Curious that I still don't see many w204's on the road. Yeah, its a new car, but it has been 4 or 5 months now? And around here, older c-classes are just about as common as civics, as are the infinitis, acuras, bmws, and audis. That is to say north Jersey ain't a region where people gotta save to buy a $40K car.

So, I'm curious if MBUSA has released a quarterly or year-to-date sales figure for w204's. Or if the trade papers have compiled new registrations yet for the w204? You know, like the AutoNews or Ward's does every quarter or so (which I don't subscribe to anymore).

And, also curious if MBUA ever announced their goal in annual sales of w204's, you know like 20,000 annually or etc. I'm more or less wondering if this thing is selling like we think, if it is a big hit exceeding expectations, or whether its falling flat, for any number of reasons which may or may not be related to the car itself?

 

I drive on LIE and Grand Central in New York area during my daily commute to work, I've only seen two, one white sport in the city and one black luxury on grand central..(and this one is the same driver)

I think the sale is not great, I walked into one dealer in Queens, off the bat the sales guy tells me he can discount the car, that's me without trying to haggle or talk price.

Given all these not-so-rave reviews and MB's reputation in consumer report and JD powers, I doubt the new c is a mass hit. I see all this as more leverage for haggling when the times come.

 

Well I would say that sales have been very good. Number don't tend to lie. There is a 56% increase of sales this November compared to last November of the New c class. It's been selling quite well.

Model Nov. '07 Nov. '06 Monthly % YTD 2007 YTD 2006 Yearly %

C-CLASS 6,920 4,435 56.0% 56,802 44,990 26.3%

 

According to Benzinsider.com (and the Wall Street Journal online - at the end of this post), this is an unqualified hit:

In October 2007, Mercedes-Benz Cars achieved record sales of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and smart brand vehicles. Customer deliveries totaled 114,600 units, an increase of twelve percent on the 102,500 vehicles delivered in October 2006. As a result, Mercedes-Benz Cars also set a sales record for the first ten months of the year, which amounted to 1,056,900 units (January - October 2006: 1,036,700). At 103,900 units, deliveries of Mercedes-Benz brand vehicles were at their highest level ever for the month of October, representing an increase of ten percent on the 94,200 units delivered in the same month last year. The brand with the star also posted a new record for the first ten months of the year by selling 976,600 units, a four-percent increase from the 940,500 units sold between January and October 2006.

The new C-Class continues to be in great demand with customers. Sales of the vehicle more than doubled in October, to over 30,000 units (+136 percent compared to the same month in 2006), enabling the sedan to remain the world market leader in its segment. A total of more than 130,000 C-Class sedans have been delivered to customers around the world since the vehicle was launched on the market at the end of March 2007.

The S-Class models continue to be very successful on the global market as well. Since the beginning of the year, 91,300 customers have opted to buy a luxury class vehicle from Mercedes-Benz (January - October 2006: 91,100). This figure is higher than the combined sales of all models of directly competing German brands. A new sales record was particularly set by the CL-Class in the first ten months of the year, with 9,200 units delivered to customers.

Customers also are very enthusiastic about the new smart fortwo. The number of vehicles delivered to customers in October rose by 92 percent, to the record-setting total of 10,600 units (same period last year: 5,500 vehicles). As a result, smart brand sales increased by 29 percent in October, despite the fact that the brand still offered three models last year.
In the Asia-Pacific region, sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles rose by 27 percent in October 2007, to an all-time high of 11,400 units (October 2006: 9.100). The brand with the star also posted a new sales record in the U.S., where deliveries of passenger vehicles increased by eleven percent to 22,800 units (October 2006: 20,600).

In Germany, sales of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and smart brand vehicles rose slightly in October, to 31,400 units (October 2006: 30,800). Mercedes-Benz Cars also posted a sales record in the rest of Western Europe, with customer deliveries increasing by fourteen percent to 37,800 units (October 2006: 33,300).

On December 10, 2007, the Wall Street Journal online had a story about the horrible sales figures for luxury cars. The exception - the new C-Class:

Mercedes-Benz is cheering dealers with heavy promotion of its "Winter Event," the Daimler AG brand's answer to the Lexus "December to Remember." The redesigned C-Class is drawing in new customers with its sub-$32,000 base price. At AutoNation, Inc., the biggest Mercedes retailer in the U.S., the new C-Class now accounts for about 31% of total Mercedes sales, and is pulling customers out of middle-brow brands. The only complaint from AutoNation executives is that there aren't more C-Classes available, says AutoNation spokesman Marc Cannon.

