[Sahil]

Originally Posted by pskrishnan

1. Do you use normal petrol or 93 octane or 97 octane petrol
2. What is the fuel efficiency in the city for an auto transmission
3. What are normal annual maintenance costs for the annual periodic maintenance service
4. Is Rs 19 lakhs a good price for the car (single owner) or else what would be fair value

1. 91 octane is just fine. Where do you get 93 octane in India? 97 would be an overkill for that engine.
2.8kmpl would be my estimate
3.50k or so depending on the amount of wear and tear
4.Price is too high. Do try and buy directly from an owner price will be much better, check out Tbhp classified and other sources like carwale etc.

[pskrishnan]

Thanks Sahil, much appreciated

In your opinion how much should I pay for a very well maintained 2010 C200K Elegance model

regards

KRISHNAN

Originally Posted by Sahil

1. 91 octane is just fine. Where do you get 93 octane in India? 97 would be an overkill for that engine.
2.8kmpl would be my estimate
3.50k or so depending on the amount of wear and tear
4.Price is too high. Do try and buy directly from an owner price will be much better, check out Tbhp classified and other sources like carwale etc.

[Gandalf18]

Guys,

Happy holidays and merry Christmas. I am reopening this thread in hope of you helping me out with my next car purchase decision. I am looking to buy a used Mercedes. My budget is roughly around 15-18 lakhs. Looking in Delhi/Gurgaon or maybe Bangalore as I keep traveling there. Open to any ideas and suggestions. I like the E class more than the C and do not want to go beyond 2007 odd dated. I also saw a S 320 with 75k on the ODO within my budget. 2007 model. Again no preference on diesel or petrol as my daily drive is seldom beyond 30 kms. Mileage is also therefore not my top consideration. I am a music lover, and like to enjoy my drives with comfort rather than pressing the proverbial pedal. Moreover there is a kid on the way and driving fast is out of the question.

What do you suggest are the best ways to buy a used Benz? Which models are better? I test drove the C 200 and the space at the back is less. And there are just too many variants. So it confuses me. Is the E270 better than the E 280? etc etc

Should I go on the websites (carwale etc) and then go see the car? What are signs of a good Merc? how do I know if the ODO has not been played with, car is not accidental etc. One way is to stay away from dealers and buy straight from individuals (first owners etc). The other is to go to Merc and buy from their used car program.

Confused, I am. Please help

Bests,
Saakar

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by Gandalf18

The other is to go to Merc and buy from their used car program.

Confused, I am. Please help

Bests,
Saakar

This is your best bet. You can also ask for two years warranty from Mercedes, the one like BMW. I am not sure though if they offer that.

Second option could be to buy it from known seller.

Buying from other dealers or unknown seller is a risky proposition because any hidden repair could cost you a bomb, especially the S.

When I was checking used Mercedes I found couple of good three four years old C220 for around 20L.

Buying 7 years old car for 18L doesn't make sense, IMO. Better go for a segment below and get a newer car and have peace of mind.

[Gandalf18]

Hi,

I am in the Delhi/NCR market to buy a used Mercedes Benz and am completely at wits end with the range and the level of decision making. I read up quite a lot of threads but they are more model specific and therefore do not give a holistic approach to decision making on buying a used Merc. There are too many models, too many variants and one can pick up an S class which is a decade older to a 3 year old C class within the same budget.

My considerations - avg daily drive - 30 Kms max. Budget - 15-18 lakhs. Lover of music, so sound system is key. Seldom drive over 60-70; I believe in enjoying my drive and take the longer routes so I can listen to more songs and lesser crowded roads. Never owned a German luxury car before. My other vehicle is a Mahindra thar which I happily drive to work everyday. Comfort, security is key as there is a baby on the way.

My questions - which class to buy (S,C or E) and within those, which models are best. Diesel or petrol? Should I compromise age of car for luxury? (For eg, I saw a 2005 S class with 60k on the ODO vs a 2008 E250 with 44k on the ODO, same budget). S class does get my head buzzing Also the Avantgarde versions which have amazing features. Once deciding on the model, is buying from a dealer safe? What about MB's own used cars circuit? Or should I just stick to individual first owners? What should I get checked when I go for a test?

Mods sorry to have started a new thread on this. Please feel free to merge if you think that is appropriate. Happy holidays everyone!

