OT: I bought a car...yeah, I caved!!!

[SoCalSteve]

Hi all,

Long overdue follow up to these 2 threads ( if anyone even cares ).

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=195673

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=195798

I went 2.5 months and then I got a ride in a Maserati Ghilbli and realized that I truly am a " car guy ". I got tired of waiting around on street corners for Uber drivers and as it turns out, I am truly a horrible passenger ( ask my wife ). Plus, I just missed the freedom of going to the garage and getting in my own car. After more than 40 years of car ownership, I just missed not owning a car, plain and simple.

My wife pushed me to get the Maserati Levante SUV as she thought it would be the best of both worlds for me ( sporty, yet comfortable and relatively practical ) but I'm a true believer of buying lightly used and letting the first owner take the biggest $$$ hit. The Levante had just come out and there were no used ones or deals to be had at all.

The two biggest requirements for me were massaging seats and autonomous driving features ( mostly just the Traffic Jam Assistant feature ) where the car locks onto the car in front of it with radar and follows it at a set distance so you do not have to use the brake or gas pedals. Both these features are very helpful with keeping my sciatica pain at bay while driving ( yeah, sucks getting old ).

And lastly, I wanted a German car. Cannot remember when I didn't own VW's, Audi's, BMW's and Porsches. So, I went in the complete opposite direction from my 911. I bought a big sedan. Big, quiet, fast, smooth and full of technology.

I bought a used 2015 Mercedes S Class sedan. Yeah, old mans retirement car. My wife laughs at me, but I am really enjoying driving it, even in LA traffic. And best of all, it was a lease return and it was about .55 cents on the dollar to get a beautiful, well kept car with 21k miles. I could not or would not buy a car like this new. Stupidly expensive.

Anyway, I caved! I did it! I'm apart of the LA car culture again!

[buddybikes]

.....think your car is from Italy

Otherwise - wow - beautiful looking car, make sure you put mat down before a greasy/dirty bike gets in there

[SoCalSteve]

.....think your car is from Italy

Otherwise - wow - beautiful looking car, make sure you put mat down before a greasy/dirty bike gets in there

Italy? Confused...:confused:...it's a big German Autobahn cruiser.

And, one more of many reasons why I bought this sedan is that it can be fitted with a roof rack. Cool, right? But even if I don't get a roof rack, the back seat is HUGE. Couple furniture pads across the back seat and I'm good to go!

[godukes]

S class is the real deal. Congrats (and lease returns are the way to go).

[gasman]

I was wondering if you could really hold out being without a car. Congratulations .
Good purchase.

[jghall]

Congrats Steve. Nice ride. As they though, it didn't happen without pictures. ;)

[SoCalSteve]

Congrats Steve. Nice ride. As they though, it didn't happen without pictures. ;)

Pulled this picture off the net. None of my actual car. This color, this body style, but mine has AMG wheels. But close enough....:)

[ntb1001]

Very nice car....and sounds like you got a great deal. I bought my Audi from the dealership, full warranty, but considered used because the sales Manger drove it for a few months. I saved over $10k and it only had 4,000km (2,500 mikes)

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

[fuzzalow]

Well, you gave sans-car a try and it wasn't for you. So be it. I would have given the odds of success a pretty low conversion rate as SoCal is steeped in car reliance and car culture so that meant you'd be swimming against the tide on just about everything. When doing little things become bigger things for the added hassle, no way that's sustainable.

Many happy and safe miles in that car.

[ceolwulf]

Great choice. I may go for a big boat for my next car as well. Lot to be said for eating miles in comfort.

[shovelhd]

Beautiful. Is it a CPO?

[SoCalSteve]

Beautiful. Is it a CPO?

Yes, 4th car I bought CPO. Great way to buy a car!

Knowing that I didn't NEED to buy a car gave me lots of leverage to just say f@ck it and walk out of the dealership. I found one heavily optioned with low miles at a local dealership. I walked out 3 times before they came down to the price I was willing to spend.

[oldpotatoe]

Italy? Confused...:confused:...it's a big German Autobahn cruiser.

And, one more of many reasons why I bought this sedan is that it can be fitted with a roof rack. Cool, right? But even if I don't get a roof rack, the back seat is HUGE. Couple furniture pads across the back seat and I'm good to go!

