Thanks Ram. How do you like R350? I miss my Odyssey's big sliding door and that was big fancy hifi stuff back in 2003. But my kids grown big and not much a 'wow; do-it-again'. But you can't beat the buttery smooth, floating the clouds ride of 350. This is my second Merc and I was totally taken by surprise
We are enjoying our R350.I know the sliding door would be easier to get in and out but you will enjoy this one better in terms of comfort and ride. We have a 1 year old and she enjoys the panaroma sunroof and we did not feel that the back doors were a problem. We just avoid parking in the compact car parking lot, thats it.
Oh yeah; I gave a very nice instruction to my wife to look for a big parking space again and again. Poor Odyssey, it had enough scratch marks . Hope my wife does not see this forum, lol!
Im in the market for a 2008 R350, but concerned about the warranty - really only going out 2 year plus a few months. I am willing to pay a bit more for a 5 year warranty.
Is the warranty through Mercedes Benz, where you can bring it to any dealership?
Was the 5 year warranty a big part of the negotiations?
I posted a few months ago about our attempts to get a good deal on an Extended Warranty once our CPO coverage ended in Feb 2011. A few important lessons that we have learned:
(1) I really dont think this is the right car to own without a warranty!! We've had some very costly repairs and I am guessing this will only get worse as the car passes 50k miles. I would suggest thinking about this when buying the car from a dealer. We probably could have negotiated an extended warranty for a much better deal at purchase.
(2) Of course you can buy the extended warranty from anywhere you want, so shopping around can pay off. Our original dealer offered us $4600 in October, then more recently when we called back they quoted over $5000! We ultimately found a dealer in Oregon offering us 48 month up to 60,000 additional miles for $3579 (including taxes).
(3) shame your original dealer! We called our dealer back and explained the 2 quotes we had gotten from them, plus the many, many more reasonable quotes. We also asked them to look at the service record of the car and ask if they thought it would be a wise move to continue owning this car without warranty coverage. Bingo, it got escalated pretty quickly to the owner, who agreed he would beat the lowest quote and come in at a round $3500 including taxes. I think it was pretty clear that we wouldn't have bought another car there in the future (or even continued servicing this one there) if they hadnt worked with us on this.
Original 2010 msrp of vehicle+options you mentioned was ~ $55.7k. I saw a sale last month with same specs plus parktronics option - 14k miles here is San Diego listed by a dealer for $48,450. So, yours is OK deal to go. I would go for $45k.
In January I bought a 2010 R350 CPO with 5800 miles. It had been a dealer courtesy car and with CPO warranty extending to over 4 years and 100k miles. $46500 with P1 options with pano roof, rear dvd entertainment, iPod interface, Nav, backup camera,19" AMG wheels, etc. Sticker price new over $60k.
I have been checking the forums and think that the reliability problems have improved since 2008. I have plenty of time to find out.
ramssaran or other R350 experts, need your suggestion. I am negotiating a 2009 R350 with P2 premium package and a rear view DVD entertainment with 23K miles for 42K OTD. Is it a good deal? I am also getting a 2010 Acura MDX (Tech package) with 6K miles for the same amount (OTD). I am confused as to which one shall I go with.
My concern with R350 is that it is very difficult to resell it, Its maintenance cost and low fuel economy. I am inclined more towards the R350 because it has more space compared to Acura and its rear DVD entertainment system.
I just sold my MDX- 2003 model after driving it for over 6 years. I never once had trouble. I sold it because i came to know that 03 models started developing transmission issues and also 90K mile service and timing belt change would cost me well over 7000.
My choice was MB R-350. I talked to my friend who has been driving since 06 and his suggestion was to stay away from it after warranty is over. It seems every repair costs a fortune and some thing or another goes wrong every week. I am seriously considering MDX tech package but i so desperately wish I had R350 without all these repair issues.
I guess I am in similar situation to choose between lexus GX 470 or MDX or R350. I think I would go with a vehicle which would have bumper to bumper factory warranty till 100k miles and then sell it the day warranty expires.
You should probably go for MB CPO. Automatically gives you 100,000 miles warranty and they are fully reconditioned, so fully serviced. You can also buy extended original MB warranty up to 135,000 miles!
But personally, I would recommend to lease instead of buying. Lease brand new. If you do it right and make a good deal - you will end up paying less per month than the actual depreciation of this vehicle, and you don't need to worry about buying extended warranty. Everything is covered. If you fall in love with your car, then you can buy the remaining balance at the end of the lease...
I am replying to previous posts responding to johnwang. John was right!
I want EVERYONE to know, that in the past two weeks, I found out through Orange Park Mercedes that WE WERE GROSSLY MISLEAD AND DECEIVED BY OUR SALESMAN when we purchased our extended warranty from the PENSACOLA MERCEDES DEALERSHIP in Pensacola, Florida. I believe there's only one MB dealer there, so you don't have to worry about getting them confused.