 

Is that only for the w204?

I don't think they break down the numbers between the 07 and 08 c-class.

Given the incentive on the outgoing 07 c-class, that number isn't entirely a accurate reflection on the w204.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...desi.html#more

 

For the October to October comparison, do you really think there were THAT MANY leftover W203s sold in October 2007? You're going to have to show me and everyone else some proof of that assertion before I believe the figure is not an accurate representation of W204 sales.

The other figure in the report I quoted was solely for W204.

By the way, did you happen to go look at a 3-series? Do you think you'd walk of there without cash being taken off the sticker?

 

Yeah, looked around too and saw the november 6,920 units sold for a 56% increase over last year.

but I have no reference point for that where last year the c-class was 6or7 years long in the tooth and was having its hat handed to it by others, hence the need fo the w204. So comparing sales of plasmas (this years model) to tube tv's (last year's model) may only offer a skewed view of increase in sales of "tv's". Then again, until we have year vs. year figures of w204 vs. w204, I guess this is the best we have.

Also, the November figure does seem to include w203's sold. Which there are plenty of around. All dealers around here are running fire sales on w203's as they're last year's model, so they may be selling well due to deep discounts. But again, we will never know.

I guess we'll have to wait to march to know for sure since (1) w203 inventory should be cleared by then, (2) early adopter "rush" into the w204 will have subsided by then and (3) january/february doldrums in car sales will be over by then.

Anyone with an Automotine News subscription may be able to give us the best data. They keep monthly or quarterly sales figuere by model in the "data" section. I think that data of w203 sales vs. bmw, audi, infiniti and acura from, say, last october and november 2006, and again vs. the competition this october and november 2007 would provide better insight if the w204 is selling better or worse than the w203 and better or worse against the competition.

 

Wow - I haven't seen a new W203 around here for months. They did those giveaway leases over the summer and then they were just gone. If you liked that model, you could get an incredible deal. I just hated that car - loved the previous version. I just couldn't warm up to the looks of it, especially the "Mr. Peanut" headlights and that silly instrument cluster it had when it was first introduced (thankfully MB ditched that later on).

My cousin in Minnesota was wishing that she had gotten a W203 4Matic during those lease deals. I'll have to tell her to do an internet search in your neck of the woods!

 

I just got on Ebay. It looks like the MB dealer in Colorado Springs bought every 2007 C280 4Matic they could find. And they're looking for really gullible people based on their "Buy it Now" prices!

 

If it was a C300 4matic that may have been me in the city. In any case, if you're looking for a better deal on the 2008 C-class I've a guy out in NJ who'll work to get you the best price. I was told at the Bayside (Queens) dealership that the cars were flying out the doors so fast that there would be no chance for discounts or a negotiation for a lower price and that's a load of BULL. NEVER pay full, you can ALWAYS negotiate. I was able to negotiate in NJ a lower price in early November and got my car 2 weeks later exactly how I wanted it.

 

Mr. Peanut headlights. LOL!!! Nice analogy, Kieffer. LOL. I have the say though... I give credit to this driver. I think it's a beauty and can't wait for the 08's carbon fiber spoiler to come out.

 

<<Given the incentive on the outgoing 07 c-class, that number isn't entirely a accurate reflection on the w204.>>

In the first month of availabiilty when they were first starting to trickle in, my dealer sold twenty-five of them. Their total monthly sales, new and used, runs 100-120 units. Which is the highest in our area.

I seldom see one, either.

 

The figures given are for the W204 models, not the W203. The "sales" numbers given by carmakers each month are just the number of cars shipped to dealers, not how many are acutally sold to customers. There haven't been any shipments of the W203 in months.

M

 

dude, chill. No need to be defensive. First of all, I didn't quote your article. It was a figured posted for Nov. Second, I posted this. which talks about how sales figures reported by MB didn't separate w203 and w204. Thirdly, what does 3-series sales got to do with this thread!?!?!!?!

btw, your article for the Oct. numer is world-wide or USA only? doesn't say does it?
Sales figures reported are often obscured in some ways, it could be mean sales to the dealership or sales to the customer or sales with rebates/incensitive.....

 

yea, an other member in this forum pointed to northen NJ dealer as well. I've read that you pay 6% auto sales tax in NJ as suppose to 4.25% for NY?
check out http://www.kiplinger.com/php/cartax.html

but then again, I think NJ has better service and inventory....

 

ah, now that makes sense.