[HammerHead]

Originally Posted by techspark

I am in the market for a new car and I have my heart on the Merc GLA Petrol. It is way beyond my budget but no other car has come close to impressing me more than the GLA.

Yesterday, I went to this showroom and there was a demo GLA 200 (petrol) with the following:

1. It's GLA 200 Petrol Registered on 2021 (Warranty already started)

2. It has run 13000 km on the odo and the dealer has told me it has been used as a demo car only.

I'll stay away from a demo car unless its from a 'luxury' brand, still under warranty for atleast 3 more years, still original paint wise and is offered with a handsome discount, upwards of 40%

The one you are talking about, I would say stay away! I thought demo cars are unregistered? Is that a wrong assumption?

[sydras]

I've booked a petrol GLA i.e. GLA200 in Bangalore and delivery is expected in July. Like you, I fell in love with the GLA at first. I was particularly impressed with how spacious the GLA turned out to be given it's relatively smaller 4.4m length (by luxury car standards) and also slightly lesser width than equivalent sedans. I test drove cars like the Superb, A4, 330Li, 6GT, A-Class and C-Class (most of which seemed to lack proper overall cabin space and reat seat legroom given their length).

However, a few weeks after booking the car, I began thinking about the puny 1.3L engine(although turbo charged) on offer in the GLA200. My current vehicle has a 1.5L NA engine so at the very least, I wanted a 1.8L or larger petrol engine.

I called up my SA and asked for a longish test drive (i.e. on the Bangalore New Airport Road) of the diesel GLA i.e. the GLA220D followed by the GLA200 back to back.

W.r.t. the test drive of the GLA220D, the power delivery was better and I was able to overtake vehicles easily in both comfort and sport mode. Truth be told, I could not make out much difference at all between the modes. What was problematic though was the noise of the diesel engine. Either the GLA platform is not well insulated or maybe a diesel car is just not for me. In any case, I don't want to hear the clatter or rattle of a diesel engine after dropping more than 60 big ones!

W.r.t. test drive of the GLA200, it felt nicer but I was struggling to overtake other vehicles at high speeds in comfort mode. I was only able to overtake easily after switching to sport mode. I would've considered the GLA35 AMG but the black interiors everywhere (including the roof and pillars) and spare wheel eating boot space are not to my liking. Not to mention the 75.5L asking price. But 300hp is 300hp!

However, I retook a similar, longish test drive of the A4 yesterday and boy was the difference in drive obvious. I connected really well with the car and after driving the GLA, it felt like a silky smooth (190hp) go kart. There was more than enough power in both comfort and sport modes and I finished the test drive with less sweating on my back also as compared to the 2 TDs of the GLA variants. Looks like the art leather used for the seats is also superior.

I'm now reconsidering my booking decision. Yes, I know that rear seat legroom and headroom are less but I now feel that Mercedes should've ensured adequate power as well.

Why I am writing all this is to share my test drive experience of the GLA200 so far since you are considering the same model and to suggest that you take a long test drive of whatever you consider. Now is a bad time to be in the luxury car market especially if you have 50-60L budget.

[r24x7]

Someone I know bought a demo c220 for a flat 30% off the on road price. Go for your heart only if you are offered with that kind of a discount.

The demo car has been around for 4 years and is still being relished every moment now. Cheers!

[Raghu M]

By posting your query here, you have landed in a huge confusion. I guess, the forum suggests (rather screams!) people to stay away from demo cars. And there are valid reasons for it. You are stretching your budget by a huge margin. Let's say there is some major issue which is not covered in the warranty, what will you do? You will find yourself in a very difficult situation. Like some have suggested, please try to find a good one from the used market. I bet you will get much better deals. It's a good idea to invest the balance money rather than buying a demo car.

[100Kmphormore]

The forum screams out loud - stay away from demo cars! The inner devils will be lurking until the 5 year mark and make a grand comeback. I have personally seen how the Big 3 demo cars are driven and it’s a big no-no. Nothing orally, get everything in writing and do a complete mechanical inspection even if it costs you some money even if it’s not refundable if you’re that set on the car.