After service on my car, I found out my warranty runs out next November, probably before I even hit 50K! Now, HOW CAN THAT BE WHEN WE HAVE A 100K WARRANTY? Well, OPMB explained what I actually bought. WE WERE SCAMMED@#(%!!!!!! WE WERE LIED TO about how the extended warranty worked and our warranty will run out about the same time as when the original warranty w run out.
I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES AGAIN BECAUSE OF THIS. NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE, NOR WANTS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. IT'S A MAINTENANCE CA$H HOG AND I AM PI$$ED ABOUT BEING LIED TO BY the PENSACOLA MERCEDES BENZ SALESMAN.
PENSACOLA MERCEDES IS CUSTOMER NO SERVICE SINCE I AM AN OUT OF TOWN PATRON... AND YES, I CALLED AND TALKED TO THEM, BUT THEY ARE HANDS OFF. I am calling my lawyer though.
DOGGONE IT ...WE THOUGHT WE HAD YEARS OF ADDITIONAL WARRANTY ACCORDING TO THE SALES PERSON!!!! WE WOULD HAVE *NEVER* PAID $2K+/- FOR ONLY 10,000 MILES OF ADDITIONAL WARRANTY!!!!!!
"Any car warranty usually expires based on time or mileage - whichever comes first..."
No joke. However, we were told that when we purchased the 100,000 mile extended warranty, it gave us an additional three years of warranty for our money. We were told it normally sold for $2,500 plus, but they sold it to us for less. Comes to find out, we were lied to about that TOTALLY. Our warranty will expire at the normal 50,000 time. The EXTENDED warranty was for IF we went over the 50,000. THERE IS NO WAY WE WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THAT WARRANTY IF THAT WERE THE CASE. I DRIVE LESS THAN 8K MILES A YEAR and have for the past 12 years!!!! My driving habits were not going to change! We were LIED TO BY PENSACOLA MERCEDES BENZ SALES REP for the car. Period... We found out just before a cruise and we've just returned. :mad:
I am looking at a 2009 R-350, 50k miles that was just returned to the dealer off of lease. The car is not even in the dealers inventory as it is still owned by MBUSA financing. Any thoughts on what this car would sell at at auction? How much negotiating do you think there is considering the dealer does not have to pay for marketing and will sell immeadiately. If I do not buy it I do not think they will take it into inventory.
We have a 2006 R350 premium package, etc that I bought as Certified from my local dealer and then bought an extended warranty that is good for another 3 years and 50k from now because it was such a frequent visitor to the repair shop. That warranty has paid for itself so many times and as a result the car has had many new items put on it and is in great shape (I hear a noise, I take it in, I see a light on, I take it in, etc). I just want a newer one, should have bought a 2008 or 2009 when I bought this one.
I looked up trade in value ($18,500), private sale($21,400) and retail values ($23,600) and realize those don't really take into account the value of the extended warranty for a car of this vintage (in fact I cannot find a 2006 R350 under warranty within a 500 mile range of me). The difference between retail and certified for the car is about $1500 and since the warranty cost me $3,200 a year ago, I figure it has to increase the value of the car by at least that much over the trade or private sale value that various tools list. Does that sound about right?
I'd like to try to work a trade with my local dealer (who sold me the car and the extended warranty), so I am trying to get a sense of exactly what the numbers are so he doesnt make too much from me on the combination of the trade in and the new sale. I know how to figure out how to drive a good deal on the new sale, it's the trade that has me puzzled. I'm guessing he'll list the car for $25k, so getting $18.5k trade value seems like leaving too much on the table. He's serviced the car and has always done everything that needs to get done, so he wont have any real inspection/service costs before he puts it on the lot. But obviously, he has some costs in selling it and needs to make a bit of profit. What is a good place to start with a proposed trade, $21,500, higher/lower?
Personally I wouldn't dream of owning a 2006 R outside of warranty, so I am surprised people would pay in the range of $20k for one!
Browsing thro posts here, I noticed that someone bought a CPO 3 years old. 33k miles for $23,500 (2009) . Current listed market prices(dealer asking price) for something equivalent is something around 38k. I dont get it. Was a 3yr old CPO R really selling for that low just a couple of years back. What would be a fair price to pay now. Any advise would be greatly appreciated as I am so confused at this point.
Well, I can't speak about that specific deal, but the market has definitely changed. The deal I got on a one model year old with 5200 miles has gone up by at least $5000 to $8000 in the past year. The used car market in general has changed for all cars. Fewer big deals on new cars also.
There is lots of talk on a Mercedes owners forum and the general consensus is that whatever reliability problems that existed for the R Class were definitely solved on the 2009 and newer models. Possibly also true for 2008 models.
