Approved MB Used Car Warranty - worth it?

[Borotew]

Hi,

Am looking at buying a 2011 E Class 350 Coupe from MB dealer, mileage is up a bit and dealer is very vague about price to change and is pushing MB finance offer. Alternatively I have found a similarly equipped 2010 CLS 350, 50k miles, for £1000 cheaper with warranty from a "prestige" car dealer who is upfront about price to change - I want to pay cash.
Now I know they are as different as chalk and cheese but what in every ones opinion would be the better buy? I do about 10k miles a year, a lot on French motorways and not too many short journeys here in UK.
All opinions taken.

Many thanks.

 

[johnlondonw3]

I rang MB last week to find out how much a warranty would cost on a 2008 SL....and was quoted £1860 per year for Tier 1 and £1619 for tier 2 ... and the car would have to be serviced at a main dealers.

You may be surprised to hear that I didn't bother and have decided that the best thing for me is to stick £500 in a separate account and top it up with ,say, 30p per mile driven to give me a pot should I need it

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

I think the price of the MB warranty, as other warranties depends on what year, what car, and milage.
Last year the tier 1 warranty for my CL600 bi-turbo (2005) with under 40000 miles was £1000.

 

[rifiki]

johniondonw3 I used to do this and after a few years you will have enough money for another car. I opted to use my own car as company car tax was much to high

 

[johnlondonw3]

Id never have enough for anything decent as I only do about 4K a year !

 

[KennyN]

If you buy an approved used MB you will get 12 months warranty with it anyway so you wont need to worry about anything for the first year , how good the warranty would be from the "prestige" retailer is anyone's guess as until you have an issue with the car then you wont need to use it. But if the "prestige" dealer is much cheaper for his CLS then you could stick some money aside for repairs should they be required.

Regarding what is the best car for you then it will depend on what you need from a car. The coupe and CLS were on my shortlist a year ago and I opted for the CLS as MPG , insurance , tax , consumables were not too high on my agenda - space , looks and practicality were and the CLS delivered on all counts , for me anyway. The coupe was just too small for my needs as having two six foot teenagers that occasionally need transported the rear space was just too tight , IMHO the rear of the coupe looked a little awkward around the arches and rear quarter area and it needs the AMG kit and larger alloys to look "right".

One thing to remember is that the CLS is a 10 year old design and uses ten year old technology , is that a good or bad thing only you can decide as it was a plus for me as buying the last of a production run any issues will have been well sorted by 2010.

The coupe will be cheaper to run as it will get more than the 40mpg I get on the motorway and cheaper on tax as it has lower emissions.

If you like the coupe then press the salesman for a cash purchase figure , if he wont give you one then speak to his boss as they were pushing to get me to take the finance / PCP deal when I bought mine and a sale is a sale at then end of the day.

If you post up more info or links of the two vehicles then I am sure you will get plenty of advice , good or bad.

Kenny

 

[BTB 500]

Only to add that the MB 'Tier 1' warranty is pretty good ... I've used it a few times and never had anything refused - the cover is meant to be basically the same as you get on a new car. There's also a convenience factor in that you can take the car to any dealership to be sorted out ... they handle everything.

 

[ckember]

Just got the quote from MB to renew my tier 1 warranty, £1100 for the year or PAYG at £116 a month. Not sure if it's worth the price or not. What is likely to fail on a 60k mile CLS GE going into its 5th year?

 

[Liquid silver]

Just had a quote from MB for my 2010 SLS at £1499 this is for a 2year Tier 1 thought that to be quite reasonable considering the high cost of parts. Checked with Warrantywise and they quoted over 3k with a lot of exclusions.

 

[John]

Just got the quote from MB to renew my tier 1 warranty, £1100 for the year or PAYG at £116 a month. Not sure if it's worth the price or not. What is likely to fail on a 60k mile CLS GE going into its 5th year?

That's where your crystal ball comes in.

If you maintain it within schedule and look after it - that's the best you can hope for.

I would stick that £116 into your savings pot and use it should an issue arise.

Most claims have an excess anyway and a lot of stuff isn't covered because of wear and tear!

Useless.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

The MB warranty covers wear and tear up to 100,000 miles. The limit of the claim is up to the purchase price of the vehicle.

The Warranty covers all factory fitted mechanical and electrical parts (including labour to fit them) of the covered vehicle against sudden mechanical or electrical failure or wear and tear up to 100,000 miles (unless specifically excluded) resulting in stoppage of the function of the part. Includes consequential damage to covered parts, clutches and main vehicle batteries.

You can get further information from......Warranty administration 0845 641 9778
I had several claims over a three year period on the CL600. The most costly (to them) being a new ABC pump.
The warranty (in my opinion) is one of the better things to come from MB. Over the three years I was 'quids in'.
If anyone is looking for a comprehensive warranty you could do worse. The information relating to the warranty came straight from the warranty booklet.

 

[KennyN]

I had to claim my MB warranty three times in the last year. On my `10 CLS one lambda sensor failed , one inlet pressure sensor failed and the car needed a suspension bush to get it through its MOT a few weeks ago, ALL of which were covered by their 12 month used car warranty with no quibbles.

Kenny

 

[zoros]

2002, sl55 amg with 50k on the clock. 1 years warrantywise warranty (which I have tested in anger on my previous car - with no problems at all): £1200. Can be serviced at an Indy too.
Wouldn't drive a sophisticated Merc without one - damn electrics!!!

 

[Giantvanman]

Hi,

Am looking at buying a 2011 E Class 350 Coupe from MB dealer, mileage is up a bit and dealer is very vague about price to change and is pushing MB finance offer. Alternatively I have found a similarly equipped 2010 CLS 350, 50k miles, for £1000 cheaper with warranty from a "prestige" car dealer who is upfront about price to change - I want to pay cash.
Now I know they are as different as chalk and cheese but what in every ones opinion would be the better buy? I do about 10k miles a year, a lot on French motorways and not too many short journeys here in UK.
All opinions taken.

Many thanks.

It doesn't take much internet investigation to see the pitfalls of third party warranties; exclusions abound (most everything seems to be put down to wear and tear) and as it is effectively an insurance company (in practice of not in name), a hearty well done to anyone who gets anything out of these policies.

These type of policies are cheap or much cheaper than Tier 1 for a reason; you only get what you pay for in this world but if the decision was not to have T1, I would be putting the equivalent monthly in an account anyway.

What price piece of mind, especially if it the main or only vehicle. JMO.