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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans

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Comments

  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    2ndmb: Sorry to jump in late on this. My vote goes for the E430 4-matic, given that you live in a northern climate. My brother in law who lives in Boston has two MB's in their household - a 2000 E320 4-matic Wagon and a 2001 E430 4-matic. They are both fabulous.

    I have driven the 2003 E320 and E500 and yes, they are somewhat better handling, tighter cars than the previous model. But not by a huge margin, IMO. I still think as "driver's" cars, the E-class is a few rungs down from the 5-series. And considering it's lofty price fully loaded, the E500 comes dangerously close to approaching the price I paid for an M5 last March. With all due respect, if you simply want a "drivers" car, you can do better than the E-class.

    On the other hand, I think the E430 4-matic with a V-8 at $50k is a great deal that delivers what Mercedes does best - solid build quality, luxury, and all-season practicality. If I lived in the snow belt, I would be hard pressed to think of a better alternative.
  • retnavretnav Member Posts: 25
    I currently own an Acura 3.5 RL (2000) and am very pleased with it. Great torque and no service problems in 20K miles. At the Washington Auto show today I spent a fair amount of time investigating a new E320. With heated seats, improved sound, sunroof the car listed for $53310. I also would want mudguards all round. Are there folks here who can/will opine as to whether the E320 is really worth the money over an RL. I know the RL takes a beating in the mags, but I have had two of them and they are exceptional cars especially in terms of maintenance. Also, why is a rear wheel drive car with a drive shaft preferable to front wheel drive? I know I need to drive this car. I am really leery of paying a lot more for an MB then discover I really prefer the RL. Any of you folks made that switch--- how do you feel? Thanks
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    FWD vs. RWD - Wheels that have to turn as well as power are not as good as a set of wheels who's only function is to power the car. It's better to push than pull. There's torque steer as well which means when you press the accelerator hard the steering wheel tries to turn by itself.

    value - It's very, very subjective. If you go to the RL board, they'll give you a whole page of justifications why the RL is a better value than the E. No doubt you'll get a long list here too. You could also ask whether a RL is worth the money over an Accord. The Accord gets better and better every year. There is no reason why anyone wanting great transportation to go from point A to point B should need to pay more than $25K for a car. The unspoken answer of many on why they'd get an E320 over the RL is because they can afford it.

    I'd say for 10K extra you'll get a more solid car, thicker sheet metal, a car more technolgically advanced, and a German ride vs. a Japanese ride.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    Footie doesn't hate Herb Chambers. I've come to the conclusion that he works for them.
  • aaragamaaragam Member Posts: 9
    Retnav,

    I realized on one sunny, beautiful morning on Main Street in Manayunk, PA that I would buy a MB not totally for myself but for others (!); for myself I would do with an Accord or the Civic (77k miles and no problems yet). Check w/ Jeff Bezos as he is a living example of a bill're who drove an Accord (or still is?); Warren Buffet who switched from an old VW to a Cadillac after he was 55+ only because of the safety that is offered...

    MBs are bought for a variety of reasons apart from the great, keen Engineering, Quality of construction, raw Automotive prowess, safety-first motto (and not so outstanding japanese-like-reliability); it is also to cherish childhood (rather mortal) dreams among others; take advantage of the statement a 3-pronged star makes in a not-so-fair-to-modesty world; where impression matters a great deal and clinches the deal.

    Not that nobody here didn't know, but there are subtler reasons to buying a MB...

    If there are 50% votes to remove this post - if it is indeed deemed rambling, I will gladly delete the post..

    BTW, I am taking possession my '03 E320 today. We have come up with a list of name for the plates. Will post about my experience with the car soon..Baby, I can't wait.
  • 2ndmb2ndmb Member Posts: 72
    Thanks for your comments, I tend to agree with your prospective. You're right about handling, a 5 series is more sport than luxury, I know since I owned a the first year of the current style 5 series(97-528i)I have a Boxster S and have the ability to go for performance when the weather is right. Now it's just convincing my better half that I want to get yet another new car........
  • et610et610 Member Posts: 40
    Why would you think anyone would want you to delete your post? It makes perfect sense and many will identify and agree with it. I can't see your reason for thinking it would be objectionable to anyone.
  • bubba3007bubba3007 Member Posts: 38
    Tell us more about your list of names for your plates. Mine are from Nebraska and read AMENDS. . . as in the Joplin song:

    ". . .My friends all drive Porches, I must make AMENDS."

