to price it. whoa. did i make a great deal for the virtually unused c140 or not.

i could not believe that as loaded as i would want it, a new c240 stickers out at 41k.

good used S class ones for ever will be my motto for ever. who are the idiots that purchase these mini-benzes new?

even crazier is the amg c class. starting sticker, no additional options, 52k.

hello...

anyone home?

I paid $5K for my 300SE. I have to take car of some deferred maintenance items, but it's still a great car.

Taxes are low too.

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Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.

i bought a C220 CDi, estate, silver, leather, xenons, all the toys, W reg (2000) - last of the 202's for 25K UK (in 2001)

18 months later swapped with a 120K mile CL420 1996/7 - stickered at 14K iirc - so i lost 11,000 pounds in 18 months.

I do have problems with the CL - like a squeeky door trim - but its sooooo much nicer, and I'm not going to lose as much on it.

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C140 420 CL
W114 280CE pimpmobile
W114 250/8 Hillclimber with M110 and bike carbs - got any hot cams?

I paid $5500 for my '91 300SE, (trade in offer made to the previous owner). Best buy I ever made, 13 yo Benz that everything works including the A/C. My understanding that Blue Book on this car last year was between $8-$10 grand.

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1991 300SE (my ride, 279,000 miles, looks almost new
1954 Cadillac (21 yo son's car, he bought when age 15)
1972 SeaBird 19 ft runabout (old but solid, slant six, Volvo sterndrive perfect condition, undergoing complete overhaul and refit)
1998 Toyota Rav4 (my sons daily driver when he is in the Continental US, PROUDLY serving in US Navy)

I just paid $3,500 for 1987 300E with under 100,000 miles on it. A little rough around the edges but mechanically sound. Have put 3500 miles on it in just 3 weeks and it runs like a top. I've driven 240D's for many years and a 1978 280CE. This is the only "newer" gas mercedes I have driven and I love it.

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1987 300E

$41K for a C240 is definitely all available options. The base is right at $30K. In todays car market, that's a fair price for these cars.

That said, finding a solid, well kept used car for a fraction of that price is definitely the way to go. As much as I love my C Class, the money would've been more wisely spent for a solid, low mileage used MB. When I bought the car, however, all my other cars were broke and I was afoot. I had no time to do the long search for a car good enough and clean enough to be happy with.

When I bought my 300E, I spent over two years looking for a manual transmission 300E. I was EXTREMELY lucky that I found one with a manual transmission AND in great, pristine condition.

Buying a GOOD used car is a bargain. Many used cars are NOT good. You can end up in a situation where you would have been much better off just buying new.

As with most anything, there are pros and cons.

My $0.02,

who found the cure in the Baron, my first truly used car, at 145K and 14 years of age when I bought a year ago. (He'll be legally able to drive in another year!) I've finally realized that 50-60K miles in a *good* car is still young; could it be because at just over 50 myself I've realized I'm not old yet?

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Craig Bethune

'97 SL500, 40th anniversary edition

'04 Olds Bravada (SWMBO's)
'06 Lexus ES330
'89 560SL (sold)


SL--Anything else is just a Mercedes.
(Kudos to whoever said it first)

not to quibble with mr bible, but the mbusa web site posts a base price for the 2004 c240 sedan at $33,370.00.