andrewt1993

I really want to have bi-xenon lights on this car but my sales rep says that with the price I want and the options that I must have. He can't find any car in the United States with bi-xenon headlights. What should I do?

mike-nc

Andrew,

I think it would be impractical to add the lights. You really cannot beat the price of the equipment installed at the factory. The price would likely double or triple vs. the option cost from the factory.

Do you have the option to order exactly as you wish and take delivery in a few months?

I'm guessing that you are probably in the same situation as I was, to get the lighting package, you would have to also get numerous other options that I really didn't want or want to pay for.

You could wait until the end of the calendar year and possibly get some incentives to bring the price down to where you want it to be, but that's not a guarantee.

Good luck with whatever direction you decide to take.

Bob338

Why not just order a build with EXACTLY what you want. You're not going to be happy with anything less. Like the previous poster, any efforts to install options are prohibitively expensive and even with M-B technicians I'd question such an installation.

You can have what you want with a factory order in about 8 weeks or less. You can also negotiate those prices the same as you do an in stock car.

Order what you want and you'll be much happier.

fabbrisd1

Normally the factory will lock down production against changes 30-40 days prior to production date.

A dealer has to start with a confirmed facotyr prtoduction slot that they have that is still open to changes - change the configuaration on that slot before factory lockdown.

Often that available slot can be 6-8 weeks out - from end of production completed vehicles are held at German port in line awaiting ship assignment - that port delay is normally about 1 week - then add 5 to 6 weeks for ocean shipment, US port arrival, release from port, and surface transportation to the dealer.

Long story short - walking into a dealer - ordering to build - and getting delivery for a GLK is normally a 12 week procedure - roughly.

Fortunat circumstances can improve that a bit - unfortunate circumstances/timing can add a bit...

Keep the beat !

balticgreen

This. Every Mercedes I've had has been a factory order so that I could get exactly what I wanted. When you're spending this much money on anything, it should be what you want.

Plan for three months but it could be less time. The big variable is what allocations a dealer has available to configure the car for you. If they have an unsold allocation that is "yellow" and it can be changed to what you want, that will be the shortest wait time because it's already very close to production when you order it. If you have to wait for a later allocation, it will take longer because the production date is farther away. Of course geography also matters because the ship may need to travel to the west coast vs the east coast and you might live near the port or live far from the port.

canuckmb

I have never factory ordered, so forgive my ignorance, but do you mean I can pick exactly the options I want, independent of the packages, if I order from factory?

balticgreen

Dealers order cars for their inventory based on what they think people will want (and how much money they'll be willing to spend). A factory order allows the dealer to change one of their orders to fit exactly what options, packages, and colors you want if they didn't happen to already have ordered exactly what you wanted. But you do need to select from the options and packages that Mercedes offers for that model. For example, you cannot pick one single option out of a package and get only that one thing without getting the rest of the package unless that single option happens to be offered separately, such as the Media Interface that is available standalone or in Premium 1 Pkg.

Note that there are some "special order options" that are available but not advertised in the sales brochures or on the website. A salesperson can tell you what they are. These are extra things and not individual items plucked out of packages.

canuckmb

Thank you.

Alex Bel

You are buying new car, so order what you want form available options!!!

Bob338

No. You are constrained by what is in the packages of options. Go to the MB Canada website for the options within each package.

BigBoeing

Andrew,

I feel your pain! I found myself in exactly your predicament until about two weeks ago when I finally ordered a 2014 GLK250 from the factory. I'd searched MB dealer inventory for several weeks along the east coast of the USA looking for a 2014 GLK250 with the options I desired. Fat chance. Nothing came close.

When I first spoke to a salesman at our local MB dealer regarding my frustration described above he suggested I order the car. I mistakenly assumed that would increase the cost over simply buying a car off the dealer lot. Wrong! Same price for the same vehicle and options. He suggested, "Why not get exactly what you want? You'll be happy, we'll be happy. Order it!" Our salesman indicated approximately half his new car purchase customers order their vehicles from MB. He's been selling at our local dealership since 1999.

