Okay,
After looking at the '04 and '05 I have decided to order an '05. I just like the interior and exterior so much more. How does the ordering process work? All I really want to get is a C230k, auto, sunroof, and the bixenons. Total price a little over 33,000. How much of a deposit do I need to give and how long do I have to wait for the car to arrive? Will the dealer be more hesitant to give me a good deal if I don't take a car that is already on the lot?

 

I can help with some of these. All you need to do is go to your dealer, and put down a deposit to secure the car -- probably $1000 dollars or so, not sure with MB. No matter what they tell you, it is refundable by law, so don't worry.
Wait time depends on where in the production process your vehicle is. At least six weeks if from scratch, maybe more. However, your dealer may be able to find a car to your liking that is already in the build process, on a ship, or in another dealer's lot, which would lessen the wait time considerably.
My guess is you may have better leverage on a car on the lot since it has been sitting in their inventory, but not sure on that .
Congrats on your new car.

 

I beleive I was told they required a 20% deposit to order a vehicle that has to be built. This was a while ago, it could have changed or my memory may not serve me correctly.

 

When I ordered my car, the dealership was able to reconfigure a previously ordered vehicle, to decrease the delivery time. They were able to change everything, to have it match my specifications.

The expected order time is 2½ months.

It is likely that with MY 2004 vehicles on the lot, a better deal could be struck for one of those, as compared to an ordered MY 2005 vehicle.

 

Every dealer can do whatever they like about requiring deposits on orders. The guy I dealt with last [Sacramento CA] never requires more than $1000 deposit, which is completely refundable, on any order. Requiring much more than that suggests you should find another dealer.

In fact, a special order is an excellent time to shop around [not just locally - get the internet mgr involved from multiple dealerships within any radius that makes you comfortable, right through a nationwide search] to get the very lowest price. A few phone calls and e-mails, combined with a little travel, might save you thousands of $.

Depending on color, expect the process to take 2-4 months, with an average of about 10-12 weeks. You can always get lucky and find something in the pipeline, but you should prepare yourself for the worst case.

 

when i was considering ordering brillian silver coupe my dealer wanted $500. when i decided on citron green it was $5000 non-refundable. i ordered the car on 11/25/02, built on 12/17/02 and delivered on 01/29/03.

there is very little negotiating when you order a car, rather than buying one right off the lot. that said, i would and will buy my next mercedes the same way. it was the very best car buying expierience i ever had.

do a search for ordering a car, this topic has been discussed many times before.

 

I just sent you another PM! BTW, I sent you an e-mail a few days ago in regards to your PM to me, but never heard back from you.

 

Sorry MarcusBenz,
I've been so busy lately. I'm quitting my job and have been goint to interviews. Well, anyways you know how it goes, some sh....t always comes up. I hardly ever check my pm box but will make an effort and start checking from now on. I'll e-mail as to when I will be able to go to HOI and at least now I know when and what time you work so I will definitely ask for you when I go. Again sorry I've been slacking. Talk to you later.

 

I can tell you from my experience, I wish I had ordered mine, I would have gotten all the options I wanted... and not "settle" for something which is a compromise................

In my case it would have been factory NAV and Bixenons on a all wheel drive c320..... but I settled for a regular c320.........no nav, no bix, I myself everyday...... even tho you can get those parts aftermarket, the bix for one doesn't perform the same....

Patience.....

 

bix is why i waited for the 03's, and pretty much had to SPC order mine due to the color. wish i would have included COMAND and heated seats, but i have one of the 2 retrofitted and will get the heated seats retrofitted in a couple months.

 

I ordered a loaded C320 SS on 6/23 and all they wanted down was $500, but I'm an employee and don't know if that affects the down payment or not. As far as what's involved in the ordering process...very little. You just tell 'em what options you want, they write up an order form, and they take your down payment. The whole thing shouldn't have to take more than 1/2 hour unless you have alot of questions, etc.

 

i was told $500 by Hoehn and MBSD for a coupe when i was looking at one in silver, but they wanted the $5000 non-refunable deposit for citron.

 

When I ordered Mine - the dealer wanted $1500 cdn. If you bump into a dealer that wants 20% - I would be concerned about their ethics.

The dealers are required to take a certain allotment (or pre-schedule their orders) of cars per year. i.e. he is going to be bringing in a c-class car anyway. All you are really doing is specifying what to have for options on his next built car, and reserving it for yourself.

It is usually not the case that the dealer is going to start a totally separate order (from the units already allocated to him) for you. Quite often that would add additional queue time to the order.

 

It seems as though different dealers require different down payments for ordering a car, so your dealer will tell you how much they want. It should be refundable though.

Although you probably won't get as great of a deal on an ordered car compared with one on their lot, you can get what you want in the car, which I learned is better... I took mine off the lot, but wish I had ordered so I could have gotten Bi-Xenons and the Sport Package. But it's all good, I'm getting a new one in 2005 or 2006, so I'll have my chance to make up for what I didn't do correctly in 2003.