C-Coupe Sales Slow - Six month Supply!
03-03-2003, 10:04 AM
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C-Coupe Sales Slow - Six month Supply!
From www.autonews.com:
"Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes."
Note: To read the whole story @autonews you have to buy it.
"Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes."
Note: To read the whole story @autonews you have to buy it.
03-03-2003, 11:55 AM
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2002 C230 K
Yeah, I've noticed that C-Coupe sales volumes are down 30% of the volume they sold a year ago. I think that Coupe sales are being hurt by similarly priced cars that have more horsepower.
What surprises me is that the new W209 CLK is selling at about 40% of the volume the W208 did.
- BT
What surprises me is that the new W209 CLK is selling at about 40% of the volume the W208 did.
- BT
03-03-2003, 12:16 PM
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2010 C300 4matic
Originally posted by trench
What surprises me is that the new W209 CLK is selling at about 40% of the volume the W208 did.
What surprises me is that the new W209 CLK is selling at about 40% of the volume the W208 did.
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03-03-2003, 12:32 PM
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SL500
I agree with Matt230K about the CLK, my local dealer sells them immediately when they come in. As for the c-coupe, Americans are not in love with hatchbacks as it is and with the introduction of the c230 sedan along side the 240 for about the same price of the coupe, sales are bound to suffer.
IMO, MB should redesign the coupe and make it a true coupe, not a hatchback.
IMO, MB should redesign the coupe and make it a true coupe, not a hatchback.
03-03-2003, 01:19 PM
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C230 coupe 6sp
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Buellwinkle
It's the cassette radio! [/QUOTE
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history. Maybe MB will trade me out of my oil drinking, crappy shifting car cheap if they have so many new ones sitting on lots. That's just wishful thinking
It's the cassette radio! [/QUOTE
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history. Maybe MB will trade me out of my oil drinking, crappy shifting car cheap if they have so many new ones sitting on lots. That's just wishful thinking
03-03-2003, 02:11 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by speedfrk
Depreciation is the key. There are so many cheap ones availble that most people would rather get a used one and pocket the dough. The Mecedes dealer near me has a lease on a used one for $199 per month or $21,000 out the door with xenon, leather and AT,. That is entering Hyundai territory there and those don't even have xenons.
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
It's the cassette radio! [/QUOTE
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history. Maybe MB will trade me out of my oil drinking, crappy shifting car cheap if they have so many new ones sitting on lots. That's just wishful thinking
It's the cassette radio! [/QUOTE
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history. Maybe MB will trade me out of my oil drinking, crappy shifting car cheap if they have so many new ones sitting on lots. That's just wishful thinking
Last edited by CRB; 03-03-2003 at 02:13 PM.
03-03-2003, 02:41 PM
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2002 C230 K
Originally posted by Matt230K
I'm surprised it's that high. The reason is because MB is keeping them all in Europe. ... There's demand, but no supply.
I'm surprised it's that high. The reason is because MB is keeping them all in Europe. ... There's demand, but no supply.
As an aside, I wonder if that in the long run, making the higher priced W209 look more like a "true" W203 coupe will hurt sales (as opposed to the W208, which even though built on the W202 chassis, looked like the similarly priced W210 E). When viewed from head-on its pretty difficult to quickly distinguish a W203 C230K from a W209 CLK.
Originally posted by speedfrk
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history.
It is all of the above...plus some things like the worst depreciation in history.
).- BT
03-03-2003, 06:16 PM
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2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Re: C-Coupe Sales Slow - Six month Supply!
Originally posted by E55 KEV
From www.autonews.com:
"Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes."
Note: To read the whole story @autonews you have to buy it.
From www.autonews.com:
"Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes."
Note: To read the whole story @autonews you have to buy it.
BTW, you can get the autonews stuff free over at autoweek.com....another crappy site, and notoriously anti C-Coupe.
Sounds like half the problem was MB overbuilding the Coupes prior to the sedan ramp up. Around here(midwest) the car is hard to come by. And I have to agree with the part about the dealers not making them available to test drive. Two of the dealers in my area had only 1 automatic non C7 Coupe available for test/curtesy car...meaning if the car was out on loan when you stopped by- no test drive. Finding a manual trans demo was not easy...and finding a C7 to test drive came down to testing the car I had shipped in from another dealer. Definately agree with the no marketing as well. And I think the 03 engine change hasn't helped.
Here's the article in full.
Mercedes pumps sales of slow-selling C coupes; retail incentive stays at $1,500
By EDWARD LAPHAM | Automotive News
Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes.
The program pays dealers $4,000 for each C320K or C320C that the dealer buys before March 31 to use as a demonstrator or service-department loaner.
A $1,500 retail incentive on 2003 model C-class coupes sold new to consumers is unchanged.
The purpose of the new program is to increase the size of each dealer's alternate transportation fleet, that is demos and loaners, says Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman Donna Boland. "We're inviting more customers to take test drives in the coupes."
The program nominally runs Feb. 1 to March 31, but it wasn't announced until Thursday, Feb. 27. That still gave dealers a couple of days to report some or all of their C-class coupes as sold in February.
The company had about 4,000 C-class coupes in dealer inventory last week, so C-class sales likely could show an uptick of as many as 3,000 units when February tallies are reported this week, according to one dealer source. Since new shipments are en route to dealers, March totals likely will be inflated, too, he says.
The sales bulge isn't likely to be that big, says Stavros Paraskevdaides, sales operations manager for Mercedes. He says coupe sales have been running about 900 a month, which could double to 1,800 as a result of the program.
He says the days supply is abnormally high for a reason. "We had to front-load coupe production so we could switch to production of the sports sedan," he says.
Dealers reached last week seemed eager to use the program, which includes 2002 and 2003 C-class coupes. They say coupe inventories have piled up because of a lack of marketing and advertising support. "It's dead merchandise," one dealer said.