And yet you are a sram fan boy. I had you pegged for a Cadillac or even a Buick.:)

[shovelhd]

and yet you are a sram fan boy. I had you pegged for a cadillac or even a buick.:)

lol!!!

[SoCalSteve]

And yet you are a sram fan boy. I had you pegged for a Cadillac or even a Buick.:)

I've owned MANY cars in the 40 plus years I've been driving. Not one has been American. Funny, cuz I was a Teamster and very pro labor my whole life. But, I'm also pro global economy.

Oh, I know you are joking ( sorta )....:beer:

[Ti Designs]

I guess I'm a part time car guy. I own a car, but it doesn't move when there's snow on the ground. There are periods of time when I do everything by bike, and I'm mostly OK with that. This winter was tough because the water pump in my car seized, and being a Honda it stopped the timing belt, and then my pistons were introduced to my valves... It really helps to have a car if you need to transport large car parts, I had a cross bike an a trailer.

[Cicli]

And yet you are a sram fan boy. I had you pegged for a Cadillac or even a Buick.:)

MAde me laugh. Out loud.

Nice car Steve.

[rounder]

welcome back to the traffic. Nice Car. Good luck Steve.

[YesNdeed]

The two biggest requirements for me were massaging seats and autonomous driving features ( mostly just the Traffic Jam Assistant feature ) where the car locks onto the car in front of it with radar and follows it at a set distance so you do not have to use the brake or gas pedals. Both these features are very helpful with keeping my sciatica pain at bay while driving ( yeah, sucks getting old ).

Better than these features, keep a massage ball on hand, about the size of a softball, maybe a little smaller. I keep one in the glove box, using it mainly for long drives.

One side at a time, place it under your right ass cheek while driving, on both sides of your sciatic notch: posterior and just medial to your greater trochanter, and on the other side, just distal to your tailbone. Works wonders, trust me.

Welcome back! Beautiful car, nothing else drives like a big Benz!

[SoCalSteve]

Better than these features, keep a massage ball on hand, about the size of a softball, maybe a little smaller. I keep one in the glove box, using it mainly for long drives.

One side at a time, place it under your right ass cheek while driving, only both sides of your sciatic notch: posterior and just medial to your greater trochanter, and on the other side, just distal to your tailbone. Works wonders, trust me.

Welcome back! Beautiful car, nothing else drives like a big Benz!

Im sure this is great advice, just in English, please...:confused:

And yes, nothing else drives like a big Benz!!! Thank you...:banana:

[93legendti]

Better than these features, keep a massage ball on hand, about the size of a softball, maybe a little smaller. I keep one in the glove box, using it mainly for long drives.

One side at a time, place it under your right ass cheek while driving, on both sides of your sciatic notch: posterior and just medial to your greater trochanter, and on the other side, just distal to your tailbone. Works wonders, trust me.

Welcome back! Beautiful car, nothing else drives like a big Benz!

I used to use a tennis ball for this when driving...

[YesNdeed]

Im sure this is great advice, just in English, please...:confused:

Lol! Sorry, maybe too much info. Just thought I'd demarcate some spots to help positioning of said ball.

Just place a ball beneath your right hip while driving. Better yet, try it now, seated in a padded chair so you can see what I mean. Try it with something you may have already-baseball, tennis ball or the like. It may feel awkward at first, but what you want to do is stretch/release the muscles surrounding the sciatic notch, pulling them away from your clinched sciatic nerve. You'll find the right spot(s) by maneuvering the ball around as necessary. This will not impede your ability to drive at all, just be careful when adjusting the ball, please ;)

You can repeat this on your left side too, but your right side will be your driving, pedal controlling side.

Trust me, I'm a professional.

[SoCalSteve]

Lol! Sorry, maybe too much info. Just thought I'd demarcate some spots to help positioning of said ball.

Just place a ball beneath your right hip while driving. Better yet, try it now, seated in a padded chair so you can see what I mean. Try it with something you may have already-baseball, tennis ball or the like. It may feel awkward at first, but what you want to do is stretch/release the muscles surrounding the sciatic notch, pulling them away from your clinched sciatic nerve. You'll find the right spot(s) by maneuvering the ball around as necessary. This will not impede your ability to drive at all, just be careful when adjusting the ball, please ;)

You can repeat this on your left side too, but your right side will be your driving, pedal controlling side.

