And now the end is near....

[Germgh0st]

I've had my W205 C43 for three and a half years now, longer than I normally keep a car as I like to keep it up to date and in warranty, and I'm in the lucky enough position where I can do that. I've absolutely loved every minute of the pretty much trouble free ownership, I still go out in it just to drive it and come back. It's probably the best car I've ever owned in every aspect. But it's now out of warranty, it's getting on a bit and I want to keep the £30k of inheritance from dad that went into it. So it's time to change.

I've been looking at the new C43 and wincing everytime I look at the cost, especially with the new 'one car, one price' policy that MB have. As nice as it is, with the rear wheel steering and fancy turbo and very nice interior, I just can't justify what's being asked for it. The chance of an ex-demo looks slim from discussions I've had with dealers, they just don't seem to be pre-registering cars any more. But I did manage a test drive a few weeks ago when I was down south and I could definitely live with it.

The search began for a decent alternative and the only thing that really comes close is the BMW M340i. Finding one that I could test drive proved difficult, but I then came across one at a local-ish dealer after my local dealer failed to provide one. It was a pre-facelift (or LCI as they call it) but the differences are minimal and don't affect the drive in any way.

Off for a spin I went, and very pleasant it was too. In comfort mode, even with the same size wheels and runflat tyres, it soaked up the pot holes a lot smoother than the C43 does. It picked up very quickly and very smoothly and it seems a lot more 'pointy' than the C43. The interior was a lot less plush, but I expected that with BMW more concentrated on the drive rather than surroundings. It wasn't horrid by any means and I could certainly live with it, but the overuse of the Hoffmeister kink spoils it a little I think.

So I found myself at a crossroads. Do I overstretch the budget to get the C43 with all its toys and cosetting interior, or do I go for the cheaper and very German BMW. I weighed it up like this:

Looks - C43 hands down winner for me
Interior - C43 wins again
Engine - Award winning bullet proof I6 in the BMW, 4 cylinder in the C43. BMW wins.
Theatre - C43 has more flourish and takes the win.
Drive train - 4Matic in the C43, fixed 69% rear/31% front. xDrive M in the BMW, power can be sent to any wheel - a little like quattro. BMW wins.
Driving experience - The BMW felt nimbler, despite being a very similar weight. More eager, more 'pointy'. It made the C43 feel fat in comparison, like it needs the rear wheel steer. BMW wins.
List price - BMW £66k (at the spec I wanted) with possible negotiation, C43 £72k with no chance of negotiation. BMW wins.

So the BMW wins by a small margin. Then when I negotiated a £7.2k discount and a £30k trade in (based on an April handover) for my C43 I felt I had no option but to shake the guy's hand.

So my time with a Mercedes is coming to a close, and I do feel a little sad about that. I know I could keep the C43 but then I'd start losing my dad's money - again I know with depreciation I'm going to start losing it anyway but I'd like to hang on to it as long as possible and second hand car prices are starting to level out a bit now. I've never owned a BMW so that's a little exciting, whether I'll fall in love with the M340i as much as I have with the C43 remains to be seen but I won't know if I don't give it a go.

Delivery is scheduled for April, whether BMW will be able to keep to that date is anyone's guess. So I'll be hanging around here until then, but thanks for having me!

 

[SpikyMikey]

I've had my W205 C43 for three and a half years now, longer than I normally keep a car as I like to keep it up to date and in warranty, and I'm in the lucky enough position where I can do that. I've absolutely loved every minute of the pretty much trouble free ownership, I still go out in it just to drive it and come back. It's probably the best car I've ever owned in every aspect. But it's now out of warranty, it's getting on a bit and I want to keep the £30k of inheritance from dad that went into it. So it's time to change.

I've been looking at the new C43 and wincing everytime I look at the cost, especially with the new 'one car, one price' policy that MB have. As nice as it is, with the rear wheel steering and fancy turbo and very nice interior, I just can't justify what's being asked for it. The chance of an ex-demo looks slim from discussions I've had with dealers, they just don't seem to be pre-registering cars any more. But I did manage a test drive a few weeks ago when I was down south and I could definitely live with it.

The search began for a decent alternative and the only thing that really comes close is the BMW M340i. Finding one that I could test drive proved difficult, but I then came across one at a local-ish dealer after my local dealer failed to provide one. It was a pre-facelift (or LCI as they call it) but the differences are minimal and don't affect the drive in any way.

