06 CLS55 14K for 55K; OK deal or not?

[DucatiNut]

Car is excellent, no signs of damage. Clean carfax. I owner from new. Drove it for 2 hours and all was great. Seller is original dealer that serviced car from new. CPO ( yeah I know not worth much) but still 2 years of warranty. Perfect inside and outside.
Also what is the best extended warranty to get?
Advice please???
Thanks guys!

[corbin]

Are you located in ohio?

[DucatiNut]

The Northwest!

[isellpower]

Sounds way high. Have you looked at Ebay and Autotrader?

[DucatiNut]

Yes I have been looking every day for the last month. There are plenty of others (around 20 most days) that are going for less but have had 4 owners or are with 40K miles.
Theres one 14K in Ohio non CPO for $60K.
One in Florida 13K non CPO with a lousy Carfax for $50K.
One in NY 20K non CPO ex rental/lease for $55K

Anything for $40K or less is a multi owner 40K plus mile car in Arizona or Texas

[Improviz]

Originally Posted by isellpower

Sounds way high. Have you looked at Ebay and Autotrader?

For a CPO w/14K miles?? Autotrader has three cars listed nationwide which are CPOs. Their prices are $67K, $60K, and $54K.

A nationwide search for CPO cars at MBUSA.com with 20K miles or less (mileage can only be specified in 10K increments, so can't do 15K) yielded seven results:
$59.9K, $57.8K, $62.98K, $66.99K, $60.99K, $65,9K, $59.88K

It certainly doesn't seem to be "way high" for CPOs. And in fact, modifying the search to all *non*-CPO cars nationwide with 15K miles or less on Autotrader yielded 9 results. One had unlisted price; the five remaining non-CPO (already listed those above) cars were priced at:
$68,075, $65,500, $63,999, $62,995, $55,900.

So it is actually a good asking price for a non-CPO car, let alone a CPO. An extra year of warranty on this car aftermarket will cost you close to $1700 or so, have to factor that in.

If that is the asking price, offer them $48K and see what they counter...should be able to get them down if that is the starting point....but even if that's negotiated, it's a decent price for CPO with that mileage, assuming it's in really good shape.

[DucatiNut]

Improviz
Thanks so much for the data! Wonderful help thanks for your time.. I could not generate it the way you did but I had the feeling it was OK. Their starting price was $69K. It went to $65K then they offered it to me for $59K after two weeks of kicking the tires (don't you just love egging them on!!). I said $50K would be good but he wouldn't budge past $55K.

[///AMG4EVER]

This is a great option to consider...

06 CLS 55 26k miles Rare 030 option $49000

[Improviz]

Originally Posted by DucatiNut

Improviz
Thanks so much for the data! Wonderful help thanks for your time.. I could not generate it the way you did but I had the feeling it was OK. Their starting price was $69K. It went to $65K then they offered it to me for $59K after two weeks of kicking the tires (don't you just love egging them on!!). I said $50K would be good but he wouldn't budge past $55K.

Yeah, you've got a lot of leverage these days. If you got them down that far already, that's probably about as far as they'll go. One more point of negoatiation you might be able to use, though, is to sqeeze them on extending out the CPO warranty, although depending upon the original ISD of the vehicle (carfax will have this) this may not be a worthwhile effort, as there are other aftermarket ones available which will last longer. It also depends upon how long you plan on keeping it....personally, I try to hang on to my cars for 6-7 years, but ymmv (literally! )

[DucatiNut]

While I am very keen on many other cars I feel that the CLS55 with the supercharged engine will remain a favorite much as the E55 has and so I would like to keep this as my good car for 5 or 6 years. I would like to get an 08 or 09 E class as well because I love the body shape and think that the new 2010 shape is less muscular and a bit diluted from the original form. this would be the daily driver and the CLS for fun. I don't want to leave the CLS at the airport when away on business etc.... I think an aftermarket extended warranty for another 3 years to give me a total of 5 years from now will be best.
Thanks SO much for the help...as we say back in Australia "good on ya mate"!
Now just need to tint the windows a bit, smoke the lenses, get some good wheels and lower it a tad...

