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Buying a used 'corporate vehicle' - thoughts?

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  STACK 
#1 ·
I've been looking at getting a newer Mercedes and found one that looks like a pretty good deal. It's a 2012 C250 for about $20k with about 38k miles.

The only issue is it was previously used as a corporate vehicle. I'm not really sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing - on the plus side it should have had regular maintenance, but on the flip side it could have been driven like a rental.

I'm not really sure if I should seriously consider buying this vehicle, from the pictures it looks pretty clean but I'm thinking of checking it out in person tomorrow. There is a Mercedes dealership right around the corner so I was wondering what the protocol is to have them send it over for an inspection, (never done that before, but it would make me much more comfortable).

Also, since this is a non-Mercedes dealership is it still possible to buy a Mercedes extended warranty, or would I have to buy from a Mercedes lot for that? I definitely don't want a 3rd party warranty - I already made that mistake once!
 
#2 ·
You will not be able to get an MB warranty.

A good used car lot should have no problem letting you take the car to a dealer or respected independent MB specialist for a complete inspection.

The car is listed right at full retail and is no bargain so if you are not in a hurry do not feel pressured into buying this one.
 
#3 ·
The most I've seen in that price range have a lot more miles, and this one seems to be at the cheaper end in that millage range from what I've been looking at. I'm not in a rush to buy anything, but $20k seems to be about right...unless the corporate vehicle part warrants a much lower price.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Corporate people are still human, so it depend on person, not the legal status.
I bought corporate E class years ago with 130k miles on it. I contacted the PO office and it was solely used by one manager.
I look with magnify glass for signs of wear on it and with new carpet inserts put by selling dealer, all I could find was miniature wear on ..... sunglasses compartment door.
The injector leak was overlooked, but that was at the time when the knowledge about "black death" was non-existent.
Our present wagon was likely corporate for 1st year and was CPO after.
PPI ALWAYS apply. We had reports were CPO cars have been repainted and had body work.
 
#5 ·
Aaron,

That sounds like a good deal to me! May it be a Corporate vehicle and is more likely to be maintained better, the person behind the wheel can make all the difference in the world. So head over to the dealership and check it out in person. Personally, I would NEVER purchase a Mercedes-Benz from anyone other than a MB Authorized Dealer. There's something about the Mercedes-Benz Master Certified Mechanics inspecting my Mercedes-Benz...opposed to God knows who. You know where I'm coming from?

As you mentioned, you can get a third-party warranty, but those are usually a nightmare and dealerships HATE working with them. I also have purchased a third-party warranty in the past and it saved me just enough to SOMEWHAT HELP with the expenses.

If you choose to go with the Mercedes-Benz at the ABC Dealership, understand if you're outside of your warranty period; your only option will be to get a third-party warranty. It may be under 50k mile, but when the vehicle was originally sold will make all the difference.

If I were you, check it out! There's no harm in that. But, really consider shopping a Mercedes-Benz dealership and getting a Certified Pre-Owned. There are so many benefits.
 
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