dfw350

yeah, never buy a bmw or benz if its your last $...
always reserve 1/3rd of the price you pay for the car for repairs when you go german

Chi-town

Last night I stayed up late with my brother reviewing the comments on this thread and various C & D, Edmunds, MBforums.com, etc. Let me say that there were a lot of I told you so's and see knuckle head's. (RoRo's Dyno came in handy as well) C32 lists at 349hp & 332tq; however, it is only putting down 277hp & +260tq, that's a shame. Plus by looking at the baseline dyno, there seems to be a few to many dips.

Netherless, he believes that the MB has more aura and prestige...something that cannot be had in a Lexus (Japanese) vehicle, something that is only found in Euro's.

Also, for the price that the C32 costs, non-CPO with a third party warranty, he might as well buy something that he likes, new.

Right now he has an 03 BMW 530i w/Navi, etc. Mind you, right now there is nothing wrong with his bimmer and it's under warranty.

He is still on the fence; however, he is going in for a testdrive today. After he calls me back, I will post or have him draft up him impressions of the testdrive.

NINEZeRO

Are you saying that some dealership is offering you around 43k for a 02 C32? Why would you even consider paying that much for an 02? Especially when the C32 is the worst peformer when compared to its rivals M3 and S4. A car is supposed to lose half its value in 5 years, some keep their values longer like Lexus, or some lose their value faster like Ford. Then in one year the C32 should be worth around 26-30k (depending on options/condition). So it should be worth no more than 32-35k.

dfw350

Check ebay when in doubt for past auction that actially sold.

Tony1

an 02 c32 at the same price as a 06 is350? if that's the case, its a no brainer

mcfly

4 years of wear and tear is significant, especially in what I would imagine is a, ummm, well-enjoyed AMG Merc.

Get the Lexus.

Chi-town

I can't believe it...I don't even want to post this. My brother...he still wants the C32.

Well actually he's still undecided. I guess that I just have to wait and see.

S L I C K

From my understanding it sounds like your brother cares a lot about prestige and if he wants the Mercedes-Benz over the Lexus because it's more prestigious, than he should just get the C32 AMG. Mercedes-Benz's are perfect for people who want unreliable and prestigious cars. Hopefully your local Mercedes-Benz dealer has a nice and comfy service department because he'll be spending a lot of time there.

dfw350

Baller status yo, put spinnaz on the C32 son

CRB

On the C32 vs new IS350:

It is a no brainer: Lexus IS350. When you consider the cost of the maintenence that is going to "come due" in the not to distant future on that Benz I believe that it would save him money too. The C55 might be another story but even used it is pretty pricey right now.