BMW or Mercedes - 10K budget
02-26-13, 07:34 AM
#76
Lexus Fanatic
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merged as two threads about same subject. 
02-26-13, 09:35 AM
#77
6 (merged) pages and OP has yet to reply.
Small tidbit as echoed from many members above: Just b/c these cars are now worth $10k doesn't mean the repair bill is comparable to a $10k car. It's still the same when they're brand new
However, if you're lucky to find one where the original owner has repaired most of the problems early on, you might be able to squeak by until the next crop of problems creep up
Small tidbit as echoed from many members above: Just b/c these cars are now worth $10k doesn't mean the repair bill is comparable to a $10k car. It's still the same when they're brand new
However, if you're lucky to find one where the original owner has repaired most of the problems early on, you might be able to squeak by until the next crop of problems creep up
02-26-13, 12:02 PM
#78
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Like what others said, if you think your RX is unreliable wait until you own a German car, especially those years. I would stay away from V8 BMWs too. I would recommend an LS430 or GS400/430.
02-26-13, 12:19 PM
#79
Lexus Champion
Yes but for the same money the op could buy a Toyota, Honda, ect. That would be just as DIY friendly, newer, less miles and in some cases under warranty still. I'm not against the BMW, it's just that many people (not all) get rocked by the costs of maintaining and fixing such cars.for example 2000-2003 s500s are going for nearly nothing, but service costs are still extremely high whether you go to the dealer or and indy mechanic
02-26-13, 01:40 PM
#80
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02-26-13, 05:03 PM
#82
Theres nothing wrong with buying an older luxury car, as long as you have the funds to maintain it. Its the people who buy an old luxury car, that is broken because they cant afford to fix it. I have a 2001 es300 with 215k miles and 2002 gs300 with 60k miles. The es i have owned for the past 5 years and the gs i could have bought a newer one, but i jsut love this body design and it was a sport design. What im trying to say is, if you have a 10k budget for the car, you better have at least 4k budget for servicing and possible repairs
02-26-13, 08:16 PM
#83
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OP may have been turned off by the critical response, so I will provide a factual anecdote to help him with his decision to go with an older German luxury car.
I had a 7-year-old CLK430 not too many years ago. Over a year and a half, the following issues came up:
Spark plugs due at 100k mi. 16 of them. I tried doing them myself but the engine bay was too tight. $1200 to replace
Steering link wore out. About $1k, don't remember too clearly
Catalytic converter cracked. $1100 to replace with OEM
Oil changes $90+ per, requires a pump to drain oil
Front and rear summer tires on the AMG wheels only last 12-15k mi. Staggered, can't rotate. $900+ for a set of decent performance tires
CD player failed, crippling the thumping sound system. Needs to be keyed to the car
Some window & seat motors beginning to fail
Suspension alignment required camber kit to restore. I sold the car without fixing this.
Clearly, a $12k car in this case was actually much more, and you don't really know what's next to fail. I had the resources to take care of this car (I sold it because I got a more fun car), but someone with a hard $10k budget will likely run into more trouble than these cars are worth.
I had a 7-year-old CLK430 not too many years ago. Over a year and a half, the following issues came up:
Spark plugs due at 100k mi. 16 of them. I tried doing them myself but the engine bay was too tight. $1200 to replace
Steering link wore out. About $1k, don't remember too clearly
Catalytic converter cracked. $1100 to replace with OEM
Oil changes $90+ per, requires a pump to drain oil
Front and rear summer tires on the AMG wheels only last 12-15k mi. Staggered, can't rotate. $900+ for a set of decent performance tires
CD player failed, crippling the thumping sound system. Needs to be keyed to the car
Some window & seat motors beginning to fail
Suspension alignment required camber kit to restore. I sold the car without fixing this.
Clearly, a $12k car in this case was actually much more, and you don't really know what's next to fail. I had the resources to take care of this car (I sold it because I got a more fun car), but someone with a hard $10k budget will likely run into more trouble than these cars are worth.
02-26-13, 09:11 PM
#84
^Exactly. Its not getting the luxury car that is expensive, its keeping it on the road. OP if you are concerned about 2500 in repairs, but want to still have a lexus mercedes, bmw, your best bet is just to fix the car you have. If the repair is to costly, i suggest buying not only a cheaper car, but a car that is also cheaper to service and maintain as well
02-26-13, 09:23 PM
#85
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superchan7 - great post.
02-27-13, 01:10 PM
#88
OP may have been turned off by the critical response, so I will provide a factual anecdote to help him with his decision to go with an older German luxury car.
I had a 7-year-old CLK430 not too many years ago. Over a year and a half, the following issues came up:
Spark plugs due at 100k mi. 16 of them. I tried doing them myself but the engine bay was too tight. $1200 to replace
Steering link wore out. About $1k, don't remember too clearly
Catalytic converter cracked. $1100 to replace with OEM
Oil changes $90+ per, requires a pump to drain oil
Front and rear summer tires on the AMG wheels only last 12-15k mi. Staggered, can't rotate. $900+ for a set of decent performance tires
CD player failed, crippling the thumping sound system. Needs to be keyed to the car
Some window & seat motors beginning to fail
Suspension alignment required camber kit to restore. I sold the car without fixing this.
Clearly, a $12k car in this case was actually much more, and you don't really know what's next to fail. I had the resources to take care of this car (I sold it because I got a more fun car), but someone with a hard $10k budget will likely run into more trouble than these cars are worth.
I had a 7-year-old CLK430 not too many years ago. Over a year and a half, the following issues came up:
Spark plugs due at 100k mi. 16 of them. I tried doing them myself but the engine bay was too tight. $1200 to replace
Steering link wore out. About $1k, don't remember too clearly
Catalytic converter cracked. $1100 to replace with OEM
Oil changes $90+ per, requires a pump to drain oil
Front and rear summer tires on the AMG wheels only last 12-15k mi. Staggered, can't rotate. $900+ for a set of decent performance tires
CD player failed, crippling the thumping sound system. Needs to be keyed to the car
Some window & seat motors beginning to fail
Suspension alignment required camber kit to restore. I sold the car without fixing this.
Clearly, a $12k car in this case was actually much more, and you don't really know what's next to fail. I had the resources to take care of this car (I sold it because I got a more fun car), but someone with a hard $10k budget will likely run into more trouble than these cars are worth.
Last edited by BNR34; 02-27-13 at 01:43 PM.
02-27-13, 01:27 PM
#89
Lexus Fanatic
without trying to stir things up but I would have a hard time believing that even German car owners would tell you to go for a German car that was older than a decade old to keep you out of the dealership service drive. If you only had funds for an ancient BMW I would get the new KIA Optima . Put cash down and have a teeny tiny payment AND no headaches. Not sure if you are into the badge or if you just want a stylish and reliable ride thats not going to break the bank