Off for a spin I went, and very pleasant it was too. In comfort mode, even with the same size wheels and runflat tyres, it soaked up the pot holes a lot smoother than the C43 does. It picked up very quickly and very smoothly and it seems a lot more 'pointy' than the C43. The interior was a lot less plush, but I expected that with BMW more concentrated on the drive rather than surroundings. It wasn't horrid by any means and I could certainly live with it, but the overuse of the Hoffmeister kink spoils it a little I think.

So I found myself at a crossroads. Do I overstretch the budget to get the C43 with all its toys and cosetting interior, or do I go for the cheaper and very German BMW. I weighed it up like this:

Looks - C43 hands down winner for me
Interior - C43 wins again
Engine - Award winning bullet proof I6 in the BMW, 4 cylinder in the C43. BMW wins.
Theatre - C43 has more flourish and takes the win.
Drive train - 4Matic in the C43, fixed 69% rear/31% front. xDrive M in the BMW, power can be sent to any wheel - a little like quattro. BMW wins.
Driving experience - The BMW felt nimbler, despite being a very similar weight. More eager, more 'pointy'. It made the C43 feel fat in comparison, like it needs the rear wheel steer. BMW wins.
List price - BMW £66k (at the spec I wanted) with possible negotiation, C43 £72k with no chance of negotiation. BMW wins.

So the BMW wins by a small margin. Then when I negotiated a £7.2k discount and a £30k trade in (based on an April handover) for my C43 I felt I had no option but to shake the guy's hand.

So my time with a Mercedes is coming to a close, and I do feel a little sad about that. I know I could keep the C43 but then I'd start losing my dad's money - again I know with depreciation I'm going to start losing it anyway but I'd like to hang on to it as long as possible and second hand car prices are starting to level out a bit now. I've never owned a BMW so that's a little exciting, whether I'll fall in love with the M340i as much as I have with the C43 remains to be seen but I won't know if I don't give it a go.

Delivery is scheduled for April, whether BMW will be able to keep to that date is anyone's guess. So I'll be hanging around here until then, but thanks for having me!

Stick around Bud; it'll be interesting to hear your real world thoughts of the Beemer vs the Merc.

 

[ALFAitalia]

The BMW designation LCI stands for Life Cycle Impulse. It is a term developed by BMW that represents the mid-cycle updates it gives certain models.....so not really pre facelift. So LCI is better than not LCI on the same model....Often there can be significant mechanic changes (rather than just a cosmetic upgrade) as part of an LCI....such as on the F10 5 series where quite a bit was changed.

 

[Germgh0st]

Stick around Bud; it'll be interesting to hear your real world thoughts of the Beemer vs the Merc.

I shall definitely do that, as the cars are quite similar spec wise. Once I've had it for a few weeks I shall certainly share my opinions

 

[Germgh0st]

The BMW designation LCI stands for Life Cycle Impulse. It is a term developed by BMW that represents the mid-cycle updates it gives certain models.....so not really pre facelift. So LCI is better than not LCI on the same model....Often there can be significant mechanic changes (rather than just a cosmetic upgrade) as part of an LCI....such as on the F10 5 series where quite a bit was changed.

Yes I did look up the terminology. In this case though it is mostly cosmetic changes to both interior and exterior so the term facelift fits a lot better. There is the addition of a 48v mild hybrid system, M Sport exhaust as standard and 'Active Sound', but nothing that makes an awful lot of difference to the driving experience which is why I was happy testing the pre-LCI model

 

[Scooby_Doo]

New car prices and MBs "one car one price" policy will probably be the end of my MB ownership , always changed my car within warranty.My C250 is fast approaching 5 years old and the thought of paying £54k for a similar car and no 4matic is definitely a no goer.
The only car I like at the moment is a Porsche Macan , albeit an extra £10 - £15k , but will probably retain a much better residual than the Merc.

 

[vijilants]

I was also contemplating a change from my C43 but really couldn't see what to replace it with within the price bracket so I would also be interested in the outcome of your swap.

On the other hand every time I drive it I want to keep it ....

It just every time I have to deal with my local Mercedes dealership, it is like pulling teeth and that really does spoil the Mercedes experience.

 

[sgregory124]

Fair play to you for taking the risk on a new car.

