Buying a new car/SUV, advice?

[Tej.S]

Hey guys,

I'm planning on purchasing my first vehicle in the next 4-8 months, and I would like to hear some of your thoughts/opinions on the matter. Any vehicles you guys recommend that I take a look at?

Some things to know:
- Absolute max budget is $75k

- I'm primarily keeping an eye out for the 2017 c43 coming out this fall :drool:, but without a definitive pricing guide for Canada, I can't say if this will fit into my budget or not. If this holds true, I would like to get something similar in terms of performance/luxury.

- If ^ doesn't work out, then I don't care whether it's a car or SUV, but it must be AWD.

- Nothing older than 2015 (prefer something with warranty lol)

- Vehicles I have looked at so far: Audi s4/s5, BMW 4 series, MB GLC, Cadillac ATS/V (don't really prefer american brands lol)

- I plan on test driving before buying (duh)

PS. I was taking a look at the Jaguar F-pace (SUV) as well, but I don't know anyone that has ever owned a Jag, so without seeing it in person, I can't really form a solid opinion on it (aside from the fact that it looks gorgeous). If anyone has or had experience with Jaguar vehicles, can you please share your thoughts on durability, maintenance, etc?

[Sugarphreak]

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[spike98]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I am pretty sure you can get into an SQ5 for that price, that is a pretty sweet DD for Calgary

MSRP with the B&O Stereo and Nav gets just over $65K before taxes and fee's. Should be about $70k all in. Easily under budget and a blast to drive.

[Xtrema]

C43 should be priced similar to C450. $73K a few options away from fully loaded. Last I heard, it'll be Oct before we will see one, let alone test one. Other than the new transmission and a few AMG goodies coming down, I don't expect it to have much difference than C450.

GLC43 should arrive around the same time if you prefer a SUV version of C43.

F-Pace looks great in person during the auto show. The only thing I didn't like is the infotainment system and the cheap Kia grade interior plastic on the bottom half.

B9 S4/S5 is at least 8 months away. There should be no more new B8 S4/S5 on the lots.

SQ5 is good bang for the bucks but being 2016, it's interior now feels/looks dated but it should be cheapest as cash deal. But leasing it may be on par with GLC43.

Your $73K budget is for cash or lease?

Lease tends to be better with Mercedes and BMW. Ok with Audi. Really bad with Cadillac unless dealers are putting a huge discount up front.

[Mitsu3000gt]

You can get a 2 year old Audi S6 for that money and there is nothing else I would rather have after driving one. Supercar acceleration (0-60 3.7s, 1/4 mile 12.0s), DCT, seats 5, AWD. Perfect Calgary car too. Sounds amazing. I highly recommend you at least drive one before buying anything.

Second choice for me would be a MB C450/C43 - incredible drive as well, can't go wrong with this either. Preferred it to a 335i M and B8 S4.

For an SUV, I second the SQ5 recommendation.

[Tej.S]

The 75k budget will be for a lease. Thanks for all the info guys. I'll definitely take a peek at the SQ5. The only reason I didn't really lean towards the older Audi's was because of the interior. IMO, apart from the dumb ipad screen, nothing really touches MB as far as interior goes.

If the C43 debuts under 75k nearly fully loaded, I'll have to pull the trigger. I saw the s class couple the other day, and the styling is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.

Mitsu, those performance figures for the s6 are insane :eek: I never knew it was capable of that lol. That definitely helps to keep my options open.

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions guys. Looks like I'll have to test a few Audi's out now hahah. I'll keep this thread updated. If you have anything else to add please do so.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Tej.S

Mitsu, those performance figures for the s6 are insane :eek: I never knew it was capable of that lol. That definitely helps to keep my options open.



Just drive one, even if you don't end up getting it because it's a 2014 or whatever. There's nothing else like it for the year/price! Interior is phenomenal as well.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S
The 75k budget will be for a lease. Thanks for all the info guys. I'll definitely take a peek at the SQ5. The only reason I didn't really lean towards the older Audi's was because of the interior. IMO, apart from the dumb ipad screen, nothing really touches MB as far as interior goes.