    Bubba
  • mbnut1mbnut1 Member Posts: 403
    Cute...
  • r1_97r1_97 Member Posts: 181
    " realized on one sunny, beautiful morning on Main Street in Manayunk, PA that I would buy a MB not totally for myself but for others (!); for myself I would do with an Accord............ "

    Why not ask the other person(s) for whom you are buying the car, which he/she/they would prefer. Anyone who can afford a MB should have enough self confidence to make their own decision on what car they want without concern for what others think.

    I can't figure out why you would consider removing your posting. Do you really think your posting is of such importance that we should take a survey to determine if a majority of respondents want it removed or not?

    Your opinions are as welcome here as anyone else's. Happy New Year!
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Hi posters,

    I don't work for Herb Chambers and never have.

    I haven't bought a car there either. I shopped there back in June when I was looking at Minis.

    I put their inventory info out here from time to time for several reasons.

    One to make sure everyone North of the Delaware Memorial Bridge knows that they have a large (and growing) of EVERY major MB car type, C, E, S. It's very easy to access online. They don't do such a good job telling you what the options are on each car. You have to contact their ISD's to find that out or reverse engineer them from likely option mixes.

    Two, as Merc1 points out, it helps folks negotiate. There's between $4k and $7K of profit on the standard E Class cars. There's absolutely no reason to believe that you have to pay MSRP. You just have to be discrete about where you shop. Some people like to pay high prices for stuff and that's their right. The point is you don't have to.

    Finally there was this frenzy attitude when the new E was released that they were going like hot cakes everywhere. They didn't seem to be moving fast here (except for on-order cars) and still don't seem to be.

    Chambers E-class inventory has crept up steadily since introduction and they have 100 right now. The Director of Internet Sales said that this week is usually a very active week for them in the luxury car stores. Unless they were selling them out back for cash, none of their E's left inventory this week, so they ought to be pretty hungry.

    Current Chambers inventory offers a staggering selection in every MB category

    100 E's
    157 C's
    32 S's (including 10 leftover 02's)
    4 SL's (!)
    11 CL's
    some odds and ends CLK/SLK cars

    If you don't live up this way, try Topeka, Kansas. Scholfield Auto Plaza sells MB, Lexus, Jaguar, Acura and Porsche. They are friendly and usually very negotiable. They had a NEW C320 Wagon on ebay in April for about $4.5K UNDER MSRP (no reserve). They have 4 E320's, 4 E500's and a leftover 02 E430 out there where Toto's from.

    Good luck shopping and Happy New Year
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    "Two, as Merc1 points out, it helps folks negotiate."

    I said that?

    ______________

    Anyway, on this inventory thing. Can you tell me about this dealer and the number of cars they sell a year? I have a hard time believing that any dealer would have 100 E-Classes on their lot. That more than some Nissan dealers stock in Altimas. Dealers here (Chicagoland) keep about 3-5 E's on hand, and about the same in S-Classes. My local dealer (Mercedes-Benz of Naperville) has about 4 Es, 6 S-Classes, 3 CLs (1 is a 2002) and probably the last 2002 SL600 left in the U.S. Now they do have about 15-20 C-Classes, but they have no CLK coupes and only one SL, a SL55. I just can't picture 100 E-Classes on any dealers lot. If that is the case they HAVE to cut you a deal, and thus it wouldn't be too smart on their part to stock that many cars.

    M
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Well, Merc1, maybe all of these folks are faking their inventory but I don't think so.

    Try the website Herbchambers.com. Home page has "Entire New Inventory button", click it, select Mercedes, select E-Class
    They even list the VIN numbers.... They have 7 (Seven!) left over 2002 E's.

    You can also take a look at Mercedes of Westwood ( at clair.com ), which is a part of the Clair Motors group. They just built a huge new facility in Westwood, MA just off Route 128. They are smaller than Chambers. They have 42 E's in stock this morning, including 1 E320, 2 E430's and 2 E55's from 02.

    Clair's site is nicer than Chambers because they actually list the option code list by MB number on most vehicles.

    The only other nearby dealership if Foreign Motors West in Natick MA and they don't keep their inventory on line.

