BenzAviator

I'm currently interested in a C450. What strategies are you using to get these deals? Are you contacting multiple dealers and requesting X% off MSRP? I contacted a dealer in Houston, TX and he only offered 8% off MSRP as a "military discount". When I mentioned plenty others are getting higher savings almost double that, I was laughed at.

I'm newly stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, so I'd love recommendations for solid Texas dealers!

Thanks!

gerbs

You are getting hosed at 8% !

My strategy was not to mention the exact % but let them figure it out themselves. In other words, get your #s exactly in line and then present an offer with very specific numbers.

If it's a lease, find the exact car via their inventory and specify all the relevant information (MSRP, Cap Cost, MF, Residual, months, miles, zip code, credit score).

If it's a purchase, it's a little easier. Just tell them you are prepared to purchase the car at $xx,xxx and you can either provide your own financing or use theirs.

For the purchase price (or cap cost if leasing) take the MSRP * .84 and there's your 16% off price.


We are getting 13% off in SoCal as a base e-price... 16% has been widely accepted by many members on the forum including myself. I would not settle for anything less than 16%, there are hundreds and hundreds of these cars melting on lots across the nation and they are about to go extinct with the new C43. Find a dealer that is aware of this and they will play nice (also use this to your advantage when justifying your #s.)


Clear skies!

Mr. J

Bogus!
Almost every dealer in the country uses Autotrader. A nationwide search only yields 232 cars as of 5 min ago. There are not "hundreds" of C450s in CA right now. There may be a few dozen at most.

gerbs

Can you provide a source for that information? I'm afraid you are incorrect, Autotrader and cars.com only grab a very small selection of available NEW INVENTORY vehicles. Only dealerships that choose to integrate with their API and keep things up to date actually have fresh data on those sites. Using car sales aggregator sites like cars.com and autotrader are a terrible source for accurate data on new stock.

Sorry to devalue the worth of your precious aluminum but it's just a little overproduced right now.... Check for yourself if you're really up for it, here's a tiny subset of dealers in the SoCal region.. there are many more missing from this list, these are Los Angeles dealerships....


www.los-angeles.mercedesdealer.com

www.simonson.mercedesdealer.com

www.sbmercedes.com

www.long-beach.mercedesdealer.com

www.keyes.mercedesdealer.com

www.rusnak.mercedesdealer.com

www.encino.mercedesdealer.com

www.calabasas.mercedesdealer.com

www.calstar.mercedesdealer.com

www.star.mercedesdealer.com

www.hoehn.mercedesdealer.com

www.santaclarita.mercedesdealer.com

www.penske.mercedesdealer.com

www.anaheim.mercedesdealer.com

www.hoimercedes.com

www.fletcher.mercedesdealer.com

www.walters.mercedesdealer.com

www.mbfoothill.com

www.laguna-niguel.mercedesdealer.com

www.temecula.mercedesdealer.com

www.oxnard.mercedesdealer.com

Mr. J

Agreed not all inventory is listed on the aggregate search sites. But they do provide a representative sample. If you can only find a few dozen cars on an aggregate search that means that national inventory is low.

There are 48 Mercedes Benz dealers in the state of CA. The majority are in the LA and the Valley with another cluster in the Bay Area. I briefly perused your list. The LA dealer with the largest inventory of C450s (Fletcher Jones) had 33 on the lot. I believe that FJ is the largest MB dealer in CA and possibly the largest in North America. Sone of the other large dealerships had as many as 14. Quite a few had zero. Most of the dealerships have 1-3 cars in stock. Dial back the hyberbole and you'll get less criticism.

There may be as many as 300 C450s in the entire state of CA which happens to be one of the largest markets for luxury cars in the world.

Mr. J

8% is more of a standard discount for most MB dealers. You can get 8% off from a factory build on a new model pretty easily. You'll probably need to cross shop a few dealers to get the price down on a C450. Make sure you know all your option values so you can do a proper apples to apples comparison. I would definitely push for at least 15% off MSRP for either purchase or lease. I would be surprised if you weren't able to get that.

tivoboy

I almost don't believe that but damn that would be a great price.

gerbs

Yeah its decent. I had to drag myself out of the mindset of buying it for a few days.. Just really hard to convert to an MB guy (on my 4th BMW).

Might get an M3 instead.

LindsayEOD

Hey BenzAviator, did you ever find a dealer in Texas with better than 8% off?
Thanks!

BenzAviator

Honestly, I never replied because I decided the C450 wasn't equipped as well as I want. I've been busy with work, so car shopping has been lower on my priority list. I'm considering waiting for the C43 at this point, or saving a bit more for a used C63. I currently drive a Grand Cherokee SRT, so I'm trying to convince myself I don't need that much power in my next vehicle, but that argument of reason is failing so far!

