Hello All! Future & Hopeful US CLA Owner!

1049 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by smalltowngirl13, Jun 24, 2013

Dick Whitman

Discussion Starter · Jun 22, 2013

Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself! I currently drive a 2010 MAZDA3 and have been wanting to upgrade to something nicer for some time now. I really like my car but am ready for something more sophisticated. For awhile I had been considering a 2010 BMW 328i but then my dad, who owns a car dealership, told me about the CLA, a FWD car from Mercedes, starting at $30K. I did some research, fell in love, and here I am. So now I'm saving, waiting, and eagerly hoping that one day I will be the proud owner of a CLA. I am 23.

One thing I'm debating is whether to buy this car new or used. I know a lot of people have said that the CLA will likely hold it's value so there won't be much difference in price between new and used. But coming from a family of used cars, I am able to take advantage of great savings. If I purchase used through my dad and his business I can pay exactly what he paid for the car. No markup. While this is something to definitely think about, I'm also very particular and would want my CLA to have specific equipment and features. When you buy new you can choose all of this. With used, you have to keep searching until you get lucky. This would also be a car that I would plan to keep for a very long time so perhaps going new isn't entirely senseless.

I am anxiously waiting for Mercedes to update it's site this summer with exact US pricing to better get an idea of how much the car would be new. Also, if I go new, I don't think I can spend more than $35K (not counting TTT). I definitely want the black AMG rims, the panoramic sunroof, backup camera, blind spot assist, premium audio, tinted windows, and xenon headlamps. Not sure if all that is possible at or very close to $35K. I've worked in the automobile business before so I know there is some wiggle room with price and the possibility of paying below MSRP. Between my trade-in and downpayment I really want to be no more than $300/month, though preferably around $250/month.

Finally, my last concern is: color. I think the CLA looks so sharp because of it's high contrast. The black on white or black on silver. I've seen images of the car in all black and really I feel like some of the styling and detail gets lost in the solid black-on-black color scheme. I've only ever driven cars that were black and black is still my go-to color but because of the unique styling of the CLA I can say for the first time ever really that I'm drawn more towards the white or silver. Even the shark-like dark grey (mountain grey) is pretty sleek too.

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Stang2CLA

· #2 · Jun 23, 2013

Dick Whitman said:
Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself! I currently drive a 2010 MAZDA3 and have been wanting to upgrade to something nicer for some time now. I really like my car but am ready for something more sophisticated. For awhile I had been considering a 2010 BMW 328i but then my dad, who owns a car dealership, told me about the CLA, a FWD car from Mercedes, starting at $30K. I did some research, fell in love, and here I am. So now I'm saving, waiting, and eagerly hoping that one day I will be the proud owner of a CLA. I am 23.

One thing I'm debating is whether to buy this car new or used. I know a lot of people have said that the CLA will likely hold it's value so there won't be much difference in price between new and used. But coming from a family of used cars, I am able to take advantage of great savings. If I purchase used through my dad and his business I can pay exactly what he paid for the car. No markup. While this is something to definitely think about, I'm also very particular and would want my CLA to have specific equipment and features. When you buy new you can choose all of this. With used, you have to keep searching until you get lucky. This would also be a car that I would plan to keep for a very long time so perhaps going new isn't entirely senseless.

I am anxiously waiting for Mercedes to update it's site this summer with exact US pricing to better get an idea of how much the car would be new. Also, if I go new, I don't think I can spend more than $35K (not counting TTT). I definitely want the black AMG rims, the panoramic sunroof, backup camera, blind spot assist, premium audio, tinted windows, and xenon headlamps. Not sure if all that is possible at or very close to $35K. I've worked in the automobile business before so I know there is some wiggle room with price and the possibility of paying below MSRP. Between my trade-in and downpayment I really want to be no more than $300/month, though preferably around $250/month.

Finally, my last concern is: color. I think the CLA looks so sharp because of it's high contrast. The black on white or black on silver. I've seen images of the car in all black and really I feel like some of the styling and detail gets lost in the solid black-on-black color scheme. I've only ever driven cars that were black and black is still my go-to color but because of the unique styling of the CLA I can say for the first time ever really that I'm drawn more towards the white or silver. Even the shark-like dark grey (mountain grey) is pretty sleek too.

Hello! You're only a year older than me but I'm hoping to switch to MB as well. Going from American Muscle to German Luxury(or Muscle if I can afford the 45

) I think if you're planning on this car to be a very long term purchase buying new is sensible. I've never owned a Mercedes but they always hold their value really well, always helps to keep great care of it.

I would also say a car that you are going to live with for a long time you better get exactly what you want and not compromise on it. I'm not sure if the options you listed will still stay below $35k but it either would or be slightly over. But it's speculation until some concrete prices are announced for the US. I agree with you on the black color. On most cars I think it makes a car look really sexy but all the beautiful lines on this car gets lost in black. Mountain Grey is the color i'm leaning towards but I'd also like to own a car that has more color. The past few cars i've owned have been silver, black, and now the Mustang is silver as well. So maybe the gorgeous red metallic. Anyway, even though i'm very new to the board, welcome!

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smalltowngirl13

· #3 · Jun 24, 2013

Welcome to the forum!

Looks like you have definitely done your research! Good luck!

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