If the C43 debuts under 75k nearly fully loaded, I'll have to pull the trigger. I saw the s class couple the other day, and the styling is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.

I think MB coupe styling is perfect right now.

Sedan wise, the tail end doesn't seem to work as well on shorter cars as S class.

My biggest complain on my C450 is the Command system. It's a laggy and horrible GUI with 0 consistency between functions. It seems like it's written by 20 different guys and each has a different idea how their branch should work. Audi's MMI is much more cohesive in this regard.

My C450 is $71 but $4500 of that is the Performance Seats. The only option I didn't check is the self driving and carbon fiber bits.

C43 seems to have more AMG options so I would think $75 fully loaded is totally possible unless MB start having issue with the Canadian Peso.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Xtrema


I think MB coupe styling is perfect right now.

Sedan wise, the tail end doesn't seem to work as well on shorter cars as S class.

My biggest complain on my C450 is the Command system. It's a laggy and horrible GUI with 0 consistency between functions. It seems like it's written by 20 different guys and each has a different idea how their branch should work. Audi's MMI is much more cohesive in this regard.

My C450 is $71 but $4500 of that is the Performance Seats. The only option I didn't check is the self driving and carbon fiber bits.

C43 seems to have more AMG options so I would think $75 fully loaded is totally possible unless MB start having issue with the Canadian Peso.

Awesome, thanks for the info Xtrema. I'm assuming the 450 and 43 would share a similar driving experience, correct? I might just go test drive a 450 and see how it feels. If I were to spec a 43, I'd most likely pass on the CF options, and I also don't really care for the performance seats.

I know a few guys who have been able to receive 4-5% off MSRP by placing a pre-order with their respective dealers. Do you think that would be possible for us in Canada?

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S


Awesome, thanks for the info Xtrema. I'm assuming the 450 and 43 would share a similar driving experience, correct? I might just go test drive a 450 and see how it feels. If I were to spec a 43, I'd most likely pass on the CF options, and I also don't really care for the performance seats.

I know a few guys who have been able to receive 4-5% off MSRP by placing a pre-order with their respective dealers. Do you think that would be possible for us in Canada?

From all I read, major changes are transmission to 9G, and suspension and exhaust from AMG C63 and the AWD is tuned a bit more rear bias. No change on Command. The unit that will do Airplay may come in 2018 model year when it gets the double LCD dash.

Hard to say on discount. Our dealer network in city isn't as competitive as TO, Vancouver or major US cities. US owners of C450 is reporting 4-5% and up to 12% toward May/June months.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Xtrema


From all I read, major changes are transmission to 9G, and suspension and exhaust from AMG C63 and the AWD is tuned a bit more rear bias. No change on Command. The unit that will do Airplay may come in 2018 model year when it gets the double LCD dash.

Hard to say on discount. Our dealer network in city isn't as competitive as TO, Vancouver or major US cities. US owners of C450 is reporting 4-5% and up to 12% toward May/June months.

I can't wait that long haha. Although, there were rumours that the C43 will be phased out as soon as next year, replaced by a facelifted model and a new name. Don't quote me on that, as it's all just heresay.

I'm just gonna have to pop into one of the dealerships and try to get more information from them. Thanks again.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S


I can't wait that long haha. Although, there were rumours that the C43 will be phased out as soon as next year, replaced by a facelifted model and a new name. Don't quote me on that, as it's all just heresay.

I'm just gonna have to pop into one of the dealerships and try to get more information from them. Thanks again.

It's an oddity with where MB is taking AMG.

At first it's 2015 C400, then 2016 C450 AMG Sport, then it became full fledge 2017 C43 AMG and I think that's where it will stay unless MB completely pulled AMG out as its own brand which is also rumored.

