Good Evening Everyone

[mossrose]

I am new here and I am searching for a C Class to buy. I currently have a shortlist of two C200 estates (I would also entertain a saloon); both are AMG Line Night Edition Premium 9G Tronic from Mercedes main dealers.

They are both sub 25000 mile cars and both have MOT advisory notes on their tyres. Is this normal?

I am new to Mercedes, having just driven a Rover 75 1.8T tourer into the ground. It is also many years since I have bought such a young and low mileage car. I am a low mileage user (6-7,000 miles per year) and like to keep cars long term; the Rover 12 years and previous cars even longer. Therefore, any other advice or comments would be very welcome too.

Best Wishes

mossrose

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[00slk]

Hello and welcome

 

[Srdl]

Welcome - if you post up links to the cars you’re interested in then members can make some comments.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the tyre advisories. I had them in October 2022 and didn’t need to replace the tyres until August 2023. Testers can sometimes be very cautious especially if the garage they work for is struggling to hit its sales targets!

 

[fabes]

Hi

I take it these are petrols?

Do price up and consider a package price with a service plan depending on the major / minor services due.

If you'd rather not, if you tell us where you are, we should be able to recommend a good independent garage.

Is the Sat Nav upto date is one consideration as I presume they both have Comand given the trim levels?
What length of warranty, is each offering?

The difference in tech (from a Rover 75) should keep you entertained for a while.

 

[mioba]

Check the tryes over and ask the dealer to replace them if they have not - and not at your expense.
Be aware they will put cheap on.

 

[dry run]

Welcome

 

[mossrose]

Thanks for the welcome

Srdl and mioba, the Mercedes dealer selling my favourite of the two cars has told me that, if the tyres don't meet the standard of a Mercedes Approved used car, new matching tyres will be fitted. I interpret 'matching' to mean the same manufacturer and type on all four wheels. Can Mercedes main dealers usually be held to their word? Incidentally the tyres are Pirelli P Zeros.

fabes, yes they are both petrol. I am very likely to have Sytner in Northampton service the car and they have proposed a service/mot package for £45 per month. However, I will be a low mileage user (c6000 miles per year) and therefore will not need a service every year. I have spoken to both main dealers about servicing and they have both been vague; in fact they have both been vague about the pre handover health check too. This is the one area where I have been dissatisfied with them to date.

Thanks for the advice on the sat nav; something I have little experience of. I will check updates with them. Yes the favourite car has Command. I will check out warranties too.

On technology, I am looking forward to trying out the gizmos.

Generally, I have been heartened to find that I can still have an analogue clock but disappointed that I can't have real leather or a wider selection of colours to choose from. I suppose that's modern life!!!

 

[harrye500]

Welcome! As Mioba, maybe use as a negotiation point if they won't replace tyres as a matter of course. I also ran a Rover 75 estate a few years ago. What a great car. I'd stick with the estate as you'll miss the size coming from a 75 barge!!

 

[mossrose]

harrye500

When I realised that I needed to change my car earlier in the year I thought it was time to move to a saloon, but people told me that once you had an estate you would always have an estate. It looks as though they were right!!!

I have loved my Rover; it has been a very convenient occasional clean load carrier and I always looked back at it after parking. However, I am looking to Mercedes for a more durable interior and greater reliability. I am warming to the looks of the C Class estate too.

 

[harrye500]

The C class is a fine motor, both saloon and estate have a nice look and generous equipment. I have an E estate now as the main driver but admittedly nowadays it is too big for my needs. Yes, the 75 was a handsome car - the final swansong of a great and misunderstood car maker! As others suggest, maybe post links to what you're interested in and I am sure we will all be happy to chip in with helpful thoughts and advice.

 

[Srdl]

Can Mercedes main dealers usually be held to their word?

In a word “No”. They are salesmen after all.

There is anecdotal evidence that the Approved Car Healthchecks are along the lines of “lets see what the buyer spots and then decide whether we correct it”.

