Mercedes is a highly coveted luxury vehicle manufacturer that is well known all over the world. As such, many people only think about the positive aspects of being able to own a Mercedes but may not consider the negative aspects.
This article will discuss the pros and cons of owning a Mercedes to help you better decide if a Mercedes is the right car for you.
Pros Of Owning A Mercedes
The pros of owning a Mercedes are as follows:
- Some attainably priced new models
- Certified pre-owned vehicles
- Good warranty
- All-wheel drive option
- Powerful engine options
- Luxury features and options
- High level of service
- Loaner cars available at many service centers
- Good safety features
- Attention from others
We will discuss each of these points in more detail in the below sections.
Some Attainably Priced New Models
Although Mercedes has a reputation for being an expensive car manufacturer, there are some Mercedes models that are more affordable than others.
Consider the GLA SUV, the A-Class sedan, the GLB SUV, and the CLA coupe. These models all currently start at the $30,000 price point before options.
The $30,000 price range is a very normal range for many cars on the market today. For example, the XLE V6 Toyota Camry, Kia Telluride, Toyota Avalon, Volvo XC40, and the Acura TLX all have starting prices in the same range.
Therefore, if you are only considering the entry price of a new Mercedes you can find one that doesn’t cost an astronomical amount.
Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
Additionally, if you are willing to purchase a slightly used car, you can save tens of thousands of dollars in some instances by purchasing a certified pre-owned Mercedes.
Certified pre-owned Mercedes undergo a rigorous inspection to ensure these vehicles meet certain standards of quality. Thus, in buying a CPO Mercedes you are saving money but still getting a quality vehicle.
Additionally, purchasing a certified pre-owned Mercedes between 2-4 years old will save you thousands of dollars.
For example, a GLE 4MATIC SUV that currently starts around $57,250 new can be acquired at 3-4 years used as a certified pre-owned vehicle at around a $20,000 discount.
Accordingly, you don’t have to purchase a 10-year-old Mercedes to be able to afford something decent.
Good Warranty
Another pro is that both new and certified preowned Mercedes come with a warranty.
A brand-new Mercedes has a 4-year or 50,000 miles warranty. This warranty covers most of the major mechanical and electrical components of the car that can be costly to replace.
Additionally, the certified preowned Mercedes comes with a warranty of either one or two years with unlimited miles, and they also sell an extension available for up to 4 years with a mileage limit.
The benefit of having a warranty is that it prevents you from having to pay out of pocket for many unexpected repairs, and you will generally only have to pay for normal wear and tear parts and services.
This includes things such as brakes, tires, oil changes, and spark plugs.
All-Wheel Drive Option
Almost all Mercedes models provide an option for 4MATIC which is the Mercedes all-wheel-drive system.
For people who live in areas that have inclement weather, this is a huge benefit as having all-wheel drive will provide better traction in snowy, icy, and wet road conditions.
Powerful Engine Options
If you are someone who is looking for some pep behind the wheel, then Mercedes will have some vehicle models that can suit your needs.
Everyone is aware of their AMG line, which is known to produce high-performance vehicles with a crazy amount of horsepower and torque. However, you don’t have to purchase an AMG to get a fast vehicle.
For example, the E450 4MATIC coupe gets 362 horsepower with 369 lb-ft of torque. The GLE580 4MATIC gets 483 horsepower with 516 lb-ft of torque, and the S 500 4MATIC gets 429 horsepower with 384 lb-ft of torque.
Luxurious Features/Options
A big draw to Mercedes is that these vehicles have a luxurious feel with many technological advances that are very desirable.
The interior of a Mercedes not only looks luxurious but also feels luxurious. Additionally, their vehicles are equipped with the options for Nappa leather seating, massaging seats, heated steering wheel, ventilated and heated seats, interior ambient lighting, and cabin air fragrance.
After experiencing the luxury driving experience of a Mercedes it is harder to go back to an average everyday vehicle.
High Level Of Service
A luxury vehicle is expected to come with a certain level of service and Mercedes exemplifies this standard.
No matter if you are dealing with employees at the service center or dealership you will find people who are polite and are looking to help you with whatever you need.
Loaner Cars At Many Service Centers
Another plus to owning a Mercedes is that if you get your vehicle serviced at their service center you can get a loaner car at many locations. No one enjoys waiting all day for their car to be serviced.
Many Mercedes service centers provide their customers with the option of receiving a loaner car, especially for longer service appointments. This allows you to continue on with your day while your vehicle is being cared for.