Who knows, AMG owners are not too happy about diluting of the brand and for it to go down market like this.

2018 would be year 4 so mmc is expected and test mule is already caught with dual LCD screens just like the one in E and S class.

[Tej.S]

Okay, so I have a couple of questions (excuse my ignorance, I'm a newbie at this):

1) I built a 2016 Audi SQ5 online and spec'd it to about 66k (Technik trim). However, when I look online for 2016 SQ5's at dealerships, they seem to start at 71k for the same trim. Even with freight and PDI (est. ~2k), it would still be less than 70k if I build it through Audi Canada.. Is there something I'm missing here :dunno: ?

Edit: I think I just forgot about tax hahah, whoops :D

2) I used Audi's calculator online to see what estimated lease payments would be like, but I'm a bit confused with the difference between a regular lease and "Audi Select". Basically with a lease, I have a limited amount of kms/year, which I'm okay with, and at the end of the lease, I either pay the remaining amount or trade it in, correct? Then with Audi Select it says "Similar to a lease, at the end of the contract you have the choice of paying off the balance (balloon) or refinancing."

Isn't that flat out the better option? It basically gives you unlimited kms and you pay a lower monthly fee (in most cases). Sorry for the long post lol.

[shakalaka]

Audi select is a financing term not lease. The former allows smaller monthly payments as at the end of the term you have a chunk of money remaining which you are supposed to pay to buy the vehicle. You can't just return it like you can with leases.

Think of it as financing with smaller monthly payments as a "balloon" amount is left over in the end.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by shakalaka
Audi select is a financing term not lease. The former allows smaller monthly payments as at the end of the term you have a chunk of money remaining which you are supposed to pay to buy the vehicle. You can't just return it like you can with leases.

Think of it as financing with smaller monthly payments as a "balloon" amount is left over in the end.

Ah, I see.. interesting, thanks.

[Tej.S]

Also, for those of you who have purchased new/used vehicles from dealerships, can you comment on what kind of discounts/deals you received?

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Just drive one, even if you don't end up getting it because it's a 2014 or whatever. There's nothing else like it for the year/price! Interior is phenomenal as well.

I took a look at this btw, and the only thing that doesn't attract (for a lack of a better word) me towards it is the v8 lol. Also, not that it matters much, but Audi's official site lists the 0-60 time as 4.6s. I know that manufacturer's usually underestimate their acceleration times, but that's quite a big difference to the aforementioned 3.7s haha.

[npham]

The new Q5 will be coming out in less than a year as well, as a 2018 model. We've got a 2016 Q5 loaner right now(Diesel + Takata "Do not drive" A3) and while the car looks great, and the interior is still very good, the MMI/instrumentation/Nav/etc is very much last gen. I would be hard pressed to purchase a 2016 SQ5 unless the drive really blows you away so much that you can live with no Car Play/Virtual Cockpit/etc.

C43 would be my vote.

[Sugarphreak]

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[Tej.S]

Originally posted by npham
The new Q5 will be coming out in less than a year as well, as a 2018 model. We've got a 2016 Q5 loaner right now(Diesel + Takata "Do not drive" A3) and while the car looks great, and the interior is still very good, the MMI/instrumentation/Nav/etc is very much last gen. I would be hard pressed to purchase a 2016 SQ5 unless the drive really blows you away so much that you can live with no Car Play/Virtual Cockpit/etc.

C43 would be my vote.

Thanks for the heads up. I did some googling, and it seems like we'll probably see the new Q5 next summer. It's apparently scheduled for a spring release in Europe, so it'll probably take another couple months to show up here. As for the SQ version, I couldn't really find much info, so I don't think I'd be willing to wait that long. I guess that makes my decision a little easier lol.



Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Both of the Audi dealerships in Calgary are owned by the same person... and as such, they basically don't give any deals off of MSRP if you are ordering a car unless it is something offered from the manufacturer. Typically Audi has some decent promotional deals in the spring.

