Jay J

Actually, doesn't Southwest book their flights as one way, and you combine two one ways for a round trip?

However...I'd be apprehensive about driving back, because that many miles at sustaned highway speeds on a brand new car is NOT the proper way to break it in!

Back2Benz

No...and i'm going crazy trying to decide my "magic #'s" before heading to the dealers... ...but I will keep ya'll posted...and thanks for all the info on here!!

Back2Benz

Here are some VERY USEFUL INFO for you car buyers out there

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4134

jdetar

Hey I just bought my car yesterday and it's only ~388 miles away but I figured ~$280 for a plane ticket, $100 in gas (getting to the airport and then driving the car home), and $40 in food for the whole day, and it costs me $420 right there when I can get the car shipped for close to $500. I'm almost definitely going to take the shipping route because even though it will cost more, I don't lose an entire day doing that, and I can break in the car right.

Just consider your options and complete car cost. Look at some unenclosed carriers too. I had a car delivered once from Passport enclosed and it was great, but honestly, if you are using the car for daily driving there should be no reason to get it done through an enclosed carrier. On average you'll spend ~$300-600 more to do this, depending on the distance. Just think, they're delivered to the dealer on an open carrier!

YoYiTo

I went to Mercedes of Pembroke Pines this week just to see if give me a good deal for a '05 230k or 320. The sales rep told me that for the 230k standard for $35k and theyll take $8k trade in for my '02 c240 . Me and my dad were like wtf. With that price I might aswell get a '06 BMW 325i.

Ive seen C240 with way much more milage than my car sold for between $17k-$23K

jdetar

Yeah don't trade anything. I sell all of my vehicles outright. Just make a buncha flyer's, put them up, and wait. I make at LEAST $3,000 extra per vehicle selling them myself. You just have to be patient

lkc230k

Called up my local dealer as Im trying to get myself an 06 after talking with him I managed to get a price of $32,000 plus taxes on a 06 Mars Red C230K with lighting and sunroof packages, 6 disc changer and an auto transmission.

Luke

Back2Benz

WOW..that's below invoice on an 06!!! I'm confused as to the different invoice and MSRP between kbb.com and edmunds.com

but according to EDMUNDS...the options on your car comes out to be;


National Base Price
MSRP Invoice What Others are paying (TMV??)
$29,200 $27,156 $28,741

Total with Options
MSRP Invoice What others are paying (TMV??)
$34,365 $32,015 $33,691

So they are selling you an 06 C230 at $15.00 BELOW invoice??? So that is about the same as what people are paying for the 05, right?!!!...Heck, I'd settle for an 06!...keep up posted in what u decide to do!

<<---gonna be me very soon

jdetar

That's an awesome deal on an '06 if that's the case. Every dealer I talked to said ~$1,500 off '06. You should have no trouble scoring an '05 for 3% less invoice, less $3,500 cash incentive. I scored a $7,610 discount on my buy yesterday for a C320 4matic. I imagine if you go after a more available model you can talk them to to ~5% or MORE below invoice, however there weren't very many w/ the configuration I wanted in the country left at all. I have to travel 388 miles to get mine too.

jm10388

jdetar,

Do you live in SoCal?

jdetar

No, I'm in Pennsylvania. I was calling several SoCal dealers though trying to work something out. I surprisingly ended up getting a VA dealer to do my deal though and even though it was less than I was shooting for, I don't have to pay 2 grand for shipping the car here.

jm10388

Boy the dealerships in NJ do suck. You guys are getting deals of around 25k I am only getting 28k. I am going to goto another distant dealer over the weekend. This is crap. Only about 2500 off of 2005.

eunosracr

Here is what I am working on? What would you tell this guy?

Hi Angel,

I can get you a white with ash stick shift 6 speed 2006 C230. It will
not be
a Kompressor for they do not have the kompressor anymore. The 2006 is
now a
6 cylinder. The sticker price is $29,975. Your internet price is
$28,732. If
you want the one with sunroof package and 6 disc cd changer that has a
sticker of $32,185. Your internet price is $30,787. Let me know which
one
you want. Thanks.

Bob Gilbert

jdetar

Guys, you gotta call around. Most importantly I'd say if you're real set on your options, have a dealer get on the locater for you and find ALL the cars you can in an area suitable for you (keep in mind shipping might not be real expensive if it's not real far away. I'm paying about $500 for a 400 mile ship in a carrier!).

$2,500 off of an '05? That's just crazy. There is a manufacturer to dealer cash incentive of $3,500 from Sep 1 till Sep 30! So if they sell it at only $2,500 off they're making $1,000 OVER MSRP!! You should have no trouble scoring a deal on an '05 for 3% under invoice, less $3,500. That's what I did, it just took some calling around. Be patient and you will get that killer deal too. Heck, if you find a dealer willing enough you can probably do better! I just wanted to get my deal done quickly and not waste a few days calling all over the place.

Back2Benz

So you are saying if a car invoices at $30,000, we should be able to get it for:

$30,000 minus 3% (from $30,000), minus another $3500 (manufacturer to dealer cash incentive)???
= 30,000 - 900 - 3500 = $25,600?????
IF so...I'm going to the dealers right now!!!

jdetar

Yes. Technically holdback is off MSRP but I did my calculations off invoice to give them the few $ difference. And like I said, this is just what I was able to negotiate rather quickly. If you REALLY want to deal hard and have the time to do it, you can probably do better as dealers really need to get these '05s off their lots.

insidethemerc

This is just awsome!

Just want to make sure... I'm looking up http://www.edmunds.com/new/2005/merc...ncentives.html & its showing a $2000 manf-to-dealer discount vs the $3500 you mentioned.

You know how they try to work you (this will be my 2nd MB) ... appreciate your input on this

jdetar

Oh! I'm sorry I should have been more clear. The $3500 was for the C320, the $2000 is for the C230.

jm10388

Can somebody please explain to me what a holdback is? Thanks

PHXATC

No matter what the dealer sells a car for, the dealer gets a set amount (3% or such) of the MSRP for just simply selling the car.

You get could invoice for a car and the salesman might make nothing, yet the dealer itself would make the holdback.

Jay J

But... Isn't holdback tied to the length of time that the car sits on the dealers lot once they get it from the factory?

In other words, they get a greater precentage of the "price" of the car back from the factory once it sells, if it sells quicker than if it's been sitting on their lot for say 3-6 months. So it's possible that if the car sat on their lot for a LONG time, they may not get ANY holdback from the factory at all.

Also... It's my understanding that holdback is calculated from the invoice price rather than the MSRP, can anyone confirm that?

jdetar

Dealer holdback for MB is 3% of MSRP, and that value is the same whether it sits on the lot or not. If you're getting the impression that is not true it's because so many salesmen have pressed that to people that try to beat them up for cost. Fact it, it DOES cost a dealership to have cars sitting on their lots. This eats into their floor plan costs, so usually a dealership will be more willing to discount a car that is either specially ordered for you and delivered the day they get it, or if it's been on there a long time costing them money and they just want to move it.

jm10388

Ok I understand what a holdback is now. Now why when negotiating a price would you want to subract the holdback? Why would the dealer want to sell? Thanks

jdetar

Why would you want to subtract it? Because that's another 3% that you can save on your car. Every dealer is different in the way they deal. A lot of them usually don't like to go below invoice but in cases like this where we're talking about clearing the lots of the previous year dealers usually will do more than they would too get rid of them.

jm10388

I understand that but would a dealer be willing to get a car of the lot for no profit.