Its hard to guess the value. It depends on where you live. Check out used prices on cars.com or autotrader and set the area search to 500 miles. Looks like good low mileage. Reliability was worse for the 2006 and 2007 and best on mid 2009 and newer. 2008 models are in the middle. Check to see if the engine number is in the range for the cam sensor problem. Not all cars in the range have the problem, but it can be expensive. Service and oil change is required only every 10,000 miles and will cost $250 to $400 at a dealer, less at a good independent specializing on German cars. The transmission fluid will require changing and flush at 40,000 miles so get a price on that. Tires only last around 30 to 35k on average. You can have a dealer pull up the service record for that vehicle ID no matter what dealer serviced it. No problems yet on my 2010 with 28k miles and I love it.
Get the serial number and call your local dealer service dept. They can look up the engine number and tell if your engine is in the Balance shaft problem area. They have a number of service bulletins.
M272 (350) engine up to Serial #468993 or M273 (550) to 088611. The material for the balance shaft sprocket and the timing chain guide wheel (idler) was modified on engines past the serial numbers listed above.
If engine #is within range, reference DTB S-B-03.30/08j JUN09 for repair under factory warranty or extended warranty. Out of warranty have SM involve MB rep covering dealership to consider/approve goodwill repair given defective part was installed @ production
Not all engines in the range will have problems. This affects all MB cars with the 350 M272 engine, not just R Class. MB is now helping owners with the problem, but the help varies according to your relationship with the dealer.
I'm no expert, but it looks to me that your last 6 digits "937118" are above the problem area 2729..30 468993 listed in the bulletin. Your local dealer SA could tell you for certain.
I got an offer from a local on Mercedes Benz on R350 for $8000 less on MRSP. The MRSP of the car is 62,525 and he offered it for 54,525. Is this a good price for this model. The price includes premium package 1, parktronic, 7 seat option, blind spot assist, panorma sunroof, rear seat entertainment, heated front seats. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
I just did a search on autotrader for 2008 and 2009 models within a 500 mile radius and that seems like a decent price. It depends on options and condition. Having the car checked over by a dealer or good German independent garage would be recommended.
I guess you mean R350, not R380. That sounds like a good buy. Tires are expensive, so I don't know what 'good' means. However, if you have the back-up camera, you have a good package of upgrades. Snatch up the extended 100K warranty before the 50K runs out. You have to buy it from a MB dealership... with these cars you WANT THE EXTENDED warranty, in my very experienced opinion.
Comments
Is the warranty through Mercedes Benz, where you can bring it to any dealership?
Was the 5 year warranty a big part of the negotiations?
Thanks.
(1) I really dont think this is the right car to own without a warranty!! We've had some very costly repairs and I am guessing this will only get worse as the car passes 50k miles. I would suggest thinking about this when buying the car from a dealer. We probably could have negotiated an extended warranty for a much better deal at purchase.
(2) Of course you can buy the extended warranty from anywhere you want, so shopping around can pay off. Our original dealer offered us $4600 in October, then more recently when we called back they quoted over $5000! We ultimately found a dealer in Oregon offering us 48 month up to 60,000 additional miles for $3579 (including taxes).
(3) shame your original dealer! We called our dealer back and explained the 2 quotes we had gotten from them, plus the many, many more reasonable quotes. We also asked them to look at the service record of the car and ask if they thought it would be a wise move to continue owning this car without warranty coverage. Bingo, it got escalated pretty quickly to the owner, who agreed he would beat the lowest quote and come in at a round $3500 including taxes. I think it was pretty clear that we wouldn't have bought another car there in the future (or even continued servicing this one there) if they hadnt worked with us on this.
Steel Grey, P1, 7 seat option, panorama sunroof, heated front seats. Dealer is asking $47,900.
Seems like a good price based on the low miles and the remaining warranty. Any thoughts?
Original 2010 msrp of vehicle+options you mentioned was ~ $55.7k. I saw a sale last month with same specs plus parktronics option - 14k miles here is San Diego listed by a dealer for $48,450. So, yours is OK deal to go. I would go for $45k.
I have been checking the forums and think that the reliability problems have improved since 2008. I have plenty of time to find out.
My concern with R350 is that it is very difficult to resell it, Its maintenance cost and low fuel economy. I am inclined more towards the R350 because it has more space compared to Acura and its rear DVD entertainment system.
Thanks,
Ven
My choice was MB R-350. I talked to my friend who has been driving since 06 and his suggestion was to stay away from it after warranty is over. It seems every repair costs a fortune and some thing or another goes wrong every week. I am seriously considering MDX tech package but i so desperately wish I had R350 without all these repair issues.
I guess I am in similar situation to choose between lexus GX 470 or MDX or R350. I think I would go with a vehicle which would have bumper to bumper factory warranty till 100k miles and then sell it the day warranty expires.