Help!

Saakaar

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Gandalf18

Hi,

My questions - which class to buy (S,C or E) and within those, which models are best. Diesel or petrol? Should I compromise age of car for luxury? (For eg, I saw a 2005 S class with 60k on the ODO vs a 2008 E250 with 44k on the ODO, same budget). S class does get my head buzzing Also the Avantgarde versions which have amazing features. Once deciding on the model, is buying from a dealer safe? What about MB's own used cars circuit? Or should I just stick to individual first owners? What should I get checked when I go for a test?

Mods sorry to have started a new thread on this. Please feel free to merge if you think that is appropriate. Happy holidays everyone!

Help!

Saakaar

Lets divide these in to the service, source and the cars.

Service - Mercedes service will keep your car on the road but the bills will be high and will reflect the cost of a 50 lakh car. Also consider that god forbid you have an accident, you will need to pay high depreciation costs on what are already expensive parts.

I would first identify some good mechanics out of the Mercedes network if you need to lower service costs and also good parts sources. You might want to let the car be serviced by Mercedes but do not let them undertake major repairs and replacements unless it is something specialised like the transmission, electronics and air suspension.

Source - The Mercedes Dealer network will provide piece of mind but the prices are 20% higher and you will be tied to them for service till the warranty period and maybe a little beyond if you want to rely on their goodwill.

The specialised mechanics outside the network might know good cars coming on the market and will help you source but you need to be able to trust them. Again all assurances will be on paper

The car dealers will quote outrageous prices but you need to negotiate hard. Since they do not provide any assurances etc, if you find something you like and can get to an agreeable price point, the Rs4000-5000 inspection costs at a Mercedes dealer will be an investment

Car owner - you will get the best deal but you have no come back unless some safety issue was knowingly not declared. Again get MB to check car out. Try and get owner to also drive car to get an idea on how he treats his car.

Cars - For your budget, I guess you have following options

S Class w220 - This is probably the least reliable of the S Classes- air suspension, various electronic gliches and issues with the shared radiator/ transmission coller causing the auto box to be contaminated. You might get a good one but you might get some very bad ones. These do not move. Build quality is also iffy on the earlier ones

S Class w221 - Great cars but you might get something quite leggy, if it has been a single owner who only does long journeys, worth a look. Again air suspension issues.

E Class W211 - Look at only the revised versions wit the louvered headlights. Over 1000 improvements to remove the earlier niggles. Most E280 diesel owners have no complaints. Look at the petrol 280, might be a bargain and a better bet in the long temr since the maintenance will be less at those ages.

C Class - w203 - You could get once of the last ones but do check GTO's long term report - it runs but some niggles happen

C Class w204 - Not a bad vehicle. you wont get a facelifted once. Wait till Jan/Feb when the new one is officially launched, then prices will drop

Basically, get anything post 2007 since Mercedes got their quality back in order.

My recommendations in no particular order are

E class - E280 CDI or petrol
C Class - C220 diesel. C200 kompressor worth a look also

Hope this helps

[Gandalf18]

Thanks a lot Ajmat. Some friends also came back saying that the Audi A6 is worth a look within this budget (again beyond 2007). Any dope on that?

thanks again

[pvinod_p]

Dear team-bhpians

In keeping withthis thread, I've also been on the lookout for a pre-owned merc of bmw under 12 lacs, ideally not older than 2007-08, and under 60-70K kms done.

I've not been able to meet any direct seller till date unfortunately, so it's been down to trolling sites like cardekho, carwale, gaadi etc, which are mostly ads by dealers. One particular ad that came up yesterday is below.

May I request your advice on how to think about this option, given that it is a 2007 model, claiming to have done 77K kms already, 3-series diesel for 10.5 (my sense is it may sell for 9.5, but that price difference is not the key point). Are there any screaming "NO-GOs" in this deal, or worth checking it out with a mechanic?

Thank you!!

http://www.carwale.com/used/cardetails.aspx?car=D536188

[pvinod_p]

Originally Posted by pvinod_p

Dear team-bhpians

In keeping withthis thread, I've also been on the lookout for a pre-owned merc of bmw under 12 lacs, ideally not older than 2007-08, and under 60-70K kms done.