 

[EmilysDad]

EmilysHusband has a Rover 75 estate ..... he loves it

(almost as much as he loves Emily lol)

 

[EmilysDad]

...... However, I will be a low mileage user (c6000 miles per year) and therefore will not need a service every year.....

But your Merc will be asking for a service every year

 

[mossrose]

I have just spoken at length to Sytner's at Swindon about Service Care Plans and have been slightly spooked by their unwillingness to let me have a written record of their standard/default service schedule ( I have acknowledged that the same for a specific car would be bespoke and based on mileage, service history etc.. and therefore would vary). The lady I spoke to identified the schedules for the A and B services and the additional items (gearbox service etc..) verbally and from memory, but she couldn't confirm that she had given me full and comprehensive information or give me a print out for my reference!! I suppose that is the best I am going to get.

Emily'sDad, I am also coming round to accepting that, notwithstanding doing c6000 miles per year, I will have to commit to an annual service. For this they would want me to sign up to a plan for 2nr services and 2nr MOTs paid either by 24nr monthly installments of £45 or 12nr of £90.

Incidentally, my service contract would be with Mercedes and servicing would be recorded digitally in a way that all Approved Mercedes service teams could see.......but not me!!! I, as the car owner, would have to rely on detailed invoices!!!! She said that, if I were to go to an independent, I should check that they can upload the service record to Mercedes as well as being able to turn off the service indicator light.

So there we have it. It looks like they will get their £45 per month and I will have to trust them. C'est la vie.

 

[SmartAmg]

 

[fabes]

All good / recommended independents can do the servicing, updating the on line service history, resetting the car computer etc etc
And they usually do it at an hourly labour rate missing a '1' at the front....

But if you want to keep main dealer history, then paying monthly can be attractive.

You can always ask for a printout of the DSB and to be fair, the invoices do detail everything they do (and don't) do.

Annual service though!
The car will countdown to it.
And Dealers don't mind as it's an opportunity to warn you that your brakes are one third worn so you'd better pay them to replace them.....

PS, my boss has just bought a 68 plate C class estate. It is rather nice and very useful as a load lugger

 

[Srdl]

I have just spoken at length to Sytner's at Swindon about Service Care Plans and have been slightly spooked by their unwillingness to let me have a written record of their standard/default service schedule ( I have acknowledged that the same for a specific car would be bespoke and based on mileage, service history etc.. and therefore would vary). The lady I spoke to identified the schedules for the A and B services and the additional items (gearbox service etc..) verbally and from memory, but she couldn't confirm that she had given me full and comprehensive information or give me a print out for my reference!! I suppose that is the best I am going to get.

Emily'sDad, I am also coming round to accepting that, notwithstanding doing c6000 miles per year, I will have to commit to an annual service. For this they would want me to sign up to a plan for 2nr services and 2nr MOTs paid either by 24nr monthly installments of £45 or 12nr of £90.

Incidentally, my service contract would be with Mercedes and servicing would be recorded digitally in a way that all Approved Mercedes service teams could see.......but not me!!! I, as the car owner, would have to rely on detailed invoices!!!! She said that, if I were to go to an independent, I should check that they can upload the service record to Mercedes as well as being able to turn off the service indicator light.

So there we have it. It looks like they will get their £45 per month and I will have to trust them. C'est la vie.

You can see full details of your Mercedes service history on the Mercedes Me portal

 

[mossrose]

Thanks fabes and Srdl. This information is incredibly useful.

 

[mossrose]

I have now taken the plunge on a C Class Estate Special Editions C200 AMG Line Night Edition Premium 9G-Tronic in Selenite Grey Metallic.

It is a 'covid' car, first registered in March 21 having been in the factory between late August and the end of November 20, then held up in transportation (despatched from Zeebrugge to Purfleet on 12 December and then not moved from Purfleet to the dealer until 25 March 21). It was supplied and taken back in part exchange by Inchcape of Stratford-upon-Avon and serviced by them in the meantime. I am buying from Inchcape.

Thanks for everyone's help with this, it is has been very useful. Perhaps I will be able to meet one or two of you, if there are club meetings within a reasonable distance of my home in Wellingborough.