[KadeSdad]

Here's my quote, as above but with a little extra:

"Standard car - £499.50+VAT per month (£586.91inc VAT)

Including Privacy Glass, Harmon Kardon and AMG Performance Pack - £676.18+VAT per month (£794.51inc VAT)

These rentals are based on 10k miles per annum and a 6+23 payment profile. The excess mileage charge is 9 pence(+VAT) per mile, which equates to £105.75 including VAT for every extra 1000 miles."

[sheps]

Cheaper than that? Not that I'm aware of.

As an example, assume you put 20k miles on it per annum
Your total cost of ownership will be £18,243.87 + VAT = £21,436.55

Bare in mind this figure includes that new bollocks showroom tax (or whatever it's called) which for this car I'm guessing will be in the top bracket of £900 or so - perhaps Palmnuts can confirm - plus year two RFL of £450.

If you were to buy the car I think you'd loose quite a bit more than this sum in depreciation and finance charges over two years.

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by sheps

Cheaper than that? Not that I'm aware of.

As an example, assume you put 20k miles on it per annum
Your total cost of ownership will be £18,243.87 + VAT = £21,436.55

Bare in mind this figure includes that new bollocks showroom tax (or whatever it's called) which for this car I'm guessing will be in the top bracket of £900 or so - perhaps Palmnuts can confirm - plus year two RFL of £450.

If you were to buy the car I think you'd loose quite a bit more than this sum in depreciation and finance charges over two years.

And Carl would also lose his testicles as well.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by willhollin

And Carl would also lose his testicles as well.

Yes. I most certainly would.

What about a used one?!

[RagingKileak]

Has anyone specced a like for like (nav plus other good shit) M3?

Matt

[sheps]

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

Has anyone specced a like for like (nav plus other good shit) M3?

Matt

Sort of, but from a different supplier.
I have lined up and ready to order:
M3 coupe
DCT
19's
usb audio
Bluetooth
heated seats

So, with the Merc I'm gaining HK and sunroof over the M3.
Cheapest supplier I found (who could actually get a car, not just give me BS figures) was on a 3+35 deal (15k per annum) at £690.

So, total cost of ownership (excl VAT) on the M3 would be £26.220 (38*£690)
Multiply that by two thirds to give a comparable 24 month cost = £17,305 or £721.05/month

Taking the cost of the merc in 'my' spec on a 10k lease at (6+23) * £567.03 and adding the 10k extra miles at 9ppm gives a total cost of ownership over two years of £17,343.87 or £722.66

That gives the impression that there's little in it, but I've fudged the figures for comparison - I've converted a 3 year BMW deal to a two year one on a pro rata basis, and it doesn't work like that.

If I were to compare a two year BMW deal I'd be looking at figues 15% higher than that I've used, which makes the Merc a lot more attractive, with, arguably, a stronger spec.

[Palmnuts]

Now, under £500 per month does look cheap but it is for a basic spec car....but with some options its looking like around £700pm?? I've never looked at a lease due to the fact that....

a) I change my cars too often - it would kill me to sign up to a 24/36 month deal that I couldn't get out of!

b) I don't own a business and neither do I work for a small enough business to be able to put a car through it.

I guess the prices quoted are all +VAT?


If so, the payments are 10% more than the monthly payment I've got on Mercedes Agility (PCP) and my car has virtually every option (full price, it's a few quid short of £66k). However, compared to 6 months up front, I am putting in more than double the amount as a deposit so it's all swings and roundabouts.

I guess for a VAT registered business owner, this contract hire deal looks the way to go but for anyone who wants a private individuals' point of view, consider this...

