This has to be the dumbest idea I’ve read in a long time regarding car buying advice.

OP if your spouse is so set on getting your new driver a Mercedes, you might as well lease a new version of their cheapest model. A new lease payment on an A-Class will equal the average you’ll spend constantly hauling a worn out old Mercedes to the shop all the time.

Something tells me your spouse actually wants an old Mercedes to drive around himself on the weekends while your daughter uses it as well. No rational adult would choose this car exclusively for a kid.

Anonymous wrote:The issue we had with buying used cars for our kids was with the tech in the cars. They want a car with Bluetooth so they can listen to music on their phones. As a parent you want a car that plays phone calls through the speakers and reads them their texts and allows them to do talk to text while driving. You don't want anyone fumbling with a phone while driving. old cars can't do these things.

So if you buy a whole different car just for the stereo system? Why not put in an aftermarket AirPlay system?

The issue we had with buying used cars for our kids was with the tech in the cars. They want a car with Bluetooth so they can listen to music on their phones. As a parent you want a car that plays phone calls through the speakers and reads them their texts and allows them to do talk to text while driving. You don't want anyone fumbling with a phone while driving. old cars can't do these things.

I love them, but I would only lease them. You will spend a lot of time and money at the dealership dealing with repairs.

We have had 5 Mercedes. Not really s as problem with repairs. It finally got so old I gave it away. Still ran fine though.

We just bought out 18yo daughter, soon to be college freshman, a 2021 Kia Forte. It's very stylish, drives great, latest and greatest safety features and came with an awesome warranty. The price was fantastic!

No

Anonymous wrote:Why would you do this? Why not buy a newer, less expensive car?

I don't think the OP is paying much for a 2007 Mercedes.

Unless it's something special, like an SL, CL, loaded S class, or an SLR McLaren, it's probably a $5000-$8000 vehicle. For that, you can get a similar vintage Toyota or Honda - not newer, and not less expensive.

Why would you do this? Why not buy a newer, less expensive car?

Love Mercedes, but 2007 was not a good year. This was before Mercedes revamped their lineup after divorcing from Chrysler.

Here's a good video of a mechanic's take on Mercedes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDJQa0VGMho

For a young person's first car, the W204 C-class is probably a good starting point. This model stayed in production for 8 years, from 2008 to 2014, with a major refresh in 2012.

My wife had a 2012 C300 and loved that car. Looks like plenty of those around for about $10k without a ton of miles.

I think, yes. For that price, I'd be looking for a 10-year old Toyota Corolla with under 100k miles.

Anonymous wrote:Premium gas, lots of repairs. The seller put 20,000 miles on it per year, that’s a lot! I just sold a 2012 with that on it.

Math not your strong suit?

I bought a new Mercedes, drove it seven years and DH and I joke that we paid for the car twice when you factor in service and repairs. Obviously, this is an exaggeration but I spent an insane amount of time and money at the dealership getting repairs done. No way would I buy a used Mercedes unless you want to risk your DD breaking down and needing to be reduced on a fairly regular basis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:16 and a Mercedes????

Calm down. It’s a $10,000 Mercedes.

A wiring harness or ECU will cost about $6,000 on average. That’s why it’s only worth $10k. Because even a mundane and common repair will be half the value of the car.

We have a 2004 and drives like a charm, very little maintenance, we gave it to my so but we like using it. No one can believe its a 2004, the handling is incredible and I feel my son is very safe. We purchased it certified pre-owned.