But personally, I would recommend to lease instead of buying. Lease brand new. If you do it right and make a good deal - you will end up paying less per month than the actual depreciation of this vehicle, and you don't need to worry about buying extended warranty. Everything is covered. If you fall in love with your car, then you can buy the remaining balance at the end of the lease...
I want EVERYONE to know, that in the past two weeks, I found out through Orange Park Mercedes that WE WERE GROSSLY MISLEAD AND DECEIVED BY OUR SALESMAN when we purchased our extended warranty from the PENSACOLA MERCEDES DEALERSHIP in Pensacola, Florida. I believe there's only one MB dealer there, so you don't have to worry about getting them confused.
After service on my car, I found out my warranty runs out next November, probably before I even hit 50K! Now, HOW CAN THAT BE WHEN WE HAVE A 100K WARRANTY? Well, OPMB explained what I actually bought. WE WERE SCAMMED@#(%!!!!!! WE WERE LIED TO about how the extended warranty worked and our warranty will run out about the same time as when the original warranty w run out.
I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES AGAIN BECAUSE OF THIS. NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE, NOR WANTS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. IT'S A MAINTENANCE CA$H HOG AND I AM PI$$ED ABOUT BEING LIED TO BY the PENSACOLA MERCEDES BENZ SALESMAN.
PENSACOLA MERCEDES IS CUSTOMER NO SERVICE SINCE I AM AN OUT OF TOWN PATRON... AND YES, I CALLED AND TALKED TO THEM, BUT THEY ARE HANDS OFF. I am calling my lawyer though.
DOGGONE IT ...WE THOUGHT WE HAD YEARS OF ADDITIONAL WARRANTY ACCORDING TO THE SALES PERSON!!!! WE WOULD HAVE *NEVER* PAID $2K+/- FOR ONLY 10,000 MILES OF ADDITIONAL WARRANTY!!!!!!
No joke. However, we were told that when we purchased the 100,000 mile extended warranty, it gave us an additional three years of warranty for our money. We were told it normally sold for $2,500 plus, but they sold it to us for less. Comes to find out, we were lied to about that TOTALLY. Our warranty will expire at the normal 50,000 time. The EXTENDED warranty was for IF we went over the 50,000. THERE IS NO WAY WE WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THAT WARRANTY IF THAT WERE THE CASE. I DRIVE LESS THAN 8K MILES A YEAR and have for the past 12 years!!!! My driving habits were not going to change! We were LIED TO BY PENSACOLA MERCEDES BENZ SALES REP for the car. Period... We found out just before a cruise and we've just returned. :mad:
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I looked up trade in value ($18,500), private sale($21,400) and retail values ($23,600) and realize those don't really take into account the value of the extended warranty for a car of this vintage (in fact I cannot find a 2006 R350 under warranty within a 500 mile range of me). The difference between retail and certified for the car is about $1500 and since the warranty cost me $3,200 a year ago, I figure it has to increase the value of the car by at least that much over the trade or private sale value that various tools list. Does that sound about right?
I'd like to try to work a trade with my local dealer (who sold me the car and the extended warranty), so I am trying to get a sense of exactly what the numbers are so he doesnt make too much from me on the combination of the trade in and the new sale. I know how to figure out how to drive a good deal on the new sale, it's the trade that has me puzzled. I'm guessing he'll list the car for $25k, so getting $18.5k trade value seems like leaving too much on the table. He's serviced the car and has always done everything that needs to get done, so he wont have any real inspection/service costs before he puts it on the lot. But obviously, he has some costs in selling it and needs to make a bit of profit. What is a good place to start with a proposed trade, $21,500, higher/lower?
Personally I wouldn't dream of owning a 2006 R outside of warranty, so I am surprised people would pay in the range of $20k for one!
There is lots of talk on a Mercedes owners forum and the general consensus is that whatever reliability problems that existed for the R Class were definitely solved on the 2009 and newer models. Possibly also true for 2008 models.
1) How reliable are the cars? What kind of annual maintenance am I looking at?
2) What would be fair price - has nav and ent system.
Service bulletin is here - link title
From another forum:
M272 (350) engine up to Serial #468993 or M273 (550) to 088611. The material for the balance shaft sprocket and the timing chain guide wheel (idler) was modified on engines past the serial numbers listed above.
If engine #is within range, reference DTB S-B-03.30/08j JUN09 for repair under factory warranty or extended warranty. Out of warranty have SM involve MB rep covering dealership to consider/approve goodwill repair given defective part was installed @ production
Not all engines in the range will have problems. This affects all MB cars with the 350 M272 engine, not just R Class. MB is now helping owners with the problem, but the help varies according to your relationship with the dealer.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
private party sale (I am the buyer in this transaction)