[chancelperry]

Hey all,

I am doing my research on buying my next car and I am really interested in purchasing the CLA. I have never owned a Mercedes, but what I have heard from others is that the upkeep is very costly. Can anyone give me information on how much it will cost for regular maintenance on the new CLA?

 

[PSUForever]

Great question! I have a Volvo, and the repair costs are sometimes staggering! I've never owned a Mercedes, so I, too, am looking to others on this site regarding this subject!

 

[Sue Esponte]

There are threads on this on the forum already. You should do a search.

Here's my $.02. I haven't owned a Mercedes but based on my experience and the experience of family members who have owned them, here's what I anticipate over the first 3-4 years of the car's life:

It won't be as inexpensive to maintain as a BMW -- which includes free maintenance for the first 3yrs/36K miles (including everything but tires -- yes, even wiper blades).
It won't be as inexpensive to maintain as a Honda.
It won't be as expensive as a Porsche.

I'm not sure what kind of Volvo PSUForever has but my S60R required nothing but routine maintenance for the first 7.5 years of ownership. My Volvo has been about the same as my previous Audi. European cars tend to be pretty reliable -- but they're still not Hondas/Toyotas. After 8+ years, my Volvo is now starting to show signs of age and is requiring maintenance -- time for new rotors and pads. Rotors and pads aren't exotic items but they're not cheap. Dealer labor isn't free either. Regardless of mileage, after 8+ years on the road it's to be expected. I hope and anticipate that a Mercedes will be about the same to maintain. Will it be "cheap?" No, but I also don't anticipate it to be crazy expensive either. Then again, I guess it depends on how you define crazy expensive.

-Eric

 

[Parasubvert]

The "Service A" / "Service B" of a C-class runs around $250 / $350 in the Northeast USA ($350 / $600 in Canada), which you do on alternate years.

It's possible the CLA may cost more because we apparently have the change the air filter annually. See:
http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalAssets/pdfmb/maintenancebooklets/MY14_Maintenance_Booklet.pdf

 

[osiris_x11]

I'm thinking that scheduled & regular maint'/service won't be too bad (relatively speaking), perhaps on par w/ other entry-lux' models from Acura, Infiniti, Lexus, etc. But, parts/components will be more German priced I'm sure, in terms of repairs/replacements. Shouldn't be an overly expensive vehicle to run, I'm thinking. But, obviously w/ a highly boosted 4'banger & lots of other technology/equipment in terms of electronics, the CLA should be maintained properly to get the most out of the ownership & driving experience. Point-being, it's not an appliance.

 

[MercedesBenz fans of Al.]

There will be a pre-paid maintenance plan available for 2, 3, 4 or even 5 year.

 

[Sue Esponte]

There will be a pre-paid maintenance plan available for 2, 3, 4 or even 5 year.

MB fans, out of curiosity, what's the uptake on those plans? And, do those people who opt for a plan typically go for 2, 3 or 4 years? I know the price of maintenance is factored into every new BMW sold in the US but the whole "free maintenance" thing sits with me much better psychologically...especially since they throw in everything (including wiper blades) with the only real exception being tires. Is there a material benefit to pre-paying for MB maintenance under those plans and do dealers discount them along with the price of the car?

-Eric

 

[Trudy]

I was hoping this would be a more active thread.
Lots of what I have read here is people don't intend to keep their car after the warranty. We tend to keep our vehicles. My 05 s40 has 212k miles on it and that was with 2 years on a small island in Alaska without much road to drive....
I put on 24k miles just to get back and forth to work. That doesn't include stopping to get milk, or going out to dinner, or trips back to work on weekends or when the alarm is going off or events and other such things going on at the school. So I drive a lot. Which means that warranty isn't going to last much longer than 1.5 years.

I've test driven plenty of vehicles and was set on a new volvo s60. But then decided I really just didn't want to pay that much for a car. So seeing the new CLA on a billboard while checking out the Acura ILX seemed like it might be an option. So here I am, waiting for it to show up at dealers to check out.

But maintenance is a concern. One of the factors into not buying the new volvo was that I detest the local volvo service dept and I don't want to have to use them during the warranty period. Mercedes is across the street from my school, handy dandy. But I don't want to spend all my spare time there either...

So what can I expect for maintenance and repairs?
All I have is the volvo to compare it to and if the new CLA is going to eat AC clutches like my S40 does, I'll pass.

 

[outsider]

I was hoping this would be a more active thread.
Lots of what I have read here is people don't intend to keep their car after the warranty. We tend to keep our vehicles. My 05 s40 has 212k miles on it and that was with 2 years on a small island in Alaska without much road to drive....
I put on 24k miles just to get back and forth to work. That doesn't include stopping to get milk, or going out to dinner, or trips back to work on weekends or when the alarm is going off or events and other such things going on at the school. So I drive a lot. Which means that warranty isn't going to last much longer than 1.5 years.

I've test driven plenty of vehicles and was set on a new volvo s60. But then decided I really just didn't want to pay that much for a car. So seeing the new CLA on a billboard while checking out the Acura ILX seemed like it might be an option. So here I am, waiting for it to show up at dealers to check out.


But maintenance is a concern. One of the factors into not buying the new volvo was that I detest the local volvo service dept and I don't want to have to use them during the warranty period. Mercedes is across the street from my school, handy dandy. But I don't want to spend all my spare time there either...