You should be able to get a decent spec'd example for around £53.5k after a reasonable 5% discount. This includes all the must have options which IMO are:

- AMG Locking Differential (THIS IS A MUST, DO NOT BUY A NEW C63 WITHOUT ONE!!!!)
- Comand (WELL, THIS IS ALSO A MUST!)
- 19" wheels
- Parktronic
- Harman Kardon

Anything else that I ordered is just nice to have stuff which includes Performance Pack Plus, Luxury Climate, Adaptive Lights, Designo Leather Dash, Heated Windscreen, Reversing Camera, Telephone Pre-Wire and....wait for it.....the most exciting part.....a Fire Extinguisher.

My suggested must-have options above would get a similar looking car to mine but with slightly less power (but as Dr Crap has highlighted, this is easily sorted with a remap) and a plastic dash (probably won't bother most of you!).

Then, using MB's current subsidised offer on their PCP and putting in about a £5-6k deposit, the payments should be around the £700 - £750 mark depending on length of term. These cars hold their value well so they have quite a high balloon payment (well into mid-£20k's), hence the reasonable monthly's.

So, not that I'm biased or anything but I reckon you should all go out and buy one of these BEASTS!!

Matt - as soon as you own any AMG, you can arrange the personalised factory visit - all you need is to email them an AMG VIN. However, you could just buy a £3k C32 and still do that!!

**BREAKING NEWS**BREAKING NEWS**BREAKING NEWS**

I've just had email confirmation from MB that my car is ready for collection!!!

I've got to contact them in the morning to arrange flights and hotel so it looks like my planned date for a week Monday is looking almost certain!




(Matt - this is different (and in addition to) the AMG factory tour and is available free of charge to anyone buying a new Mercedes)

[CHG]

Spoke to John just before closing today, and he said that he'd had a great response from you guys, with some of you wanting 2!

I'm probably going to get kicked off now if you lot all disappear off to mercedes forums

If any of you do decide to order, hope everything goes smoothly and if you have any questions about anything, let me know

[dxb335d]

Very happy for you Palmbowlacks.

I have to say, I have the major horn for these at the moment. Well since october actually.

I will have one, Very much doubt anytime soon though. (Other more important life stuff)

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by colourhutgroup

Spoke to John just before closing today, and he said that he'd had a great response from you guys, with some of you wanting 2!

I'm probably going to get kicked off now if you lot all disappear off to mercedes forums

If any of you do decide to order, hope everything goes smoothly and if you have any questions about anything, let me know

Tidy profit for you buds

[CHG]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Tidy profit for you buds

Ha I wish....I'm making nothing out of it

If I was buying something like this though, I still think i'd go for the M3. Although that AMG sounds incredible, the M3 is more my type of car

But, in sheps case, I'd take a C63 on a 2 year rather than an M3 on a 3 year...3 years is just too long for me.

Also by running a car on Business Contract Hire, there are advantages as far as tax and VAT are concerned, so if you're putting it through a business, i'd go for it over PCP

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by Palmnuts

**BREAKING NEWS**BREAKING NEWS**BREAKING NEWS**

I've just had email confirmation from MB that my car is ready for collection!!!

I've got to contact them in the morning to arrange flights and hotel so it looks like my planned date for a week Monday is looking almost certain!

Excellent news Andrew - well happy for you!!

[willhollin]

Great news Palmnuts, might be quicker taking the train though.

[sheps]

Originally Posted by colourhutgroup

Spoke to John just before closing today, and he said that he'd had a great response from you guys, with some of you wanting 2!

that would be me

[dxb335d]

Ah thanks mate, I'd love an early xmas present

[sheps]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Ah thanks mate, I'd love an early xmas present

You're welcome. I've got us matching white ones, that ok with you?

[dxb335d]

Cant facking wait. It done have the Performance pack right?!

[pjs]

From what I've seen of lease deals, to make them work for a private individual you need to avoid loading up with options if at all possible, its like £5k of options will add hardly anything to the future value, so for a 2 year deal, it'll cost an extra £200 a month which is a massve % increase even before you put Vat on. the 'Standard' deal is a winner for sure. You can get a win by spanking the extra milage, just look out for a clause that says you cant go past 25% of the agreed mileage.

