Buying a Merc GLE

[ThinkPad]

We currently have a 250d GLC which the wife drives and will keep it. We are looking at a GLE for myself to drive daily to work.

I have found one spec as below:
350d AMG Line
Black with Black artico
Premium Pack
2016 May registration
Mileage of 18k
Private sale.

I am very tempted to buy it. First service was done in May 2017 by MB main dealer. Second service by MB Tech Warrington (appears to be a specialist) in June 2018. It will be due an MOT and service within the next couple of months. Still under factory warranty. I am sure the car will lose a lot of money in the coming two years given intro of the new model. But cannot see anything else out there which will be a large and comfortable car. I need to decide ASAP as the seller is looking to part-ex if not.

I previously had a 2012 (62 Registration) ML 350. It appears to be a very similar car, same engine and gearbox I would guess? So just hoping spending that much money will not just give me the feeling of getting that old car back again!

Any views?

 

[Blobcat]

Nice car, quite old compared to the GLC but different size car.

You’ll get a couple of months of MB warranty which is good.

 

[keefysher]

Do you have the Reg No or VIN and you can get the full build spec as below:

You can do it yourself using this link that AMGeed kindly put up for us

https://www.datamb.com/


Or there is an Android app that Lost Kiwi kindly put up for us

MB Vin Decoder


And There is also an iOS app kindly put up for us by Srdl

VIN decoder for Mercedes Benz

In respect of the details you have given -
Artico has its issues that are well documented with splitting and seams parting.
At 18k its not yet run in.
The 350 is the V6 diseasel. Has it the 7g or 9g gearbox? Pretty bullet proof.
Does it have Airmatic suspension? Enhances the ride if it has.
Has it the pano roof?

It'll be a lower VED that post April 2017 where it goes up to £500pa based on its list price.
It'll have AdBlue with the filler in the same place as the diesel filler.
Does it have ILS (Intelligent Lighting System).

Never understood the depreciation thing, you spends your money on the item at the time. If you can predict the future value and see into the future, then give me this weeks lottery winning numbers please Bit like the gamblers in the city, and we know how well that went with future value and leveraging of assets real value unknown

 

[ThinkPad]

Good questions Keeyfsher. It has all the things you mention. So yes it has:
ILS
Pan Roof
9g
Airmatic

The point about depreciation, I really do take your point. We can never second guess. But when buying a car of that value I just like to prepare myself to lose money, which is what is bound to happen! I would expect it to lose 50% of its value in the next three year especially given the new model release. (Not quite like the city traders as those values can easily go up, not so likely on a 3 year old SUV!)

Full spec is below:

