myc

I've been reading about people getting offered $1500 UNDER invoice on 2002 c240's. I'm interested in buying and am wondering how this works.

Of course, dealer's buy for under invoice but not THAT much under - supposedly, just enough to cover overhead and employee expenses. If MB is offering cars for that much under invoice, they must be making a sh*tload off MSRP sales.

Anyway - let me know how this works and if I can expect to get offered the same deal in Southern California (Orange County area).

Kal Rubinson

Try a few dealers. I dealt with 3 and when I got a really good price from one, I tried it on another. He said, "I don't know why anyone would sell at a loss but we'll beat it." Draw your own conclusion but he did.

whitecar2003

YEAR END CLOSE OUT! (Sorry for shouting, it was just so tempting.)

Here's the deal, according to my local paper (Chicago Tribune), MBUSA is offering $1,500 factory to dealer cash on '02 C240's. Just keeping it quiet unlike the big three shouting about big rebates and/or 0% financing. In case other are curious, here's the rest of the published rebates for other '02 models...


C230K - $1,000
C240/320 - $1,500
C320 Wagon - $3,000
E320 Special Ed - $1,000
E320 extl wagon/spec ed - $2,000
E430 - $3,500
S430/500 - $2,200
SLK exc AMG - $1,000
SL silver arrow - $5,000
SL exc. sliver arrow - $7,000
M Class - $1,500

dswildfire

i got $2000 under invoice for my '02 C230K back in april at Auto-Stiegler in Encino. i mean it helps to know the owner and his 4 sons but they do some pretty good deals there, and have good mechanics who know what they're doing.

Enze6997

I paid almost 2k under invoice and this was like 2 and a half months ago.

Ensey ... (kinda drunk)

lovin_my_C230K

So dswildfire and Enze you paid around $25,200 for yours!?!

Wow! I got ripped....

Mine was $26,200 base with auto tranny. Ouch.

Is it possible to still get these kind of deals? if so how?

I wouldn't mind even trading in my coupe for a 2002 wagon. I wonder how much I would lose on a trade in?

Dang taxes...

yipikaye

hi dswildfire, did you ordered a c230 in encino auto stiegler?? who is your salesperson?? because I ordered E320 with them.

Enze6997

Yeah... I think it was around $30.7k for the car and I paid 28.5k... I got my changer free too so I count that in.



I did shop my *** off though... I called every dealer from delaware to NC. Finnally got the price I wanted in Annapolis after basically saying to each dealer... " You will sell the car to me for this much, because Dealer X is going to sell it to me for this and he has the car I want"


So many dealers in the more rural areas gave me that line of crap that they never sell under MSRP and its total BS... they just saw a 22 year old kid rolling in and they try to screw yah thinking you dont know whats up.

kompress

Are we all talking about the same thing. Below INVOICE or below MSRP?

Enze6997

I meant MSRP ... Oh yeah well I guess your right... I got screwed!

zimmer26

Well, you would lose, but most would be from depreciation and not taxes. In most states the trade in value is deducted from the taxable price of the new car! Most everyone says you must be either stupid or just plain lazy to trade in your car. I say if your car in is of significant value, then why not trade in with this major tax break that I think many people don't really know or think about, and yes it is much easier.

rskinner

myc:

You may want to call Caliber Motors in Anaheim Hills. Ask for Chip (fleet manager). I've bought 2 cars from him in the past 1 1/2 years, no hassle at all & really good service.

Randy

KWiK

Even CarsDirect is selling the C240 for $1000 under invoice. Getting that price at any dealer should be quite easy.

Mark08859

Don't cry for the dealer just yet over a reduced price. Remember, MB gives the dealer a 3% holdback after the sale. They're making money.

Kal Rubinson

Of course. If the dealer makes the deal, he can live with it and all other declarations are irrelevant. It doesn't even matter if you lie about the best price you got elsewhere, he can match it, beat it or walk away; his choice.

whitecar2003

I hope i'm not beating a dead horse here, but can we clarify again (as "Kompress" mentioned eariler)....are we talking $1000 below INVOICE or MSRP?

I thought we were all clear and talking MSRP or sticker, but now I'm confused with the last few posts bringing up "invoice" again (i.e. Cars direct selling at $1000 below Invoice).

For the record, I ordered my '03 coupe last month from Fletcher Jones' new place here in Chicago (they bought the downtown dealership and are planning to turn in into something huge like Newport, CA I'm told). Paid $1,600 under MSRP. All told it sums up to about $500 over invoice, but this was for an '03 so there was no factory to dealer cash involved.

yipikaye

how can you get an 03 model below the MSRP??? I thought dealers do not offer any deal on the 03 model. You have pay in MSRP or even an extra in some cases. Anyone can clarify this?

whitecar2003

I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. The salesman offered me a discount off of list and when we couldn't find what I wanted in an '02 (White w/ C5 and the 6-speed) - I just ordered an '03 and got the same discount off of MSRP.

It was a bit scary though, because when I ordered the car in July... the 2003 pricing wasn't released yet. I only could agree to a discount, not a final price. With the dollar down vs. the euro I was afraid they were going to raise the base MSRP a grand or two, but luckily the only change was that the 6-disc changer got cheap! ( I was also a bit scared to buy the 1.8 vs. the 2.3 w/o driving it, but in hindsight I'll take the better MPG and more refinement vs. a few extra lb-ft of torque.)

If the car would only show up already! Delaer is saying end of the month at the earliest. Wished they shipped by FedEx vs. the slow boat from Deuchland!

preyx

Now only if they could get the military to do driveway air-drops by freight plane!

DrMike

Many of us have gotten discounts from MSRP. I can't believe that dealers are selling cars for 1000-1500 under invoice (their cost).

Here in CT, last Dec. I was able to get 3 dealers to price a coupe at 3% over their dealer cost, the "invoice" price. (You can ask to see a copy of the invoice to verify the dealers cost.)

Also, many dealers add a conveyance/paperwork processing fee and an advertising coop fee, which can add up to $700 to their "sticker" price. These add-ons are negotiable.