Should I have gotten a Mercedes loaner?
 

Brought my new c300sport 4 matic in for a non-repair today (adding a nano clear coat, I know, prolly worthless, but have heard some positive things, guess I'll be the guinea pig, and yes I know the paint has a nano coat inthe clear coat).

anyway, they gave me a choice in loaners: chrysler pacifica or dodge avenger. By the looks of things, that's all they give as they had a dozen of each sitting around. Oddly, the dealer is only a mercedes dealer, not a mercedes/chrysler dealer (e.g., same dealer, separate locations). I know chrysler was tied to mercedes, but should I have gotten a mercedes as a loaner for my loaner? Or should I just be happy I got a loaner?

For the first free service, I was provided a MB loaner car-ML350 even if my car was E350. But I heard from a dealer that every MB dealership does not provide MB as a loaner car.

Which NNJ dealer is this? Prestige mentioned that they only have MB loaners in their fleet, over 150.

they probably decided to cut corners and save some $$ on loaners when merc/chrysler merged... its like those FORD exec driving a jag or aston (I really think they bought those company so they can driver non ford cars..)

It is not MBUSA's responsibility to provide alternate transportation. Each dealer is independent and up to them to provide a shuttle, rental, loaner or no transportation option. What kind of rental cars or loaner cars they have depends on that dealer. Sometimes you may get a MB or a Enterprise counter.

You should be happy you got one at all :) Some people when going to the dealer have to find their own ride home.

The dealers here used to give out same branded cars but have since cut costs and now use dedicated Enterprise Rental Car reps stationed on site. Yeah, it's a blast bringing in a $65k Q7 to our Audi dealer and being given a death trap brakes barely functioning Dodge Stratus that stinks like cigarrete smoke and BO.

Every now and then Audi will give me an A4. The MB dealer (owned by the same people who own the Audi dealer) has no MB cars for loaners. They might for S class owners, but I've never heard of anybody else getting an MB lowner.

I usually just make them shuttle me around unless I absolutely have appts that I have to leave the office for.

Sorry to veer off from your loaner issue but how much is the nano-clear coat costing you? Is this something any Merc dealer is authorized to do? Also, as mentioned by you, is this effective - anyone else who have done this on their Merc, can you please comment?

Thanks!

Nano-clearcoat should already be on your C300.

Just got a 2006 R500 loaded for my loaner today. I also got 2007 R350, 2007 ML350 as loaner before. :nix:

They are giving me a loaner next week. I hope it's not one of the big SUVs.

my parents brought in their ML350 for a warranty repair
and they were suppose to get a B-Class for a loaner but ran out

so the dealer RENTED them a newToyota Camry.
Better then nothing!

this is at MB Mississauga (Canada)

Ray Catena Mercedes Benz in Edison, NJ...provide the best service...They have a separate warehouse size service facility they provide complimentary: food(catered/fresh), drinks, shoe shines, Internet/TV access via 10 or so flat panel sony computers, billiards table, along with a virtual golf room. Not to mention they have over 250 loaners available, most of which are 2007 (or newer) C280 4-matic's, but also includes 25 loaners of each, the ML350 and R350 and a few E350 loaners. :zoom:

mb of morristown
 

Okay, learned a few more things when picked up my car. The loaners are chryslers b/c of dollar rent a car. They've subbed to Dollar it seems. They also had a bunch of new toyota camry's also. I asked about those, if dollar also, the service guy said no - those were since the owner of the mb dealership also owned a toyota dealership.

So, I for one am disapointed I don't get a merc loaner and think it declasse, but also understand having a loaner at all is a benefit. Well, as with other things at this dealership, it seems run like a chevy or honda dealership.

I kinda wished I had bought from Prestige or Catena, as I've heard good things about them. But had heard good things about MB of Morristown too. Prestige is kinda far (Bergen County), and Catena in Union sold me a w204 they claimed was in inventory, then couldn't deliver when they said they "discovered" it wasn't at their Edison store's lot, but was in Port Baltimore where all merc's are offloaded and that MBUSA had merely added it to their computer inventory and no way to know! After giving them an extra 2 days to produce, i demanded my deposit back and went to MB of Morristown which had exactly my specs in inventory: 300sport 4 matic, black on black, Pano, P1, MMC, Ipod.