Code Description
056 YOM 15/2
05B OPERATORS MANUAL AND SERVICE BOOKLET ENGLISH
05U MBCONNECT - REMOTE ONLINE
06U MBCONNECT - BASIC SERVICES
117 PAPER CONTROL ROWI CERTIFICATION
120A IMITATION LEATHER
121A IMITATION LEATHER - BLACK/ANTHRACITE
14U SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION PACKAGE
16U SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION APPLE CARPLAY
197U OBSIDIAN BLACK
1A7 C-CYL. DIESEL CONVERTER
1U7 FOGGING SENSOR
20A EHS GENERATION
214 ADAPTIVE DAMPING SYSTEM
235 ACTIVE PARK ASSIST
241 ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE LEFT DRIVER SEAT W MEMORY
244 SPORTS SEATS, FRONT
249 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MIRROR,AUTOMATICALLY DIMMING
255B MB MOBILO WITH DSB AND GGD
258 COLLIS.WARN. SYS. W/ ACTIVE BRAKE INTERV. FCW STOP
275 MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER SEAT, STRG. COL., MIRROR)
277 SPORTS STEERING WHEEL
294 KNEE AIRBAG
2A1 CONVERTER VERSION 2
2U1 RADIATOR SHUTTER
335B INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/HU LANGUAGE - ENGLISH
343K MEASURE PACKAGE CONTROLLER UNIT TRANSMISSION PARTS
350 MBCONNECT - ECALL EUROPE EMERG. CALL SYS. GEN. 2
3U1 EUROPE/CIS COUNTRIES/MONGOLIA HEAD UNIT
413 PANORAMIC SLIDING SUNROOF/GLASS SUNROOF
421 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
461 INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND
474 DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER
475 TIRE PRESSURE CONTROL
489 AIRMATIC DUAL CONTROL / AIR SUSPENSION SEMI-ACTIVE
4A6 ASSEMBLY, ACTUATORS (FOUR WHEELS)
4U5 FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ADJUSTMENT TRAVEL LIMITATION
4U7 VOLTAGE DIP FUSE FOR START/STOP SYSTEM
500 ELECTRIC FOLDING OUTSIDE MIRROR
501 360°-CAMERA
502 3 YEARS OF MAP UPDATES FREE OF CHARGE
513 TRAFFIC SIGN RECOGNITION
531 COMAND APS NTG5/NTG5.5
537 DIGITAL RADIO STANDARD DAB (DIGI. AUDIO BROADC.)
537L GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
551 BASIC ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM (ATA)
580 AIR CONDITIONER
587 LOGO PROJECTION VIA MIRROR
58U ROOF INTERIOR TRIM GRAY FABRIC
5A1 ELECTROHYDRAULIC CONTROLLER UNIT-CONVERTER
5XXL EUROPE
628 AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM SWITCH PLUS (IHC+)
641 DYNAMIC LED HEADLAMPS, LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC
668 PRODUCT PROT. F FREIGHT PACKAG. W TIE-DOWN HOOKS
681 20" AMG SPOKE WHEEL ALL-ROUND
6A5 ADD-ON FLANGE
6P5 STEUERCODE VERTRIEB FUER CODE 475 ANFORDERUNG
723 TRUNK COVERING
739 TRIM PIECES - ALUMINUM
772 AMG STYLING PACKAGE-FRONT SPOILER, SIDE SKIRT
806 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, THE LAST FIGURE SHOWING THE NEW MODEL YEAR
815 DVD SINGLE DRIVE
840 DARK TINTED GLASS
846 SCUFF PLATE IN ALU-APPEARANCE WITH RUBBER STUDS
873 SEAT HEATER FOR LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SEATS
875 HEATED SCREEN WASH SYSTEM
876 INTERIOR LIGHT ASSEMBLY
882 SENSOR SYSTEM AND ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM
885 HIGHTEN THEFT PROTECTION
890 AUTOMATIC REAR-END DOOR
893 KEYLESS START
915 FUEL TANK WITH GREATER CAPACITY - VOLUME 2
927 EURO 6 TECHNOLOGY EXHAUST GAS CLEANING
968 COC PAPER EURO6 TECH. W/O REGISTRATION CERT.PART 2
989 IDENTIFICATION LABEL UNDER WINDSHIELD
A060 OIL OFFSET QUANTITY +600GR OIL
B03 DIRECT START / ECO START/STOP FUNCTION
B09 REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR WITH MAGNETIC COUPLING
B51 TIREFIT
B54 MBCONNECT - REAL-TIME TRAFFIC DATA
B59 TRANSMISSION MODE SELECTOR LEVER (AGILITY SELECT)
D56 No code designation available
D5B No code designation available
DP0 No code designation available
F166 SERIES 166
FW LIMOUSINE
G031 TRANSMISSION CODE VERSION 31
GA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GA7 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, TORQUE 700 NM
GB6N No code designation available
HA REAR AXLE
K11 ADAPTIVE STOP LIGHT FLASHING
K13 CONTROL CODE FOR SERVICE INTERVAL 25000 KM
M014 ENGINE INCREASED PERFORMANCE
M019 SERVICE REPOSITIONED
M020 BLUETEC
M30 DISPLACEMENT 3.0 LITER
M642 V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
P29 AMG LINE INTERIOR/AMG SPORTS PACKAGE INTERIOR
P31 AMG LINE EXTERIOR/AMG SPORTS PACKAGE EXTERIOR
P44 PARKING PACKAGE
P49 MIRRORS PACKAGE
P54 THEFT PROTECTION PACKAGE
P64 FRONT MEMORY PACKAGE
R RIGHT-HAND STEERING
R01 SUMMER TIRES
U01 REAR BELT STATUS INDICATION
U10 FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH WEIGHT SENSING
U22 LUMBAR SUPPORT ADJUSTMENT
U26 FLOOR MATS - AMG
U60 PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION - ACTIVE ENGINE HOOD
U72 DVD PLAYER WITH REGIONAL CODE 2, EUROPE, JAPAN
U77 DIESEL EXHAUST TREATMENT BLUETEC SCR GENERATION 2
V46 SPEED+ - LOADINDEX 104 Y
VL FRONT AXLE HALF, LEFT
VR FRONT AXLE HALF, RIGHT

