HOW TO: buy a Mercedes

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Luk

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Hi all,
apologies in advance if this thread should be posted somewhere else but HOW TO section for someone new like me sounds like a right place.
Why am I even asking how to buy a car? Simply because I’ve never done it before in the UK and maybe some obvious steps from your point of view are not that clear to me. Any assistance would be welcome :)

Let’s say I’m looking for W219 CLS after 2007. There are some interesting cars on Autotrader, non close to the city I live in. What are my steps to check a car from a dealer or from a private seller? I consider myself as a car enthusiast but I wouldn’t risk buying one without some help from the mechanics/specialist. What’s the best way to set an appointment with one and where to find him as I assume it’s not possible to simply pop into a random Mercedes service in a different city while inspecting a car?

What do I have to do in order to test drive? I’ve never owned any car in the UK, I’ve never had any insurance so far. How to test drive several cars through the weekend for example?

I’m aware of the fact that I have to pay the road tax and have my own insurance before hitting the road back home in my newly purchased car, and I know where and how to pay for them. So basically it’s the assistance with inspecting the car I’m most interested in.

Thanks a million everyone,
Lukas
 
It's taken me 30 years to learn how to buy a car and I'm still learning. No1 is don't let emotions drive the decision. You can always walk away.
 
Herr are the steps I follow. Everyone is different, but this approach has served me well over the years:

Before going to see the car, get hold of the registration number and run an HPI check. It costs a few £ but will tell you if the car has been in a serious accident and whether or not the current owner has it on finance. It will also tell you if the car has ever changed colour, been exported out of uk etc. If that all looks ok, move on to next step!

View the car in daylight when it’s not raining. Darkness and rain can hide all sorts of issues such as poorly repaired paintwork etc. Inspect the car panel by panel. Check for panel fit (uneven gaps) and signs of paint repair (rough paintwork, colour mismatch, overspray on trim). Look down each side of the car and look for ripples and parking dings. Check alloys for damage. Check windscreen for chips. Open the boot and check the boot floor for ripple and damage which would indicate a rear shunt. Open the bonnet and check around front suspension turrets looking for signs of repair which indicates a front collision. Whilst your under the bonnet, remove the oil cap and check for white residue which would indicate head gasket issues. Check oil level and check oil colour. If the oil is golden; it’s been recently serviced.

Now check inside. Check all seats for rips and stains. Check every electrical item works properly. Check owner has both keys as replacements are expensive.

Now check paper work. You are looking for stamps in service books, copies of service invoices. MOTs etc. Does it all ccheck out? Most paperwork has the mileage noted. Does the mileage consistently move up over time? Go online to check the MOT history of the car. This will indicate the annual mileage and should go up each year. If it has gone down, find out why as it indicate the cars mileage has been ‘fixed’ or illegally reduced.

Now take it for a test drive. If buying privately the owner may not permit you to drive for insurance reasons. A dealer should always allow it. On test drive listen for smooth heat changes from auto box. Check the car kicks down if an auto. Check for vibrations and listen for clunks and creaks from suspension. On a quiet road with nobody behind you apply the brakes hard. Check car doesn’t pull to left or right when braking hard. Check overall tyre condition and brand of tyres. Are they all mismatched or the same??

If all of the above checks out, consider having the car inspected by a professional. I tend to try and find a local Mercedes specialist who will often do it for £50 cash in hand. Get him to go and view the car with you or on his own. He will be able to check a few more bits and give you confidence it’s a good one.

Ultimately there is risk whenever you buy an older car but you can do a lot yourself and the checks above will help you spot the main issues without any assistance from anyone but yourself and your eyes.

Only engage an independent inspection if you have completed all your own checks and you are still keen on the car. Be prepared to view lots of cars described as being in ‘perfect condition’ when they really are not!

Hopefully the above helps!
 
Thanks Eddy77 for your broad response.
It's exactly what I've been talking about - I can check many features myself but at the end of the day, if I'm still interested in certain car, for my own safety, I want to have it inspected by professionalist.
How to find one? Google out "Mercedes service/name of the city" or do we have, on this forum, a list of recommended Mercedes specialists?

"Be prepared to view lots of cars described as being in ‘perfect condition’ when they really are not!"
Now that's really sad. I was hoping that this kind of approach didn't show up in this beautiful country :)
 
You will be amazed at how poor the majority of the cars are. To find a specialist, ask on here once you know where the car is located. Someone on this forum will almost certainly be able to help with a contact name for a local specialist. There is a thread here of specialists

Mercedes specialists across the UK
 
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