Trust me, I'm a professional.

Thank you for the clarification!

Are you a chiropractor? Physical medicine doc? Or?

[false_Aest]

Steve, you not owning a car is like you not owning a bike . . . and then selling it to get another bike. :P

I know you'd cave. Should've bet money on it.

[MattTuck]

I've read that a lot of leases are coming back in the next few years, so it may be a good time to get a good deal if you go that route. Would love to hear more about this experience. Is it CPO? There don't seem to be many of those where I live.

Makes me want a new car. Just put new tires on my outback, with a 90,000 mile guarantee... so doesn't look like I'll be getting one anytime soon :(

[SoCalSteve]

Steve, you not owning a car is like you not owning a bike . . . and then selling it to get another bike. :P

I know you'd cave. Should've bet money on it.

I don't think I would have bet against you, Tommy. I know myself. I'm a car guy, through and through. Do you remember coming over that night when I brought my first 911 home? The look on my face? Yeah, it's in my blood.

[YesNdeed]

Thank you for the clarification!

Are you a chiropractor? Physical medicine doc? Or?

Not quite that professional, but people come to me all the time sciatica for deep tissue massage. I'm an LMT.

[Tickdoc]

Ha!

I don't know you all that well Steve, but I thought you were crazy to let go of that beautiful 911 and go carless. Especially when you consider what you used to do for a living.

I would love a 911, but it just doesn't make sense for me right now. I'm 3 yrs away from not absolutely having to have a four door car, so maybe then....just maybe that will be my chance.

I too drive a Mercedes lease trade in. Good deals to be had there. Used to be a BMW guy, but I feel they have strayed and my Mercedes just does everything right. I am looking now for my next ride, but I really have no need to upgrade.

I think you'll grow to love the nanny features on the big old S class, especially considering where you live. My wife has a new Volvo with all of the fun new systems and they do help ease the burdens of stop and go ( not really a problem here) and highway cruising comfort.

Traffic creep alone will make it worthwhile, that and not having to punch a clutch in 3000 x per drive.

Congrats on the new car and for restoring my peace of mind, I can sleep better at night now ;-)

[Mikej]

Dude Steve you crack me up- from a Porsche to this and wondering if you really need a car in the middle!! It's sweet tho-so, you obviously have the space money, why are thinking you wouldn't want a car?

[54ny77]

Does an off lease car come with a CPO warranty, typically?

Having once owned a German car OUT of warranty, there's no way on earth I'd ever do that again. Death by a thousand cuts after a certain point.

[SoCalSteve]

Does an off lease car come with a CPO warranty, typically?

Having once owned a German car OUT of warranty, there's no way on earth I'd ever do that again. Death by a thousand cuts after a certain point.

I believe all car manufacturers offer CPO on cars that meet certain requirements and standards. At that point, the car gets completely inspected and anything wrong or worn and torn are brought up to snuff ( including brakes and tires ).

There is a cost to the dealership to CPO a car and that cost is passed onto the buyer. But, for that additional cost, you get a car that has met very high standards, a reconditioning process and an extended warranty ( both in time and mileage ).

It feels to me like a win-win-win all around as you get a low mileage, reconditioned car with a better than new warranty for much, much less than a new car....:hello:

I've done this 4 times now, to great success each time.

I can extend the CPO warranty even longer ( at a pretty hefty cost though ), not sure I'll end up doing this as I really don't drive that many miles a year. We shall see how it pans out. And yes, German cars can be costly to repair, but I think if you maintain them properly and don't drive them into the ground, the cost of long term ownership won't be that great. Like owning a Rolex. Will last forever as long as you get it serviced every 5-7 years.

[Hindmost]

Lol! Sorry, maybe too much info. Just thought I'd demarcate some spots to help positioning of said ball.

