vistapoints

Hi all,
Here are some impression / info i got from visiting 2 local dealerships regarding the C300 Sport.

On Haggling / Price Negotiation: I think this will be hard to achieve for any extensive amount due to simple supply and demand. 1st dealership said this car will only be sold at MSRP as there is a waiting list of 40 orders (I believe that's an exaggeration). 2nd dealership is softer, but the room for any kind of price decrease is minimal (they will be able to throw in some options on the side in lieu of actually reducing the price). Also, I've read here that the MSRP is 7% over the invoice; although one of the dealership actually only used 6% when doing my calculation (maybe intentionally to mislead). This led me to believe that perhaps at least 1% of MSRP reduction is possible.
Immediate availability is unlikely; see below.

On Car Availability / Delivery: The soonest I will be able to get my hands on one is mid September. Germany has just shipped their newest batch on freight on August 10th, and it takes about 5 weeks to get here. Note: 2nd dealership also said some of the future C300 (or parts of it) will be manufactured in Africa. But as of the latest shipments, all of the C300s have been manufactured in Germany.

On Ability to Play DVD on Multimedia Package while the Car is in motion: As you may know, by deafult, the DVD player will not play any movies while the car is in motion due to safety and (legal?) reasons. The 2nd dealer said the system can be modified to play the DVD while car is in motion if you sign some kind of waiver. Although I do not believe the modification will actually be done by the dealership.

On Packages: most of the 1st shipments will be shipped with the P1 Premium Package and without the Multimedia Package. Dealer indicated that MB has mis-calculated the popularity and demand of the Multimedia system in the US. More of the future shipments will include the Multimedia system.

Just wanted to share what I've heard. I am also very interested in everyone's expereince regarding price negotiation & haggling. It'd be a great if everyone could share their experience.

Thanks,
JT

misterng

So far I'd only been to 1 dealer in the Bay Area. I did put down $500 for deposit 1 month ago for palladium silver C350 with premium II, multimedia package, panorama sunroof, 18" AMG, tele aid and quick park. As of today, the dealer still hasn't given me the final price and the production date because according to what they told me the 18" AMG is on back order and also they could not enter the quick park (distance sensors for parking) in their system yet, eventhough this option is already shown on MB website. I guess I have to wait for another week or so to find out.

Germancar1

Interesting that Mercedes would get the options wrong on the C's first shipments, just like they did on the S. Maybe when the next E comes out they'll get it right from the start..lol!

M

VaSh9394

hello everyone
I've been lurking here for awhile now i place a order for a 08 C350 white over black with p2 and 18" AMG MSRP $39,625 after discount $38,425 I really don't see what the big deal is with the new c-class to make a long story short I send out a mass emails to all tri state dealers in New york and mb of smithtown give me the best deal!! too bad i won't see the car till oct

vistapoints

i will try spamming the local dealerships and see what i get
yea, no immediate delivery is no good feel

Bionic Man

I went to my friendly neighborhood NY dealer and ordered my black on black C300. The salesguy pretty much dittoed the above. I put $500 down, the car will arrive sometime in mid october, and that the 18" AMG wheels will not be available as an option until November or December. In other words, if I don't want to wait, my car will have the not-so-stylish 17" 7 spoke wheels, with dealer-installed wheels as the only remedy. Sucks.

Oh yeah, he said that he cannot come down on the MSRP as this car is in-demand right now. Prices may be discounted sometime around March.

So my recommendation to myself would be to order the car in march at a discount and get the AMG wheels. But I guess I don't want to wait...

VaSh9394

you should have told the sales guy, listen I'm not buying a CL65 amg this is a c-class for my wife i'm not paying MSRP for a C CLASS so discount or move on to the next dealership. by the way which dealership did you order from?

Germancar1

I agree, this is the most mass produced Benz there is. Prices will come down before March I'd guess.

M

Bionic Man

I got the same story from the LIC dealer as well. I haven't tried the Manhattan dealer. I'm actually more concerned about the wheels right now, but if anyone got a discount from one of these 3 dealerships let me know and I'll raise hell when I go back. I don't want to go to Jersey or CT for a car to save a few hundred bucks, its not worth the headache.

SteveAustin

I just had to reply since we have similar handles...anyway, build the exact car you want, schedule Euro Delivery, and fly across the pond and pick it up before Christmas. You'll save 7% and get exactly what you want.

Dema

Is Euro delivery available for C? Or only for E?

Bionic Man

Haha yeah I guess we are the same person! I guess it would be worth it if I were buying an E class or greater. My C Class is around $30K so spending a thousand on airfare and hotel to save $2100 is like saving a few hundred bucks. Jersey is closer. The idea may be more feasible for other people though. Thanks.