Can you bargain down a custom order?
 

So here's a million dollar question... I'm very specific in what I want (as anyone spending $40k+ should be)...

I'd like to get the following:
C300 Luxury 4matic
Steel Grey
Grey interior full leather
P2 Package
MM package
iPod Kit
Panoramic Sunroof
Wood+Leather Steering Wheel
Full set o' cargo nets for the trunk...

My history at the dealership -- my current C-class is a lease that ends this coming fall, and we didn't really negotiate the price so I'm hoping to do some negotiating this time around...

What do you all think -- I'm thinking of trying for just over invoice + no discounts on accessories/packages? Or is it possible to finagle it even more? I'm really looking forward to your experiences with this as I'm not really the haggling type. I just somehow doubt they will have the car I want in stock anywhere since I tend to be particular. When I got my current W203, the pewter metallic with ash interior was a hard to find combo in a C280 4matic... when I said I wanted fold down rear seats it knocked all contenders out of the running. So I "settled" for without and I really could have used those fold down seats SEVERAL times now...

Looking forward to your wisdom,
- Eric

I can't say i have much experience with car dealers, but i AM in sales so:

Why not give it a go? try to get the price down, or have them throw in some options fo free.

If they refuse everything you ask for you can say: "i'm ready to buy now IF you give me a good deal".

if they still refuse, just walk away and see what happens.

then either go to another dealer, or come back later.

It's worth a try, cos what do you have to loose?

Having said all that; the above works perfectly well in holland (where i'm from) but
here in France, Negotiating in stores is just "not done".

so it always remains a cultural thing...

cheers
egon

Eric,

To answer your question, yes, you can bargain a custom order.
My car was ordered in November 2007...fully loaded. We did not agree on a price. (I almost assumed I was going to pay MSRP based on the demand at the time.) Good thing it took 5 months for the delivery - cuz the economy tanked big-time while I was waiting! lol All to my negotiating benefit.

The MSRP when it finally arrived in Feb was $44,140. I was able to get it for $800 over invoice for $41,900 without even a fight...which tells me that I probably could have gone a lot lower-even a few hundred below invoice.

Just remember that MB has a 3% holdback, so if you are in the $40k range with MSRP, they are already making $1200 selling it at invoice price!

Good luck!

you order the car though the dealer, without agreeing the price?
here you agree the price 1st, before anything is being ordered at all.
and when it arrives, you will have to pay that price.

I ordered mine and got it for $400 over invoice.

As others have posted, yes you can. a dealer once told me that if a car is selling hot, but not as much that there aren't availables in the lot then the custom order can actually be haggled a bit more cause the dealer knows he can move the cars in the lot at higher price. not so sure I entirely believe him tho....

So what your saying is order a McLaren? Since those are rarely on the lot, I can threaten them to be stuck with it and maybe get it half off? ;-) LOL...

Many thanks for the input all -- keep it coming, especially from the east coast/ NY tri-state area bargaining stories... Thanks again.

Wheel color
 

<<So here's a million dollar question... I'm very specific in what I want (as anyone spending $40k+ should be)...

I'd like to get the following:
C300 Luxury 4matic
Steel Grey
Grey interior full leather
P2 Package
MM package
iPod Kit
Panoramic Sunroof
Wood+Leather Steering Wheel
Full set o' cargo nets for the trunk...

My history at the dealership -- my current C-class is a lease that ends this coming fall, and we didn't really negotiate the price so I'm hoping to do some negotiating this time around...>>

I can't answer your question but you need to know that the wood trimmed wheel comes in black leather only. Not grey, not beige, just black.

I have already chased this all the way to Germany, hoping to buy a Beige wood trimmed wheel and even the German C-class brochures I just received from a dealer say in the description of the steering wheel, and I quote, "leder:schwarz." They are available in three different woods, though.

The good thing about the factory wood trimmed wheel is the areas at 9 and 3 o'clock are shaped differently than the stock wheel, giving a flatter area for the thumb and hand to rest on.

These three big brochures show all models and engines, wheels, aerodynamic add-ons and all accessories, most of which we never see.

You can bargain down a custom order just like you would any other car. Don't expect to get it for anything lower than invoice though as its not on their lot and they won't be willing to move it as easily as say a car thats been in their inventory for a few months. Because its a special order in many cases they will make you put down a $1000 non refundable deposit, you can however have it written in your order that you will only take ownership of the car with your approval getting your money back if your not happy or ordering you a new car, this depends on how friendly you are with your dealership. (In the case of a McLaren you have to put down a percentage of price of the car before you can order one, non refundable) Heres a break down of what you can expect after a little bargaining, you should be able to get the sticker price of the car for invoice minus the accessories (wood wheel and nets). The wood wheel you will most likely have to pay for and have installed at their pricing though. The net package should be a free throw in as they total a $150 price tag for the three, I got all weather mats for free, plus some other goodies going well over that $150 price.

Can you bargain down a custom order?
 

Well sure you can, but you have more bargaining power with the cars on the lot.
The dealer has paid for those and he has a lot capital - ie bank loans, tied up in them. You also lose subtle bargaining power, such as closing on the last day of the month -(every Sales Manager loves to meet his monthly quota!) and being a right now cash buyer.

Thank you for the VERY useful information -- I would have never realized that about the steering wheel.... although, I have another question to pose -- is the steering wheel on the gray interior not black? Or is it simply a dark gray color, lighter than the black steering wheel would have been?

Mind you, I do happen to like the black interior as well... and that may in fact sway me to get the black interior - just so that it all flows well... the lighter interior just happens to "feel more airy" when inside - which is entirely my own unjustified opinion...

Anyone have some good pictures of a gray interior with the wood trim? I've been looking as I like to browse TONS of pictures before making up my mind ;-)...

Thanks all -- very helpful!
- Eric

I say again...
 

<<.... is the steering wheel on the gray interior not black? Or is it simply a dark gray color, lighter than the black steering wheel would have been?>>

Black.

I suggest you call around to all the dealer parts departments in your area to see if any of them has one in stock. That way you can hold it in your hands to make up your own mind and remove it from your order if you don't like it.

I'm going to get mine (beige with burl walnut) from Performance Products when they get them in which will be soon, they tell me. And, I'm going to have my dealer order it from them so I can use my $1500 MBUSA/MBCA Loyalty gift card to pay for it.