If they have something in stock, you can probably get a bit off, but don't expect it to be much.

They do have supplier discounts, so if you work for a big company, there is actually a pretty good chance you might be able to get a bit off there. They have a big thick binder of eligible company names, just ask them to check.

My tip to saving cash on an Audi is to pre-order it with exactly what you want and nothing you don't. Most of the cars on the lot are loaded with options (and black leather interiors only for some reason) that just drive the price up.

When I went to get my Q5, the things I wanted most were Xenon lights and memory seats... so I ordered it with the progressiv package and that was it. Not getting the sunroof alone saved me like $4000.

Awesome, thanks for the info phreak! Just gonna have to play the waiting game for now.

[s2k_boi]

^ Yeah.. word. Audi doesn't like to discount. You would be lucky to get like the $1000 maintenance pack for free.

Even with Mercedes it was hard to get discounts too for the C450/43 due to limited inventory. Lone Star wanted me to pay for shipping for a dealer trade. Downtown - I had a great sales person and got a pretty decent deal. Even Edmonton dealers might give you a couple of a grand off. If you want to talk to my sales person pm me. Also, I do have the detail info on the changes to the 17 model. As stated it's very minor. One thing to consider is you would not be able to order in a 16 model year now as it's cut off. The 17's will likely have a higher lease rate and they would most likely cut it back to a 36/39 months maximum term too.

Downtown has this promo going on if you can find the right unit asap:

July C-Sedan Special
special offer
Lease or Finance any in-stock 2016 C-Sedan and receive $1,000 OFF, 1% Rate Reduction, No Charge PPM & 3M Film Package.

Cash purchase receive $2,000 OFF, No charge PPM and 3M FIlm Package.

Vehicle must be delivered by July 31st, 2016. Call for details.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by s2k_boi
^ Yeah.. word. Audi doesn't like to discount. You would be lucky to get like the $1000 maintenance pack for free.

Even with Mercedes it was hard to get discounts too for the C450/43 due to limited inventory. Lone Star wanted me to pay for shipping for a dealer trade. Downtown - I had a great sales person and got a pretty decent deal. Even Edmonton dealers might give you a couple of a grand off. If you want to talk to my sales person pm me. Also, I do have the detail info on the changes to the 17 model. As stated it's very minor. One thing to consider is you would not be able to order in a 16 model year now as it's cut off. The 17's will likely have a higher lease rate and they would most likely cut it back to a 36/39 months maximum term too.

Downtown has this promo going on if you can find the right unit asap:

July C-Sedan Special
special offer
Lease or Finance any in-stock 2016 C-Sedan and receive $1,000 OFF, 1% Rate Reduction, No Charge PPM & 3M Film Package.

Cash purchase receive $2,000 OFF, No charge PPM and 3M FIlm Package.

Vehicle must be delivered by July 31st, 2016. Call for details.

All things considered, I'm most likely gonna gravitate towards the C43. Hopefully I can negotiate something with lone star (loyalty discount, etc), but if I'm not able to, I'll definitely shoot you a PM for your contact.

That deal would have been perfect for my gf as she recently purchased the 16' c class.. Too bad for her I guess haha.

[Team_Mclaren]

Since you are leasing, who the fuck cares about MSRP, what is your payment budget? a more expensive vehicle doesnt mean higher lease payments. You are considering the wrong things here.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
Since you are leasing, who the fuck cares about MSRP, what is your payment budget? a more expensive vehicle doesnt mean higher lease payments. You are considering the wrong things here.

What do you mean, can you elaborate a little bit? Wouldn't lease payments be higher for a more expensive vehicle..? I guess my payment budget would hover around 1k/month. I don't want to be paying g 1.5-2k a month for a car just yet lol. Otherwise, I would've looked into the c63(S), m series, etc.

[max_boost]

hey bro, lift less and crunch some numbers :D

it all depends on the marth, interest rate, residual etc.

