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ADVICE NEEDED on car

M

madfresh

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 21, 2006
243
0
San Francisco, CA
I have 2008 mercedes c300, got it for 42k in february, and I'm not too happy with the car. It's very smooth and has great tech inside, but it's not sporty enough for my tastes.

I want to trade it in for a 335i coupe, but the BMW dealer only wants to give 29k for my car as trade in, plus the coupe will cost over 50k fully loaded. I will be losing over 10k on this trade-in.

Now for reference:
33426128.jpg


That is the c300

and this is the 335i coupe
YB56AKP_01_CVI_111207_20.jpg


The 335i has over 300hp, while the c300 has 228hp. Now from what I heard, BMW actually has better handling, and better reliability than mercedes. Although I know mercedes is a more prestigious brand. I've never driven a bmw. Do you guys believe it is worth it for me to lose 10k? I've already paid off my c300, too. Thing is, I just keep drooling over those coupes every time I see one.
 
It's hard for me to imagine trading in a car only one year old, and even more so to be losing $10,000 in the process. Considering everyone's differences in financial situations, only you can really answer the question of "worth."

In any case, I'd recommend test driving the bmw before giving the situation any more thought - it will lead you to a far more informed decision.

Good luck.
 
1) Go drive a BMW - you will love it.
2) Never trade it unless you are desperate. A private sale will give you a much better deal.


EricNau said:
In any case, I'd recommend test driving the bmw before giving the situation any more thought - it will lead you to a far more informed decision.
Click to expand...

I think it would be a more emotional decision then ;)
 
Unfortunately that's the problem with buying a car brand new. Once you sign the purchase the worth takes a nose-dive. I guess there's no way you can go back to the dealership ad say you'd like to return it for a full refund? :D

Private sale would be the best way I'd say too. Trade-ins are what dealerships love: That's where they can make their most money.
 
If it were me, I'd just suck it up and keep the Mercedes, it is a great car from what I've heard about it. No offense, but it sounds like you dropped 42K on a car you didn't research all that well.
 
1. You overpaid for the C300 and/or the price on them have dramatically decreased since you purchased it. The gas prices did a real number on the price of cars. Check the forums on edmunds. You'll find people getting a NEW C300 for $32K OTD easily. One guy recently reported getting a NEW C350 for $32,150 OTD. A quick look at C300s on autotrader shows that their offer is fairly competitive.

2. Now it's a 8 month old used car with the 09s coming out. Therefore, you are not really "losing" $10,000. You're paying $10,000 for the privilege of being one of the first to drive a new model car for 8 months. I do sympathize with watching your dough disappear so quickly. I just bought $140,000 worth of Lexuses three months ago. However, if you want to buy new cars, you have to be willing to deal with how fast they will depreciate. So don't be shocked when your $50K BMW is only worth $35K by the end of the year.
 
New car purchases should only be made if you plan on keeping the car 4+ years. There is always something better around the corner...
 
Is it really worth losing $10k over- thats 25% of the cars initial value. So you're spending $20k towards a new BMW. For that amount of money are there any modifications that'll make it sportier.

I'd say keep it, otherwise try and sell it private party, that way the loss won't be as bad.
 
Do it!
You might lose 10k, but you'll also lose a few years of age and be younger and your sex life will improve.
Yes people, BMW's actually do this.

But please, get it in black or red. That gray color is pretty bad, and with black and red, the value will hold just a little bit longer.
And, black is just down right sexy on cars. :p
 
It sounds to me like you shouldn't be buying cars. You should lease. Most people today you want a luxury car lease them.
 
For 42k you likely could have picked up a used SL500.

Mercedes and BMW tend to have insanely high depreciation for the big cars, while the smaller ones tend to end up priced higher in the used market.

So looking at the big cars in the used market might be worth a shot, a used BMW 5 or 7 might come in less than the BMW 3 series.
 
Being a BMW owner myself, I would say go for the BMW - they are awesome cars! :D But since you already purchased the Mercedes, I would not being willing to lose the $10,000 for the trade-in.

Perhaps if you sell the Mercedes privately and get a fair price, then maybe I would consider buying the BMW.
 
