E280CDI - options advice please

[jakalex]

Guys,
Just scraped the necessaries together to order a new E280CDI, our first merc.
Could do with some advice on the the options that will help depreciation and add to the user experience. Its the base "classic" model and I'm thinking metallic and twin leather are must haves.
Are the wider alloys a good option to get? Does the parktronic system really help avoiding parking dings?
Anything else you'd advise adding to the basic spec?
thanks

jakalex

 

[dynasty888]

Jakalex

Swop alloys for avantgarde spec if pennies allow as this gives better handling and help resale values. Leather a must have. Heated seats great in winter. Parktronic very useful and have helped in those tight situations. The diesel is an excellent choice returning economy and performance.

 

[jberks]

I have to agree about the avantgarde spec. I'm looking at used E270CDIs at the moment and I wouldn't consider a classic, even substantially cheaper I'm afraid. I know the classic is way better than it used to be (no more matt black plastic dashboards) but the interior lighting pack, rain sensors etc make all the difference and give it the necessary luxury feel.
Hasn't been mentioned and it may be standard on the 280 but it MUST be an auto.

 

[jakalex]

E280CDI options

Thanks guys - good advice

How about colour? - most mercs I see are in silver but the cubanite (gold like)and red also look good.

 

[RichardM]

Thanks guys - good advice

How about colour? - most mercs I see are in silver but the cubanite (gold like)and red also look good.

Avantgarde is well worth it, the alloys look much better and the BiXenons are superb! A classic won't be anywhere near as desirable second hand.

One problem with the Avantgarde though is they don't offer Leather Twin and adding full leather pushes the price up even more. Leather Twin is very good (and is standard on the sport).

I wouldn't be without Parktronic - its a big car!

I think Red is likely to hurt the future value. I have Cubanite and its ok, but I do prefer the Granite Grey or Black.

 

[jberks]

Colour is a tricky one - I'd just go for what you like. I have tektite grey on the W210 and it looks fantastic in bright lights (showroom and sunny day) when it sparkes, but can look a bit crap when dirty under a dull grey sky (so most of the time). Silver doesn't show the muck or scratches, metallic blue /black etc- great when clean but shows the muck etc
Have a wander round the forecourt and look at some real world colours, not just what looks good in the showroom and the brochures.

 

[noby39]

E270 CDI Avantgarde or Classic?

I considered this question 18 months ago when I bought a new car. I went for the Classic with extras, in obsidian black. A friend of a friend is an MB salesman; and he (the salesman) said that when it comes to trading in an Avantgarde in say 3 years time you'll get a better trade-in price but nowhere near what you might expect for the extra you pay over a Classic with extras (e.g. leather). The difference is likely to be just a few hundred £s, depending of course on what the car is being traded-in against. An Avantgarde depreciates at the same rate as a Classic. Obviously, the amount of the difference in trade-in values will depend on the state of the used MB market at the time you trade the car in; and at present the market, for new and used, seems somewhat depressed. MB dealers tend to have you by the short and curlies at trade-in time. If you like, and want to pay for, the basic level of fitment of an Avantgarde then that's what you go for. If you intend keeping the car well beyond the usual 3 years then it probably doesn't matter all that much, aside from inner satisfaction, which of the 2 levels of fitment you buy, as long as the car is an automatic and has leather. If you want the MB parktronic system, then get it factory fitted because as I have found it costs about twice the factory-fitted price to have it retro-fitted. You get a big car in a new E series, and bumps cost quite a bit to repair.

 

[Bolide]

Why buy new?

A simple question: why buy a new car and pay all that depreciation when you can buy a 1, 2 or 3 year old car?

You're discussing the merits of spending a few hundred (thousands?) extra on options whilst ignoring losing many thousands as soon as you leave the dealer's premises


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Rory]

Buying any *new* car never makes any financial sense - it's an emotional purchase, really.
Let's face it, unless you're going to be doing weddings or something, you don't *need* an E Class Merc at all.

 

[Bolide]

Emotional purchase

I think I'd become highly emotional if I bought a new E Class and then read the Saturday Telegraph where it says that 1st-year depreciation on premium saloons at trade-in has gone from 23% in 2004 to 43% this year!