I've only bought brand new once in my life and vowed never again (Audi A5 Black Edition) - depreciation on these cars is horrific. Without wanting to put a downer on things, BMW just don't hold any kind of value versus Mercedes or Audi (for instance), but if you're willing to take the hit and the car is that good then fair enough I guess!

 

[Skd884]

I was also contemplating a change from my C43 but really couldn't see what to replace it with within the price bracket so I would also be interested in the outcome of your swap.

On the other hand every time I drive it I want to keep it ....

It just every time I have to deal with my local Mercedes dealership, it is like pulling teeth and that really does spoil the Mercedes experience.

Time to locate a different dealer, Guildford and lakeside are good.

 

[Germgh0st]

Fair play to you for taking the risk on a new car.

I've only bought brand new once in my life and vowed never again (Audi A5 Black Edition) - depreciation on these cars is horrific. Without wanting to put a downer on things, BMW just don't hold any kind of value versus Mercedes or Audi (for instance), but if you're willing to take the hit and the car is that good then fair enough I guess!

I did say my next car wouldn't be brand new - the C43 was an ex-demo with 28 miles on it. Unfortunately dealers aren't pre-registering cars at the moment and they're hanging on to their demos so finding something similar this time is proving difficult. I like to buy something that's around 6 months old, no older than that really, so it stays in warranty as long as possible plus I want to be able to keep it for a few years and still keep my dad's money in it.

It will be tight with the BMW, estimates on depreciation put it at around £29k after four years - I'm hoping to pay the finance off sooner and change it sooner but that's worst case. £31k of my inheritance went into the C43, BMW are offering me £30.5k for trade in - so losing £500 of it after four years or so isn't too bad and another possible £1k - £1.5k when it comes to trading in the BMW I think is an acceptable loss, inflation would probably take care of much of that.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

In 4 years time used prices will probably be back near pre-pandemic levels so I think your residual estimate of £29k is very optimistic.
Mind you I think that it has to be compared against your current trade in price which is probably inflated due to the current shortage.

 

[Benz17]

Yes I did look up the terminology. In this case though it is mostly cosmetic changes to both interior and exterior so the term facelift fits a lot better. There is the addition of a 48v mild hybrid system, M Sport exhaust as standard and 'Active Sound', but nothing that makes an awful lot of difference to the driving experience which is why I was happy testing the pre-LCI model

In my eyes the interior of the pre face lift bmw ‘s looks dated, they haven’t changed for sometime, never liked the gear stick, but acknowledge many won’t like the facelift, due to no physical buttons.

Am looking forward to seeing what the new 5 series will look like, interior will probably be the same as facelift 3 series.

540i is on my list as a potential when time comes to change my W213, as a diesel may not be a sensible option in a few years when change time comes, as well as the W214, if it comes in a straight 6 petrol. (Do E Class come in straight 6 petrol).

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

You’ve mentioned retaining your inheritance a few times. How much of your need to change is about protecting your inheritance, how much is about the car being older than you’d want, and how much is about being out of warranty?

I was just thinking that if it’s largely about protecting your inheritance then there may be other ways of achieving this without buying a car that you may be less happy with, and without exposing yourself to a much greater risk of steep depreciation.

If I understand your posts correctly, then if you could then you’d ideally buy another pre-registered C 43 with the balance on finance. The logic being that it would be the financed portion of the car’s value which “depreciates”, and not your equity.

If so, then you could consider re-financing your current car - which I suspect may be a similar finance value in absolute terms - enabling you to take your inheritance equity out of the car and put it somewhere else where it won’t depreciate (or appreciate).

You could then buy an extended warranty - even Mercedes warranties can be relatively affordable in some cases - and find yourself in a position where it doesn’t cost you a dissimilar amount each month, but your inheritance isn’t in the car at all.

At the end you would not only have your full inheritance value, but you would have suffered less depreciation and may even own the C 43 outright at the end of the re-finance agreement. It would still be relatively new and so worth still valuable.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with your decision

 

[Germgh0st]

You’ve mentioned retaining your inheritance a few times. How much of your need to change is about protecting your inheritance, how much is about the car being older than you’d want, and how much is about being out of warranty?

I was just thinking that if it’s largely about protecting your inheritance then there may be other ways of achieving this without buying a car that you may be less happy with, and without exposing yourself to a much greater risk of steep depreciation.