I don't think it would be worth it to sell at this point. you can always modify the car if you don't like it in stock form; I'm sure there are tuning companies that sell individual parts for mercedes like coilovers and engine upgrades. (or just get some of the AMG bits and go to town!)
 
You might be able to get more by selling it on Craiglist of a car classifieds type of deal.

Anyway, I think you'll have a lot more fun driving the BMW (I know I would). Is it worth the $10,000? That depends on your financial situation. If it were me, and I had the money, I would go with the BMW.
 
why didn't you drive the bmw before you got the C class?

People buy a 3 series because they want a 3 series, people buy a C class because they couldn't afford an E class.
 
If you're interested in trading up (?) to the BMW because you have a small penis, there are far cheaper ways to boost your self-esteem, my friend.

Have you checked your Junk Mail recently?
 
Abstract said:
If you're interested in trading up (?) to the BMW because you have a small penis, there are far cheaper ways to boost your self-esteem, my friend.

Have you checked your Junk Mail recently?
Click to expand...

Nice!

Umm, honestly dude. Your just about ahead of the game your going to get. Now imagine if you still owed money on the car, let's say by now you owe about $36,000. You would be upside down in your, but your not. You paid you car off and your not upside down. Cars decrease in value, fast. So you loose $10,000, but get in a car you like? If that's worth it to you, so be it. To me it's not, for $10,000 I can make the car faster and handle better (Even look better). But to each his own, but you can trade your Benz for a new truck or SUV fully loaded. Oh and you would probably drive it out the door with out putting money down!
 
madfresh said:
Now from what I heard, BMW actually has...
Click to expand...

I think you should take someone with you to buy your next car, and let them decide. You really need to research, research research.

And then do a couple of 24 hour test drives.

AppleMatt
 
i have the c300 and i love it. i was deciding between the bmw 328xi and the c300 4matic. the reason why i stuck with the c300 is because it saved my dad 10k fully loaded vs half half 328xi. i got it with nav, stereo system, leather seats, all that. the c300 is great bang for the buck, but i understand why you would want to trade up. i still love the BMW and hopefully one day i will earn enough to buy it for myself, but right now i appreciate what i have.

as for your decision, well we can't really tell you if its worth losing 10k over. i mean if you dont find that it would effect you financially and feel you are losing sleep over it then go for it. however, a car, especially a merc, is a great car and be thankful you can afford these luxuries in life. next time please research, test drive, test drive, and research before you make a big purchase.

good luck on what you decide.
 
Why do you guys think that somehow OP is going to "lose $10K?" He's already lost it since his car is 8 months old. I mean it's not like someone is going to buy his car for what he paid. It's already depreciated. Couple that with the fact that people are getting the much nicer C350 for $32K out the door, then I'm surprised the BMW dealer even offered him $29K for his used C300.

What the OP and many posters fail to realize is that this "$10K" is already lost but what he stands to really lose is the depreciation on a new BMW.
 
Abstract said:
If you're interested in trading up (?) to the BMW because you have a small penis, there are far cheaper ways to boost your self-esteem, my friend.
Click to expand...

Hey, it's not the size that matters, it's the way you drive it! I have a little TINY car, but it really doesn't mean anything. I mean why would I make a big deal out of something like that? You know? I mean, so what if I have a little car; That doesn't make me incompetent or mean anything about my abilities, it just means I've got a little tiny car! I mean, if my girlfriend's happy with MY tiny car that's all that matters! And my car's NOT that tiny in the first place, more like sub compact - and anyways I can drive it REAL good, so the fact that my car's so SMALL doesn't mean anything! Size doesn't matter! Really!

Really... I laughed when I read that post. I love your wit mate... :D
 
Thanks for everyone's advice. I'm actually starting to lean toward keeping the car. And FYI, the reason my c300 was 42k is because it is fully loaded. Came with multimedia package, both premium packages, leather, ipod adaptor, park sensors, AMG rims.


But, madoka, you say you can get a c350 for 32k now? Is it fully loaded? Or is it just base?
 
Keep the C class!!!!!! That car is awesome! Looks a lot better than the current E-class. I'm a vivid Merc fan anyway :D But seriously that car is gReat!!!!! Maybe you could put on some AMG gears to make it look cooler.

P.s. I drive my grandma's 17 year old W124 300E and it's still going strong!
 
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