Trading-up the X5: PART 3 <-- Updated!

[Bavarian]

Hello guys, as the day progresses, I am more and more convinced to either sell this car privately, as per many of your advice, or to keep it.

I'm just checking in at home. I got back from another Toronto dealership, and they quote me $28000. Just $1000 more.

At least these guys weren't BSing me with stuff like, "this is the market price" bla bla bla. These guys told me straight-out that the car had too much mileage on it, and that for this reason, the dealer wasn't going to buy ti for themselves to sell, but instead were going straight to the wholesaler. Thus the $28000 figure.

The reasoning sounds logical - I wish the first dealer had told me this in straight honest terms. Cuz I will still do business with this 2nd dealer - honesty counts in my book.

I'm off to the Benz dealer that has the potential 2004 ML500. If they, too give me a sub-30 number, then I think it clearly narrows my choices down to:

1) Selling privately
2) Keeping

I'd like to thank all who listened in on my problem, and are still listening. Your input is appreciated

[ncx]

Good luck whatever you decide to do. Other than your house, your car is probably the biggest expense in your life, you are smart to take it slow and consider all of your options before doing anything.

[Bavarian]

The Benz dealer offered me $36000. That's $8000 better than BMW's offer. I've placed a deposit on the particular ML500 I was looking at.

Also the Benz dealer discovered that both rear doors of the X5 had been repainted in large sections, and they suspect the car has been in a light accident as such. They have a complex paint scanner, which detects where paint is thicker anywhere on a car's body. I saw it with my own eyes. I cannot believe that buying a CPO car, they wouldn't have disclosed this. Cuz I always ask if a car has been into any accidents, minor or major....

I'm gonna have time to think this through over the weekend, since I don't want to do anything drastic which I may regret. I gotta drive that specific ML, and take it from there.

My insurance is actually gonna be lowered by about $10 per month by going to a 2004 ML.

Here are the specs on this one:

2004 ML500
30000KM (19000 Miles)
Xenons
Rain-Sensing Wipers
9-Speaker Bose + Subwoofer
CD Changer
Front+Rear Parktronic
Auto-Dimming Mirrors

The ML in general is not offered with a ski sack. However I have now swallowed this. I keep the skis at the cottage now anyway, and have not used the X5's ski sack as such either.

I realize right now that given the previous shady history of my X5, which I didn't even know about, and given the sub-$30000 values that BMW dealers offered me, I will not get anything higher than the $36000 Benz is giving.

I was actually ready to consider privately selling the X5, but then I would just rack in $3000 more, which would be offset by being taxed with the GST. Where as if I do a trade-in at a dealer, the transaction becomes excempt from the GST. So actually selling it privately and "gaining" $3000, I will actually have a final cost that's the same. I cannot escape the PST, but the GST will work against me if I go private.

For non-Canadians:

GST = Government 7% tax which applies to everything sold (goods, service)
PST = Ontario 8% provincial tax which also applies to everything sold

I just searched the Mercedes pre-owned site, and I see that they have taken down the ML I looked at today. I just gave them a $2000 deposit. I really appreciate the gesture of taking that car offline for me.

[LeMansX5]

Good luck! That GST+PST =15% sales tax is a killer.

[NOC]

That is a drastic change----> from BMW to Benz...
I almost went the same route, and could not bare to do it, hence the purchase of my X5.
Good luck though and hope all goes well in your favor.

[X5Flyboy]

Sounds like a great deal. Good luck with the MB. At least you stayed German.

[bozo]

Any pictures of the ML? Hope everything goes well!

[dkl]

Go test drive the Benz and I'm sure you'll end up keeping your X5. The Benz drove like a bus as others have mentioned. There's the slowest to no response from the gas pedal with an ON/OFF like operation from the brake pedal (pressing 1/2 way on the brake pedal does nothing, but then it grabs like hell after another mm of travel...almost as if I had made an emergency stop). Don't even get me started on the steering and suspensions. Very dangerous if you're not used to driving it that way. Almost got into a few accidents for the day that I had it! I will gladly pay the $5k-$7k premium for the X5 over the ML.

[dkl]

Originally Posted by burkleymh

Sounds like a great deal. Good luck with the MB. At least you stayed German.

On any other vehicles, I would agree with you...but not the ML. Heck, almost 80% of the japenese competitors would do better than the ML.

[vinuneuro]

If you're going from a 2002 non-sp to a 2003 sp, not much is going to change other than the SP itself. With 2004 you'd get quite a few major changes, or you could spend the money you save by not changing your vehicle, on mods to make it more the way you want. I say switch to an 04+ or keep it. Good luck and keep us updated.