    Good luck
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    It is 62,000 square feet ( 1.4 acres ) and has an 18 car indoor showroom.
  • jim256jim256 Member Posts: 14
    I did have an experience when looking at dealers' "on-line inventory" with another German marque, and found that the inventory they listed still had some "sold" cars but also had the ones "due-in" from the factory allocated to that dealer. In other words, it had about 60-90 days worth of volume. I once saw a car salesman training tape a sales friend shared with me--it advised the trainees when they got an inquiry about a specific car to always say they had just that car and color in stock, that they were having a special sale, and that if the person showed up, tell him he should have acted more quickly since "it" was just sold. I'm not saying all dealers play this game, but visiting the lot will tell you more about inventory, and calling the dealer will probably tell you more about their interest in selling over he phone or internet. I had better info on that other German marque after I did that.
  • aaragamaaragam Member Posts: 9
    We came up with several; Finally I chose one which is spiritual - OM; I have to apply for it yet. Hopefully I will get it.. The word is considered a universal sound in Yoga and is used as a sacred utterance.

    Other names we came up with but are letting go are (these can be used by anybody except for commercial purposes if not already used)
    - BLU BLEU
    - XCUSE ME (my son blurted out this one when I and my wife were listing; and he thought this was a choice also)
    - O BABE
    - I CAN
    - S ICAN
    - O YEAH

    By the way, my wife drove the car from the dealership; she felt great; When I drove it later I could feel the engine was very quiet all along; in city the car is very quiet - I drive my Honda Civic to work - you can guess I feel the difference, but on the expressway you will hear the road noise a bit more than I expected. The braking while coming to a stop - as is discussed on the forum - is a bit 'waving' - the sensotronic brake control kicks in more than you may want it, but I didn't feel it to be too distracting. The car is a gizmobile - as my 8 yr old son called it; the ambient or soft lighting features reminds you that you are indeed in a lux. car. Today it was raining a lot and I didn't want to take it out. The interior sides are fabric and are easily prone to shoe smears; I found the head lamps brighter than my expectations but shorter coverage distance perhaps; these are my first impressions; anyway as my wife was driving it back to home from the dealership, a few heads did turn around in our community, some smiles and that felt good.

    Will post more of the experience as I get used to it more.

    The salesman recommended an option to keep the brake lining or the wheel wells from getting dirty; does anybody know of this option and its cost; and its worthiness?
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    When you said something spiritual and OM I thought the words might have stood for O Mighty, or Ole' Mighty if said irreverently.

    Wouldn't the universal sound in yoga be more like OMMMMMM?

    The option to keep brake lining or the wheel wells from getting dirty is also known as mud guards. I've had them in some cars and not in others. Haven't really noticed any difference. It might add a few bucks to the salesman's pockets and probably wouldn't look good in this car.

    BTW, I've found the Xenons to be quite disconcerting. They might be brighter, but there's definitely a sharp demarcation in the area of the light horizontally. I prefer the old yellow headlights.
  • 20endicott20endicott Member Posts: 6
    Any information on the DVD Navigation system to be dealer installed during the first quarter of '03. Dealers/MB were promoting the accessory for $1625 installed.
  • 20endicott20endicott Member Posts: 6
    An after market option for OEM xenon lights for '03 E class, Optilux whites (Hella) are available in Std 55 watts H7. High Beams can be replaced with ease. Low beams are a challenge- any tech guru's out there!! Dealer of course is not very cooperative.
  • mbdrivermbdriver Member Posts: 426
    Regarding the usefulness of putting mud guards on an E-Class, I can speak only for the W210 and not the new E. I wouldn't be without them.

    Take a close look at the rear part of both the front and rear tires and the wheel wells. On my 2000 E320, the bottom part of the front tires protrude outside or beyond the wheel well and lower rocker panels; if I didn't have mud guards installed, the front tires would kick up moisture and dirt onto the lower panels. Similarly, the rear tires would splash the grime onto the lower rear part of the rear fenders.

    As for appearance, my mud guards are OEM, black and molded to follow the lines of the rear part of the fender housing. They aren't readily noticeable but, if anything, I think they enhance the looks of the car.

    Just my 2 cents worth!
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    aaragam:
    Your salesman may have been referring to brake dust shields that get installed between the wheel and the wheel hub. They are supposed to reduce the amount of brake dust that ends up on the alloy wheels. They have been discussed many times here and there are widely varying opinions on their effectiveness. I have no opinion: I have not used them..
  • aaragamaaragam Member Posts: 9
    OM is the word - how it is spelled; the utterance can vary according to how long one can - it could be OMMMMMMMMMMMM or OOOOOOMMMMMMMMMmmmmmm, etc. btw another such spiritual combo is SRI OM which is my second choice - SRI refers to one form of the Almighty...OM pays homage...

    mbdriver - thanks, I wanted the mud flaps, the salesman wasn't aware of its use. In a country such as India (where I come from) where the roads are not as good (urghhhhhhh!), these were always necessary. I will get them soon.