Just place a ball beneath your right hip while driving. Better yet, try it now, seated in a padded chair so you can see what I mean. Try it with something you may have already-baseball, tennis ball or the like. It may feel awkward at first, but what you want to do is stretch/release the muscles surrounding the sciatic notch, pulling them away from your clinched sciatic nerve. You'll find the right spot(s) by maneuvering the ball around as necessary. This will not impede your ability to drive at all, just be careful when adjusting the ball, please ;)

You can repeat this on your left side too, but your right side will be your driving, pedal controlling side.

Trust me, I'm a professional.

How do you avoid irritating the sciatic nerve itself? I would love to be able to so a stretch or massage to alleviate symptoms. (Sorry for the continued drift but I have been down a similar path with poor results.)

[SoCalSteve]

How do you avoid irritating the sciatic nerve itself? I would love to be able to so a stretch or massage to alleviate symptoms. (Sorry for the continued drift but I have been down a similar path with poor results.)

I insist we drift the thread! The whole point of these (car) threads is to keep sciatica at bay...any and all suggestions are more than welcomed!!!

[Gummee]

Being a former Porsche owner you know anyone can afford to buy a used Benz/Porsche etc

Maintaining them is another story.

Congrats on the awesome freeway cruiser

I miss my Dad's 95 S-Class when I need to drive all day.

M

edited to add: don't the new S-Classes have massage seats? ...and air cooled seats? ...and heated seats... and...

[YesNdeed]

How do you avoid irritating the sciatic nerve itself? I would love to be able to so a stretch or massage to alleviate symptoms. (Sorry for the continued drift but I have been down a similar path with poor results.)

That's why I got so specific with my first post. You want to stay off the nerve itself, and aim for both sides of piriformis. It's fairly easy to avoid the nerve, but if you can't, try sizing down on the ball you're using. The pigeon pose is also excellent for stretching this area.
https://youtu.be/FVlX5HNKamw

[SoCalSteve]

Being a former Porsche owner you know anyone can afford to buy a used Benz/Porsche etc

Maintaining them is another story.

Congrats on the awesome freeway cruiser

I miss my Dad's 95 S-Class when I need to drive all day.

M

edited to add: don't the new S-Classes have massage seats? ...and air cooled seats? ...and heated seats... and...

Yes, yes, yes and aromatherapy....I kid you not!

It's a very relaxing atmosphere considering how quiet, smooth, large arm rests, large 18 way adjustable seats, massaging seats and an atomizer. Certainly helps you relax and not think of how painful it is to be driving in LA traffic.

[Ken Robb]

It has been a few years but my pal was a BMW dealer and he offered to sell me a used BMW with or without CPO. The cost would have been $2,000 +/- for a 3 series. I could get it inspected free and decide what to do. I decided to buy a new one. I'll bet the cost is $3,000 + today.

[SoCalSteve]

It has been a few years but my pal was a BMW dealer and he offered to sell me a used BMW with or without CPO. The cost would have been $2,000 +/- for a 3 series. I could get it inspected free and decide what to do. I decided to buy a new one. I'll bet the cost is $3,000 + today.

I was told the net, net cost to the dealer from MBZ USA is $1,800.00 before any costs for the labor to inspect and replacing parts as needed. This one was given new front brakes and a servicing.

I've purchased Porsche's where they have done complete front and rear pads and rotors and 4 new tires before it qualified for CPO status.

Considering I was able to save $50k off the price of a new car, it was definitely worth it for me. This car was leased from new locally, returned after 23 months, driven 21k miles and then returned to the same dealership where it was leased from originally. All servicing and records came with the car.

[Ken Robb]

That sounds like a real "creampuff". Jeez, I haven't thought of that term in a long time.

I bought a new car back then because BMW introduced a new "performance package" that was too new to be available in a used car.

[SoCalSteve]

That sounds like a real "creampuff". Jeez, I haven't thought of that term in a long time.

I bought a new car back then because BMW introduced a new "performance package" that was too new to be available in a used car.

By not buying the newest, latest and greatest, I missed out on things like Apple Carplay and updated autonomous features. But, for my needs and the amount I drive, I wasn't going to spend an extra $50k on a brand new car.

The way technology is moving, all our cars are going to be outdated really soon. Electric and self driving is the next wave. Tesla is already there. It's the government that is holding it back.