Golf R is a $50k car but you can get for a $500 payment. budget balling ftw :bigpimp:

[Team_Mclaren]

Lease payment is based on MSRP, residual, interest and term. As max was saying, you can get a more expensive car with lower payment.

[mrsingh]

Originally posted by Tej.S


What do you mean, can you elaborate a little bit? Wouldn't lease payments be higher for a more expensive vehicle..? I guess my payment budget would hover around 1k/month. I don't want to be paying g 1.5-2k a month for a car just yet lol. Otherwise, I would've looked into the c63(S), m series, etc.

I don't want to turn this into the financial lounge, but I would hope you are putting a lot of money into other investments as well, or have a business where you can partially write off $1k+ lease payment. Mainly because you are mentioning this is the first vehicle you are purchasing / leasing yourself, and do not seem to really understand the process.

I only bring this up because I leased a BMW M3 in my early 20s, and it was probably one of the worst financial decisions of my life.

Not meaning to offend or judge your financial situation.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by mrsingh


I don't want to turn this into the financial lounge, but I would hope you are putting a lot of money into other investments as well, or have a business where you can partially write off $1k+ lease payment. Mainly because you are mentioning this is the first vehicle you are purchasing / leasing yourself, and do not seem to really understand the process.

I only bring this up because I leased a BMW M3 in my early 20s, and it was probably one of the worst financial decisions of my life.

Not meaning to offend or judge your financial situation.

It's all good, I appreciate your concern. My financial situation is very stable currently, and I don't see it changing in the near future. No offence taken :)

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by mrsingh
I only bring this up because I leased a BMW M3 in my early 20s, and it was probably one of the worst financial decisions of my life.

:dunno: On the strictly financial side of things luxury cars are always a bad financial decisions... Generally though that's not why people buy luxury cars.

[mrsingh]

Originally posted by Tej.S


It's all good, I appreciate your concern. My financial situation is very stable currently, and I don't see it changing in the near future. No offence taken :)

Great to hear, nice choice of cars. I love the styling of the new C coupes! I also second the opinion of a used S6, I drool over those.



Originally posted by mazdavirgin


:dunno: On the strictly financial side of things luxury cars are always a bad financial decisions... Generally though that's not why people buy luxury cars.

Agreed, I could write a book on the bad financial decisions I have made over the years. But at least I have had some nice cars along the way!

[max_boost]

Live without ragrets. You had fun! Let's not be too boring now. :bigpimp: :burnout:

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by mrsingh


Great to hear, nice choice of cars. I love the styling of the new C coupes! I also second the opinion of a used S6, I drool over those.

Haha, thanks. The s6 is very tempting, but as I mentioned earlier, I want to stay away from v8's for the time being. I've got to be a little conservative :angel:

[Minimalist]

Last I read, only $800 a month in a lease is a write-off. What's that, a 60K vehicle lease? Has this changed for 2016?

[Team_Mclaren]

who cares about writeoffs, not everyone can take advantage of writeoffs if u have a normal job.

Anyways, the new C-coupe has pretty shitty lease rates but strong residuals, but payment to payment its a lot more than a 4 series. my friend just cross shopped the C coupe and 4 series and its over $100/month apart.

go to the website and build them, you can get an idea from there.

[Tej.S]

Quick update: So I've pretty much decided to go for the c43. Is it weird that all this time, only the information about the coupe was available, yet on MB Canada, it only allows you to build the sedan :confused:

I built it for fun, and the sedan falls within my budget very reasonably. Hopefully the coupe isn't too much more haha.

[shakalaka]

You should definitely put some research in the F Pace. It has been getting great reviews and it looks awesome.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by shakalaka
You should definitely put some research in the F Pace. It has been getting great reviews and it looks awesome.