As for the Nano tech coating, the dealer tried to sell me on it at time of purchase. It was "listed" as $995! I said wasn't interested, but was curious about the nanotechonology. He asked how much I would be willing to pay, I said $250. He said no, he could do $350. I said I'd think about it. He gave me the hard sell. I didn't bite but left the door open. Since then he called about once a week for 2 or 3 weeks. That should be the tip-off right there, if the sudden drop in price wasn't a tip off. But, when I got my car a partner at work asked if I got the nano coating. I said what do you mean, and he said he got it done to his newer S-class (also from MB of Morristown)! Really? He said it works, just pretty much hose stuff off. I wasn't sure, but next time dealer called I chatted him and he said it is applied to wheels also and that brake dust won't stick, etc., if it did dealer would clean, plus he said after 2 years dealer would re apply. The application process he said is a full car detailing (inside included as a "courtesy") and is a full clean and strip of wax/chemicals, etc., clean wheels and all rubber, etc., then the nanocoating on all exterior surfaces except inside wheel wells, etc. So on a lark I tried it for $350. I expect its just a hand applied fancy wax that won't be much better than turtle wax, and also doubt it will keep wheels clean, and am pretty sure simply "hosing off" won't work, but for $350 I get 2 car detailings and whenever I'm pissed I can harraunge the dealer the clean my wheels. Plus, if it prevents a full case of toothbrush on alloy wheel to get clean syndrome, then it might be worth it? Will keep posted, at least so far on its first day it did keep the melted sleet/ice in nice beads on the car's paint in this nasty storm the NE is getting today.

Loaners
 

<<The dealers here used to give out same branded cars but have since cut costs and now use dedicated Enterprise Rental Car reps stationed on site.
The MB dealer (owned by the same people who own the Audi dealer) has no MB cars for loaners. They might for S class owners, but I've never heard of anybody else getting an MB loaner. I usually just make them shuttle me around unless I absolutely have appts that I have to leave the office for.>>

That's Barrier MB which has also stopped the Mercedes Club parts discounts. Phil Smart has given up on Enterprise and now has a fleet of '07 C230 Sports as loaners. And they still give the MB club parts discount, after the markup over retail, of course.

BTW, I just bought four tire pressure sensors from Caliber Motors and paid $160 less than Smart's price. $59.04 each plus a little bit of freight.

I'm not used to getting loaners with either our Mitsubishi or our Toyota, so I'll be happy with any decent loaner. Funny enough though, on my wifes old Hyundai, they always had a loaner avail even when she just brought it in for something simple like an oil change... You'd think they'd want to loan out something nicer then what you have so you know what you're missing?!

next time you should ask for a benz, they gave me a 2007 c240 4matic as a loaner. f....that:crazy:

In Portland, OR I always received a MB even though the dealer uses Hertz.

Got shuttled to Enterprise, but they have W203s as loaners to customers from my dealership.

Nano coating was offered to me initially for the same price, $995. I replied with a resounding NO!!!

But when the F&I guy said he'll throw it in with the Lo-Jack ($595) for $720 OTD, I replied with a much more resounding YES!!! lol

:zoom:

I was just going to say that... I have a Mazda6 right now while my car is at Rasmussen. :zoom:

I think if you are still in warranty you get a Merc loaner... otherwise you get to rent a wreck...

Rasmussen... 1st Mercedes Dealer in the USA... and in Portland, OR... who knew??

Rasmussen has switched from using standard cars from a Enterprise, to a fleet of C-Class vehicles through Hertz, back to standard rental cars from Hertz. They have also changed their policy to only provide cars free of charge if you bought from them and if it's still under warranty. If the car is either out of warranty or if you didn't purchase from them, you pay 50% of the rental fee. IMHO, the service level at Rasmussen has decreased over the past few years.

In contrast, the dealer I use near San Diego, MB of Escondido, has a large fleet of mostly C-Class vehicles that they loan out to anyone with any service appointment, regardless of warranty status or where you purchased your vehicle.

That's the way it should be for every dealer :smash:

My dealer always guarantees me a loaner. When I get there they always run out at the last minute and I'm stuck with a "shuttle" in a Passat (VW, Volvo, MB dealer). :D

I agree that the level of "service" has declined... I think they should give MB loaners to all MB owners... if for nothing else, to maybe get someone who wasn't in the market for a newer model interested in looking... and those people are more than likely to be the ones with older, out of warranty cars... like myself, even though I bought the car from them... Still have to have a rental car.

My dealership always asks me if i need a loaner when picking the time for my service appointments.

If I need a loaner i get a date that they have loaners available. If I don't need a loaner they give me a different date for service.

100% of the time it is always a MB for my MB

:rolf:...if my dealer ever run's out of the 250+ mb loaners and the on-site enterprise cars, or if someone just wants shuttle service..they provide pick-up/drop off service in an E-class limo :naughty: