looking at a e320cdi

[lingsim]

Hello all!!

I have been lurking on this great forum for a long while. Now i want some advice and opinions

I am going to look at a 03 55k e320 cdi avantguarde later this week at a merc dealer. Its fully loaded ie auto, sat nav, leather,panoramic roof and amg wheels and body kit.

Is there any thing i should look out for? And how much should i be trying to haggle off the screen price.

Should i part ex my car or not to get the best deal?
And what is the best cheapest way to finance it?

Sorry for so many question, any advice greatly appreciated!

L

 

[lingsim]

bump! no one here wanna gimme any advice or tips?

Ok what i really want to know most is how much can i haggle off the screen price, if any, off a merc dealer.

 

[television]

bump! no one here wanna gimme any advice or tips?

Ok what i really want to know most is how much can i haggle off the screen price, if any, off a merc dealer.

On a £30k car£1500 at the most as long as there is no PX

Malcolm

 

[Blobcat]

Been away and work is getting in the way...

IMHO change the AMG wheels, if you are going to be driving it more than looking at it.
Unsecured loan easiest (short of handing over folding), borrowing off you house gives the lowest payments, however you can end up paying for the car long after you have sold it.

Sell your car seperately, how much are they asking?

 

[lingsim]

going to see the car tomorrow.

Whats wrong with the amg wheels? harsh ride?

its up for about 23K... is that too much?

 

[Blobcat]

Around 23K is about right for a dealer (although the MB search engine has just been modified and is now almost impossible to search with)
£18K upwards from an independant.
I would look for a newer car from an independant MB specialist, a 54 reg will have ~ 1yrs of MB warranty left which is worthwhile. The 211 improved somewhat in 2004 as the electrical issues had been sorted. However MB have just completed a facelift on the 211 to cure some issues.

 

[jberks]

I normally expect £1,000 to £1500 off the screen price, but it does depend on how long they've been sitting on it. It's a desirable motor so they may not be willing to move as much as they would on a 200 classic. It also depends on what they need to spend on it. If it needs £1k worth of tyres and a £600 service and they didn't make much when they bought it (see below) then they may be unwilling to move even that.

Like all things, it depend on how much you want it. You can play hard ball and get a great discount, or you can find that someone else bought it from under you. My dealer wasn't that flexible and didn't chase me when I left, but he did have the best car and I ended up going back anyway. Got the std £1k off, plus service new tyres etc so it wasn't that bad.

Trade in wise - ignore what you are told. You will get trade. Sure, they may wrap it up so it looks like you're getting top dollar, but you're not, they''ve simply knocked it off profit on the new one. In these days of corporate accountants, salesmen have to show a profit on every transaction. So, they have to show on paper that they paid you little enough, that if they job your car out at the auction, they still break even. So, the best way is to sell yours privately (if you can). In my case, they offered me trade to my face, but that simply meant that the figures were honest and I could see that whilst I could have got perhaps £1k or so more for mine, the hassle of selling it with it's faults, plus the issues around plate transfers and trying to match the timing made it easier to trade anyway.

Finance wise, I ummed, erred etc. In my case, I put a lump down as well as my old E, but when I tried to haggle on the rate, he knocked a fraction of a point off and then pointed out, rightly, that the difference between his price and what I could get shopping around on the internet, whilst looking sizeable in apr terms, actually came down to about £1 per month, and with the dealer they'd sort out all the paperwork and I could just sign and drive away. That said, the cheapest (and most flexible) money is one of those mortgage account thingies, but you do need to be diligent enough to pay it off or you end up with a 20k debt and a 20 year old car.

Before you sign, ask to see the full history print out from the MB computer including all warranty repairs (not just the service book). A few fixes are to be expected but make sure it isn't a lemon with repeated gearbox work etc. They did make a few around then. Ideally speak to the previous owner too.

On the AMG wheels. 17 or 18''? The ride is best with the standard 16'' but it's ok on 17'' (I have these) . Just a bit harsher. I wouldn't touch 18''.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

I agree with the comment about the wheels, stay away from 18" wheels. Be aware 2003 cars did have lots of problems so look closely. That said the 320 cdi is a great car to drive.

 

[television]

To check on 211 up to the 30.09.03 for the dreaded water in gearbox fault, if there is a white spot on the tranmision cooler it has been modified.

malcolm

 

[lingsim]

Hi all! The car at the dealer was sold before i could see it.

But i have sourced another one to look at later today.
But this one is from a "private seller" on a 54plate. again e320cdi.

Apart from a Hpi or AA car data check, what else can i do to ensure its not stolen, cloned etc

And is there a number i can call to mercedes to find the history of the car over the phone? and to check if its an import, recalls made, and warranty claims?

Im traveling 100miles to see the so i wanna make sure i check everything possible.

Your input will be greatly appreciated!

One more thing its only 20K on the clock, any guarentee way to verify the milage?

 

[Blobcat]

First thing is to get hold of the Vin No. and enter in into the Russian site http://www.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/index.html?lng=eng this will list out the original specification and country it was supplied to along with the date. HPI checks do (or did when I used it) provide a £10K guarantee if they are wrong.
Vin No. and/or No. plate to your MB dealer and they should be able to give you some info, If the MB dealer is close by you could cheekily ask them to take a look at it on a test drive with the promise that you will be bringing it to them for servicing work in the future.

 

[lingsim]

Anyone experienced the AA car inpection or similar? Is it worth it?
Looking at the terms and condition they dont seem to guarentee anything...

 

[Blobcat]

Depends upon your automotive knowledge really, as the car should have some MB warranty left as long as the wear items brakes/suspension/glow plugs etc are not shot then you should be fairly safe (famous last words)