I've got a test drive booked for the c450 this Friday. Since the dealerships are close by, I'll make a stop at JLR as well to see if I can get a closer look at the f-pace. The only downside to JLR is that although their f-pace is very reasonably priced, their options are not.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S
Quick update: So I've pretty much decided to go for the c43. Is it weird that all this time, only the information about the coupe was available, yet on MB Canada, it only allows you to build the sedan :confused:

I built it for fun, and the sedan falls within my budget very reasonably. Hopefully the coupe isn't too much more haha.

Looks like C450 and C43 pricing is within $500 of each other.

But I'm pretty sure there are some options not listed on the website.

Residual should be 61% for 45 months and rate should be 3.9% for leases at this point but seems like the MBFS has not release these numbers for C43 yet.

If you don't want AMG Performance seats, I'm pretty sure you can get away with a $8**/mth payment.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Looks like C450 and C43 pricing is within $500 of each other.

But I'm pretty sure there are some options not listed on the website.

Residual should be 61% for 45 months and rate should be 3.9% for leases at this point but seems like the MBFS has not release these numbers for C43 yet.

If you don't want AMG Performance seats, I'm pretty sure you can get away with a $8**/mth payment.

Yes, the pricing for the sedans is very similar. I'm waiting for the coupe, but there's no info available for it yet. I wouldn't be selecting the amg perf seats, and I'm not even sure if I would want the intelligent drive package either (distronic plus, parking assist, etc). I don't see myself ever using those features.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S


Yes, the pricing for the sedans is very similar. I'm waiting for the coupe, but there's no info available for it yet. I wouldn't be selecting the amg perf seats, and I'm not even sure if I would want the intelligent drive package either (distronic plus, parking assist, etc). I don't see myself ever using those features.

Oh, you want coupe.

That should be a ~$5K premium over the sedan. Then you are definitely looking at closer mid $800 to low $900/mth.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Oh, you want coupe.

That should be a ~$5K premium over the sedan. Then you are definitely looking at closer mid $800 to low $900/mth.

Yeah, that's what I'm expecting. I'm going to see if I can negotiate any sort of discounts as well. I should have a good idea of a final price by Friday. The only downside to the coupes is those ugly bumperettes that are required for the US/CAD specs. It absolutely ruins the look of the rear imo. For reference:
Top is US/CAD spec, bottom is Euro spec
http://i.imgur.com/K4sWXLT.jpg

[Xtrema]

Ya, everyone at MBWorld has been bitching about the bumpers.

[Tej.S]

So I visited a few different dealerships today, and I've pretty much made up my mind.. Just gotta figure out my options, and I'll hopefully receive my c43 in October :)

PS: I tried out the Jaguar F-Pace as well, and overall, I thought it was pretty lackluster. It has very nice visual appeal (exterior), but the inside was a different story. Sales guy told me that the seats were "fake leather", and the dash + side trim had such a cheap, plastic-like feel to it. This was a serious contender, but I was pretty let down after seeing/testing it out.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
^^ Thanks for sharing the update, I was interested how the F-Pace would stack up

No worries. Their options weren't the greatest either. I was told you cannot pick certain standalone options (things like 360 camera, etc) unless you pick the top-of-the-line trim. What a bummer.

@Xtrema, if memory serves me right, you currently drive a c450 right now, correct? Do you have the seats with suede in the middle? If so, are you able to comment on pros vs cons as opposed to the AMG all leather seats? The AMG seats are a 2k option, so I'm wondering if it's worth it to switch.

[Tej.S]

Bump. Anyone have anything to say about the seats?

[colsankey]

I'm pretty sure I've seen a few time,s Rage swear the fake leather, aka Arcturo (sp?) as the business regarding seats, and prefers it over real leather in MBs.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tej.S
@Xtrema, if memory serves me right, you currently drive a c450 right now, correct? Do you have the seats with suede in the middle? If so, are you able to comment on pros vs cons as opposed to the AMG all leather seats? The AMG seats are a 2k option, so I'm wondering if it's worth it to switch.

I went for AMG Performance Seats, so it's a $2.5K option after the $2K option.

