My wife has a 2010 Mercedes C300. If I try really hard I may be able to get $25k for it.

We want a used SUV of some sort in the $15-$18k range and are thinking...

4runner (like http://wilmington.craigslist.org/cto/3014021777.html)
volvo xc90

my wife even thinks this is cute...
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/3013773631.html

any thoughts? i love the c300 but its hard to get baby in and out. an extra ~$10k in the bank wouldnt hurt either...

5/20/2012 8:09:18 PM

http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/index2.cfm?a=000003,000014,001163

Used SHP Tahoe, get some new wheels for it, she wont mind not having leather once people start to get out of her way.

5/20/2012 8:31:04 PM

Quote :

"The pricing of all surplus fleet vehicles is researched and determined by the Highway Patrol Logistics Unit based upon references provided by the Kelley Blue Book Private Values."

how is this different that buying private party other than the fact that buying private party increases the chances that i dont get a car thats driven like a race car every time it is running???

5/20/2012 8:35:00 PM

Crossover SUVs suck ass. They aren't good at anything. Shitty gas mileage, shitty handling, more expensive than comparable cars, but still can't tow worth a damn or do anything offroad or otherwise truckworthy.

Why exactly is it tough to get a baby in and out of a family sedan?

I'm not trying to be condescending or inflammatory, but you're about to do something dumb and I'm trying to help you.

5/20/2012 9:04:28 PM

ive got a diesel truck. im not concerned about towing or going off road. its a car for my wife to go to and fro. i know you are just helping and thats why i came to tww for suggestions. the mercedes is just small in the back seat and really low to the ground. if we have number 2 things will get real tight in there too. we can deal with getting him in and out but if i can pick up $7-10k for something a little less "luxury" then im willing.

edit: we have the title for the car. may be fixing to build another house so i guess this is mainly to pick up the cash.

[Edited on May 20, 2012 at 9:18 PM. Reason : ..]

5/20/2012 9:16:57 PM

Seems like it's a fine vehicle for the task to me. My parents raised 3 children (present company included) and they never had a vehicle larger than a Volvo station wagon. Also if I wanted safe transportation for a child of mine I don't think that I would want a vehicle that is more inclined to roll over in an accident. Just seems like to me that auto makers have brainwashed people into thinking they need an SUV to transport a kid.

Regardless, best of luck in your search.

5/20/2012 10:39:38 PM

yeah, for many many many years, families have gotten along just fine with cars the size of a C-class or smaller. If you have 4 kids or something, then yeah, a minivan (or even an Expedition or something) is in order. Two little kids, though? A midsize sedan should be MORE than enough.

...and if you MUST have something bigger, something like a 3-series wagon, or a Volvo V70 or whatever makes infinitely more sense than any crossover. I could smear shit on canvas and sell it as art that would make more sense than a crossover.

5/20/2012 10:56:45 PM

Quote :

"how is this different that buying private party other than the fact that buying private party increases the chances that i dont get a car thats driven like a race car every time it is running???"

See many private parties selling '09 Tahoes with under 100K for $15K?

5/22/2012 8:00:14 AM

also obligatory

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/3028910525.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/3028353033.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/3023729466.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/3021238808.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/3003142927.html

again, once she drives one...

5/22/2012 8:05:08 AM

hah, I bet the maintenance on one of those makes the Mercedes look downright frugal.

OP, why did you post a link to a Volvo V50 for sale? It's interior is smaller than the Mercedes'. Probably more cargo capacity, but that doesn't seem to be one of your complaints.

[Edited on May 22, 2012 at 8:11 AM. Reason : k]

5/22/2012 8:10:29 AM

With a BMW 4.4?

5/22/2012 8:50:46 AM

they aren't cheap when you shoot a rod through the side

5/22/2012 8:52:32 AM

obligatory...time to pony up for a minivan!!

5/22/2012 9:23:20 AM

can't go wrong with a 4runner if you go the SUV route.

alternately, consider a sport wagon. we just bought a 530xi wagon because we outgrew our jetta TDI and she's loving it.

5/22/2012 9:31:24 AM

What about the species of "crossover" that abandon the off-road pretense and function more like a tall wagon? Toyota Venza, Accord Crosstour (kind of ugly but useful), Mercedes R-class (also ugly IMO) and, my favorite, the Ford Flex? Can be had with a 355 horsepower twin-turbo V6 and AWD.




[Edited on May 22, 2012 at 4:19 PM. Reason : d]

5/22/2012 4:17:15 PM

they can be had in awd.....


355hp



twin turbo....



[ctrn+n, http://www.ford.com......]

5/22/2012 4:32:09 PM

^^good suggestions, but not appropriate given the price range listed in the first post.

5/22/2012 5:33:27 PM

Yeah I thought of that after I'd already posted it.

The Flex came out in '09 though...so if you don't go for the turbo AWD version but the standard V6 FWD, you might be able to come in under $18K for a first year model.

5/22/2012 6:30:31 PM

exactly what difference does hp or awd make here?

5/22/2012 6:41:47 PM

if i wanted power i would up my price range 50 k and buy the ctsv wagon.

also, i posted the v50 wagon because my wife thought it was cute.

5/22/2012 7:06:25 PM

^ seriously. Sportwagen TDI all the way...or maybe a 4-door Golf TDI if you can spare a little cargo room in the back and want a slightly sportier suspension...40-50 mpg either way, with a bonus of being less douchey than a crossover.