MASSC450

I just bought a 2016 C450 at 16% off sticker...I pick it up this Saturday. It only has 13 miles on it!

MSRP - $63,660...sale price - $53,474 (after June incentives and fleet discount), and I received full trade-in value for my 2015 C300 Sport 4Matic (according to Kelly Blue Book).

Iridium Silver, Lighting pkg., Multimedia pkg., Interior pkg. (black leather w/red stitching & seat belts), Premium 2 pkg., Driver's Assist pkg., ("Distronic Plus")., natural grain black ash wood, panoramic roof, 18" AMG wheels...Build date: 12/15.

In addition, I bought a 2 year prepaid maintenance plan ($850), and their best clear bra for the nose & top of the rear bumper ($625). The interest rate was 2.99% for 48 months.

A couple of cool side notes:

1) I got to keep my 19" AMG wheel/tires from my old 2015 C300 Sport (the old car gets traded in with the 18" AMG take off set I bought from eBay last year), so now I have those 19" AMG wheels/tires AND the original brand new black 18" AMG wheels/tires that come standard with the C450.

2) The finance guy explained to me that I would be getting a portion of money back from the prepaid maintenance & wheel/tire insurance plans I purchased for my 2015 C300 at MBOB...$545.34 from the prepaid maintenance plan since I only had (1) "A" service done (if I bought a new prepaid maintenance plan for the C450...which I did), and about 66% of $998 from the wheel/tire insurance plan.

jester4

Congratulations!


Unfortunately those 19" AMG wheels you had on your C300 won't fit on the C450 (front's anyway).....

MASSC450

Your kidding me...are you sure?

jester4

I have not personally tried myself and solely relying on the information of others that are smarter than me.


https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...et-wheels.html


Offset for the fronts are the issue. The C300 offset is different than the C450

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

I did not know this, as many seem to be giving advice like they are the same.

Either way, you could likely use a spacer to gain the clearance needed for suspension/brake calipers. Apparently 12mm works up front on the c300. When I put even a 4mm on my c450, it was hella flush - and I wouldn't want to go much further. (6 would probably be the max at stock ride height before poking started occurring.

This info does reflect that the offset would be different between the 300 and 450, especially considering that the c450 has some OE camber dialed in for better dynamics/handling (which would increase the distance between the wheel and fender, allowing for a lesser +et, rather than a higher).

The thread I started on spacer fitment:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...r-fitment.html

LindsayEOD

After reading, and reading, this forum it appears as though the C43 might be worth waiting for. However, I still have no idea how some of these guys are getting 10%+ off theirs. The most I have found in Texas is 8% and it was on one that was poorly optioned.
Thanks for getting back with me.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

take everything with a grain of salt.

At the same time, I wouldn't compromise feature set with a mediocre deal.

Get what you want at a price you feel comfortable with, shop around and pin dealer deals against each other.

topsider

sounds like some of you guys are getting great deals, hopefully I can pick up a CPO 450 in 2 years when my lease is up

MASSC450

Thanks for the heads up on this whole front 19" wheel thing. My dealership is performing a test fit today on my C450 that's getting prepped for me to pickup this coming Saturday...and they will get back to me ASAP. Supposedly they've done a swap like this 3 times already with no issues.

We'll see though. And by the way, I'd be more than happy to post my purchase contract for those who don't believe the incredible deal I got.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

I am not trying to undercut you on the deal. I have no reason not to believe - and wouldn't care either way, as it has nothing to do with me.

I am happy for you if you got a great deal! I ordered my car and didn't get as good of a deal, but have seen plenty of people in the 15% range.

Let us know, that would be great. fitment might still work, but that doesn't mean it will be as aggressive, I guess. Really curious.

MASSC450

Thank you.

When it comes to the spacing of the wheels, I only care if they clear the calipers.

jester4

Let us know. I think many of us are interested in the outcome.....

15MBC300

Please post your contract if you can because I myself have a 2015 c300 and am looking to trade it in on a 2016 c450 with the great deals they have going right now. Thanks

inhartwetrust

C43 isn't really that much better than the C450 (minor improvements, yes, but nothing earth shattering). If you can put together a great deal on a C43, it's worth paying a little more for IMO...but if you are looking at 14-16% off a C450 and only 5% or less off of a C43, take the C450 and run. Great car and can be had at a great price at the moment.

MASSC450

So the dealership just got back to me after performing a test fit...no go.

19" front multi-spoke AMG wheels from a C300 WILL NOT FIT on a C450. The only way to do it is to use 3mm spacers...and I'm not a spacer guy.

At least my car comes with all-season tires, so I don't have to rush on buying Summer wheels.

So now it looks like I'll be selling a set of 19" AMG multi-spoke wheels from a 2015 C300...