Mercedes, Worth It?

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I'd like to chime in here. My billionaire boss owns a large fleet of Mercedes vehicles. Many of them ultra high end cars and SUV's. But the house (s) staff gets the more pedestrian Mercedes cars and SUV's.

The repair bills are staggering. One SUV that I drove for a while was averaging over $2K per month in repairs. Some of the others had repairs topping $20K. I don't manage the cars, but it seems we've stopped keeping them beyond the warranty period. As all of them are now new.

HOWEVER, some of them were very reliable and needed nothing what so ever. I guess this mirrors the responses you'd get from individual owners. Some will have good reliability and some won't.

One thing that is universal with Mercedes cars, they are numb. Throttle response is so poor, you can quickly mash the pedal to the mat, let off and place your foot on the floor before the engine even hints at a response. Every single one of them does this. It's annoying as "green-light-go" is delayed by software and more annoyingly, matching variable traffic speed on the highway is stressful, as the delay makes it really difficult. Nothing, nothing, nothing, waaaaaaa, then hit the brakes. No thank you.

There is a reason Mercedes owners are switching to Tesla cars. They are far more pleasant to drive.
 
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I know the OP is looking to purchase a used one, but I think MB may be the only case where a lease makes sense. You basically "rent" a brand new one for 2 years and then turn it back in and let it become someone else's issue when the gremlins start showing up.

"There's nothing more expensive than a cheap used luxury car" is something I often think of.
 
We had a 2002 E320 4MATIC that was given to us with 136k miles on it. Nicest car we've ever owned. In the 2 years we had it, we spent several thousand dollars in repairs and finally decided that we had spent enough to equal a monthly payment on a new car (and this was a 100% dealer maintained car from new). I would love to own another E Class but the long term maintenance costs keep me from doing so.
 
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If you're looking for something with a cushy ride, I don't think the CLA is the way to go. I'd go for a slightly older E-Class if you want something that is comfortable at that price point. Yes, maintenance will be more expensive if you're taking it somewhere to have the work done. I'd describe German cars as having sub-standard reliability, but above-average longevity. Engines and transmissions are typically stout for as long as you're willing to invest in maintaining them.
 
Do yourself the favor and test-drive a CPO Lexus IS. You'll appreciate the maintenance costs and overall reliability. If you're going to pay luxury marque prices, at least get RWD.
 
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
After owning 2 MB cars (2018 C300 and 2018 AMG GLC43), I have only 2 words for you---maintenance and cost. Case in point, the C300 needed 4 new tires after 13K miles (yes, 13,000 miles), the AMG needed a 4 wheel brake job at 26K miles. I would avoid it like the plague, but that is just me.


I buy a uber performance vehicle but want to average brakes. 26k is a decent life for likely Brembo or equivalent. The tires is another story, guessing you bought the one with the ultra high performance tires installed.

Both are not MB issues but more buyer naivety on what they are getting and seller not disclosing what you are getting. Unfortunate vehicle for you.

That all being said MB makes more average run of the mill cars like the CLA, C class and even E class which is a screaming bargain certified used.

If you buy the non performance versions the cost of ownership is similar to regular Audi.
 
The brand is good.

I don't care for that model and in that price range, you have lots of other options.

My advice on Mercedes: if you can't do your own repairs, then lease it.

They can be very, very expensive to maintain.
 
If you can work on cars then go for it because outsourced labor rates are quite high.

The ride on the C series in general is stiff. The CLA will be stuff but performance wise it will handle well.
 
This YT channel is geared toward Mercedes / AMG and other high-end German brands. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT-2OPZT6P8j4nEKW3DXpOA

He's a former MB master certified mechanic and shop manager. He buys used vehicles (mostly MB's) totally rebuilds them and flips them on his channel. This is one of the very few YT channels I actually subscribe to and get notifications for new content. This guy eats, breathes and lives MB -and he'll be the first to tell you that some models are outstanding and some are pure hassle.

Side note:

Someone above mentioned the term "Appliance" in-relation to vehicles. Yes indeed! Some vehicles are appliances and some are capable of "performance handling". When I get the urge for performance driving I sign-up for time at Dominion, Summit Point, Watkins Glen or Virginia International Raceway. Sometimes I rent a car (through a racing team), sometimes I borrow one from a friend and sometimes I take my daily-driver Mazda. As I drive to/from work and carry-on with my daily transportation needs, any modest vehicle is fine by me. When I walk my dogs I see C63's, S500's, SLCs, Q5s, A6s, A7s -and in the Lexus lineup, we got RX, GX, LX etc out the ying-yang . It would probably be a safe bet to say that not a single one has ever topped 75 MPH or taken a turn going faster than 35 MPH. -Pure waste of vehicle but on public roads, you're supposed to obey the laws. It's free world -and we have lots of choices.
 
