Car gurus answer me this question PLEASE

[Chief Roundup]

I have been looking at used vehicles. I am trying to stay under $15K and around 100K miles.
I have noticed that I can get Mercedes and BMW at the same or better price points than any American made vehicles.
Why is it that those "higher end" cars have IMO better price on used cars than the American made autos?

I have looked the prices of various common parts that would have to be replaced such as alternators, water pumps, etc. They are very comparable.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Ford owned them for like....a couple of years and that ended with the recession.

Did not know that had changed.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Hamwallet

I have owned a BMW and a Mercedes. Both bought around 20-30K on the clock. Once each got around 100,000 miles they cost 1 grand every few months when small things went wrong. So if you are thinking one of those at 100,000 miles seems like a deal, keep a few grand for repairs and rental cars handy.

Did you do the repairs yourself? Did you take it to a dealership?

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Did not know that had changed.

I think some Indian company owns the brand now.

[Miles]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

I think some Indian company owns the brand now.

Tata Motors which also owns Range Rover these days. I hear both are not as horribly unreliable as they used to be but not exactly setting the benchmark either. The legendarily shitty Jaguars were pre Ford with Lucas electrical components, a/k/a the prince of darkness.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Well I looked at this one it is older than I would like.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

That has 130 K Miles.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Miles

Tata Motors which also owns Range Rover these days. I hear both are not as horribly unreliable as they used to be but not exactly setting the benchmark either. The legendarily shitty Jaguars were pre Ford with Lucas electrical components, a/k/a the prince of darkness.

I've thought about a Rover, but it'll be hard to talk me out of my CX-5.

[Bugeater]

Never buy a cheap car that was expensive when it was new.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Never buy a cheap car that was expensive when it was new.

Heh. Never thought about it that way, but that is actually pretty decent advice.

[New World Order]

If you want a luxury brand go Asian (Infiniti, Lexus, Acura). I've had a G37 for 6 years and I've had absolutely no problems with it.

If you buy a Mercedes or BMW your wallet will take a pounding (unless you can do your own repairs).

[BlackOp]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Never buy a cheap car that was expensive when it was new.

Not true...just join a forum that has a model specific section...like BMW then find M3.

There will be loads of information about what and when things need to be replaced and projected costs...from actual owners/mechanics.

I bought a vintage Porsche...but waited until I found an owner that had just spent $6-7k on all the "wear and tear" points...7 years later, it has been a relativity hassle free car.

You have the internet...use it.

[BlackOp]

I'll add that the "enthusiast" models (AMG, M and others) tend to have more meticulous owners...that keep documentation of repairs. Those models are also utilizing their brands racing engineering....which tends to be more robust.

I'll never buy consumer grade cars again...they were expensive for a reason BUT if you do research, you'll find someone that has restored one and became bored....looking for a new project.

BMW, Mercedes and Porsches last a LONG time if they are properly taken care of...you just have to know when (in the maintenance cycle) to buy them.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by New World Order

If you want a luxury brand go Asian (Infiniti, Lexus, Acura). I've had a G37 for 6 years and I've had absolutely no problems with it.

If you buy a Mercedes or BMW your wallet will take a pounding (unless you can do your own repairs).

You're not going to get a discount buying those...well except for probably Infiniti because they're ugly cars.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

You're not going to get a discount buying those...well except for probably Infiniti because they're ugly cars.

When you factor in maintenance costs he will (in comparison to the european luxury models).

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

I have price matched several parts, that I could change easily, alternators, etc. They are $20 to $50 higher than the same year of a GMC/Chevrolet. That is not that much difference.

Eh, depends on the part. The cost to repair and own is simply higher. BMW is, iirc, the most frequently traded in cars so the market gets a little flooded with the 3-series etc. They're also considered as a sporty car and get driven as such.

I wouldn't do it, man. I wouldn't purchase a pre-owned benz or BMW with 100K. You're just begging for trouble. There's going to be parts/costs that you're unaware of that WILL rape you. I got a buddy who runs a BMW/Porsche wrecking yard and he makes a killing stripping and selling parts off these cars because they're simply too expensive new.

No offense, but i don't believe you've done enough real research on your cost comparison. For example, a new water pump on a 3-Series is upwards of $400 because it's an electric water pump. On these domestic brands with mechanical water pumps, those pumps are $150 or less. That i know for a fact, as at one time i considered buying a cheap german sport coupe as well.

Here, look: 2014 BMW 328i A/C Compressor from NAPA, is $680 new. https://www.napaonline.com/en/search...Qualified=true

2014 Honda Civic A/C Compressor: $370.99 new https://www.napaonline.com/en/search...Qualified=true

Don't kid yourself. It's more expensive. Don't try to convince yourself otherwise because you WILL pay for it one way or another. I know those German cars are sexy, but be honest with the evaluation here and don't look the other way because you want the sexier car.

Things that people dont consider but chip away: Tire size. Those 18", wide, low profile tires cost considerably more than a standard 17x7 or whatever they're running on basic passenger cars.

Spark plugs. Minor, sure, but it costs more to buy 6 or 8 plugs and wires, vs 4.

Fuel. Do you HAVE to run 91 octane now, instead of the 87 on a standard passenger car? That shit add up.

Oil capacity. Does it cost 5-6 qts to do an oil change or 3-4 qts? My little Nissan Sentra takes 2.7qts of oil to do an oil change. A 2014 Benz C-Class takes 6.5qts. And the filter likely costs more.

It costs me $17 to do an oil change on my little Nissan commuter. It costs over $60 to do on my LS1. Things to consider is all...

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

I'm not a real fan of GMC vehicles in particular and I am probably in the minority, but I think nearly every Mercedes is ugly.

A nice BMW will be a good get if you can handle doing your own repairs.

I must be in the minority as well, because I agree with this.