Hey all,
As this is one of the few NGs where I can (somewhat) trust the opinions of the posters, I humbly seek you opinion(s) as to a current decision I need to make.
My first car (that wasn't handed down to me from my parents--that would by my '78 Dipolmat!) was a then two-year-old '94 Ford Probe. It was either that or the MX-6. The Probe ran so well that after I got it paid for, and got a better job, I bought my then two-year-old '99 Miata. It has been one of the better investments I've made as far as enjoyment is concerned! But I still use the Probe when I need more cargo capacity, etc.
But the Probe is showing the signs of having 150,000 miles put on it. That, combined with a recent cost-of-living wage increase, put me in the mind to get a new(er) car to replace the Probe.
I was initially leaning towards the only slightly less practical RX-8 and Infiniti I-35 coup. These, however, push my financial limits, and my post-Christmas case of "new car fever" subsided. (Without test driving either, which could have been dangerous to my checkbook!)
This overly-long lead up brings me to my current situation. My boss is planning on buying a new car, and is therefore looking to get rid of his very-well-maintained Mercedes CLK 320. It's a '98 with 59,000 miles. For whatever it's worth, KBB tells me that the private-party value for this is about $18,900. Edmunds says the retail TMV is ~$23,300. The Mercedes dealer will only give my boss substantially less than this, so he's offering it to me for $17,000.
It's a VERY nice car, and it seems to be a good deal, but I have some reservations. First, I'm used to my Japanes-made Miata, and am fearful of M-B's workmanship and any repair/maintenance costs. Also, the money I spend could be used towards buying a less fancy new car with a warranty and peace of mind. (or if I don't buy a new car, a new Power Mac G5! :) )
Questions, comments, concerns, opinions? Anybody?
Thanks in advance,
Jon (remove the obvious spam-blocker to reply via email)