I've not been able to meet any direct seller till date unfortunately, so it's been down to trolling sites like cardekho, carwale, gaadi etc, which are mostly ads by dealers. One particular ad that came up yesterday is below.

May I request your advice on how to think about this option, given that it is a 2007 model, claiming to have done 77K kms already, 3-series diesel for 10.5 (my sense is it may sell for 9.5, but that price difference is not the key point). Are there any screaming "NO-GOs" in this deal, or worth checking it out with a mechanic?

Thank you!!

http://www.carwale.com/used/cardetails.aspx?car=D536188

Dear Team-bhpians

I went to check out this car today at Jaanya motors, Belapur, Mumbai (any user experience on this dealer would be helpful!)

The is in reasonable condition. The following key observations

1. the interior leather does feel used and old (the car is after all 6 years old). the area near the auto-window buttons has become a bit fluffy. plus the door handles feel kinda sticky, as if the heat and moisture has actually affected the rubber

2. the paint job is in ok condition, few dents expect a couple on the back and very interestingly a couple on the top triangle shaped fitting. i wonder how the car got a dent on the top! except for maybe a stonethrow, or something falling on it from top, or the vehicle having toppled over!

3. there is no duplicate key, the dealer says the owner lost it (how bad a sign is this?)

4. on test drive, the car feels quite responsive. steering is a bit heavy, and the suspension is not very supple, but i think those are characteristics of the 3 series (please correct me if i am wrong)

5. dealer claims all papers are available including registration tax receipt, insurance etc., and i can take the car to a bmw service center for servce history check and a technical evaluation. but he wants me to pay a token of 25k before, and that will be given back only if the evaluation comes out bad (defined as work that will require more than 50K of spend from me after buying to keep the car in good condition)

would be great to get all your experienced thoughts on these please!

[iceman1]

Originally Posted by pvinod_p

Dear Team-bhpians

I went to check out this car today at Jaanya motors, Belapur, Mumbai (any user experience on this dealer would be helpful!)

The is in reasonable condition. The following key observations

1. the interior leather does feel used and old (the car is after all 6 years old). the area near the auto-window buttons has become a bit fluffy. plus the door handles feel kinda sticky, as if the heat and moisture has actually affected the rubber

2. the paint job is in ok condition, few dents expect a couple on the back and very interestingly a couple on the top triangle shaped fitting. i wonder how the car got a dent on the top! except for maybe a stonethrow, or something falling on it from top, or the vehicle having toppled over!

3. there is no duplicate key, the dealer says the owner lost it (how bad a sign is this?)

4. on test drive, the car feels quite responsive. steering is a bit heavy, and the suspension is not very supple, but i think those are characteristics of the 3 series (please correct me if i am wrong)

5. dealer claims all papers are available including registration tax receipt, insurance etc., and i can take the car to a bmw service center for servce history check and a technical evaluation. but he wants me to pay a token of 25k before, and that will be given back only if the evaluation comes out bad (defined as work that will require more than 50K of spend from me after buying to keep the car in good condition)

would be great to get all your experienced thoughts on these please!

3. Making an extra key would set you back by about 25-30k . so you may want to factor that in while negotiating the price of the car.

4. These are the typical characteristics of the car as rightly observed by you.

5. Definitely get it checked by BMW before making the purchase. Bmw's are generally expensive to maintain so you may want to be a bit careful before parting with your money.

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by pvinod_p

Dear Team-bhpians

I went to check out this car today at Jaanya motors, Belapur, Mumbai (any user experience on this dealer would be helpful!)

The is in reasonable condition. The following key observations

1. the interior leather does feel used and old (the car is after all 6 years old). the area near the auto-window buttons has become a bit fluffy. plus the door handles feel kinda sticky, as if the heat and moisture has actually affected the rubber

2. the paint job is in ok condition, few dents expect a couple on the back and very interestingly a couple on the top triangle shaped fitting. i wonder how the car got a dent on the top! except for maybe a stonethrow, or something falling on it from top, or the vehicle having toppled over!

3. there is no duplicate key, the dealer says the owner lost it (how bad a sign is this?)