    microrepair - I guess you are mentioning the same what the salesman talked about; will explore the archives.. thanks....
  • 20endicott20endicott Member Posts: 6
    I have used brake dust shields,it did reduce the brake dust. However it caused overheating and distortion to the rotors, had to replace rotors and pads at a cost of >$500.00. A good alloy wheel cleaner and a hose is your best bet.
  • wmoliverwmoliver Member Posts: 4
    I will be purchasing a E320 in the DC metro area in the next couple of months. Which dealership should I go to and which sales person should I use? What about the "internet" sales people?
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    Buy from Euromotorcars in Bethesda. My salesman is no longer there but anyone will do. Remember, there is an approximate 7 percent markup on Invoice and a 3 percent dealer holdback. Edmunds will give you the exact numbers. You should be able to get your car for $500-800 over actual dealer cost. Good Luck!!
  • bubba3007bubba3007 Member Posts: 38
    Aaragm, I like the OM, hope you get it. My second choice was GU10TAG, I thought it would have been really nice on a German car. Before I bought the MB I had an Acura Integra GTR, the plates on it were HAIKU. Is there anyone else here that likes to have fun with their Personal Plates? Share with us.

    Bubba

    ". . .my friends all drive Porches, I must make AMENDS. . ." J. Joplin
  • mbdrivermbdriver Member Posts: 426
    wmoliver - I second what donald02 said about EuroMotorcars in Bethesda. I live close to Tysons, but bought my 2000 E320 from Euro. I found the treatment, courtesy and negotiation there to be a pleasure. I dealt with Sudhir Katyal, a real no-pressure pro, and I'll definitely go back to him, if and when.

    My service advisor is Andy Guida, the best of the best. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.
  • omasterqomasterq Member Posts: 6
    i brought mine from HBL a few weeks ago and had good experience with my sales person mark stephens. a very fine gentleman. don't have enough to say about the dealership itself. i remember i was there a few months ago, stood in the show room for a good 10 minutes and was totally ignored. don't know whether it was how i dressed that day or was it my skin color which i couldn't really do much about. anyway, mark was great and you may want to consider as your second option.

    have heard good thing about Euromotorcars. guess i didn't want to fight the beltway traffic :-).
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    "You should be able to get your car for $500-800 over actual dealer cost."
    That's more of a wish than fact. It has not been the experience of most of the posters here. Many have paid MSRP.

    Regarding brake dust shields, posters across many boards have all recommended against it for the reason 20endicott said - overheating.
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    Dealerships make most of their money on used cars and service. A new car costs them nothing until they have to pay the factory after the car is delivered. A profit of $500-800 per car is a great return for them. The only exception is when supply is less than demand then they can increase the margin. Suggest you get the dealer's cost for the car you want (considering hold back and invoice markup) add $500-800 and make your offer. If that dealer won't accept, then call other dealers within 2 or 3 hundred miles of your home and make your offer to their sales manager. You'll get your deal!!
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    It all depends on the car, I once got an Accord for my nephew at $2K under invoice.

    But how many posters on this board have gotten their E's for $5-800 over invoice?
  • houstonmerchoustonmerc Member Posts: 65
    I suspect it all comes down to supply and demand, doesn't it. The internet has increased the amount of info that buyers have so it's easier to make informed decisions. I bought a 2000 E320 in June, 2000 before the market crashed. I did many hours of research and asked people I knew in my city and paid full sticker just like everybody else. 6-12 months later they were selling for slightly more than invoice.
  • rbrenton88rbrenton88 Member Posts: 186
    Mbdriver mentioned mudflaps for the W210 E320. Does anyone know if they can be had for the sport bodystyle? (E430 Sport)

    -rb
  • rlschirlschi Member Posts: 1
    My E500 was delivered with "H" rated tires, although the E2 option package specifies "W." The dealer installed correct tires, but no action on 130 MPH electronic limiter. Zone manager claims that factory sometimes makes a "mistake" on particular country vehicle equipment as this is a world car, and presumably the limiter is correctly set at approx. 150 MPH. While I'll probably never exceed even the 130 mark, there was no mention (other than fine print in owner's manual) of the tire rating/speed limiter issue. Any one else have the same experience?
  • irvinelawirvinelaw Member Posts: 3
    I picked up an E500 (E2, folding rear seat, V60 phone, and CD player) last night for $750 over invoice in Orange County, CA with very little difficulty. Maybe it was a slow night, or maybe it was that a lady drove off the lot without buying just as I was walking in the door.

