OT: it's raining here. Got an opinion on Mercedes GLK?

[echelon_john]

I have a GLS450 that’s been excellent. Bigger car obv, but great visibility, more than adequate acceleration, and very usable cargo space. If I have one not to pick I wish the brakes were a little stronger but that could just be on me to do new pads etc.

[martl]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

Boxy, square shape with very large window panes.

Hmmm...

Refined that for you: "a boxy, square body shape, low waist, high roof, mild SUV with very large window panes" (Because Daimler has very similar contemporary station wagons to that Volvo....)

i myself, i love the Volvo. I also love the "no-nonsense, leave everything out that isnt necessary and lets focus on making those parts that *are* necessary rock-solid" approach of the Subi.
Mercedes used to do the same thing, but, sadly, has joined the crowd of the self proclaimed premium manufactures who see it as their mission to stuff the car full of unneccessary toys.

[benb]

It’s always an eye opener to see Mercedes in other countries and realize how different they are than what gets sold here.

Just watched a National Geographic documentary the other night and the guy was driving around an extremely bare bones M-B minivan.

Or getting on a M-B city bus in Europe.

[fignon's barber]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

As someone who used to run a fleet, I'll let you in on a universal truth. If you can't afford a vehicle when it was brand new; you definitely can't afford it when it's used and starts eating money.

Well put.

[superbowlpats]

Originally Posted by echelon_john

I have a GLS450 that’s been excellent. Bigger car obv, but great visibility, more than adequate acceleration, and very usable cargo space. If I have one not to pick I wish the brakes were a little stronger but that could just be on me to do new pads etc.

My wife drives a 2013 GL450. She will tell you its the greatest car she has ever owned. I won't tell you what the maintenance costs are. but it does give the best ride of any car we have driven in the past 40+ years.

No offense to the OP, but the only real Mercedes are the E and S class.

[froze]

That particular MBZ is an odd duck out, it is rated very high for reliability, which is odd for a MBZ these days.

However, you do have to realize that owning a German car is more expensive than say a Lexus. This car in particular runs an average of $1,178 a year to maintain, that's just to maintain it, not to repair it, whereas a Lexus will run an average of $549 a year to maintain it.

The other issue is that on average that particular MBZ engine only last 200,000 miles, while a Lexus GX450 will last over 300,000 miles

If you don't mind paying the higher expense for that vehicle then get it, because the reliability is very high on it, but I worry about the longevity of the engine.

All figures of cost and miles are averages, which I kept saying, so that means it could last longer or shorter, it could cost more or less. I know that sounds nuts that I have to explain that but I get people all that time that will come back and say their car lasted a billion miles so I'm wrong.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

As someone who used to run a fleet, I'll let you in on a universal truth. If you can't afford a vehicle when it was brand new; you definitely can't afford it when it's used and starts eating money.

Having driven Dad's S-Class I can tell you from personal experience that you're still maintaining a very expensive Euro car even when they've depreciated.

Great driving cars, but they're German so it will need maintenance and that maintenance is going to be pricey.

That goes for pretty much any German car tho, so pick your poison.

M

[rice rocket]

https://youtu.be/bcF1CFKKuyI

Just standard Mercedes things.

VW/Audi had this too, but on coolant sensors.

[nmrt]

Holy cow, if this applied to bicycles, Paceline Classifieds would shut down in a femtosecond.

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

As someone who used to run a fleet, I'll let you in on a universal truth. If you can't afford a vehicle when it was brand new; you definitely can't afford it when it's used and starts eating money.

[eddief]

Thanks for the data point.

Originally Posted by rice rocket

https://youtu.be/bcF1CFKKuyI

Just standard Mercedes things.

VW/Audi had this too, but on coolant sensors.

[froze]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

As someone who used to run a fleet, I'll let you in on a universal truth. If you can't afford a vehicle when it was brand new; you definitely can't afford it when it's used and starts eating money.

A car is used the second you drive it off the lot, so do you get a new car every week? I know people who are multi-millionaires, and they never buy new cars. Buying new is for people who do not have good financial common sense.

I buy nothing but used cars, once I got away from American junk I have never had a problem. My longest mileage car currently is a 09 Acura, I bought it when it was 5 years old, and saved more than half the cost of what it cost new buying it used, it had 38,000 miles on it, and it now has 143,000 miles without a single repair. A 10 Toyota Tundra 5.7 4x4 was bought when it was 9 years old, had 75,000 miles on it, and it now has 118,000 without a single repair.

