See the note at the bottom of the first post in this thread! I wasn't getting any responses from my old thread in the SRT-6 forums and I spend all my time in the Crossfire Coupe forum anyhow.

 

While you are correct that the value will be lower further down the road, the car won't lose value as quickly as the Merc. Depreciation hits hardest in the first few years of ownership, and tapers off as time goes by. In addition, luxury cars lose their value much faster than other cars. Look at an S600 if you want a steep depreciation curve. The AMG badge will help a bit on depreciation, but less than you'd hope.

What that means is that financially, as you've said, the best move to make is to keep your crossfire. Going with an SRT-6 would also be a better option than getting a C55 (the depreciation has already slammed the SRT-6, while the C55 has a bit more to go IMO).

That said, this is assuming all things are equal. They are not. As you mentioned, fit and finish, interior space, perhaps the V8 engine note. In the end, it's all about your priorities, and if you feel that the C55 is worth it, then go for it. You might as well enjoy your youth while you still can. And house prices aren't going to go up like crazy for a while (you should buy a house because you want to live in it, not because it'll go up in value IMO... just like cars).

I personally only buy used cars, and I try to make them last as long as possible before getting another one. It's a lot easier to do that if you buy a car you love.

If you're gonna go for the C55, I'd haggle the price down a bit more. I fear the salesperson probably didn't drop the price much perhaps because he felt you're in love with the car.

 

I on the other hand bought my srt-6 when I was 18, I'm 19 now. I have my Sebring touring 06 and still have a car payment but wanted the srt-6 so bad. Found a great deal on one and talked with my parents. The main arguement being I'm only young once.... I will most likely not be buying a sports car in 5 years from now and I wouldn't be saving my money for a house otherwise so why not get it? It's sexy as hell, I work like a dog and who cares if I struggle once in a while to make my payments? It's sooo worth it as long as I make my payments every month then I'm fine. Btw I pay 770 a month for insurance and my two cars.

 

I am on par with what you are saying. I am planning to go forward with this transaction and will post pics of the new vehicle (I miss the days of uploading photos to the forum, but will use a photosharing website or something).

DesertFox, I think you put it perfectly "(you should buy a house because you want to live in it, not because it'll go up in value IMO... just like cars)." I think the same can be said for cars. I have enjoyed my Crossfire immensely, but is it realistic to believe that I will want to drive a small two-door coupe as my daily driver/friend carrier/family car for the next 5 to 10 years? Not in my mind. I am hoping that with the C55 I will be getting the best of both worlds, something I will enjoy driving on a day to day basis for years to come, and something that is practical (*cough cough* 16mpg city/22 mpg hwy practical) with a trunk and back seat.

The other thing I have been thinking about as a positive, and something that I am looking forward to, is that although the C55 is rare, there is no lack of mechanics who know how to work on a C-Class mercedes. I can essentially take it to any MB certified mechanic and have work done no questions asked. Sadly with the Crossfire, this has not been the case. I wouldn't go so far as to say I have been living in a state of fear, but I have certainly worried that god forbid something catastrophic fail the Crossfire, there are only one or two places that have a "Crossfire Tech" mechanic who will even touch the car, which doesn't provide many options.

The dealer won't haggle anymore. I could sit on it longer, which I have thought about, but all other C55s on the market right now with 30K miles or lower are priced at $28,000 and up.