New or used

[Dryce]

Well the more i drive this elderly used C200 the more i love it - Took a while to get used to the Mecedes differences such as having to put in park to remove key - Foot on brake to remove from park - Fly by wire gas pedal etc etc . People comment about its gleaming condition whilst at the same time eyeing its number plate showing its advanced years .Everything works in much the same way as when it was new - no squeaks and rattles - drives as if new .I then weigh up the fact it cost me £1530 and struggle to understand why anyone would buy new or even 2/3 yrs old .It takes all sorts .

So you've got a good 'un! :bannana:

People use different criteria for ownership - which is why there is such a range of cars on the road.

If everybody used your criteria then you'd be paying a lot more than £1530. So it's just as well that there all sorts.

I'm a little more jaded in my views than most. I value my own time. A car that I can't hand over to somebody and say - "you deal with it" if it has a problem has its own costs to me. I also value my own time in terms of what I can do in my lifetime. That means that I'm willing to pay up for the experience of having certain types of vehicle (or other types of thing) over and above the basic functional value of a vehicle.

 

[steve333]

Anyone buying a pre-reg/ex demo needs their heads looking at.

Merc Dealer - C220 Sport 62 Plate, 1000 miles... £29,995

Same car brand new via DtheD... £25,490

I'd want £8k knocked off the dealer car before id even consider it - and that aint gonna happen.

Depends on each individual deal- my pre registered e350 sport had a list price of a shade under £41,000 & cost me £33,000 with 62 miles on the clock-shall i go get my head examined

 

[wemorgan]

What makes any accurate examination of new vs used is the less than clear pricing.

Used cars are easier in that respect. The sticker price is often negotiable, but to a limit degree, if we're talking about mainstream cars.

New cars are a minefield. The RRP for MB gives a poor indication of the actual price that can be paid. Finance, hp etc can make a significant discount. Comparing apples with apples is not so easy with new cars.

 

[Rory]

Anyone buying a pre-reg/ex demo needs their heads looking at.

Merc Dealer - C220 Sport 62 Plate, 1000 miles... £29,995

Same car brand new via DtheD... £25,490

That's just daft.

OK, it's a few years ago and I'm not sure how the new prices would have moved, but I got mine from MB Direct at 5mths old and paid £23,500. Car would have listed at £36K new.

 

[David Bird]

It can be the case that older cars are in better fettle than much newer dependant on the use its had and any problems that may have arisen have been sorted,

 

[st4]

Depends on each individual deal- my pre registered e350 sport had a list price of a shade under £41,000 & cost me £33,000 with 62 miles on the clock-shall i go get my head examined

Quite clearly you are insane. You should sell it, buy some premium bonds and get a £1538 E200k W210.

 

[Dryce]

It can be the case that older cars are in better fettle than much newer dependant on the use its had and any problems that may have arisen have been sorted,

Yes it can be the case.

But generally it is not the case.

Which is one of the reasons used vehicles are cheaper. I think the issue is really value and in many cases the price of used vehicles is lower than their real tangible value. The problem is the information/risk involved in the transaction - the customer doesn't really know what the situation is until some time after they have taken ownership - at which point they have more information.

 

[Dryce]

Anyone buying a pre-reg/ex demo needs their heads looking at.

Merc Dealer - C220 Sport 62 Plate, 1000 miles... £29,995

Same car brand new via DtheD... £25,490

I'd want £8k knocked off the dealer car before id even consider it - and that aint gonna happen.

Common problem in today's MB showrooms.

But not always so simple. One thing to check is the options. In some cases the pre-reg might look pricey but is well optioned up and also available at a few days notice.

Another complication for those buying on finance or leasing is that there may be much more attractive monthlies on a new car vs pre-reg or AU. (Say 0% on the new car and closer to 10% on the pre-reg - and on that deal they'll offer a discount off the new car as well).

It's a mad mad mad world out there right now.

 

[Rory]

Common problem in today's MB showrooms.

But not always so simple. One thing to check is the options. In some cases the pre-reg might look pricey but is well optioned up and also available at a few days notice.

Options lose pretty well all their value almost instantly, although the story the salesman tells you will depend on whether you're buying or selling.

When I got mine, at what I still think is probably the best ever deal I've ever done, the reason I bought used is that the lead-time was long on new and I needed a car quickly (a last minute decision to opt out of a company car). They didn't appear to be trying to hold the prices up, and the facelift W203 was still pretty recent at that point.

 

[bpsorrel]

Well, for me there's no comparison. On my Saab (just 2 months old) it was fully loaded with everything on the options list and I saved £12K off the new price (before the Saab troubles) buying as a pre-reg and more recently my Toyota, again few months old saved £9K off new buying as an ex-demo. Fully loaded car (again) in the right colour etc etc. No brainer to me.