Should I... CLK550 part 2

"GolfR Guy" (golfrguy)
11/08/2016 at 16:09 • Filed to: None

Ok. So now that I see that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; here’s part 2 of my question. What if I were able to get a pretty good selling price for it, say around 20k (from what im seeing on carmax and autotrader). Would you keep the CLK, or sell it and put that money on top of the TDI buyback money (21k) and get something entirely different?

DISCUSSION (8)

Party-vi > GolfR Guy
11/08/2016 at 16:15

I feel like your parents would probably appreciate getting the money from the sale vs. handing their Mercedes to their kid to turn a profit. Sounds like you should have a conversation with them if you haven’t already. Personally I would take the free car and coast off not having a car payment for a while, but I’m sure our finances are different.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > GolfR Guy
11/08/2016 at 16:18

Id sell and take the GF on some nice holidays and get something else with the VW buyback cash. That said some people dont lile you to sell on gifts so make sure your folks would be okay with that.

GolfR Guy > Party-vi
11/08/2016 at 16:19

Normally I would just let them have it. But they are doing this because they’re helping out my brother with a big financial issue coming up, and feel it’s fair to me to get something as well. (They are very generous as you can see.) I already talked to them too, they don’t care what I do. Just wanted to see opinions on keeping an 8 year old mercedes or selling it and getting something else.

Party-vi > GolfR Guy
11/08/2016 at 16:24

Yeah I would keep it. Drive it for a while and see if you like it. You could drive it for a couple years and still sell it with low miles and get a decent price for it. It’s a CLK550, not some CLK350, and pretty uncommon.

Hang onto it until it’s about to hit 50k miles and see what Carmax offers you for it. At 50K miles it will probably be a $20,000 Carmax car, which I would imagine would look like a $15K-$17K check for you.

But then again, if there’s something that you just really want and the buyback + $20K for the CLK can net you then I would go that route to, but to be given a 38,000 mile V8 Mercedes coupe seems like too good of a deal to get rid of.

GolfR Guy > Party-vi
11/08/2016 at 16:30

I like the way you think. Pretty positive I’m gonna go the keep it for a while route.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > GolfR Guy
11/08/2016 at 17:03

I would decide based completely on how much you like the car. It sounds like it could be a lot of fun, though I haven’t driven that exact configuration.

Especially since this is a well-maintained example with a known history. Like Party said, you could drive it for a while and just enjoy the heck out of it and still sell it for decent money if it’s in good shape.

If you hate the car, then that’s different.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Party-vi
11/08/2016 at 17:04

but to be given a 38,000 mile V8 Mercedes coupe seems like too good of a deal to get rid of.

This is me, nodding my head in vigorous agreement.

Plus cheap / free fun cars are extra-fun.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > GolfR Guy
11/08/2016 at 20:05

I’d keep it for a while, see how you like, then decide from there. If you love it, keep it. If it’s just ok, then sell it and get something else.