[livestrong191]

I for one am going to wait and pick up one for cheap cheap

 

[C45]

i ordered a cla45 already . . .

but long before, i thought i would wait for a used one

but then i looked up the cost of a USED c63 amg's - and the low mileage ones 1 year old are nearly the same damn price as new ones!! no lie!

c63's with under 10k miles are right near msrp!

i didnt want to wait a year to save a couple k max - i want the car more than that!


-

...

the cla 250 i cant speak for . . i havent researched c250/c300's and their one -year-used prices

do some research - try to buy a ultra low mileage (under 10k) 2013 c class and "cheap" may not be the word you come to

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this 2013 c63 amg is 68k! http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...pp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=national&listType=1

this 2012 is 66k! http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...pp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=national&listType=1

theres no way these are too far from their msrp

 

[livestrong191]

well with all the new models coming up W205 and CLA`s dealers are going to be selling of the 2013 W204 like hot cakes and once the newkid on the block smell wears off the CLA a used CLA will be at least 30 % to 40% cheaper. I bet you 2015 CLA` will much more upgraded and more standard which will make the price way higher

 

[C45]

30% off of ~35k (avg price of class i bet) ..i don't think there is a way ull get a cla for 25k before 2015 .. 2015 and later i bet yes

 

[Sue Esponte]

I bet you 2015 CLA` will much more upgraded and more standard which will make the price way higher

That's not the way Mercedes works (or any of the premium brands for that matter). I wouldn't expect any material changes for a few years and even then they will be evolutionary.

-Eric

 

[livestrong191]

Well Mercedes does change model designs and styles every 5 years and in that 5 years interiors change somewhat every year . So not major changed but they happen. Look at 2008 C-Class to Now 2013 C-Class and look at 2009 E Class- to 2014 TOTAL change body and technology. As far as price drop when to drive off just wheel out the dealership door BAM!! 14% decease and then milage over the year , you easily looking at $26k to $28K

 

[livestrong191]

That's not the way Mercedes works (or any of the premium brands for that matter). I wouldn't expect any material changes for a few years and even then they will be evolutionary.

-Eric

Also do not forget you never thought Mercedes will try and compete with Honda or Toyota or Nissan and that was and is the reason for the CLA to get the younger crowd away from those car makers.

 

[C45]

im sure as time passes the cost of the CLA will go up, just look at the c class..but it may take a few years

this will help keep up the value of older CLA's (more so than if the price stayed flat)

--

once the UNDER 30k mindset is over (and trust me - after 2014 when they stop waiving the delivery fee) the whole under 30k thing is gone (forever)

 

[osiris_x11]

The CLA will hold its value somewhat well early'on due to the following...

- demand (it's a big & broad demographic now)
- tuner potential (the 2.0T & all that can be done)
- presumable MSRP adjustment & increase for subsequent model-years (once the name/model has been established)

The $35k'ish import/premium market segment has models that generally have strong residuals, just the nature of the niche (not ubiquitous economy models nor inflated luxury models). The IS250/350, G25/G37, TSX, 1-series, A3 & A4, and even C-Class all hold their values relatively well during the first few years of ownership. Of'course there will be outliers (high-mileage/heavy-use examples).

I believe a pre-TTL $35k'ish CLA will still be worth $25k'ish in 3-4 years...

 

[livestrong191]

The CLA will hold its value somewhat well early'on due to the following...

- demand (it's a big & broad demographic now)
- tuner potential (the 2.0T & all that can be done)
- presumable MSRP adjustment & increase for subsequent model-years (once the name/model has been established)


The $35k'ish import/premium market segment has models that generally have strong residuals, just the nature of the niche (not ubiquitous economy models nor inflated luxury models). The IS250/350, G25/G37, TSX, 1-series, A3 & A4, and even C-Class all hold their values relatively well during the first few years of ownership. Of'course there will be outliers (high-mileage/heavy-use examples).

I believe a pre-TTL $35k'ish CLA will still be worth $25k'ish in 3-4 years...

Well you got to be careful there because the 2015 C Class is coming out and a Brand NEW 2015 CLA and Brand new 2015 C Class(new body style) attract different wallets but the price difference cap is small between the two. But the standard features in the 2015 C Class out weight the major upgrades you have to do to the CLA to get to the same point and cost you more. So in turn the CLA will lose a lot more value than a 2015 C Class. The dealers are putting major incentives out to get rid of the 2013/2014 inventory of C Classes even BMW 3 series and Audi lease rate under $300 a month ( not seen since economic bubble bust happened)

 

[Sue Esponte]

Also do not forget you never thought Mercedes will try and compete with Honda or Toyota or Nissan and that was and is the reason for the CLA to get the younger crowd away from those car makers.

I'm not sure how your comment relates to packaging. Nothing Mercedes is doing suggests that they're deviating from their standard sales approach when it comes to the CLA.

Mercedes hasn't adopted the Toyota/Honda/Nissan approach to its sales model by packaging various options into a trim level. There isn't any discussion of LX, EX, EX-L, XLE, ABC, XYZ type variations of the CLA being sold Stateside. I have no doubt they hope to gain some of the market from the Asian manufacturers but the CLA's real competitors are the BMW 1-series and Audi A3 series of cars.

Moreover, I don't see the CLA as being competitive with...well, anything from Honda, Toyota or Nissan. The Altima, Camry and Accord have a base prices around $21K and comfortably seat 5. The CLA is a 4 seater with a base price of $30K. If you want to pull the bigger Maxima into the mix, fine. While its pricing may be competitive, its focus and size are not. Nissan shifted the Maxima's target upmarket now that the Altima is larger and more refined. Even Nissan pairs it against the Avalon, Acura TL and 3 series on its website. And, don't even bring the Avalon, which is geared towards the Buick driving AARP crowd (no offense to any members or visitors who qualify for AARP) into this discussion.

Subtle changes in materials and designs are one thing over a product's life cycle but don't expect an overhaul where the Premium Package all of a sudden becomes standard equipment. Sorry, that just doesn't happen. Small bits of equipment becoming standard over time (e.g., CD changers, Bluetooth integration)? Sure. $3K equipment packages? lol Wrong brand. It's fine to wait for the used market to open up. It's ALWAYS cheaper to let someone else take the initial "drive off the lot" hit. My guess is that you'll get a pretty good deal off of a low mileage USED CLA during the first year (as with any car).

A car isn't an investment. It's a commodity that is meant to be used and it will lose value; some more quickly than others. Are there exceptions? Yes, and they tend to be driven by supply and demand. The CLA is going to be produced and sold in massive numbers. If you want to buy a car that will retain its value then turn your attention to the (well over) $100K mark. Even a new Gallardo loses value when it's driven off of the dealer's lot. On average, cars lose about 50% of their value over the course of the first 3-4 years of ownership. The CLA will be no exception regardless of how much larger the new C Class is.

-Eric