I currently have a lease expiring October 2022. I sort of want to plan ahead and determine the best course of action. I do not want another Mercedes even though I have been very happy with my current GLE 350. I originally bought the car because I have always wanted one. However, now that I am old enough, it is time to get something a little bit cheaper. Due to the current situation in the world with market adjustments and global chip shortages, I think the best way to save money on a new car would be to get it at MSRP by placing an order but am concerned about a few things.
My miles for the car will exceed the limit by the end of the lease term. I drove it much more than I thought I would (to work) because of the pandemic. I could easily end the lease with 4,000 more miles.
2)I do have some about 2 deep paint scratches that are about 2-3" but is located at the very end of side fender next to the wheel. There is another scratch but that once can be buffed out.
There is a few dents at the bottom of the the front lower bumper in the trim molding.
There is a seat tear in the driver seat and also starting in the passenger seats but I have been told and read that it should be covered under warranty. I saw similar pictures that other people have posted and they all said it should be covered.
Other than the above, there is nothing else wrong with the car.
According to MBFS, the pay off is $49,200. Vroom and Carmax (online quote’s) quoted me between 49K and 45K for the car. The residual on the car is $37,771.
If I wanted to get rid of the car now to another Mercedes dealership (3rd party buyout is no longer allowed), is it possible if I can get the dealership just to take the car as is without paying nothing or receiving anything in return (like equity) in it’s current state?
The problem with me waiting to the end of the lease term is that I have a few major life events at the end of the year and I do not want to be stuck dealing with my lease options then. I rather tackle it early. and get into a new lease with a different brand.
And yes, I would be asking for quotes from local Mercedes’ dealerships to see what they’ll pay for it. Why wouldn’t you want positive equity if you can get it??
$920. If I can get equity then that is cool but I feel with the issues above they might give me a bill for thousand of dollars because of a small scratch. I rather let them keep it without them trying to explain to me the laundry list of things that will need to be fixed.
Since you have until October it would be wise to proactively address as much of what you are describing yourself. Regardless of if you turn the lease in or sell it, you will be penalized monetarily for the items you list. The dents and scratches sound like something a competent paint less dent repair shop should be able to take care of for a few hundred dollars. The tear in the seat, if it’s between the panels and you have MB-Tex (not real leather) should be covered under warranty like you said. Make the appointment and get that figured out sooner rather then later.
So when you sell the car to a dealer, it’s “as-is”. You won’t get any additional bill for damage, it will just be factored into their buyout quote. You only get a bill if you return the lease in a regular fashion.
Contact a Mercedes dealer or 2, also do an Autonation quote as they can buyout Mercedes leases. Luckily for you, GLE’s are high in demand and low in supply. So that will help mitigate some of your damage concerns.
Ok, thanks for the input. To give an idea of the seat issue (Yes MB Tex) see the attached photo (not my phot but same positioning on how it all started). However, it is not much more noticeable since I last saw it.