If I understand your posts correctly, then if you could then you’d ideally buy another pre-registered C 43 with the balance on finance. The logic being that it would be the financed portion of the car’s value which “depreciates”, and not your equity.

If so, then you could consider re-financing your current car - which I suspect may be a similar finance value in absolute terms - enabling you to take your inheritance equity out of the car and put it somewhere else where it won’t depreciate (or appreciate).

You could then buy an extended warranty - even Mercedes warranties can be relatively affordable in some cases - and find yourself in a position where it doesn’t cost you a dissimilar amount each month, but your inheritance isn’t in the car at all.

At the end you would not only have your full inheritance value, but you would have suffered less depreciation and may even own the C 43 outright at the end of the re-finance agreement. It would still be relatively new and so worth still valuable.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with your decision

I know I could take my inheritance out of the car and keep it elsewhere where it might even grow, but at the same time I like to keep a newish car that's in warranty if I can. It was just part of my inheritance that enabled me to buy the C43, I have no mortgage or other debt thanks to the rest of it, and I put it into a car because my dad liked his cars. He particularly liked his BMWs after working for some time as a valet for a BMW dealer, so I know he'd approve of my choice this time round. So it's not like when this chunk of inheritance finally runs out due to depreciation that I'll have nothing else to remember him by and in the meantime it's enabling me to maintain ownership of a higher spec car than I would normally be able to afford. I'm 51 now, I think by the time it's gone completely I won't care anymore and will probably have somethng small and electric.

I was always aware that eventually my dad's money would depreciate away and I'm fine with that, but for as long as I can I want it to keep me in a newish, 'nice' car.

 

[sgregory124]

I did say my next car wouldn't be brand new - the C43 was an ex-demo with 28 miles on it. Unfortunately dealers aren't pre-registering cars at the moment and they're hanging on to their demos so finding something similar this time is proving difficult. I like to buy something that's around 6 months old, no older than that really, so it stays in warranty as long as possible plus I want to be able to keep it for a few years and still keep my dad's money in it.

It will be tight with the BMW, estimates on depreciation put it at around £29k after four years - I'm hoping to pay the finance off sooner and change it sooner but that's worst case. £31k of my inheritance went into the C43, BMW are offering me £30.5k for trade in - so losing £500 of it after four years or so isn't too bad and another possible £1k - £1.5k when it comes to trading in the BMW I think is an acceptable loss, inflation would probably take care of much of that.

So that's £66k for a used M340i? Blimey, for that money you could get something slightly older and very special....

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

I think it's new... otherwise he wouldn't have to wait until April?

Congrats on your new car!

 

[Skd884]

So that's £66k for a used M340i? Blimey, for that money you could get something slightly older and very special....

Agree.

 

[sgregory124]

I think it's new... otherwise he wouldn't have to wait until April?

Congrats on your new car!

Yeah - just realised I misread it.

 

[Germgh0st]

So that's £66k for a used M340i? Blimey, for that money you could get something slightly older and very special....

I think it's new... otherwise he wouldn't have to wait until April?

Congrats on your new car!

Yes, it's a brand new car - the only way I can currently get into an LCI model with the spec that I want. Whilst yes I could spend that money on an older car and have something quite special, I've had my fingers burned too many times in the past with older cars and prefer to have something that's newer and within warranty. I am slightly autistic, I have OCPD, and in any car I register noises that are likely nothing but I then start to worry about them and come to all sorts of wrong conclusions in my head. At least with a car within warranty if something does actually go wrong chances are it will get fixed as part of that and the worries in my head are calmed somewhat. So part of having a newer car is peace of mind for me.

Otherwise I'd be looking at an old Aston Martin or something similar

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

What kind of mileage have you put on your car over the last 3 1/2 years? I guess it’s under 35k

The depreciation numbers since since 2019 have been ridiculously low. A unique time, thanks to Covid-19, the supply chain problems, and the arrival of EVs. Normally you would have lost 25-30%.

Going forward, you won’t see depreciation numbers this low again. You’ll certainly lose £20+k on your new car by 2026.

After all this chat, it’s not clear what you use your car for. Do you “need” the luxury of the Merc or the sporty drive of the M340i

Oh, and don’t buy an Aston Martin without talking to a couple of owners. They’re rubbish. They drive badly, they’re built badly and their maintenance costs are absurd. They look great and have that wonderful image, but Astons are best as garden ornaments for people who use half a dozen cars.