That means if you buy an E280CDi Classic for £33k dead with no options you'll see around 43% of the value disappear in 12 months

That's over £14k, or around £1200 a month, for "an emotional purchase". Someone please explain the logic of that to me because I don't understand it!


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[noby39]

Logic in purchasing

There is little logic to purchasing an MB car over some of the other good makes of car (e.g. a VW Passat), or to purchasing an E class over a C class, or to purchasing a new MB over a used MB. I like the greater space and comfort of an E class, and so I bought one. MB after-sales service is crap, and MB dealers tend to be rather arrogant (they give the impression that they're doing you a favour by selling you one of their cars). So we ought to be buying other makes of car. You may get a better after-sales service with some of the other, less expensive makes. Most purchases, other than the basic necessities, are emotional purchases to some extent. Look at the amount of money spent in the high street over the past 4 or 5 years - these mainly irrational spends have kept the British economy buoyant and many people in jobs, but it looks as though the day of reckoning may not be far off, if it is not here already. Irrationality is the companion of freedom, including freedom of choice. If we went back to the rationality in car buying that characterised the 1950s to 1970s, most motor car manufacturers and after-sales suppliers would be bankrupt. It seems that common sense and motor cars don't go together.

 

[Rory]

That's over £14k, or around £1200 a month, for "an emotional purchase". Someone please explain the logic of that to me because I don't understand it!

There isn't any logic - that's the emotional bit!

With those kind of figures it would be better to buy it on a PCP - at least you'd know where you stood then. It's always interesting to look at PCP figures anyway, especially the Final Value. It might give you a shock - you may think you can do better, but they don't usually get it far wrong.

 

[jberks]

Note that the report says "trade in". I suspect based on my recent experience it's probably true. It's certainly true that the dealers never pay a decent price on a trade in but they are still selling them at the same kind of prices they always did so prices on Auto trader still seem reasonably bouyant. Its also true that you never get back what you spent on extras so command for example costs you over 2k and you'll be lucky to see £150 back 6 weeks later.
Based on the current price list, mine was rougly 38k when new (ag spec, full leather,memory,parktronic, cd, phone prep, 17'' alloys etc) and when I bought it, the ticket price was 29 with a final purchase price around 2k lower allowing for the smoke and mirrors the dealers use to hide what you're really paying. The dealer told me he paid a little over 26 for it. I reckon around 25, so yes someone probably lost roughly 14k in the less than 12 months they owned it!
Emotionally I run merc E classes, but for cold, non emotional reasons, I wouldn't ever buy a brand new one. New cars always drop like a brick when you leave the showroom. Sadly the 70's when you could pick up an E class, run it for a year and sell it at a profit are long gone. Mercs are well enough made that 12 months wear is impossible to spot.

As I say, mine is just 12 months old, I put another 12 months warranty on for £700, the dealer serviced it and put new tyres on, the bodywork is unmarked so as far as I am concerned I just got a new condition well specced, E270CDI, with a full 3 years manufacturers warranty for 27700! It drives like new, looks new, carries the same warranty as new and even smells new. Bargain!

I put my plate on and people keep asking me if its brand new. Sure I'd have to wait another 12 months if I wanted a used 280 but thats from the perspective of time. If I'd bought a new one 12 months ago it would be the exact same car I have now only the mileage would be higher and I'd be 14k worse off.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

i think that to buy new is choice. nothing more. it allows you to make your spec and choose what you want. and you do have the choice of paying for it. if you choose not to then you buy second hand. thats your choice.

but if nobody bought new then the second hand market would suffer.

but those choosing second hand mercs normally are choosing the car above and beyond anything else. as they could quite easily buy new from a different manufacturer and this in itself is that choice. as in the above case. £29k for a second hand e class, you could buy a load of cars new for that. the new skoda octavia estate for example is £16k, that would save £13k for a new kitchen but you would still suffer someone saying, why would you buy new when you lose loads off them?

and a collegue of mine has just lamped out £20k for the latest Golf GTI and it is worth now...£21.5k and probably will be for the nest 3 or 4 months!

in fact i can sell mine for more than £1k more than i paid for it, but then i would have to wait 6 months for a new one. and its back to choice again.

its what we choose to do. and thats the logic behind being able to do it. as Sir Edmund Hilary said when he was asked why they climbed Mount Everest
" Because we can !"
simple.

