COE Mercedes - Reliable?

[Howfastcanyougo]

Hmmm, don't quite like the look and cannot afford the depreciation.

[Nkps]

ask her CHIAM SEE TONG abit lah, buy those COE mx5, soft top + hardtop... whatever top she feels like to have just switch

[Watwheels]

What sort of FC will I be looking at? And how do I go about checking the electronics? Does VICOM or AA check on electronics? Thanks...

 

U can start from the servicing history from AD...if any. If u'r concern about its FC u should look at other models.

 

The car might look small but with the motor, hinges and other moving parts of the roof makes it a damn heavy car.

[Howfastcanyougo]

According to the MCF FC Table, Merc SLK is at 11km/litre, same as Peugeot 207.

 

Dunno how accurate this table is...

[Watwheels]

FC will deteriorate over time due to wear and tear. Almost 10 year old liao U say leh.

[Chickenfarm]

Bro...u'll never get 11km/L... Not with a new car and defnitely not with this one My CO was formerly driving a C200 and she cannot get this type of FC

 

If your wife is just driving it for weekend shopping still ok but if she is using it as a kar tah to work or what naught then the FC is definitely going to be .

[Howfastcanyougo]

Not for work lah, more for going shopping and to friend's place for mahjong sessions.

 

What about maintenance then? How much does C&C charge for servicing?

[Chickenfarm]

The servicing for her previous ride (C200) was easily a few hundred dollars just to change the spark plugs, gasket and all...this is excluding the occasional siong hong kar sau (flu and cough)

 

Bro...I know it's hard to change your CO's mentality for now cos my CO have been through it b4. But reality comes in (road congestion and Singapore's wheather) and ironically she hardly lifted her roof on her current ride So much for the wind blowing on the hair and care free feel of a cabrio...more like bus exhaust smoking your face

[Howfastcanyougo]

I hear you bro. I used to laugh at people who had cabrios in SG, wondering when do they ever get a chance to drive "topless".

 

It's either hot like hell or it rains like nobody's business...

[Chickenfarm]

Go test drive first...then u decide if it's a good buy

 

If you're just thinking of owning it for a short while then let it go, it may be workable afterall (in terms of self fulfilment). But in the longer run, it is going to chalk up lots of maintenance costs as I noticed the car have been through 3 owners liaoz Pray hard they didn't "loot" the car like nobody's business for otherwise there's gonna be even more hidden costs under the bonnet That's why must test drive and test drive and test drive first b4 u sign on the dotted line

[Bullterrier]

Hmmm, don't quite like the look and cannot afford the depreciation.

 

You may be way off mark with the merc's depreciation. Technically once its a COE car it has no paper value left. If you choose to scrap the car for instance due to a unforseen crash, the dealer will just refund you the balance of your unused COE plus what the car body is worth which in a case of a crash is pretty much zero.

 

I have had friends who kept their cars beyond 10 years and bought a new COE thinking they are going to be able to enjoy $3-4K a year depreciation. Shortly after when they decided to sell their cars afterall, they could hardly find someone who would offer them a fair price. Certainly not at the depreciation the dealer quoted for sure.

 

COE cars are harder to finance and when you can find financing the interest rates are higher so your next buyer need to have substantial cash at his disposal in which case his options for other cars are even more. Road tax is also more expensive and you have 2 inspections a year to clear every year sigh.

 

I had a COE merc once, bought it at $93K with new 10 years COE. Sold it off at $60K after 12 months of use so my advise is to tread with caution.

[Teoky]

Why not consider a used MR-S or Miata ?

 

The depreciation is lower and since it is not a COE car, you won't incur heavy loss and maintenance is cheaper also.

 

Check out sgcarmart, quite a few on the market now and some are quite new and the 1st owner taken a big hit.

[The_young_once]

hi howfastcanyougo, i would opt for a coe merc, just for the sake of the 3-point star, but thats just me, always liked the 200E (just before E200 facelift) generation of E-class

 

my friend has one, '93 190E (2litre model, for those didnt know the 190E comes in 1.8 and 2.0) and he is getting 8km/l no more no less, RON98, he is satisfied with it, petrol bill coming $400+ a month

 

8km/l imo a bit siong, but i wouldnt mind 9+km/l for a 3-point star

[Howfastcanyougo]

Wow! Thanks for your advice and sharing of personal experience. Guess I have lots to think about...

 

By the way, why did you sell it off?

[Odyssey02]

Old Merc's are actually very reliable. In fact, they are even more well built then the current models.

 

I drove my old W123 till it was 23 yrs. Problems will suffice but its easy to maintain with many mercedes workshops around. In fact, I feel safer in my old car then in my current odyssey.

[Falc]

But FC and low end response sux big time.

[Ghostrider]

Check on the insurance dude...I have a feeling it might be a killer.

 

The other thing is that buying at 80K...dun expect it to depreciate gradually....in a couple of years when you wanna sell...you might not be able to find any taker....and the PQP is only 18k....that is 1.8k a year security only. Do consider this...if not you will be stuck with the car.

 

Why not consider Mazda MX5...great car....a bit pricy but at least you have the safety of resale.

[Howfastcanyougo]

I had a bad experience before with a second hand soft-top Porsche, leaked when it rained heavily. I know it's not an accurate indicator of all soft-tops, but just the memory of coming back to my car seeing it filled with rainwater..