MB-BOB

sclvr6, or Raymond... Has Park Place has changed their attitude? The Irving store is actually closer to my home than Ewing in Plano, but when I was there (a year ago now) they told me they only offered PAID rental cars (not free loaners) for people who didn't buy their MBs there. A free loaner is better than a rental, even if it is a Camry. Please clarify for me. Thanks.

slcvr6

I hope my comments are not construed to be bashing in any way. I just have a slight problem agreeing with people thinking they can jump in someone else's $50k loaner and treat it as if it has the optional LDW for $14 a day included without any worries.

MB-BOB

Funny you mention it. I took a demo ride in a C320 once with a salesman who said he had one customer who "took him for a wild ride" on the interstate. 100mph+, weaving in and out, ran a stop light on exiting the freeway, etc. The salesman asked, then later told him to stop the reckless driving, but he persisted. Salesman told me he finally threatened to pull his cell phone and call the police, and after continued disrespect from the "customer" did just that and had the guy arrested.

I didn't ask where that demo was...

slcvr6

I stopped in at Park Place in Dallas and was told by my salesperson that if I move down here (currently working in the area 100+ days a year) my ML could be serviced there and a Camry loaner provided - we want your business, but the MBs are reserved for our new car purchase customers. If I purchased my C230K from them (currently on order in Ohio), I would be given an MB loaner every time. It may be worth clarifying, it was made very clear to me that they are doing it to attract business and keep current and future new car buyers happy. Either way, it is a loaner. I saw their fleet of MLs, Es, Cs and was impressed.

I think I'll stop over today and ask if they have a no doughnut or high speed reverse driving policy...

slcvr6

As for test drives, who doesn't want to have some fun on one! But fun and abuse are leagues apart. I recently read of an M3 that was damaged on a test drive by the dealership sales person showing off for the shopper...I've known people who have damaged cars on test drives, too.

In the end, just be careful, the car can be replaced (with a loaner!). Your life or someone else's cannot.

raymond

I bought my C230K at Park Place Mid Cities in Bedford, TX.

My first 2 loaners were Camrys, they seem to operate on a first come, first served basis.

I cannot fault the service I received there from the initial contact with the salesman, through to the finance manager, all the way to the service co-ordinator and manager. These people have made the disappointments with the car a little less difficult to swallow.

slcvr6, I highly recommend you talk to them when and if you move down here.

Raymond

benzomonterey

I wouldn't know I own my summer house. But can I use yours next summer?

Buellwinkle

You guys are funny! I love the article on Across the Dunes in a Rental Car. I rent Rangers from Budget all the time, throw my two dirt bikes in the back and head for the desert. The "roads" that I go on would turn the C230 into a pile of metal. The Ranger takes it pretty good. Heck for 19.95 I get a nice clean new pickup truck and I never take the LDW, I may be rough on the cars and do some stunt driving but I'm always careful. Once in a while, if I have time I hose the mud off. The ML320 would be a great off-roader, would love to take that up into the off road trails in the San Bernadino mountains like the Jeep Trail at Pinnacles by Lake Arrowhead.

Do I need to do this, NO, do I want to do this, heck YES!

pixmation

I drive the loaners the same way I drive my own. :p

jnjrowland

Aren;t you "special". I'm so happy for you. Do you rent your place out? I would be happy to rent if for some of my friends depending on it's location.

JR

benzomonterey

Look guys it's another Wyatt Earp. Why can't you people have a sense of humor. Yes I am special, I think. I am fortunate enough to have Two homes. Do I lord it over anyone? no! Do I get stressed over dumb conversations that are funny? No again.

Don't get your panties all ruffled. You haven't been posting long enough. When you get to be a member you will see.

pixmation

By all means, the E320 is a nice car to drive. However for me, after a few days. It's getting boring for me. I miss my manual C230K...

jnjrowland

Two slams in one note - OUCH - my preference to vacation where-ever I like instead of dealing with some hassles of owning a second home and my deficient post count.

I'll leave it at that and let my lowly number of posts relegate me to the back of the queue, as it appears that until I reach some critical mass I can't have an opinion.

Let the rest of the thread speak for itself. I'll try to revert to only posting useful facts and keep opinions out of things.

Regards to all,

JR

benzomonterey

Lets not get all Huffy now JRO. Your "special" was taken as the sarcasm it was meant to be and I merely responded in a humorous way.

These damn MB owners are so uptight you could make diamonds out of coal.

As for the reference to your numbers of posts, I was merely stating that witty banter goes on day to day, but you won't realize it till you reach a higher number of posts.

Lighten up buddy have some fun.

Go rent a car and do donuts.

Spyke

You guys need new jobs. At one point during a business trip I was handed the keys to a not-yet-released SUV and told to go try to break it... :p

Another time I was handed the keys to a Boxster and told I needed to drive it around a while to get a feel for it.

But most of the time I get handed keys to some of the biggest POS prototypes you've seen and told to disregard all the problems that haven't been worked out yet!

toki999

ALL I GOTTA SAY ABOUT LOANER (E320 UR CASE)......

DON'T GET HOOKED ON IT.....

IT'LL BE HARD TO GET BACK TO UR C230K.....THAT WAS MY CASE
WHEN MY CAR WAS IN FOR THE COMMON "PULLING TO RIGHT" CASE.....WHICH I DON'T THINK MB STAFF FIXED CORRECTLY. AND HOUSE OF IMPORTS GAVE ME 100 MILES/DAY ON E320....

I SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT MY COUPE.

OH YEAH, THERE IS LITTLE THING......IF U TAKE OUT UR LICENSE PLATE ON TRUNK, THERE IS COOL BAR CODE.....IT'S NOT IN THE MIDDLE........ARGH!@@@@

jnjrowland

Agreed (except for the donuts part).

This is a great site and while I don't post often I enjoy the discussions.

JR

greg230

i have tons of posts, no one listens to me, and sometimes they call me names too

then again, i am THE official butt munch of MBWorld!!!

MB-BOB

So, even if you buy your Benz there, you get a non-Benz for a loaner... Hmmmm! That goes along with their unwillingness to move off MSRP... They want all the marbles to help pay for that refurbished dealership. They haven't changed.

Greg230, don't get too proud of the Butt Munch moniker. It's not like a Purple Heart scar you got during "Desert Storm" or anything. You might get hung with it permanently, and I wouldn't like to see that.

revstriker

Like Fabio MB-BOB???

Buellwinkle

Raymond, are you anywhere near Stafford, TX? I'm looking for someone that can stop by at ASP racing to let them look at the crankshaft pulley so they can make pulley kit for us. The typically sell crankshaft pulleys for a small fraction of what some others want.

MB-BOB

Well, Fabio is a name of endearment that you gave to yourself, right, Scott? It's not like some drill sergeant baptised you in front of the whole class of recruits, or anything...

greg230

i like the butt munch thing.... it just seems like a funny thing to say when you cant think of a response to someone. Especially coming from a grown man, trained in the US armed forces, over a discussion concerning cars.

benzomonterey

Speaking of this grown man, did he retire from our forum?

revstriker

LOL. Ok, you got me there....

btw, Butt-Munch sounds like something a 12 year old would say in a PG Disney movie.