    I tried to pre-buy the navigation Comand, but was told that the special offer expired and is no longer available.

    Love the car.
  • crazymalercrazymaler Member Posts: 16
    Which particular dealer was this and can I have the name of your salesman if you don't mind =)

    Thanks!
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    MB is not a mass market dealer like Honda or Toyota. Typically they don't sell as many cars and there are not as many MB dealers in an area.

    And consider the salesmen. If you can get a car for $5-700 over invoice who's going to pay them? And from what I hear, a sales job a MB is the pinnacle of carsales jobs - they must make over 100K there.

    That is not to say you can't get deals. My friend got about 1K off his 2003E320 which was on the lot, and I got about the same for my old C-class even though it was a special order. However, all new style cars coming in, the S-classes in 2000(?), the new E in 2002, the new CLs, etc. are pretty much all MSRP.
  • irvinelawirvinelaw Member Posts: 3
    To Crazymaler: I got my E500 from Caliber Motors in Anaheim. The salesman's name is Wade Liu; he was polite and helpful. I also looked at MB of Laguna Niguel - I spoke with someone who bought on 12/31 and he received a deal at $500 over invoice.
  • innerloopinnerloop Member Posts: 26
    These reports of near-invoice E sales really calls into question the accuracy of the Edmunds TMV calculations. Does they just lag far behind the market, or are they just plain wrong? They still show the E320 as having a TMV exactly equal to MSRP, and I am in the same area as all these near-invoice posters, what gives?
  • mbdrivermbdriver Member Posts: 426
    rbrenton88 -- The MB OEM mud flaps will fit any W210 E-Class, including (I'm almost certain) the E430 Sport. When my dealer tried to install mine on my 2000 E320 and had trouble, they discovered that although the box/packaging was marked "E-Class," the mud flaps would not fit. They called the distribution center with the MB part number, and it turned out that the mud flaps had been mispackaged. and were actually for a C-Class.

    Several days later the dealer received the correct E-Class mud flaps and they were installed in minutes.

    Hope this helps -- your dealer's parts department should be able to confirm that they will fit your E-430 Sport.

    houstonmerc -- I bought my 2000 E320 in late April 2000 (D.C. area) and paid around $1,000 over invoice. I guess the going price depends on where you shop.
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    There have been many posts over the years lamenting how the "dealers" will only sell for MSRP or for a small amount under MSRP. Americans seem conditioned to not want to bargain for anything but houses. Somehow it's unseemly to "bargain". I lived in Italy for a year and once you learn how to bargain in Europe you can get much better deals in the US.

    The dealer wants to move his product, perform service functions, make a reasonable profit, and keep the system running. Then how do you get a 'good' deal? Notice I didn't say the best deal! (If you know what it takes to make you happy then go for it.) First you determine specifically the car you want and what deviations you will accept. You determine what the exact cost to the dealer is for the car you want including 'dealer holdback'(which is about 3% for most cars). You determine what amount over dealer cost you are willing to pay. (Personally, $500-800 is my limit for a Mercedes) This gives you your 'offer amount' for the car you want.

    Get on the phone and call all dealer's Sales Manager's for your brand within a reasonable mileage radius of your residence and tell them specifically what you want and give them your offer. Speaking to the Sales Manager eliminates one person from the commission chain saving you money. About 1/3 will tell you to stick it you-know-where, 1/3 will give you a ridiculous response, but 1/3 will meet your price or very close to it. (At least this is my experience in buying cars over the years).

    Armed with this information go to your local dealer who you probably would like to deal with since he is close and makes the deal much more pleasant if you can get together. Based upon the info from the other dealers make your offer maybe adding $100 or $200 to buy close to home. Don't be worried by that "we never cut prices like that", or, if you give him your phone number and say "call me if you can come down" and he says "we never call back" (that's my dealers favorite line). When I got home the phone was ringing off the hook to get my business. My dealer is EuroMotorcars in Bethesda, MD

    I'm convinced the main reason most people don't get good deals on cars is their 'emotional' need to get the car fast, their inability to 'walk away' from the showroom, their lack of preparation, and backbone. These same people will drive all over town to save 50 cents on a box of Wheaties. Think about it, buying a Mercedes is a lot of money. You owe it to yourself to get the best deal for you family and you'll feel great when you DO THE DEED!!!
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    I agree with your approach 100%.

    The only thing I would add is that once you get a given dealership to say yes to a given car and price point, be prepared to confirmt the outthe door price on the phone.

