Should I get my C200K from PI?

[Jonnybravo]

I am contemplating to get the the new C200, but can't decide.

 

Get from C & C, must wait till Apr, price $156k. Get from PI, $145k, immediate delivery & warranty covered by C & C.

 

Just concern if my future resale value will suffer? Will I get least preference in terms of servicing & pay extra $$$ for spare parts if they know mine is a PI car? Anyone has any experience before?

 

Get from C&C now. End of Year. Got to hit target. Price cheap.

[Porker]

Selling your babe magnet already brudder? Whats your next car?

[Mcfguy]

I am contemplating to get the the new C200, but can't decide.

 

Get from C & C, must wait till Apr, price $156k. Get from PI, $145k, immediate delivery & warranty covered by C & C.

 

Just concern if my future resale value will suffer? Will I get least preference in terms of servicing & pay extra $$$ for spare parts if they know mine is a PI car? Anyone has any experience before?

 

156K is the Avangarte or Elegance?

[Zanter]

Why dont u self import it urself? Much cheaper? Maybe can save like 30k?

[Firstcall]

If I were u I'll get from PI. Merc parts are easily available and there are a lot of outside workshops who specialise in working on Benz.

 

As long as PI & AD have the same OMV u have nothing much to worry.

 

the biggest worry is warranty claims.

PI may not be competent/ready enuff to cover diagnose that

[Choo]

I think the C from PI is from German but the C&C is from South Africa. I checked and a PI offered 148K, I think it is too close to the C&C, and it is not attractive enough...

[Miles]

W204 C is still from Stuttgart.

until they start the production line in RSA, about 2 years later.... PI or C&C's will continue to be from Deutschland.

[Hatch_lover]

The new W204 confirmed from Germany, not South Africa.

[Ncss]

156K is the Avangarte or Elegance?

 

156k is the Avangarte one... the "sport" front look model.

Very few ppl opt for Elegance ("classic" front look model) one which is a few k cheaper.

Edited December 23, 2007 by Ncss

[Ncss]

I am contemplating to get the the new C200, but can't decide.

 

Get from C & C, must wait till Apr, price $156k. Get from PI, $145k, immediate delivery & warranty covered by C & C.

 

Just concern if my future resale value will suffer? Will I get least preference in terms of servicing & pay extra $$$ for spare parts if they know mine is a PI car? Anyone has any experience before?

 

If you can wait, I suggest to get from C&C.

But if you really want the car fast (before CNY) and save some cash, get from PI but be prepared to have slightly more hazard if there is issue as you know PI usually has lesser technical backup.

[Azarael]

i dont think they have the avantgarde promotion anymore

i would wait a year until they iron out all the kinks and problems. Never buy the first two batches of any conti car....got problems usually

[Lsk005]

visit C&C today...I was told that if i were to book nw, mostly likely will get car b4 CNY but limited colours only. Price r non-neg....still selling at $156,888.

 

Anyone manage to get cheaper than $156,888 from C&C?

[Miles]

Why would C&C negotiate on price when demand for the C is so high?

Just like how the Civic was initially.

 

So, if really really want the C at lower price, wait for another 6 months to a year.

The new A4 will be launched probably H2 this year.... it might have some impact on the C pricing too.

 

Also, i think the E90 3series is due for facelift (model after 3.5 years will generally have facelift) and it will probably come next year or so.... i think they put the retuned 2.0 valvetronic unit into the 320i which has 170bhp/210Nm, and probably revise the transmission to the current 5 series type. So this facelifted model will probably give them reason to increase the price.

 

By then, the W204 C is in for a good bargain.

[Schneider79]

C & C will not give discount for brand new vehicles.

 

The only way to get good deal is to wait for promotions, eg free bodykits, high trade-in value, cash rebate...

 

If you don't believe me, you can ask those people who had bought Benz from C&C...

 

If you are interested in buying a Merc, can pm me. I got lobang but price is non negotiable.

[Arowana1]

wondering if u got ur c200? im comtemplating it as well but wondering if can fit cng and if PI can do it whereas cnc so far no news although i think they piloted cng on one brand of car that they carry.

 

anyone can recommend a good merc pi?

[Xxxcobraxxx]

Yo Bro,

 

Jus send u a pm. Interested let me know.

[Treesmaker]

Err, I thought C&C is just a dealer now as Daimler Benz AG is the sole importer and distributor for Daimler Benz cars. So, IMHO getting from PI is okay. Warranty should be from Daimler Benz.

[W210k]

I owned a PI Merc, bought it brand new, but sold it after 1.5 years.

 

Beware of the following:

 

- PI brings in Classic models and 'upgrades' it to Elegance or Avant Garde locally. Lower OMV (than C&C's factory-sourced models) clearly tells.

 

- At point of selling, I was always quoted market price initially ... but after the used car dealer inspected the car and found mine to be a PI Merc, their price dropped by $10K instantly. Don't worry, they have their way of finding out, cannot hide. You can go to 2,3,4,5 used car dealers, but the same tactics will be used. All quoted $10K less, after confirming mine was a PI Merc.

 

- When a TIBS bus rear-ended my Merc, NTUC Income was hard-nosed about not guaranteeing to replace damaged parts with brand new ones (if I were to use NTUC's authorized workshops). Their claim is that they will use refurbished parts, if available, for PI Mercs. I challenged them on this point, arguing that a PI Merc is also a genuine (i.e. it is not fake) Merc. But NTUC claims its their company policy and that if I want brand new parts, I would have to make a third-party claim at an outside workshop. Heck, my car was only 1.5 years old then!

 

- Repairing an accident PI Merc at C&C workshop will require up-front FULL payment, before repair work is done.

 

- To service your Merc at C&C workshop, you will have to pay a 'joining fee' and even then, you will always be put at the bottom of the day's queue, regardless of your check-in time. You will also not enjoy any parts discount, normally given to C&C Merc owners.

 

- Third-party workshops in AMK / Sin Ming area who claim to be 'Merc Experts' are not really. They even tried fixing parts with wrong part numbers (previous model's) to my then-new Kompressor model, even though the holes are not aligned (good thing Daimler-Benz manufactures idiot-proof parts, so as to prevent stoopid workshops like these from mixing up parts to car models of different years). Yet, the mechanics of such workshops can squat beside your car for hours (I kid you not) trying to forcefully ram in a part that won't even fit!

 

- Some PI workshops don't even have sufficient hoists to raise your car up, before draining spent lube oil prior to re-filling. So what they do is to use a vacuum suction to suck oil out of your engine sump at ground level. This of course will not remove the remnant oil and the metal particles which will act as accumulated abrasive material after each oil change. There goes your piston rings and cylinder internals!

 

So in short, all I have to say to you is: BUYER BEWARE!

Edited January 23, 2008 by W210k