4. on test drive, the car feels quite responsive. steering is a bit heavy, and the suspension is not very supple, but i think those are characteristics of the 3 series (please correct me if i am wrong)

5. dealer claims all papers are available including registration tax receipt, insurance etc., and i can take the car to a bmw service center for servce history check and a technical evaluation. but he wants me to pay a token of 25k before, and that will be given back only if the evaluation comes out bad (defined as work that will require more than 50K of spend from me after buying to keep the car in good condition)

would be great to get all your experienced thoughts on these please!

Hey Pvinod, some observations to the points you have noted:
1. The used and old feeling leather combined with the sticky door frames, etc make it sound like the previous owner of the car has just run it without too much care probably at the hands of a driver - the car could have been sitting open with the driver in it everyday at office or whatever. The leather in well taken care of cars should not feel too used. My E270 is a 2005 model and the interior is at least 90% as good as the day I picked it up from the showroom.

2. Something falling on the car would probably explain it, a stone throw is also plausible these kinds of cars are more prone to random vandalization.

3.Too me this would be a concern because if the spare key is genuinely lost then most owners would immediately have it replaced. These kinds of keys take time to make and no good owner would risk leaving the car without a spare for a long time. It reinforces my first thought the the previous owner of the car has just ran the car without too much care.

4. I really can't comment, I have driven a 3 series only once or twice.

5.Take a look at all the papers and ask for a copy of the RC and the insurance, with the car number you can go to the BMW service centre and ask for the car repair and service history - tell them that you are planning to buy the car. Also check if any claims were made on the insurance, you will have to go to the insurance company and check the claim history. It will let you know if any major claims were made on that car. If this all checks out and you are comfortable then you could probably pick up the car and take it to the service centre for a check up. Please ask the mechanics to pay attention to the brakes (disks and pads), the suspension, the turbo hoses, the steering assembly (the thrust arms, etc) and all the other check points they have. In these cars any undetected fault will pop up at a later date and the cost of repairs can really be obscene.

Please forgive me if my post sound like a drone of dread but I would rather be safe than sorry.

[Gandalf18]

Hi,

Thanks everyone for all your help till now. I have a couple of questions I need some expert advise on. Does anyone have any feedback on Big Boys Toyz in delhi? They are a premium reseller and give 6 months warranty on transmission with a guarantee on the odo.

Also I need suggestions on these 3 cars from their inventory which are in the same price range with varied features etc. Please help

http://bigboytoyz.in/inventory/mercedes-e280-cdi-3/

http://bigboytoyz.in/inventory/used-mercedes-c220cdi-2/

http://bigboytoyz.in/inventory/used-bmw-523i/

thanks for all the help bhpians!

Saakaar

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by Gandalf18

http://bigboytoyz.in/inventory/mercedes-e280-cdi-3/

Can't really make out any good or bad of the cars from just the photos, but in the E Class mercedes, all the pictures are not of the same car.

2 show an interior with a touch screen type ICE which is not the factory fit on this version of the E and the rest show the regular factory fitted with the number pad and other controls around the display.

Please check which pictures belong to the car that you are looking at.

[zulfi hansi]

I hope this is the most appropriate thread for my post.

I have been going crazy searching for a Merc C class W204 [2008 onward] since 3 months in Bangalore and haven't got one for various reasons. My budget is a little on the edge about 14 to 15 L, not a single C220 CDI is available for that price, no matter the mileage or number of owners or even condition, just not available, everything starts at 17.5L. So I have been forced to look at C200K, they are too few and far in between, most of the cars are with brokers, I am sure none of the dealers will buy these but the owners don't seem to be interested in selling it by themselves.

This car is primarily for my Dad, a gift from me to him [he would never ever spend 15L on a car even if he likes it so much, so I am buying it for him and cannot afford more than 15L]. BTW he has never driven a diesel in his life and his running is between 10,000-12,000 kms/annum. He drives a Corolla from last 7 years, for him the 3 point star is THE car, he loves to drive, doesn't want a chauffeur. Initially wanted to go for the older E class 2006-09, but even those are out of my budget, and C is compact enough for him to drive as well.

I have come across a 2010 C 200 CGI elegance run about 40K, condition is fairly OK, logos are missing, initially the seller wanted minimum 18.5L but the car is sitting for about 1.5 months now, now seller has come to 15L. Is it a good price to pay.

What I need to know about C200 CGI or even C200K [W204].

[manikjeet]

Way over priced at least by 5-6 Lacs. Petrol Mercs don't hold their value.