 

[Blobcat]

Nice spec

 

[keefysher]

Only downside is the Artico. If the price is right, go for it. Its well spec'd and will do what you want it to do, easily, comfortably and for a very long time.

We await images once you have it, as is customary on here.

Personally I don't like black upholstery, prefer a lighter colour.

 

[Blobcat]

^--- What he said

 

[ThinkPad]

Only downside is the Artico. If the price is right, go for it. Its well spec'd and will do what you want it to do, easily, comfortably and for a very long time.

We await images once you have it, as is customary on here.

Personally I don't like black upholstery, prefer a lighter colour.

Price is something I really cannot get a handle on. It is due an MOT and Service in two months. So I need to factor that in.

I can see that these are not shifting as quickly as some other cars, perhaps people out there just do not want the bigger engines anymore!! Have the 250d GLC and at first I thought it was great and nimble, but sometimes it just does not feel too great to drive!

 

[ThinkPad]

ps. Cannot do much about the artico. 99% of them on sale seem to have that rather than the leather! It was a very expensive option when new I believe??

 

[John Laidlaw]

MB tech Warrington are well respected so will have thoroughly serviced it...little unusual for it to have been serviced outwith main dealer during its warranty period ( not that there’s anything wrong in that)

 

[keefysher]

Price is something I really cannot get a handle on. It is due an MOT and Service in two months. So I need to factor that in.

I can see that these are not shifting as quickly as some other cars, perhaps people out there just do not want the bigger engines anymore!! Have the 250d GLC and at first I thought it was great and nimble, but sometimes it just does not feel too great to drive!

Put the reg in 'we buy ant car' and see what it comes up with. That gives a good starting point, and what lots of people would do when going to look at a private sale.

When we chopped in the Mrs car last year we got £100 more from the dealer on the trade in after presenting the wbac print out. The first figure was £200 below wbac.

Its a big engine in a big car. List was probably c£50k when new.

The Artico is pushed to keep the list price below the punitive BIK tax rates for company car and car allowance schemes. Plus people like bland interiors like black!! and silver, black, grey exteriors

Nappa leather on mine was £1820 on a £65k list, although I didn't pay anywhere near that!!

 

[ThinkPad]

I did take a look at We Buy Any Car. They are quoting around £3.5k less than what I would need to pay for it.

When buying cars like E Class in the past I have seen figures from WBAC a lot closer, but I have noted for big cars such as this (or sports cars, anything specialist) their values are way off!

 

[Crispian]

Maybe worth the ask,

A few years ago,my then partner worked at MB Leicester in sales,she would often have customers asking for leather in a non leather car,it was something the dealership arranged and contracted out to a local trimmers.

Might be worth asking if they can do that if your set on that car?

 

[Blobcat]

Maybe worth the ask,

A few years ago,my then partner worked at MB Leicester in sales,she would often have customers asking for leather in a non leather car,it was something the dealership arranged and contracted out to a local trimmers.

Might be worth asking if they can do that if your set on that car?

MB Brisol said they could do that for me on a C270 back in the day.

 

[andynpz]

FWIW, I just chopped in a 6months old GLC for a 18 months old GLE, and it has restored my pride! I thought the GLC an insubstantial blingy thing, with several features I didn't like.

The GLE is made in USA and has a rugged, and possibly less sophisticated feel, though I like it and the airmatic gives a great ride plus increased ground clearance if off road. V6 diesel growls away at 1500 rpm or less most of the time …...lovely!!