 

[Supercue]

The man who suggested PCP, Quality Statement.

I have now gone a simiar route.

Had a Mercedes ML 03 plate, paid 30k for it, 1 year old this machine was has just been sold from my drive for 22k...Loss = 8k for 1 years driving.

New motor - Its only a lease, got it for 2 years, its brand spanking new.
Merc C class 200 CDI Avantgarde SE with Sports Pack, only £380 a month.gonna cost me £9120 for the 2 years this is even including the Road Tax and Insurance!!

At the end of the 2 years i walk away, the hardest decision next is...What do i have for the next 2 years!!

And i dont have to worry about losing money on depreciation or the extra money i lose on the interest for the loan for the new motor.

8k loss in one year and this brand new motor is 9k for 2 years motoring!! Makes sense to me!!

Just been and ordered my missus a new A Class as well on lease for 2 years, thats the A180 CDI Avantgarde SE, Sports Pack, Telephone prewiring and a couple of extra bits. this is ony £320 a month, same again for 2 years!!

Seems the way forward.

One last thing as well, I was worrying so much about selling this ****** ML as well, it took 4 weeks to sell privatly and i honestly thought i was never going to get rid of thing!! I shall not be needing that hassle at the end of the 2 years when the lease is up.

But everyone to there own!!

 

[Bolide]

Leasing

Re PCPs and leasing:

If trade-in values continue to slump like this then PCPs and leasing will shoot up in cost. So anyone considering them now should make their mind up asap, I think

I'm not really in touch with this market but would think that many of these non-purchase deals are advantageous tax-wise for the self-employed. Losing money through depreciation isn't tax-deductible but leasing is - and the payments are VAT recoupable

I wonder what proportion of new car buyers are non-business buyers? It used to be pretty small but I wonder what the current figures are?


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Supercue]

Very true bolide.

I own 4 businesses and i can claim 50% of the VAT back through 1 business and then also claim a mileage for business mileage through another business, therefore not having to pay a lot at all each month.

Once the Lease prices go through the roof, there no doubt will be another mad scheme out for people to latch on to.

This is the first time i have leased a car, now in a month or so, i will have a second. Or my wife will have her first to.

 

[jberks]

I have to agree too. I have a business but the co car tax would make my purchase very expensive in the long run. I'd be paying 40% tax on 1/3 of £39k even though I only spent 27 (and that was a big stretch). That by my calc is around £5k pa. So, I buy my cars privately. Also, as I never entirely know what I'll be earning. its nice to know that the car is mine and I won't have to hand it back if things get sticky and it's one less payment I have to make if I'm not earning for a month or two. If it was a co car, even when paid for, I still have to pay tax on it. This way, as soon as I can clear the remaining finance, hopefully in a year or so, it costs me only the maintenance and fuel. If I choose to keep it for 5-6 years like the last one, its a cheap car to run and I only change it when I can afford to put a substantial lump down against the next one. If things get really sticky, a 10+ year old W211 should still be a very nice motor!

The finance co's aren't daft. They aren't going to offer deals that they lose on, so if they can afford to do that deal, so can you. The main advantage (outside company tax issues) is that you don't have to pay the balloon as part of your monthly repayments so the payments are lower. You do, however, still have to pay the interest on that balloon, and the balloon still has to be paid at some point - normally by handing back the car.

So, all you are paying is the depreciation and interest. It is nice to know exactly where you stand, but unless you are lucky and the finance co has screwed up (rather unlikley), the car will be worth more than the balloon at the end, so to just hand it back, you are losing money.

The other reason I rejected the idea is that you are locked into a mileage limit. If you set the mileage high then the payments go up, if not and circumstances change and you start doing more...(I've gone from 8k to 20k pa) - There are lots of lease cars parked up for the last 6 months as they've hit their limit early.

PCP can be a good scheme for some (I had a lease car once myself), - if life is fairly predictable or if you have a company car allowance from your employer, but it is not without it's drawbacks and whilst it may look cheap on the face of it, it isn't a cheap option in the longer term. I guess the key difference is that I prefer to pay more for a shorter time, rather than less but forever. Its primarily a circumstances and security thing.