[Improviz]

Originally Posted by DucatiNut

While I am very keen on many other cars I feel that the CLS55 with the supercharged engine will remain a favorite much as the E55 has and so I would like to keep this as my good car for 5 or 6 years. I would like to get an 08 or 09 E class as well because I love the body shape and think that the new 2010 shape is less muscular and a bit diluted from the original form. this would be the daily driver and the CLS for fun. I don't want to leave the CLS at the airport when away on business etc.... I think an aftermarket extended warranty for another 3 years to give me a total of 5 years from now will be best.
Thanks SO much for the help...as we say back in Australia "good on ya mate"!
Now just need to tint the windows a bit, smoke the lenses, get some good wheels and lower it a tad...

Enjoy!! Make sure you check the in service date; the factory warranty is only good for four years from that date, and they started selling the "06" CLS55 in March of 2005!!

Anyway, post some pics when you get it!

[coolcamden]

Originally Posted by isellpower

Sounds way high. Have you looked at Ebay and Autotrader?

Really? How do you know?

Care to tell us what made you say that?

[retardedmunk]

5 years left and 100k warranty ...DAIMLERCHRYSLER warranty ...superior to CPO......it is also on ebay right now....car drives and looks like a 10k car.....

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showth...=1#post3168013

[DucatiNut]

The link redirects but I know the car you were referring to. Thanks anyway but I don't want black. I will settle on the one I found. Going to go over it thoroughly today before signing. I picked up some Vossen wheels as well.
Thanks for the help everyone.

[isellpower]

Originally Posted by coolcamden

Really? How do you know?

Care to tell us what made you say that?

Ebay and Autotrader. I have also seen many, many, auction numbers posted here and on other sites with scary prices on the CLS55. Look at the E's. 28K for nice examples for sale right on this site. The guys that own them like to pump up the price, but those of us without a dog in the fight know better. I've lost big bucks on my cars this year also so I know how it feels. If this guy wants to blow his dough it's his business. Give it 3 months and we'll be talking about when they hit the high 30's. Did you see the silver CLS55 that went for 38.5 in Autotrader. It had 32K miles and no 030. I tried to talke them down an extra 500 to cover shipping and someone else swooped in and picked it up. These deals will become more commonplace as the year wears on. All cars are taking a beating not just the CLS.

[Improviz]

Originally Posted by isellpower

Ebay and Autotrader.

As I said: horse hooey. I listed ALL of the Autotrader-listed CPO CLS55 AMGs IN THE COUNTRY yesterday, and that alone shows just how far off the mark your numbers are. And, as I pointed out, even the NON-CPO CLS55s were ranging from the mid-$50's (one car) to the mid-hi $60's (the other four cars).

Here it is again, since you conveniently seem to have missed it:

Autotrader has three cars listed nationwide which are CPOs. Their prices are $67K, $60K, and $54K.

A nationwide search for CPO cars at MBUSA.com with 20K miles or less (mileage can only be specified in 10K increments, so can't do 15K) yielded seven results:
$59.9K, $57.8K, $62.98K, $66.99K, $60.99K, $65,9K, $59.88K

It certainly doesn't seem to be "way high" for CPOs. And in fact, modifying the search to all *non*-CPO cars nationwide with 15K miles or less on Autotrader yielded 9 results. One had unlisted price; the five remaining non-CPO (already listed those above) cars were priced at:
$68,075, $65,500, $63,999, $62,995, $55,900.

Got that? Autotrader, the source you claimed to show that he could pick up cars with low mileage in the $40's, shows your claim to be total BS.

And Ebay? Bid price != sales price, PLUS many of those are lemon cars, buybacks, wrecked, high mileage, etc. etc. etc. To try and hold these up as the standard shows that you're either wildly ignorant of the factors which go into pricing an automobile, *or* as I said you're on a one-man campaign to lowball them to get yourself a better price.

And just so we are clear here, I'm going to go ahead and run a quick search for CLS55s on Ebay. I will list those which have a "buy it now" price, along with their mileage. Bids are irrelevant, as they are NOT the selling price. Notice a pricing trend as mileage increases??
$59,995 13,960 mi
$55,900 19,800 mi
$49,900 13,391 mi
$49,884 36,300 mi
$49,486 35,100 mi
$47,995 41,653 mi
$47,885 43,026 mi
$41,900 47,900 mi
$39,995 52,123 mi

Average selling price: $49,216. ONE of them is a low-mileage car that's selling for less than the ***CPO*** car the OP is enquiring about, and without a carfax we have no inkling of its history; at that price, I would be concerned. Dealers are not in the Santa Claus business, and if they have an example priced that much below book, there's a reason.