So what can I expect for maintenance and repairs?
All I have is the volvo to compare it to and if the new CLA is going to eat AC clutches like my S40 does, I'll pass.

Trudy,
I keep my European cars for a long time too. 2001 MB S430 with 277,650 miles, 1999 BMW 528i Touring Sport Wagon with 166,000 miles and I commute 25,000 miles a year just like you.
Mathematically, it comes a point when it become foolish to keep old European cars as the repair cost is ridiculous. I posted on a different thread the insane cost of keeping an aging German cars running the way I want it to. The S430 costs me $25000 the past 5 years on maintenance and repair. And the BMW, oh a little less at $18000 the last 5 years. That's almost lease money for a new car each year.
Why drive a car with cracking leather seats and fading paint while paying an average of $350-400 a month of maintenance and repair ? I still have my old cars and they look brand new. But I am commuting on a 2012 C250 Coupe on a 15000 miles a year lease for $450 a month including tax.

 

[outsider]

One of my partners believes cars are built to be driven into the ground and maintenance is throwing away good money. His 2006 Acura saw its very first service at 100000 miles ( he just topped off motor oil whenever it was low.) At 180000 miles, the car is still humming alone fine. Looks beat up ( he doesn't wash nor wax the car ) but otherwise gets him from point A to point B reliably. And air-conditioning works...

 

[Sue Esponte]

He's lucky. I'll leave it at that.

-Eric

 

[outsider]

He's lucky. I'll leave it at that.

-Eric

It's a Honda...

 

[Sue Esponte]

I kind of thought you might say something like that and I don't disagree. My wife has driven Hondas for years for that very reason but all cars, even Hondas, require some level of care. Getting a car that far past 100k miles without maintenance is certainly a statement about the car but I would imagine even Honda would strongly recommend against that level of care (or neglect).

-Eric

 

[outsider]

I kind of thought you might say something like that and I don't disagree. My wife has driven Hondas for years for that very reason but all cars, even Hondas, require some level of care. Getting a car that far past 100k miles without maintenance is certainly a statement about the car but I would imagine even Honda would strongly recommend against that level of care (or neglect).

-Eric

He knew how much I have spent on up keeping my cars and periodically reminded me of the fact that his and my cars are all worth about the same - nothing.

 

[osiris_x11]

One of my partners believes cars are built to be driven into the ground and maintenance is throwing away good money. His 2006 Acura saw its very first service at 100000 miles ( he just topped off motor oil whenever it was low.) At 180000 miles, the car is still humming alone fine. Looks beat up ( he doesn't wash nor wax the car ) but otherwise gets him from point A to point B reliably. And air-conditioning works...

Many of the notable Asian marques (namely Honda & Toyota) have created an applicance-like mindset in many consumers w/ regards to the more economical/basic offerings. Often that very mindset then carries over to other marques w/ a rather rude awakening.

Admittedly, my ol' man is of such a mind-set to some degree. More surprising is that he's an engineer himself, and doesn't totally buy into the recommended/suggested maintenance & service schedule.

 

[outsider]

Many of the notable Asian marques (namely Honda & Toyota) have created an applicance-like mindset in many consumers w/ regards to the more economical/basic offerings. Often that very mindset then carries over to other marques w/ a rather rude awakening.

Admittedly, my ol' man is of such a mind-set to some degree. More surprising is that he's an engineer himself, and doesn't totally buy into the recommended/suggested maintenance & service schedule.

My sister underwrote large dealership loans in Minnesota. She taught me long ago not to look at sales number or cars they move a month. If their service department was profitable, the dealership was profitable. So yes, services schedules are designed to be a money maker for the dealerships. Frankly 20-30 years ago, when the recommendation was oil change every three months or 3000 miles, the oil removed still looked nice and clean. I didn't believe it degraded that quickly even in those days.

 

[fb888]

How much is to change front and rear brake pads?

 

[outsider]

How much is to change front and rear brake pads?

From past experience with my daughter's 2004 C230 Sport, my current 2001 S430 and my wife's 2006 SLK350 the front and rear brake job runs $1200-1300. That's a MB dealer's price without taking any discount frequently offered. My very good but very expensive mechanic charges the same but never gives discount. Remember the German cars require replacement of rotors with every brake pad change regardless of wear. They are not to be re-surfaced. The CLA with Sport package gets the larger perforated front discs and they are a bit more ( $200 ?) You may get the job done cheaper elsewhere with non-OEM parts. Someone even told me he used the same rotor and just replaced the pad he bought at Autp Zone. I suppose that's fine but am not doing that with my car. Original factory brakes good for around 30k with mostly highway driving. When I lived in San Francisco, 10-15k because of traffic and hills.

 

[MBCraze]

Just Imagine how much EPA you get on CLA compare to other cars. BMW gives around 25-33 in city, Audi gives around 25-33 in city and CLA gives 26 -38 so whatever you save on gas you spend on maintenance. You can get brand new CLA and almost pays same maintenance after 5 years because you get 2-3 more miles per gallon.

 

[Trudy]

I've been paying attention to gas with the cars I've been driving.
CLA suggests 91 octane. (which I can't get here, it's 87/89/93)
320i suggests 89 octane. (which I can get here) - the 328 was also rated 36. I was seeing 38 on the highway on the way home

BMW comes with 50k maint included, CLA doesn't.
I'm still undecided after finding the comfortable 320.