    Add the car price, taxes and what you expect the license and registration fee to get your 'OTD' price.

    That way you don't show up and find out that your car has 'oh by the way': VIN etching, Lojack, paint shield, armor plating, tinted windows and a tow hitch for only $3200 more.

    Also you need to insure that the registration and license fee are reasonable - they vary somewhat by state. Here in the Boston area, it's as low as $75 and as high as $300. What do we think they pay the person that runs these over to the registry every day?..

    Good luck and shop hard!
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Hi Innerloop

    There's a place on Edmund's where they explain how the TMV is done.

    http://www.edmunds.com/products/tmv/learn.html

    It sounds good, but stretches my credulity a bit in terms of how often they update so many cars - so it's probably an approximation at best. They also have a 'proprietar' algorithm that takes lots of factors into account, such as brand.

    In that case, they might just peg the MB pricing to MSRP.

    Who knows, maybe they have a deal with MB that says they do that anyway.
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    Good points Footie.

    I once made the mistake of helping my son buy a Nissan Maxima and the best deal was in Tysons Corner. I specified over the phone the total deal including ALL taxes, surcharges, etc. The sales rep agreed and promised no additional charges. When we got there he added a $250 prep charge. He said all dealers in Virginia added that same charge (the Federal Trade Commission would be interested in this). I told him to stick it where the sun don't shine and we left. Happily he had already prepared a lot of paperwork which was in vain. GREAT!!
  • irvinelawirvinelaw Member Posts: 3
    I agree with the earlier posts. Here are my extra pointers -

    1. Pick the dealer as well as the car. I am prepared to pay a little more to a dealer with an excellent service department. When I later go back to the dealer for warranty repairs, they will see that I bought there and hopefully treat me like family.

    2. Try to do your shopping during less busy times at the dealership. 90 minutes before closing time on a weeknight worked for me. I've shopped for cars before on rainy days - salesmen are dying to do a deal.

    3. With leases, do your homework in advance. Find out what residual rates and money rates are being offered. (There's lots of information on the internet.) Do the math in advance and be prepared to stick to your guns. Most of the time, the dealers can manipulate the numbers to make lots of profit on a lease, all the while telling the customer that he's getting a great deal.
  • cticctic Member Posts: 291
    In the case of service it doesn't matter where you buy your car. They will treat you the same.

    While I was at the dealership this week, they got a call from a guy who bought a new car elsewhere but didn't get the walk through on the car and asked if they would do it. The dealer was happy to do it.

    MB is different from other brands in this regard. Other marques may not give you a loaner car if you didn't buy it from them, but MB dealers will give you one no matter where you got it. I think some other marque's dealers may refuse to even service your car if you got it elsewhere.
  • mbdrivermbdriver Member Posts: 426
    donald02 -- Your experience with the Maxima is typical of the sales approach used by the dealer. My experience is that they will do or say almost anything to make a sale and maximize their profit. But I learned my lesson long ago and now, even though I live a mile from Tysons, I won't even consider shopping there or at any of the other dealers run by the same organization.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    >> In that case, they might just peg the MB pricing to MSRP.

    Who knows, maybe they have a deal with MB that says they do that anyway. <<

    Heh, usually Edmunds gets accused of that sort of collaboration with BMW, not Mercedes-Benz.

    I assure you, the staff who produces the site is not collaborating with any manufacturer in that sort of way. If you really want to ask about this, check out the "Help" link at the top of the page (also the bottom) to find ways to talk to the site content producers.

    :-)
  • footiefootie Member Posts: 636
    Dealers for most brands in the U.S. have 'bought' their vehicles when they are put on the truck here in the U.S. So they don't sit on lots still belonging to the manufacturer or even their U.S. import organization. When and how they 'pay' for them is between the dealership and the distributor/manufacturer. This is also part of the cost settlement that never shows up in invoice pricing.

    Most manufacturers are FOB point of US shipment to dealer. Here in New England, Lexus is FOB New Jersey and Honda FOB Westboro, MA. This is where their 'ports' are.

    Same would be true for MB unless they operate under different rules.
  • donald02donald02 Member Posts: 54
    Yes, the car belongs to the dealor on his lot. However, he pays based upon an invoice he receives from the manufacturer. His only cost is the interest on the loan he uses to pay or the lost opportunity cost if he uses his own assets and no loan.

    So, the point I was making earlier is that making several hundred dollars for a few days interest is a good return. And whether it's a Mercedes or a Kia makes very little difference in terms of the cost to the dealer.
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