[vj123]

This question comes up regularly and my response has always been the same.

I have always recommended family and friends to avoid demo cars irrespective of the discount. Most people who drive these vehicles do not care about it, one example might be warming up the engine before exploring its capability and those details mean a lot for if you are planning to keep this vehicle for a while.

I would prefer a well cared single owner vehicle over a demo any day.

[shankar.balan]

In India in general we dont have much respect for anyone’s property other than our own. This applies especially to these poor demo cars. I have seen the way even the showroom sales people drive and demonstrate humble cars like the Honda Brio. There is no concept of any kind of care. The situation is no different with high end cars. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon demo at the dealership also sees huge abusive mileage. There are innumerable people who like to test drive vehicles to pass the time. And there are these wannabe Youtubers and reviewers too, who are crawling all over the place. The maintenance given to these cars is minimal. I dont think the poor things ever see anything like periodic tyre balancing and wheel alignment. Engine and other oil changes are probably the only things that are done occasionally. Even the overall condition of demo cars is dirty, with muddy mats and dust on the outside.
India has harsh operating conditions. Coupled with this innate lack of care in the attitude, I would (as almost everyone else has also said), stay away from a dealer demo car.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by techspark

Thank you everyone for your valuable inputs. Here is the picture of all repairs shared by the salesperson. I feel this car has met with a small accident otherwise why would the tail light be replaced. I have a final meeting tomorrow and will update the best price I get for it

So this passes as a Mercedes Demo Car in India. That's an abused car man.

I've bought a demo car abroad and I can see that the difference is like day and night.

As much as the discounts may be tempting, I think you are better off shopping for a well maintained used luxury car that's still under warranty. All the best.

[funkykar]

A demo car is the last thing one should buy. That too 13k is like 130k of a normal car.

We Indians tend to abuse demo/test rides/ rental cars. It comes naturally to us. When testing, often users try the extremes. Also, the dealership cares too little about demo cars, to the extent they don't even fuel them properly and 99/100 cars u will see them running on reserve light, so low that the fuel needle doesn't even move a millimeter, as though the meter isn't working. For any issues/services, they spend the least on them. Don't forget, the more the premium car, the more trouble may arise.

[4nd3r50n]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Merc use the Renault engine in the GLA? The same turbo-petrol engine that's used in the Renualt Duster providing similar torque and acceleration numbers? If my information is correct, then other than the Merc badge and perhaps better creature comforts, I can't find any value in this deal which will probably be upwards of 30L+, if not more. As @GTO rightly pointed out, there are probably better options available in the market than this car.

[Apex1815]

No, not at all.

13000 Kms driven on a Personal Vehicle is different than 13000 km on a Test Drive Vehicle as a Test Drive vehicle goes under immense torture by sales people and hundreds of potential customers who have interviewed this car.

Better buy a new car which suits your budget, that will give you at least the Peace of mind.

Good Luck !

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by techspark

No scratches or dent outside and the interiors look good too but Inside there is one problem, the steering wheel (which is leather stitched) cover has cuts on the leather wrap like some animal has scratched it - this is probably the biggest red flag for me because no one driving a merc would be so reckless to cut or scratch the steering cover. The salesperson told me this cannot be fixed.

I would stay away. Salesperson should be going extra mile in ensuring that the car is refurbished to the T before even showing the car to potential buyer.

Better would be to look outside for a 2-3 years old GLA with decent running. One-owner-one-user is often better than demo cars, IMO.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by techspark

It is way beyond my budget

This statement is enough for you to reject the car. All others are secondary. Stay away as this may be an accidental car and the speedometer may be tweaked for show lesser mileage. Dealers are officially allowed one change of speedometer reading.

[jkrishnakj]

techpark - eventually, if you indeed happen to buy (I see many advising to stay away and I’ll say the same too) please make sure you negotiate the extended warranty and also a service package.

[one-77]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Dealers are officially allowed one change of speedometer reading.

Could you please elaborate on this?
Who has allowed this? The government?
Or Mercedes?
Could you please also share any document pertaining to the matter?