A Thing Happened And A Thing Was Did

[ccap41]

A couple months ago the fiance' got rear ended in her 2005 G500. Everybody was okay, that I know of. The rear-ender I think went to the ER but we never heard anything after. I don't believe it was anything serious. Anyway, it was enough to total her G500. For better or worse that thing is a tank. They were all sore the next few days, as with most any accident but for getting hit at about 40-50mph while standing still(they were waiting to turn left on a two-lane road) it held up almost as if it hadn't been smoked from behind. 

Well, she got an Outlander as a rental almost two weeks later. Their insurance company was being a huge pain in the @ss. Somewhat ironically, when I got in my accident the same company was extremely efficient and easy to deal with as a victim and making a claim against them, State Farm. It was alright, I never got to drive it as I wasn't the one who rented it or had my name on it and I never really needed to but I rode in it a couple times. It's an alright vehicle. There were 2-3 times in the two times I was in it thought that the transmission wouldn't upshift and I had to most it to "Sport" then back to "Drive" to get it up upshift. That was weird.

Anyway, so the insurance company ended up totaling the vehicle. 234,000 miles and I would say it was only in "okay" shape at that point. They gave her $40,000 for that thing. I was expecting $20-25,000 after looking at them online. So that was a pleasant surprise. Bought for $55,000 and ten years and almost 200,000 miles later got $40,000 for it(bought used).

So I know she is a huge Mercedes fan and likely wouldn't want anything else. I tried getting her to look at anything modern and SUV they offered for her. She ONLY wanted an SUV. She also ONLY wanted boxy.. you can probably see where this is going.. I really tried to get her into either a GLC or GLE as they are much better all around vehicles than a G Wagen. Well, her heart was already set on another G Wagen. She simply doesn't like how anything else looks. 

Well, she got another G Wagen. 2011 G55 AMG with 39,000 miles for $59,000. We had to make a trip to Chicago for it(about 4.5 hours each way). We rented a Buick Encore so we didn't have to take two vehicle home and I have a buddy who is a regional Hertz manager so we got the vehicle for only $78 after everything(insurance, prepaid gas, & taxes) which was considered two days but I believe we only had to pay for one. 

It is pretty much the same thing she had before but more badass. 5.4L Supercharged V8, 500hp/516tq. The thing scoots for such a big and heavy girl. I have the female vehicle and she has the manly vehicle, Hahaha

I'll upload pictures in a comment. I actually don't have any pictures of the new one other than the ones I took off the dealer's page a day or two after she bought it. 

Accident + rental Encore(missing the grille emblem)

The “new” G55 AMG. They’re screen shots so probably piss poor quality, sorry. 

[ykX]

Congrats, it is very cool vehicle. 

I am not a huge fan of G-wagen AMG (I think proper off road vehicles need to be geared for off road, not on road racing) but at least this thing is cool, cooler than all the regular vanilla crossovers.  Hope it serves her well.

The old G-wagen looks hardly damaged, surprising it was totaled.

[ccap41]

52 minutes ago, ykX said:

Congrats, it is very cool vehicle. 

I am not a huge fan of G-wagen AMG (I think proper off road vehicles need to be geared for off road, not on road racing) but at least this thing is cool, cooler than all the regular vanilla crossovers.  Hope it serves her well.

The old G-wagen looks hardly damaged, surprising it was totaled.

Thanks-ish(not mine)!

This was before the 20+ inch wheels were on AMGs so I wouldn't say it is any less capable than a G500/550. Once they were G63's I'd agree more with you. Regardless, this isn't going to do any wheelin'... 

If you look at the first picture, you can see there is a puddle of gasoline leaking out. I never really got an opportunity to check out the vehicle after the accident but I have to assume the frame bent and that is what really totaled it. That and with what it is, it isn't like a frame replacement for a Mercedes G Wagen would be a realistic repair job. 

[frogger]

$59,000->$40,000 in ten years and 200,000 miles, that is pretty awesome, even if the maintenance costs were a little high.

 

[balthazar]

Great deal for you: kbb says that year/mileage has a value of only $15K.

[ccap41]

KBB never looks at supply and demand, from what I can tell. The more rare, unique, older, the more and more off KBB gets. 

[balthazar]

I dunno, they claim they use sold pricing (which is a lot more realistic that asking prices) :

Kelley Blue Book receives real-world used car prices on a daily basis from wholesale auctions, independent and franchised dealers, rental fleets, auto manufacturers, lessors, and private party transactions.

[ccap41]

Well, insurance companies have to replace a vehicle and if everything being sold is X dollars, then it doesn't matter what KBB is stating because they have to give enough to replace the vehicle. That, in-turn, makes KBB wrong in those cases. 

You can also look at cars like 03-04 Cobras and KBB is well off what everybody is asking and buying them for. WS6 Trans Ams and LS1 SS Camaros are other examples. 

They're not going to give you X thousand less than asking prices just because some people negotiate lower pries. 

[balthazar]

Right, but insurance replacement check is not market value. Its not worth $40K, you happened to get $40K for it. There is a difference. Like when I got $4600 for my $525 truck thru Cash-4-Clunkers. I never could have sold it for that much privately.

Asking prices are immaterial to vehicle value.

Edited September 25, 2019 by balthazar

[ccap41]

It's worth what people pay for them. If people pay 40k for them, that's their value. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Congrats on the new brick.  You can drive your car with the parking brake on if you want to match her gas mileage.

[David]

Congrates, welcome to the Brick Club again!  😛 

[ccap41]

Hahaha thanks.

I'm not sure if my car will allow me to drive with the parking brake engaged because it's electronic.. Well, at least not partially engaged. I still don't think I would get as bad of fuel economy as that thing, especially considering it drinks 91 octane.