I’m also an inhabitant of the frozen rust-belted North just across the river in Hudson Wisconsin. I drive older Mercedes, and like you, don’t like to deal with the rust issues up here. Additionally, this seems to be a relatively small market and the selection is limited. In the past six years I have purchased three Mercedes, long distance, over the internet; 1984 300SD, 1993 300E, and a 1989 300SEL. True, these cars are a little older then the ones you’re looking at, but I think the process and pitfalls are the same. Of the three purchases I was only happy with the 1993 300E. I have made a promise to myself never again to make a long distance car purchase. I really have no one to blame but myself for my discomfort and dissatisfaction with long distance car buying. I will tell you this though. It’s easy to get caught up in the process, excitement, and thrill of the hunt, to a point where you make bad decisions.
These are some of my observations of the long distance car buying process. Please keep in mind that all three of the cars I purchased were one owner, low mileage vehicles. Additionally, none of my cars cost over $7,000 dollars including shipping. I’m not a rich man, but I figure a $7,000 car purchase is not life and death. I was willing to take a bit of a gamble in the process if I felt good about the deal.

Pictures and People can be Deceiving
Almost any car can be made to look good in online photographs. In most of the photos that I’ve seen, cosmetic imperfections rarely show up. Additionally, descriptive terms of condition are so subjective that even a seller that is only stretching the truth a little bit can cause dissatisfaction with a purchase. If a seller (and many of them are) is blatantly misleading it can be a tragedy for the buyer.

Time and Travel are Money
I chose not to fly out to the buyer/car to make the final transaction/personal inspection and drive the car home. I just did not have the time or inclination. I reasoned that I felt comfortable enough with the information I had, and that by the time I got all the way out there only a major problem would stop the transaction. In hindsight this action may seem stupid, but you have to ask yourself, “How many plane tickets and full days do I want to spend kicking tires across the country? Additionally, if you choose to ship a car like I did rather then make the flight and drive plan on $1000 for shipping. On a $10,000 car that’s 10%. A significant amount.

What’s More Important a Good Car or a Good Deal?
I wanted both, and I think that’s almost impossible when buying long distance. Car guys are everywhere and we’re all looking for a good price on a good car. A local buyer will almost always get the best deal, or force you into a compromising situation to get it yourself. The logistics of a long distance car buy are not conducive to a good price. Inspections, money transfers, seller’s time involvement and commitment to the process, long distance seller doubt and hesitation, buyer long distance hesitation and doubt are all negative factors. Long distance car deals take time. If it’s a good car at a good price it will rarely wait for your due diligence.

Inspections are Vital and Costly and Time Consuming and a Hassle and can be Subjective and……
NEVER BUY A CAR LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT A FULL INSPECTION, MULTIPLE INSPECTIONS ARE EVEN BETTER. My mistake was that the inspection didn’t fit into my “Good car, Good price” requirement. I had to move fast to get the cars as buyer competition appeared stiff. I ran car faxes, studied lots of photographs, asked pointed and in depth questions of what I though were reasonable sellers, but to no avail. With the 300SD I actually had a good friend that I thought was a good car guy look the car over for me. He said good, when I got the car, I thought bad. What can you say it’s subjective in a lot of respects. An inspection once over may catch some glaring mechanical issues, but the cosmetic and mechanical wear issues are still subjective to a certain extent. I’m sure some shops are better then others at giving inspections and condition assessments, but how can you be sure you get the right guy to look at the car from 2000 miles away? A good inspection costs money. Again you have to ask yourself “How many inspections do I want to do and how do I know the car is even worthy of the inspection investment?

The Search for Perfection
I love cars, particularly Mercedes and I know the difference between a good one and a not so good one. The problem is that when I buy long distance my minds eye envisions the perfect car, one might say even an unreasonable car. It’s tough for any reality to live up to what I have brewing in my head, and leaves lots of room for disappointment. The long distance buying process also taut me that I am obsessive compulsive to a certain extent. With the whole country as my market and the internet as a tool I spent way way way too much time on the hunt. It actually started to affect my relationships and my work. It sounds crazy but it’s true. I always felt that as soon as I turned off the computer the perfect car would pop up on Craigslist San Diego or Autotrader and I’d miss it. In the end I needed to make a purchase just to take me out of my own misery.

Well that’s the end of mi diatribe. I’m sure a lot of you have had a great long distance buying experience. For me it was a challenge. I’ve been thinking about it and if I ever buy a car long distance again I’ve got a plan. I’m going to pick a sun belt city and turn the car buying experience into a vacation. Spend a few days looking, a few days playing, and a few days driving. In the end I think laying eyes on a car and comparing my choices in person is better then long distance relying on everyone else for their assessment.

Good luck with your search.