5/22/2012 7:06:32 PM

Been eying the golf GTI as my "practical car" replacement for the Miata. Was thinking of the Golf R, but it doesn't seem worth it for the extra 10k.

5/22/2012 10:15:06 PM

Volvo in the OP.. holy crap, was that thing even moved after leaving the showroom?

5/22/2012 10:23:24 PM

^^^ctnz71 wants a vehicle with a larger interior, so you're recommending one to him with a smaller interior?

5/22/2012 11:36:41 PM

he just doesn't know what he needs.

there is no way in hell a Sportwagen isn't more than big enough for a family of 4. it would put cash in his pocket upfront on the purchase (minus the sale of his MB), plus get mega-mpg...and hold its value like a mad dog.

5/22/2012 11:41:59 PM

You can't go wrong with a 4Runner as long as you don't mind the shitty gas mileage. They hold their value better than nearly anything else on the road, the build quality is excellent, and they tend to be very reliable.

I'm in the camp that says your C300 is just fine, but whatever. If you think it's easier to find a new vehicle, prep your old vehicle for sale, and sell the old vehicle than it is to slightly bend over when loading and unloading your kid for the first few years then go for it. The 4Runner will probably be cheaper in the long run anyway by the time you average out maintenance costs and depreciation against gas usage.

[Edited on May 23, 2012 at 12:37 AM. Reason : l]

5/23/2012 12:33:03 AM

^^you'll get no argument from me in any of those points.

5/23/2012 8:04:39 AM

i just like the idea of up to $10k in our pocket.

5/23/2012 6:09:12 PM

^then buy a $15-18k sedan or wagon of equal size. That's the most common sense and practical move to make

5/23/2012 7:09:22 PM

^ Like my 2006 Audi A6 Avant with 68k miles for $18.5k!!

5/23/2012 7:27:38 PM

^^^ or a TDI Golf/Jetta/Jetta Sportwagen.

5/23/2012 8:28:43 PM

^^pics?

5/23/2012 10:38:11 PM

^ http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=41011&endYear=2013&modelCode1=A6&startYear=1981&makeCode1=AUDI&bodyStyles=WAGON&searchRadius=10&listingId=319700577&Log=0

5/23/2012 11:27:13 PM

We sold our car to Carmax and they gave us $25k

Now to find something to replace

5/28/2012 11:19:44 PM

how about a current generation (2010+) subaru outback? i have the 2012 2.5 (comes in a 3.6 also) & average about 28mpg (city & highway driving). the back seat is super deep & everybody that's ridden in mine says something about how big the back seat is. i bought it back in november bc we have a baby coming in august. it's much larger than the previous generations, still has almost 9" of ground clearance with full time awd, and tows our 17.5' skiff just fine.

this isn't mine, but mine is this color


[Edited on May 29, 2012 at 2:12 PM. Reason : pic didn't work]

5/29/2012 1:59:35 PM

I was going to say get the Hyundai i40 Tourer, but then I realized it is Europe-only. It is one of the most gorgeous modern station wagons ever made, giving good competition to the Volvo and Audi wagons.





The next best thing is the Elantra GT going on sale this summer in the US. It is a large hatchback.

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicles/future-cars/2013/elantra-gt/

Gets up to 39 mpg even.

5/30/2012 8:58:46 AM

the i40 looks just like a toyota venza


the girl is going from a 2010 mercedes only a range rover or maybe a volvo is gonna cut it

5/30/2012 9:01:26 AM

Quote :

"I was going to say get the Hyundai i40 Tourer, but then I realized it is Europe-only. It is one of the most gorgeous modern station wagons ever made, giving good competition to the Volvo and Audi wagons."

I know you're not in the US and thus uninformed in a few things, but Volvo pulled out of the wagon market here like a bunch of a little bitches. You can no longer purchase a Volvo wagon in the USA.

Quote :

"the i40 looks just like a toyota venza "

Except it doesn't, as the Venza is a chunky CUV that's about a foot taller.

5/30/2012 9:22:11 AM

They look the same and you know it. If one ran over you you would lay there, and in your dying breath whisper, "it was a venza!"

5/30/2012 11:36:09 PM

i don't know if i should offer you glasses or a lesson in shapes

5/31/2012 12:32:42 AM

^

Quote :

"If one ran over you you would lay there, and in your dying breath whisper, "it was a venza!" "

I lol'ed, but no I disagree. That's like saying all sedans look the same because they're a 3 box design...

5/31/2012 8:40:12 AM

well, you know hyundai stole the design from somewhere else, so at the end of the day it looks like something else already on the market because that's how they roll.

5/31/2012 9:33:38 AM

That's actually not true anymore, and is pretty obvious if you look at any of their new offerings (excluding the Genesis and Equus sedans). Their new sculptured styling language isn't copying anyone. And the same goes for Kia, who recently lured away one of Audi's best designers.

5/31/2012 9:44:17 AM

06 mdx with 100k or 06 xc90 with 88k ??

6/10/2012 7:59:31 AM

neither

6/11/2012 8:33:48 AM

^

6/11/2012 8:35:45 AM

^, ^^

6/11/2012 9:14:31 AM

Of those two, XC90 by a mile. But preferably neither.

6/11/2012 10:54:43 AM

Really ?

I'd rather drive the xc90 but i've never known volvos to last well since they stopped looking like bricks. I would think the acura would be more reliable but i don't really know shit about either since i would dismiss them both at first glance.

6/11/2012 11:18:46 AM

I think the MDX is known for transmission failure, especially at higher mileage.

6/11/2012 11:31:49 AM