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I was just about to buy this car yesterday, but right at the last minute I changed my mind. I fear the maintenance bills on it. To my credit, I would not be driving it much so maybe I would have been ok. I have always wanted a Mercedes and I have never seen one in good condition priced this low before. I am now kicking myself for not buying it as I think this was my one and only chance to own a car like this. Did I make the right decision or not?
The auction link is dead, so I can't see how much it was going for or the details. A car like that all comes down to pedigree. The better the previous owner maintained it, the less of a chance you are going to run into major issues. Of course, I wouldn't own a car like that unless I had the money to properly maintain it and handle the occasional major repair. If you were nervous about that, probably better you didn't buy it even if it was the best deal ever on a car like that.
Going from an Escort with no a/c to a MB coupe is a big jump
Yes, it sure would be. I hate the Escort so it is time to get rid of it. My goal is to have a new car by April 2012 at the latest. I just cannot go through another summer with no A/C.
Last edited by las vegas drunk; 11-09-2011 at 11:33 AM..
The auction link is dead, so I can't see how much it was going for or the details. A car like that all comes down to pedigree. The better the previous owner maintained it, the less of a chance you are going to run into major issues. Of course, I wouldn't own a car like that unless I had the money to properly maintain it and handle the occasional major repair. If you were nervous about that, probably better you didn't buy it even if it was the best deal ever on a car like that.
The link is working for me, but here are the details. The car sold for $4,700. It had 97,000 miles.
Here is the ad:
"The vehicle is in great shape, the exterior is dent free. The interior is clean, nothing is missing or broken. The seats are in good condition, both sides have multiple power options. Great lumbar support. The car has an automatic soft top, but also comes with a color matching hard top for the winter seasons. The engine and transmission are smooth, no ticks or hiccups, transmission has no slipping. . The exhaust is as quiet as it was from day one. The car has very low mileage.
Bose sound. Comes with all the luxury amenities you would expect to find in a upper-level German sports car. The 6.0Litre V12 engine is VERY powerful. The suspension is tight and the brakes are good."
Something is very very wrong with an SL600 for $4700. Wise move to avoid it for that price, I think. The service alone could cost more than the car's purchase price, since a prime example would have no problem selling on a dealer's lot, as the V12s occupy a special corner of the SL camp, though there are service premiums attached to the 12-cylinder model. I do like the R129, and would expect to pay more than $4700 for an SL320 in good condition, much less a SL500 or SL600. That series is in a difficult place, the near-classic category, so while the pricing guides may show that the car has bottomed, or near bottomed in value, the pristine examples will sell for more. At that age, condition is key, since you would not want a headache with 12-cylinders that would take several thousand to properly sort out. A new air conditioner, top, perhaps paint, and tires could exceed the purchase price, which may not be immediate needs, but in the near future, especially if the top had been incorrectly replaced with a cheaper fabric, etc.
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Agreed, the price is so low that there must be something wrong with the car. Unless you are a very accomplished home mechanic with an excellent garage, the maintenance bills on the car would eat you alive, and that's assuming you just do maintenance, if something actually goes wrong, you would soon be into real money.
I agree, there is something very wrong with that price for a SL600. When you feel like it's too good to be true, it probably is. You did the smart thing walking away, there are no free lunches in this world! Sounds like a definite scam of some kind... no rational reason to give away a car like that.
On another note, how about baby steps? Instead of going from an Escort with no AC to a Mercedes, how about going from the Escort to something in between? A Ford Focus perhaps? Or a Honda Civic? Something middle ground which is newer and lower in miles....
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