Hi,

I was thinking of buying an 07 E350 and wanted to ask some questions.

There are a TON of 2007 E350s with less than 30k miles priced between $25k and $27k.

Does this seem like a fair price?

What issues do these cars usually have?

What should I look for when I am inspecting and test driving.

I would appreciate any advice as I have never owned a Benz before.

Thanks

 

Is the 350 a petrol or diesel. If it is a petrol just forget it and buy the 320 CDI. The diesels are quicker and use less fuel

 

I think the price is fair for a car in that mileage range. I just got an '08, like you a first time MB owner. As a new owner I can't speak to specific issues to look out for, but from a general perspective I think it is wise to pay a bit more for a CPO car from a MB dealer with the warranty IMHO.

No, a CPO car is not foolproof, but as expensive as these cars are to fix when out of warranty that gave me some peace of mind to move on a used car instead of a new one-- since as you know these cars take a huge depreciation hit in the first couple years and there are plenty of mint, low mileage examples floating around.

The MB dealer showed me the repair order for their CPO reconditioning, supposedly $2800 (granted that's at inflated dealer prices) but still they put on all new tires and a bunch of other stuff and maintenance items. Also, the dealer I bought from was very proud of the CPO program and says they treat them like new cars. A couple of weeks after I had it, I noticed a small door ding and they took care of that for free-- heck I am not even sure I didn't get it dinged somewhere-- but it's almost like having a new car for a used car price. Just MHO. As an added bonus right now, MB is offering 1.9% financing on CPO cars for up to 66 months if that is of interest to you.

Spend some time reading the forums here and the issues people are having- and the costs to repair. Seems like there were a fair amount of transmission issues with rough downshifting and related items, so that would immediately show up on a test drive. And of course lots of complicated electronics- especially in the Command system. So if you are buying a non-warranty car be sure to thoroughly check that out.

Good luck!

 

I bought my e3 class a month ago from an English MB dealer, and you are right in the fact they treat you like a new car buyer. I have had several phone calls to see how I am getting on with the car and the warrenty gives great peace of mind.

 

Mark56

Thanks for the input. Definitely something to think about. Will pay special attention to the transmission and rough down shifting.

The CPO programs are pricey for the stealerships even if they dont replace a single item. BMW's costs the stealership around $2200.

No doubt repairs are going to be pricey. And thats pretty much what it comes down to. By going to a used car dealer or a private seller, I would be saving thousands. Are those thousands going to be enough to offset repair costs down the road? I generally dont keep my cars too long, so I will probably go for the less expensive option.

One thing that I do before I buy a pre-owned car is run the VIS report from a dealer. It tells you about all warranty work performed on a car. Sometimes it will also include work out of warranty. Its doesnt guarantee that there wont be problems, but it tells you if the car is prone to having issues.

And errr "paininthenuts"

I really like your idea about getting a diesel. Unfortunately, I cant seem to find any