Part of the problem is that hatchback models are not as popular in the United States as they are in Europe. Dealers are selling to a new customer and must persuade consumers to try the hatchbacks.
"We don't think the car is in trouble," Boland says. "It's a new segment where the dealer is not in his comfort zone yet. The car is critical to bring new buyers to the brand."
The four-cylinder C230K was introduced as a 2002 model. The six-cylinder C320C version was new for 2003.
Vehicles that are sold to dealers are supposed to remain in demo and loaner fleets for four months and all must be sold as pre-owned, even though they have not been titled, Boland says. If dealers sell a vehicle out of the demo fleet early they must replace it in the fleet or face a chargeback of the $4,000 allowance.
Michael Familetti, general manager of Autobahn Motors in Belmont, Calif., says he hasn't had any problem moving C-class coupes because Enterprise Rent-A-Car buys them.
Dealer Chuck Reynolds of RBM of Atlanta welcomes the program. The dealership had about 25 of the coupes on the lot last Friday, with more on the way. Says Reynolds: "I want to move them."
By EDWARD LAPHAM | Automotive News
Mercedes-Benz USA LLC last week launched a month-long program to whittle down a six-month glut of unsold C-class coupes.
The program pays dealers $4,000 for each C320K or C320C that the dealer buys before March 31 to use as a demonstrator or service-department loaner.
A $1,500 retail incentive on 2003 model C-class coupes sold new to consumers is unchanged.
The purpose of the new program is to increase the size of each dealer's alternate transportation fleet, that is demos and loaners, says Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman Donna Boland. "We're inviting more customers to take test drives in the coupes."
The program nominally runs Feb. 1 to March 31, but it wasn't announced until Thursday, Feb. 27. That still gave dealers a couple of days to report some or all of their C-class coupes as sold in February.
The company had about 4,000 C-class coupes in dealer inventory last week, so C-class sales likely could show an uptick of as many as 3,000 units when February tallies are reported this week, according to one dealer source. Since new shipments are en route to dealers, March totals likely will be inflated, too, he says.
The sales bulge isn't likely to be that big, says Stavros Paraskevdaides, sales operations manager for Mercedes. He says coupe sales have been running about 900 a month, which could double to 1,800 as a result of the program.
He says the days supply is abnormally high for a reason. "We had to front-load coupe production so we could switch to production of the sports sedan," he says.
Dealers reached last week seemed eager to use the program, which includes 2002 and 2003 C-class coupes. They say coupe inventories have piled up because of a lack of marketing and advertising support. "It's dead merchandise," one dealer said.
Part of the problem is that hatchback models are not as popular in the United States as they are in Europe. Dealers are selling to a new customer and must persuade consumers to try the hatchbacks.
"We don't think the car is in trouble," Boland says. "It's a new segment where the dealer is not in his comfort zone yet. The car is critical to bring new buyers to the brand."
The four-cylinder C230K was introduced as a 2002 model. The six-cylinder C320C version was new for 2003.
Vehicles that are sold to dealers are supposed to remain in demo and loaner fleets for four months and all must be sold as pre-owned, even though they have not been titled, Boland says. If dealers sell a vehicle out of the demo fleet early they must replace it in the fleet or face a chargeback of the $4,000 allowance.
Michael Familetti, general manager of Autobahn Motors in Belmont, Calif., says he hasn't had any problem moving C-class coupes because Enterprise Rent-A-Car buys them.
Dealer Chuck Reynolds of RBM of Atlanta welcomes the program. The dealership had about 25 of the coupes on the lot last Friday, with more on the way. Says Reynolds: "I want to move them."
Last edited by Outland; 03-03-2003 at 06:21 PM.
03-03-2003, 08:31 PM
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2003 Citron Green C230KMT
Originally posted by CRB
Depreciation is the key. There are so many cheap ones availble that most people would rather get a used one and pocket the dough. The Mecedes dealer near me has a lease on a used one for $199 per month or $21,000 out the door with xenon, leather and AT,. That is entering Hyundai territory there and those don't even have xenons.
Depreciation is the key. There are so many cheap ones availble that most people would rather get a used one and pocket the dough. The Mecedes dealer near me has a lease on a used one for $199 per month or $21,000 out the door with xenon, leather and AT,. That is entering Hyundai territory there and those don't even have xenons.
03-03-2003, 09:48 PM
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Originally posted by CitronC230K_03
was that for a coupe or a sedan. cause if it has xenons someone just bought it and got rid of it. xenon on xoupe didnt make it here until like oct. or nov. the first i saw was on truelove79's coupe, and like me that was a spc order. i still havent seen any xenons on coupes at the dealers near me. i may be wrong and there are being shipped to other dealers. either way sounds like someone who just wasnt happy with a car that was just a couple months old.
was that for a coupe or a sedan. cause if it has xenons someone just bought it and got rid of it. xenon on xoupe didnt make it here until like oct. or nov. the first i saw was on truelove79's coupe, and like me that was a spc order. i still havent seen any xenons on coupes at the dealers near me. i may be wrong and there are being shipped to other dealers. either way sounds like someone who just wasnt happy with a car that was just a couple months old.
03-03-2003, 10:06 PM
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2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Originally posted by CRB
It was a coupe but it was a one at that price come on type ad. They have other new coupes (same spec) for $299 month lease.
It was a coupe but it was a one at that price come on type ad. They have other new coupes (same spec) for $299 month lease.
The "S" is still hard to come by, but the dealers are no longer able to charge a 4K premium on them. I can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to pay 28K + for a MINI!
Oh, and you get a C240, An A4, a 325 or a G35 for 299 a month around here. The C230 Ironically is more...at least here.