Originally Posted by Alfred_B
The ride on the C series in general is stiff. The CLA will be stiff but performance wise it will handle well.

+1
After renting several CLA and C300's, I agree.
Actually, I find the CLA is even more stiff than the C300.
It's also less refined to the point that I'd never consider having one for any extended period.
 
With a Mercedes the people will look at you and think wow the guy has his credit maxed or ,,,wow what a fool.
 
I owned two Mercedes. A 1996 C230 (certified period-owned) and a 2000 C240 bought new. Both were purchased with the MB bumper to bumper extended warranty. When the warranty expired on the C240 at 100,000 miles the local dealer had put over $12,000 of repairs into it. And some of the issues they simply couldn't fix. The C230 had about $4,000 in dealer repairs under warranty.

I will never own a Mercedes again.
 
The CLA is barely a Mercedes. FWD based with a transverse engine, made I believe, in Poland. Try to find the video (fictional of course) where the designers describe it to Hitler. Pretty funny.
 
Brother has a CLA, probably 4-5 years old now. Exterior and interior are sharp, car has held up very well.
Expensive regular maintenance, he knew that going into it.
I have done several road trips in it, ride is firm however sporty and very fuel efficient (38 mpg+ on highway)
Overall if I were looking for a 4 door benz, it would be up there.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
After owning 2 MB cars (2018 C300 and 2018 AMG GLC43), I have only 2 words for you---maintenance and cost. Case in point, the C300 needed 4 new tires after 13K miles (yes, 13,000 miles), the AMG needed a 4 wheel brake job at 26K miles. I would avoid it like the plague, but that is just me.
I buy a uber performance vehicle but want to average brakes. 26k is a decent life for likely Brembo or equivalent. The tires is another story, guessing you bought the one with the ultra high performance tires installed. Both are not MB issues but more buyer naivety on what they are getting and seller not disclosing what you are getting. Unfortunate vehicle for you. That all being said MB makes more average run of the mill cars like the CLA, C class and even E class which is a screaming bargain certified used. If you buy the non performance versions the cost of ownership is similar to regular Audi.

Baloney - the cheapest Ford or Chevy on the planet would not have these type issues.I have owned multiple Corvettes with high performance everything and the brakes typically lasted 50K miles under the same driving conditions. MB wanted nearly $2200USD to do a 4 wheel brake job? Give me a break, I did it myself for $225USD. Point of fact is, modern MB cars are not built for longevity and leasing them makes a whole lot more sense than buying them. When the lease is up on the C300, I will be saying "Adios" to Mercedes.
 
Originally Posted by CT8
With a Mercedes the people will look at you and think wow the guy has his credit maxed or ,,,wow what a fool.
I think it's the appliance car for someone who wants to look rich, but doesn't care about cars. Either way MB SUVs especially are everywhere in affluent areas. VW>Audi>BMW>MB SUVs is how you status signal.
 
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
Originally Posted by madRiver
Originally Posted by 2015_PSD
After owning 2 MB cars (2018 C300 and 2018 AMG GLC43), I have only 2 words for you---maintenance and cost. Case in point, the C300 needed 4 new tires after 13K miles (yes, 13,000 miles), the AMG needed a 4 wheel brake job at 26K miles. I would avoid it like the plague, but that is just me.
I buy a uber performance vehicle but want to average brakes. 26k is a decent life for likely Brembo or equivalent. The tires is another story, guessing you bought the one with the ultra high performance tires installed. Both are not MB issues but more buyer naivety on what they are getting and seller not disclosing what you are getting. Unfortunate vehicle for you. That all being said MB makes more average run of the mill cars like the CLA, C class and even E class which is a screaming bargain certified used. If you buy the non performance versions the cost of ownership is similar to regular Audi.

Baloney - the cheapest Ford or Chevy on the planet would not have these type issues.

By issues, do you mean a high performance car like an AMG needing brakes at 26k miles? Why are we comparing an AMG to the cheapest Ford and Chevy?

Personally, I think it's par for the course. Pretty sure the Brembo brakes in my Charger won't last that long, and they're close to $3K to replace, not even counting the labor.
 
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