[CHG]

Originally Posted by pjs

From what I've seen of lease deals, to make them work for a private individual you need to avoid loading up with options if at all possible, its like £5k of options will add hardly anything to the future value, so for a 2 year deal, it'll cost an extra £200 a month which is a massve % increase even before you put Vat on. the 'Standard' deal is a winner for sure. You can get a win by spanking the extra milage, just look out for a clause that says you cant go past 25% of the agreed mileage.

Interesting Point...Future Value is the big problem with leases, and different finance houses have different rules. I know when I got my last car, it was actually £10 per month cheaper to have metallic paint than Non-Metallic. Some on the other hand sadly don't, and maybe this is the issue here.

I've done what Simon suggested in the past and ordered cars on 10k, and then sent them back with 20k on, and just been sent a bill with no questions asked and at 9p excess mileage, it's not too bad at all.

If you're going down the personal route, a PCP is more attractive as you have the option to get out of it part way through the contract.

For me though and our company, Contract Hire works out best every time

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by pjs

From what I've seen of lease deals, to make them work for a private individual you need to avoid loading up with options if at all possible, its like £5k of options will add hardly anything to the future value, so for a 2 year deal, it'll cost an extra £200 a month which is a massve % increase even before you put Vat on. the 'Standard' deal is a winner for sure. You can get a win by spanking the extra milage, just look out for a clause that says you cant go past 25% of the agreed mileage.

This is exactly the case. Any options you spec onto a lease car essentially increases the monthly payments proportionatly by the extra outlay.

A very simple example, back in 2001, when I leased an Astra Coupe Turbo, I had a basic price, but to add leather, my monthly cost increased at exactly the cost of the leather divided over 36 months (the length of the contract).

Extras only improve the desireability of a car in, say 36 months, at auction, but doesn't necessarily increase the value. Not many finance houses are happy to take the gamble and factor an increased eventual sale price into the finance.

So a 3 year old Astra Coupe Turbo with leather is worth exactly the same as one without leather (like-for-like in all other areas) - it's just the one with leather will sell quicker.

[RagingKileak]

For that reason and most of the others above, I'm out.

Looking at some simpler maths... If I bought an AMG today outright for 55k (ish with my options) could I sell it in two years for about 35k?

Looking at them so far, I'd say yes (likely.) So why get stuck with a specced up one owned by a leading company with a TCO over two years which is greater than the difference? Ok, I take the risk not them, but I also reap the potential reward if it shifts for 37 for example.

OR I could get an M3 with nav for 524+ VAT according to AMS.

Matt

[TMP]

Originally Posted by colourhutgroup

Interesting Point...Future Value is the big problem with leases, and different finance houses have different rules. I know when I got my last car, it was actually £10 per month cheaper to have metallic paint than Non-Metallic. Some on the other hand sadly don't, and maybe this is the issue here.

I've done what Simon suggested in the past and ordered cars on 10k, and then sent them back with 20k on, and just been sent a bill with no questions asked and at 9p excess mileage, it's not too bad at all.

If you're going down the personal route, a PCP is more attractive as you have the option to get out of it part way through the contract.

For me though and our company, Contract Hire works out best every time

But you would still have to pay BIK on top as well? So if you owned the company, you pay almsot 1 1/2 times the amount for the car

Agree with the comments, £500 was on the right side of my 'good deal meter'...the options just blows it out the water

Originally Posted by RagingKileak

For that reason and most of the others above, I'm out.

Looking at some simpler maths... If I bought an AMG today outright for 55k (ish with my options) could I sell it in two years for about 35k?

Looking at them so far, I'd say yes (likely.) So why get stuck with a specced up one owned by a leading company with a TCO over two years which is greater than the difference? Ok, I take the risk not them, but I also reap the potential reward if it shifts for 37 for example.

OR I could get an M3 with nav for 524+ VAT according to AMS.

Matt

Yeap, take the risk and get some money back!

What spec M3 then, that is getting back to the magic number