Why so many 2-owner cars for sale?

[BGA23]

In my seach for a CLK BS I've noticed a lot of cars around 18-months old that have already had two owners. I find it a bit unusual that the cars have changed hands twice already in such a short period of time. Anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case?

To remove this ad, register today or login if you already are registered!

[DFW01E55]

I think that toys are traded more quickly.

The car is just not for everyone and over time I think people move their sights to another 3rd or 4th car that gives them something different.

[sechsgang]

Good question...guess I got lucky with the one I found...that said, there IS one for sale locally to me for 84 thats a one owner w 4.5k miles...not too bad...

[cigarette1]

It probably has something to do with people wanting to cut their losses due to the huge depreciation.

What's wrong with a two owner car? Does it become toxic?

G

[alexander stemer]

People may find the BS to be a bit too extreme. If your local roads are rough, the car can be taxing (lowering pressures helps). But, if you are not a track junkie, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Personally, I feel that to enjoy the BS, you need a skill set that allows you to really use the car in corners. If you are just cruising, it probably is the wrong car for you. AS

[transferred]

Originally Posted by cigarette1

What's wrong with a two owner car? Does it become toxic?

G

To me, I guess it does. I prefer to buy new but bought my W220 from a friend. It was the first used car I'd bought but I would buy another, especially from a friend. Were I buying from an unknown party I would only be interested if they were the first and only owner. Guess I'd just feel better knowing they'd paid top dollar so treated it well...though I realize it would be better for a car to have had two careful owners than one careless one so you never really know...just thinking out loud

-Rob

[4ociousE55]

I'm the third owner of my car in less than a year. The first owner sold it to a friend who decided he wanted a GT-R so he traded it to a Nissan dealer. The original owner tried to buy the car back from the Nissan dealer but they couldn't reach an agreeable price so the car sat on the dealers showroom floor for many weeks. That's when I bought it. The original owner found another identical car in CA and bought it. How do I know all this? I pulled in behind his car at the Army's Walter Reed Medical Center car show in MD last month. What are the odds of two identical BS cars at the same very small car show with both owners present? It is a small world!

[chuck z]

2nd owner here. We bought ours from the guy who owns Foreign Cars Italia. He bought the car new from a dealer in OH, drove it for 235 miles and sold it to my wife and I almost 2 years ago. I don't think it unusual at all when I see limited production high end sportscars show up quickly on the used car market. It's the nature of this type buyer/car...... We also bought the SL last summer used (1 previous owner) with 420 miles on it for about 1/3 it's original MSRP and the E55 a couple months ago at 30k miles with a one owner history. All 3 are top notch used cars. I would be more hesitant about buying a used car with several owners and more miles.

Any used car has to be thoroughly checked out.....

[transferred]

Originally Posted by chuck z

I would be more hesitant about buying a used car with several owners and more miles.

Any used car has to be thoroughly checked out.....

The above is right on.

[Eitan1]

The BS is not a car for the average mortal. I think that a lot of people buy the car based on its looks and performance numbers, and then quickly realize that they neither have to skills nor the physical attributes to harness the raw power and ability of the car, so they go and buy and SL and call it a day.

[Riley Martin]

Originally Posted by Eitan1

The BS is not a car for the average mortal. I think that a lot of people buy the car based on its looks and performance numbers, and then quickly realize that they neither have to skills nor the physical attributes to harness the raw power and ability of the car, so they go and buy and SL and call it a day.

I think that's somewhat true, but I'd be more inclined to say that the Black just doesn't ride nice & smooth like any other Benz they've had before, so they unload it.

[forhamilton]

^^Completely agree with you. The BS has a harsh ride compared to other MB's. I personally love it, but then again I bought it with eyes wide open.

[alexander stemer]

I've mentioned this before, but will rephrase it. When you take the car to the track, you wind up bleeding the tire pressure as presssure builds up pretty fast. The hot pressures that work are pretty close to the numbers listed on the door jamb. But obviously, when you let the tires cool, the pressures are significantly lower. Leaving the tires at those lower pressures dramatically improves the ride. I have not seen dramatic wear increase, and street handling is fine. Some may want to try this. It makes a big difference in usability. (I'm at about 22,000 miles now) AS

[SMP]

Some people just bought the car either for the way it looks, or just to have the latest toy. They soon realized that it wasn't your typical Benz, but rather a purpose built low production vehicle. Right out of the box the BS's handling is very lively, compared to most high performance cars loaded with all kind of drivers-aids. Perfect example would be the idiot proof 997 TT. But take the all-wheel drive away alongside some other luxury's and you got yourself a GT2, which is exciting to drive. But than again, not for everyone and the production numbers speak for itself.

In a couple of years, when the factory warranty expires on the BS, the same thing will happen all over again. No matter how cheap the car was bought used, it will be still an expensive car to maintain.