Not sure C43 like the C450 is still going to have that alcantara/suede as default seat material. Those material is high maintenance and get matted easily. Just look for maintenance tips on alcantara on youtube and you will know what you are in for.

This is what I got.
http://st.motortrend.ca/uploads/sites/42/2015/02/2016-Mercedes-Benz-C450-AMG-4Matic-interior-seats.jpg


Originally posted by colsankey
I'm pretty sure I've seen a few time,s Rage swear the fake leather, aka Arcturo (sp?) as the business regarding seats, and prefers it over real leather in MBs.

Artico. Yeah, originally I weren't going to upgrade the seats but then they made the Performance Seat available and I can't say no to those. lol.


Originally posted by Sugarphreak
^^ Thanks for sharing the update, I was interested how the F-Pace would stack up

I was all hyped up on F-Pace until I saw the 2 in the car show. Those interior material is Honda-ish and I would dare say on par to the top trim Kia Sorento.

[Tej.S]

The c450 I drove had the performance seats, they were surprisingly very comfortable. I'm heading back there on Tuesday, so I'll update this thread with the final build. Thanks for all your help guys!

[Tej.S]

So apparently, the coupe that I want won't be available for a while :( there's some sort of problem with the ash wood pore trim, it's completely blocked from being selected. The strange thing is, it's only blocked for the coupe.. :dunno: At this point, I might just settle for the sedan.

[Tej.S]

Little update for those who care, I ended up waiting for the coupe. I decided to finance instead of lease, as it personally made more sense to purchase, and I got a better deal. Build date is Sept. 20th, and arrival date is Nov. 4th. Super excited, I'm just hoping there are no more delays! :clap:

[rage2]

Congrats! Look at that, I didn't post in a MB thread till a decision was made haha.

As for delays, EPA is experiencing huge backlogs thanks to VW so it all depends if they caught up by the time your car hits Halifax. Last year was a gong show, with the GLA45 (with new 20hp+ engine) being delayed for 4 months. The new E release was pushed back this summer as well. :(

Edit - the e class was delayed 1.5 months so they are catching up.

[Tej.S]

Originally posted by rage2
Congrats! Look at that, I didn't post in a MB thread till a decision was made haha.

As for delays, EPA is experiencing huge backlogs thanks to VW so it all depends if they caught up by the time your car hits Halifax. Last year was a gong show, with the GLA45 (with new 20hp+ engine) being delayed for 4 months. The new E release was pushed back this summer as well. :(

Edit - the e class was delayed 1.5 months so they are catching up.

Haha, thanks rage! The coupes (and sedans) will slowly be making their way over starting early September, and I believe the first coupe arrives Sept. 7th. Apparently, a lot of people are receiving delays on the c63 (s) models, but I'm hoping the 43's aren't affected.. fingers crossed! :D

[rage2]

The delayed E300 comes with a new tune and power bump which is why it needed to be recertified. The C43 has the same engine and tune as the C450 so it should be fine, although with a new AWD and transmission setup I'm not sure if the EPA needs that recertified.

Regardless, things are catching up so even if there is a delay it should be minimal.

[Tej.S]

Quick update, I'm finally picking up the car today :D excited beyond belief! Here are some pics my SA sent me:

[shakalaka]

Congrats....:thumbsup:

[riander5]

Nice ride op

[Xtrema]

Looks good. Already seen a blue C43 coupe on the road. How's your winter tires situation? Sorted out? Are you just wrapping those 19s with winters?

At least from this week's weather, you probably can spend the first few days on Summers without issue.

[Tej.S]

Thanks guys.

Xtrema, I'm just gonna order a set of winters for the 19" wheels. I figured I'll just get a better set of rims later on, especially when manufacturers sort out the fitment issues.

This thing looks so much better in person, totally blew me away. I honestly didn't like the rear in the pictures, but they don't do it justice at all. Loving the car so far :D