I was apparently lucky enough to get an existing dealer allocation "Decade Build" date of yesterday, 03 November, which according to the gents on this forum, means the vehicle will be built during the first ten days of November. Our salesman indicated the vehicle should arrive here in Northern New England before the end of the year. Bob, Alex and Balticgreen have all provided excellent information on my string titled:

https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...ivery-etc.html

Good Luck,
Jim

balticgreen

I might have missed this in your other thread, but did he tell you the third day of November or the third decade of November? If it's the third decade, it won't be built until the last ten days of the month. Your very short timeframe of having ordered only two weeks ago makes it unlikely that a first decade allocation would have been still open to changes. Two weeks before production, it should have been red and locked down.

BigBoeing

Balticgreen,

I just re-checked our salesman's e-mail. It specifically states "Decade Build date of 03 November." I was also warned "no further changes will be allowed" on the vehicle. Could that be a mistake on the dealer's part?

Thanks,
Jim

Bob338

Don't believe this is quite accurate. In my case I never wanted a sun roof. Initially one of the options I wanted had to include a sunroof for which I had to pay like $1200. Order was placed. The Friday before production of mine was to start the following week my sales person contacted me and told me that I could eliminate the sunroof due to a change they had made in the options. I eliminated it and the car was done without sunroof. It was produced the following Thursday as I recall, without a sunroof. That "window of opportunity" only existed very briefly, and the following month you had to have a sunroof. I believe that option, for which there is no option on the GLK250, was for the four wheel drive. Point is, changes can be made as long as that particular order hasn't been started on the production line. At least that's what it was last April/May.

BigBoeing

Bob,

Thank you for your reply. Based upon what you've said, it sounds like they are somewhat flexible if need be.

We made only one change, and that occurred within 48 hours of placing our initial order two weeks ago (exterior color change). The person in charge of submitting orders at our MB dealership confirmed our color change via e-mail showing a web page snapshot of the accepted order. However, as I indicated earlier, she warned us that the change window was closing given the early November build date. I thanked her for the assistance and promised we were truly done with our order. I subsequently discovered the front and rear mud flap accessory option, but didn't even attempt to add it to our vehicle order given the warning we'd received.

Speaking of accessories, I was also going to order the all-weather MB floor mats and cargo area liner. Should I consider other manufacturers in that regard? I'm all ears on any recommendations folks might have.

Best Regards,
Jim

Bob338

All I've read on discussion boards points to WeatherTech. I too am considering. They're much less expensive than the Benz OEM's. They come in three generic colors, tan, grey and black. My carpets are black but I fear black mats will look like recycled tires so I may remain in limbo until I dispose of the car or I inspect them first hand!!

balticgreen

It sounds like you had a special circumstance due to something that happened on MB's side. That's the exception rather than the rule. They do not take just any changes right up until production. That would seriously screw with their supply chain management and production schedule. In your situation, you most likely would not have been able to change anything other than the sunroof at the same time with it being days away from production.

Same here, also considering the WeatherTech rear cargo liner. I almost went ahead and ordered it before I have the car but I decided to wait and see if the dealer will swing me a deal on the OEM first.

Alex Bel

A few weeks ago I bought on eBay from Fletcher Jones Imports of Chicago a "Mercedes Benz All-Season Floor Mats Black GLK CLASS" for $79.00. They are OEM and good fit for my 20154 GLK250BT. The link is below (eBay ID 261317630262)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-All-Season-Floor-Mats-Black-GLK-CLASS-/261317630262?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item3cd7be9936

Bob338

Boy, those look better than the WeatherTech's, and they have the star on them as well! Looks like a bargain!

mike-nc

Andrew,

Have you considered checking into a 2013 CPO? You may be able to find one with all the options, including the Lighting Package for a price that you are willing to pay. You would also get an extended warranty with CPO, I believe. Of course, you would probably be getting a car that has several thousand miles on it vs. brand new.

BigBoeing

Alex,

Thanks for posting the eBay listing for the MB OEM all-season floor mats. That's quite a discount from the regular MB price.

I ordered our GLK250 with the Almond Beige MB-Tex/Mocha interior. I'm not sure what color the carpet will be with that MB interior color scheme. Any idea?

Thanks Again,
Jim

Bob338

That's the interior I ordered. I got black carpets.

mike-nc

Your carpets will be mocha (brown) for the interior. Cargo carpet is black.

BigBoeing

Bob & Mike,

Thank you. Given the Mocha carpets, sounds like black is the way to go with the MB OEM mats. I sent an e-mail to the eBay seller asking if he can get the GLK Cargo Area Tray, MB part # A204 814 0541, and if so, what the price would be. I'll let you know if/when he responds.

Best Regards,
Jim