Safety Features
Safety features are very important for any vehicle in the event of an accident.
Below are some safety features Mercedes has to offer:
- Brake assist
- Blind spot assistance
- Mercedes emergency service
- Anti-lock braking system
- Attention Assist
- Antitheft alarm system
- Rear view camera
- Tire pressure monitoring
- Rain sensing windshield wipers
- Parking damage detection
Attention From Others
Some people want a Mercedes because of the level of status it present to the outside world, or because it gets them attention from people as they drive around.
This may not be a positive for all people, but if you are looking to present a certain image, driving a Mercedes can help you accomplish that feat.
Cons Of Owning A Mercedes
The cons of owning a Mercedes are as follows:
- Acquisition cost
- Cost of options
- Cost of ongoing maintenance
- More costly to own long term
- Premimum gas requirement
- Lack of a manual transmission
- Perception of others
Even though Mercedes is a wonderful desirable vehicle to own, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some downsides to owning one.
The below section will discuss the biggest cons to owning a Mercedes:
Acquisition Cost
The largest con of owning a Mercedes is the purchase price. Even though there are some lower-priced models, overall, Mercedes is one of the more expensive vehicles to get into.
Additionally, if none of the less expensive Mercedes models appeal to you, you will likely need to save up at least $50,000 to purchase a mid-tier Mercedes new.
Remember, if a new Mercedes is out of reach, you can find a certified pre-owned Mercedes and potentially save tens of thousands of dollars off the new purchase price point.
Cost Of Options
Another con is that Mercedes has expensive options. Although the starting price of some of the models may be attainable unless you want a base model vehicle the ending price point will be higher.
Many of the desirable features of these cars come at an additional cost. For example, if you want their 4MATIC all-wheel-drive option you will pay a couple thousand more than the same vehicle without 4MATIC.
Also, other features like certain exterior colors, certain wheels, navigation, keyless entry, heated seats, blind-spot assistance, and a heated steering wheel also have an additional cost.
If you select most of the more common popular options on your new Mercedes you can expect the purchase price to go up anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 over the starting price.
Cost Of Ongoing Maintenance
Another downside to owning a Mercedes is that the cost of maintenance can is expensive. Just regular maintenance items, such as an oil change, batteries, brakes, and spark plugs will be significantly more costly than those same parts on an American vehicle.
Generally, German parts are more expensive than the same parts for an American car. Also, German cars like Mercedes are usually designed in a manner that makes them more complicated to work on, making the labor cost higher as well.
The mixture of more expensive parts plus higher labor costs can result in a shock when the bill is presented.
More Costly To Own Long Term
Like with any car, the longer you own a car, the more repairs it is likely to need. Since cars are machines, it is normal for certain components to wear down over many years of use.
Accordingly, Mercedes that are kept past 100,000 miles typically need more expensive repairs than new versions of the same car.
Although this is relatively normal, because Mercedes parts and labor are so expensive, fixing some of these components can be very costly if you plan to keep the car for the long haul.
Premium Gas Requirement
For some people, the requirement of using premium gas can be a con as well. Although this isn’t a problem for everyone, the extra cost associated with premium gasoline can be a bit surprising for those who are used to driving vehicles that take regular gas.
Lack Of A Manual Transmission
A con for those who desire a vehicle with a manual transmission is that Mercedes no longer produces any vehicles with the option for a manual transmission in the United States.
You may be able to find an older Mercedes with a manual transmission if you are looking in the used market. For example, the 2015 SLK250 came with a stick shift.
Perception Of Others
Lastly, another thing to consider as a potential con of owning a Mercedes is the perception of others. Although some people like the attention that comes with owning a Mercedes, not all attention is good attention.
Because Mercedes is many people’s dream car, owning one can create envy which can cause issues with your boss, co-workers, and even some friends and family.
Sometimes, when you are driving a car that is someone else dream car but they can’t afford to purchase one, they may treat you differently out of jealously.
Hopefully, this isn’t something everyone will encounter but it is something to keep in mind as a possibility.
Final Thoughts
Mercedes are wonderful cars to own! Even though these cars are very desirable, that doesn’t make them right for everyone. If you have a decent budget for the purchase and ongoing maintenance a Mercedes could be the car for you.
However, if you don’t want to be shocked with high maintenance costs, use premium gas or prefer to drive a stick shift, you may want to consider some other luxury vehicle manufacturers.