And these prices are for "Ebay specials", many of which are modded extensively (aftermarket wheels, trim, etc. which hurt resale), most of which have mileage well above average for that year, whose history we do not know (if you want to pay for carfaxes on them, go for it), and are at places with names like "Discount Bob's Auto Outlet", etc....would you buy a used AMG from this man? I wouldn't. But hey, if you want a high-mileage "auction special" for cheap, then yeah, Ebay is the place for you! Just like you can get nice "Rolex watches" there for amazingly low prices....just don't open them up to see the nice Chinese movement inside and you'll be fine--until they stop working.

Bottom of the barrel != The Gold Pricing Standard.

Originally Posted by isellpower

I have also seen many, many, auction numbers posted here and on other sites with scary prices on the CLS55.

Ding ding ding! Newsflash: 1) auction prices are WHOLESALE. Cars are sold at RETAIL. 2) do you also have CONDITION reports for the vehicles with the "scary low prices"? Has it occured to you that the "scary low prices" you're seeing might be on clunkers, buybacks, wrecked, etc.? Has it occured to you that many of these cars might have been at auction instead of on dealers' lots for a reason?

Originally Posted by isellpower

Look at the E's. 28K for nice examples for sale right on this site.

What a ridiculous statement. What relation does the price of an '03 E55 have to the price of an '06 CLS55, which on top of the year differential had a substantially higher MSRP to start with?

Originally Posted by isellpower

The guys that own them like to pump up the price,

...just as certain guys who do not own them would like to pump it down, it would seem....

Originally Posted by isellpower

but those of us without a dog in the fight know better.

It would seem to me that, given fully 3/4 of your posts here have been of the "that price is too high, you can find it for less elsewhere" variety, you DO have a dog in this fight...the question is, for what purpose?

Originally Posted by isellpower

I've lost big bucks on my cars this year also so I know how it feels. If this guy wants to blow his dough it's his business.

No, absolutely not; he should ignore all other pricing sources,, even the ones you claimed have cars in the $40's like Autotrader which show you to be wrong, and walk on this car in favor of an Ebay special with dubious history and high mileage.

Originally Posted by isellpower

Give it 3 months and we'll be talking about when they hit the high 30's.

Well, if your prognostication skills are as good as your pricing skills, we don't have much to worry about.

Originally Posted by isellpower

Did you see the silver CLS55 that went for 38.5 in Autotrader. It had 32K miles and no 030.

No, I didn't see it....got a link?? But if anyone was selling that for that price, unless there was something substantially wrong with it, they're an idiot.

Originally Posted by isellpower

I tried to talke them down an extra 500 to cover shipping and someone else swooped in and picked it up. These deals will become more commonplace as the year wears on. All cars are taking a beating not just the CLS.

As I suspected: you're simply trying to create the illusion that prices are worse than they are in the hopes that someone will be stupid and give you a deal.

Good luck. The people on this forum are smarter than that.

[DucatiNut]

isellpower. You have not really provided any corroborating evidence for the position you have taken apart from quoting auction results. Auctions are wholesale as you know and are often for vehicles with uncertain or problematic histories with vehicles that cannot be checked out thoroughly beforehand. As stated elsewhere in these forums, the auction figures are the auction sales prices without commissions, premiums, fees and all the other costs incurred when buying like this. Thus you can likely add a good 15% to the numbers you see. And most of the time you do not know what you have purchased. As impoviz said, something seems odd about your comments. These forums are a great source of help for many people but if you wish to help, providing substantive comments is far more valuable. I have driven the car twice for a few hours now and gone over, under and inside it in detail. It is as good as anyone can determine without pulling things apart!. In view of the fact that I might have to travel a few thousand miles to save another 3 or 4 grand, its best for me to buy locally. We had purchased two previous vehicles from the same dealer and they are very "reputable" (yes, yes I know,... as far as dealers can be ) in the area. I would rather buy from someone like this than "Joes Sports Emporium and Massage Parlour" in Arizona.