Not the least bit afraid to buy older cars, about 3 months ago I bought a 02 Lexus SC430 with 82,000 miles on it to play with, and it runs fantastic.

No repairs means no eating of money. This is why people who don't have experience with cars will always say that buying used is buying someone else's problem, that is not the case. Now granted, there are independent car lots, those buy here pay here places, they do sell a lot of junk cars, don't go to those places. If you want a guaranteed well-kept used car buy it from a new car dealership. They take in all sorts of used cars, some good, some bad, but they wholesale out the bad ones to buy here pay here places. The dealers keep the cars that they can find the complete maintenance and repair record from the time it was new, and if no repairs or a single simple repair shows up, and the mileage is under 100,000 and not older than 15 years they sell as uncertified, certified used cars I think the mileage has to be under 40,000 plus not older than 5 years? they keep those cars to sell. And all the cars they think they want to keep are gone through to make sure the engine, transmission, and everything else works, along with the usual safety inspection.

I bought my Lexus from a Lexus dealer, they had it on a manager special sale, normally they won't put a car on their lot that is older than 10 years old, but this particular car they serviced since it was new, and it was in new like condition.

But a person buying nothing but new cars is wasting a lot of money, cars depreciate on average 50% during the first 5 years, and trucks depreciate the slowest, especially Toyota. My Acura sold new for 43k, I only paid 15k, I am WAY ahead on the money side of things from buying that car, and all the cars I ever owned. That is the way it is with new vs used cars.

By the way, I never get loans for cars either, I pay cash only.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by froze

A car is used the second you drive it off the lot, so do you get a new car every week? I know people who are multi-millionaires, and they never buy new cars. Buying new is for people who do not have good financial common sense.


...

I live in an area where there is a lot of money and everyone buys expensive new cars. The financial advisors I see that really push buying used cars want you to pinch pennies your whole life so you can die a millionaire. Being a millionaire is a fairly low bar these days. People with good money focus their time on making money.

I am between sessions at the track right now. Don’t tell me it is a bad financial decision - it is a lifestyle decision.

Jeff

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

I live in an area where there is a lot of money and everyone buys expensive new cars. The financial advisors I see that really push buying used cars want you to pinch pennies your whole life so you can die a millionaire. Being a millionaire is a fairly low bar these days. People with good money focus their time on making money.

I am between sessions at the track right now. Don’t tell me it is a bad financial decision - it is a lifestyle decision.

Jeff

Agreed. My visiting uncle just laughed his ass off (he has a fantastic sense of humor) sitting in the room next to me after I told him he has no financial sense given he owns a brand new RV and tows a brand new Lexus behind it. And no it’s not a hybrid because as he said why would I want that on a 60K car?

[froze]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

I live in an area where there is a lot of money and everyone buys expensive new cars. The financial advisors I see that really push buying used cars want you to pinch pennies your whole life so you can die a millionaire. Being a millionaire is a fairly low bar these days. People with good money focus their time on making money.

I am between sessions at the track right now. Don’t tell me it is a bad financial decision - it is a lifestyle decision.

Jeff

BS. You pinch pennies now while you have an income so you don't have to do that when you retire.

Yes, people with good money focus their time on making money, that is correct, and most of these people understand that they don't need a new car and instead buy a used car with cash because they understand what a bad investment is, and during the first 4 to 5 years a car to them is a bad investment, and they didn't get rich making bad investments.

While it is a lifestyle it doesn't mean it's the right way all the time, especially if living that sort of lifestyle means you won't be living comfortably when you retire. There are plenty of super millionaires from the sports or entertainment industry who went broke due to living it up lifestyle, and a third of all lottery winners are bankrupt in 3 to 5 years, and a total of 70% are bankrupt in 10 to 15 years after winning (that includes the first third). These people were living life for the now, and not worrying about later.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by froze

BS. You pinch pennies now while you have an income so you don't have to do that when you retire.

Yes, people with good money focus their time on making money, that is correct, and most of these people understand that they don't need a new car and instead buy a used car with cash because they understand what a bad investment is, and during the first 4 to 5 years a car to them is a bad investment, and they didn't get rich making bad investments.

Agree to disagree. Not realty

Jeff