[superbowlpats]

Congrats on your purchase. We used the funds from my TDI buyback to buy a 2013 GL 450 in December. Its in perfect shape, had 27K miles and like yours a CPO. It has 7 months left on the original warranty plus the 1 year of CPO. We wanted a 7 passenger SUV for the grand-kids and the price of the MB was thousands less than a new Pilot we were looking at and just so much nicer. We also didnt purchase the extra 2 years of warranty, I'll wait to see how this MB treats us service wise. Its my wife's car so it will only see about 9K miles a year. If you are interested in the extended warranty do a search of the MB forums. There are few MB dealers (Business office type) that sell the warranty for slightly above wholesale (about $700 less than most dealers quote). You can buy the MB warranty from any MB dealer.

[SoCalSteve]

Congrats on your purchase. We used the funds from my TDI buyback to buy a 2013 GL 450 in December. Its in perfect shape, had 27K miles and like yours a CPO. It has 7 months left on the original warranty plus the 1 year of CPO. We wanted a 7 passenger SUV for the grand-kids and the price of the MB was thousands less than a new Pilot we were looking at and just so much nicer. We also didnt purchase the extra 2 years of warranty, I'll wait to see how this MB treats us service wise. Its my wife's car so it will only see about 9K miles a year. If you are interested in the extended warranty do a search of the MB forums. There are few MB dealers (Business office type) that sell the warranty for slightly above wholesale (about $700 less than most dealers quote). You can buy the MB warranty from any MB dealer.

Thank you for this!!!

MBWorld.com forum has a whole section for extended warranty recommendations. Found a great guy out of state who's prices were much less than my local stealership and purchased one for my wife's E 350 Cabrio.

I still have some time to decide for my S Classs, but even with the big discounts, it's still pretty expensive. Not sure it will be worth it. I imagine I'll drive less than 5k miles a year.

I did purchase the pre paid maintenance plan though. It's a nice savings. If I do end up keeping it beyond the warranties and maintenance plan, I'll find an independent shop locally to do the servicings and maintenance.

[weaponsgrade]

My roommate in college came from a very wealthy family. For some reason, he had his sights set on an S-class. We rode our bikes to the Mercedes dealership to check out the cars. A few weeks later his dad flew in for a visit and bought him this huge S-class. I remember the glass for the windows being really thick. We'd go shopping at the wholesale clubs where he'd buy cases of meat and then spend an entire day cooking for the week. He liked to cook and was pretty good at it. We'd load up our bikes in the back of the huge trunk and go mountain biking. Good times.

[SoCalSteve]

My roommate in college came from a very wealthy family. For some reason, he had his sights set on an S-class. We rode our bikes to the Mercedes dealership to check out the cars. A few weeks later his dad flew in for a visit and bought him this huge S-class. I remember the glass for the windows being really thick. We'd go shopping at the wholesale clubs where he'd buy cases of meat and then spend an entire day cooking for the week. He liked to cook and was pretty good at it. We'd load up our bikes in the back of the huge trunk and go mountain biking. Good times.

Everything about the car is huge ( and thick ). It's really over built and makes no bones about trying to pretend it's anything but.

[Ken Robb]

Another thing to consider about buying extended warranties: if your car is stolen or totaled the money you paid for the warranty is GONE. I have a pal who buys "totaled" cars and fixes them for resale. The cars/trucks he buys often have so little damage that it's hard to understand how they were deemed total by an insurance company.

My point is your insurance company may decide your car should not be repaired by them so you get paid the fair market value but I don't know that they would add anything to that figure for an unexpired extended warranty. Does anyone know more about this?

[SoCalSteve]

Another thing to consider about buying extended warranties: if your car is stolen or totaled the money you paid for the warranty is GONE. I have a pal who buys "totaled" cars and fixes them for resale. The cars/trucks he buys often have so little damage that it's hard to understand how they were deemed total by an insurance company.

My point is your insurance company may decide your car should not be repaired by them so you get paid the fair market value but I don't know that they would add anything to that figure for an unexpired extended warranty. Does anyone know more about this?

I believe the MBZ extended warranty is transferable and refundable. I'm sure whoever steals the car will want the warranty transferred...:p