S430 - what do you think it is worth

[mlc]

I went to see a 2000 X reg S430 today. 86K miles, MB service history, pearlesant Blue, all the goodies it seems. The car has clearly been standing for some time at the garage. Its on at £12k.

Anybody want to make a stab at what it is really worth? Also would privacy glass by an MB option on that car or would it have been an after market job, it does look original?

Thanks in advance.

Mark.

 

[television]

Hello Mark, I have been looking around for cars this last few week, it is very hard to work out prices, most dealers cars are priced high to allow for PX, most private ones have no waranty, and are priced to high. Most seem to list the standard features as extra's, good luck in your search.

Regards Malcolm

 

[hawk20]

I went to see a 2000 X reg S430 today. 86K miles, MB service history, pearlesant Blue, all the goodies it seems. The car has clearly been standing for some time at the garage. Its on at £12k.

Anybody want to make a stab at what it is really worth? Also would privacy glass by an MB option on that car or would it have been an after market job, it does look original?

Thanks in advance.

Mark.

You will get a very good idea from these links below. Used mercedes is a great site with cars from loads of Merc dealers plus independents and a good search engine. They list the dealers involved. Virtually a Who's Who of Merc dealers. Those prices I've checked seem to be close to Glass's guide. As you probably know, Glass's Guide is the bible for most traders and you can always get a really detailed valuation from their website for only £2-95. They will give you trade value, retail, part ex, private sale and for various mileages and conditions. Invaluable.
Direct Mercedes sell cars from Merc managers/directors and others and are always worth a look as their prices are normally low compared to the average dealer. Helps you judge what you should be paying and I have used it as a haggling tool.

I bought an S320cdi at end April. Oddly the 220 series is one of the very few cars to have gone UP when the new model came out. Some say a sign of a classic in the making. But they are great value as big cars aren't most people's flavour of the month. IF, IF you can find the extra to get a post facelift S class, there were a lot of improvements -but great car whatever year you plump for.
http://www.used-mercedescars.co.uk

http://www.directmercedes.co.uk

http://www.glass.co.uk

 

[hawk20]

Quick check suggests 320 petrols are around £12k for year 2000. The 430 are rare. Diesels (320cdi) are as much as £4k dearer but offer combined fuel economy of 35 per gallon.

 

[jberks]

I'd have to say that an S430 is worth what you'll offer.
It no doubt has been sitting around for a while. When you're paying the 70k or so for a new one, the running costs of a V8 are irrelevant but once it reaches the sub 12k market, it starts mattering a lot.
He will have a hell of a job shifting it now fuel has just jumped to £1l and we're not used to it yet.
Make him a silly offer, you may be surprised.

 

[Rory]

As you probably know, Glass's Guide is the bible for most traders and you can always get a really detailed valuation from their website for only £2-95. They will give you trade value, retail, part ex, private sale and for various mileages and conditions. Invaluable.

Glass's is only a guide though - I've p/x'd cars where several dealers have said the car is 'over-booked' in Glass's and they wouldn't give me the Glass's price. On the other hand, our current Honda Jazz is, I believe, worth more than Glass's says, but the dealers stick to the Glass's price (surprise surprise).

You can do a basic check with Glass's for free via Vauxhall's website http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/finance/valueyourcar.do

If the car isn't at an MB dealer, I would have thought it would be very tough to value - there must be a *very* limited market for such a car. I guess the issue is, how much is it worth to you? You should probably think of this as lifetime purchase - it may well be impossible to sell on again.

 

[mlc]

Rory,

Thanks for the vauxhall link, although it is giving trade in values only its very useful.

Worried about the idea that you dont think I would ever be able to sell it again, i thought that the 430 engine would be a desirable option, am I making a mistake not going for the smaller 320?

I do a very low mileage per year ~ 6k at most so fuel is not too important, however I dont want to be landed with a car that I cant ever sell. The 430 seems to have lots more goodies as standard than the 320 which again I thought was a plus point.

Mark

 

[television]

Mark does it really matter about the size of the engine, there are thousands of people out there who love a large car and do ninimum miles per year.

Take me on buing a new SL at 5k per annum the difference between the 350 and the 500 in fuel is around £175.

Can you remember the Suiz crisis at that time I bought and sold Jaguars owow they said no one wants them now, they all sold well and always will do

Enjoy it, they have not got unleaded in heaven.

Malcolm

 

[hawk20]

I've talked to a couple of people in the trade who share my view that you can always sell a Merc. There is always a price. The trade guides give you the best guide to what that price is. There are plenty who love petrol engines (me included -only economy drove me to a diesel but now I like it). The most saleable is the 320cdi. If you are going for petrol I think the 430 will always be a bit more desirable than the 320.:smile: The part ex price for the one you are looking at is £12-13-14k depending on miles and condition so the price seems pretty damn good to me.

 

[Speedmaster]

You will no have trouble selling on a 430 int he future. At that level of the market, people will be more drawn to the value for money than the running costs.

I have the clk430, which has a large v8 engine in it but I dont do many miles a year in it, so wopuld much rather have the extra spec/options on a 430 and take advantge of extra depreciation beyond a CLK230. Plus it is a lot more fun to drive.

Have to say if I were going for a s-class (which I am toying with just now), I would go for a s500 but I think the 430 would be a good compromise.

As usual, Television makes a sage point

 

[OlafMaxwell]

You need to look closely at the car. they have a lot of very expensive suspension isues, any clonking and you are in for a heavy repair bill. The fuel consumption is not going to be the issue, nether is depreciation because the most you can suffer is £12k or whatever you pay for the car. Tecnical problems can be horrendously expensive, brakes, transmission, suspension etc. Get someone who really knows these things to look at it and only go for it if everything works.

 

[hawk20]

Equally you will find in the threads of this forum, and those on other sites, countless examples of people who've done hundreds of thousands of miles without any horrendous bills. And there are loads of people who've had nothing but trouble with Peugeots.:smile:

 

[television]

Equally you will find in the threads of this forum, and those on other sites, countless examples of people who've done hundreds of thousands of miles without any horrendous bills. And there are loads of people who've had nothing but trouble with Peugeots.:smile:

I have also said many times, that there are more cars standing in my local MB showroom than we have here with faults.and that's only one. I could name 15 friends who have bought new and never had a thing go wrong, I am on my 4th, though bought secondhand, I ran them for two to three years at a time, and the 300TE for 10 years with only a water pump leaking.

I have sold things that have been nothing but agro to the purchaser, give them something else, and no problem, sell the troublesome article to someone else and they are happy and it works for ever without any more problems, in my 56 years working life,i have never to work out why.

Malcolm