SolidGranite

Ok, who's ordering a C63? I am.

However, I have never ordered a car before as all of my purchases have been off a lot. How do you negotiate for a car you're not going to take delivery on for a year? Is a discount on this car going to be a reality? The sticker on my C55 was 59 and I got it for 52. Also, what should a realistic deposit be to get on a list? Is this deposit normally refundable if you change your mind?

Any and all information regarding this process is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Quicktwinturbo

For a new upcoming model, dealer will most likely not give you any discount.
You will have to make non-refundable deposit and they will place an order when it is avaliable in U.S..

If I were you, I would wait awhile... US version may be different from all those reviews you've seen on this thread..

tpick23

No real chance on getting a car at a discount that no one else has yet. Thats going to be a preeeeemium item so dealer does not have to give at all. Usually 10% from what I understand, having never ordered a car. Plus, be prepared for a steep depreciation. Just for kicks I had a dealer call around the area couple of weeks ago and as sad as I am to say best offer for my CLK63, loaded, was 72K, down from 98K new like 10 months ago.

DuaneC55

What are you worried about. The stealership only wants your money. Forget about their feeling and remember it's your money. You don't need to be the first guy on the block with a C63. Take your time. A year ago no one could touch a Porsche 997TT for less than sticker. Now a 5-7% discount is easy if the car is on the floor. If I where u I'd buy the used CLK63 sitting right above me.

c32AMG-DTM

So I guess you have the convertible? The CLK63 Black Series coupe isn't out yet, correct...? THAT'S going to be an amazing model as well....

whoover

I think the deposit you'd put down is normally refundable. The dealer has your money for a year just for putting you in line, so it would be pretty bad etiquette for them to make it non-refundable.

When you get a build date assigned and specify your equipment, it would make sense for the deposit to become non-refundable. Then the dealer is protected if you order an unpopular configuration. Talk to your dealer. I'd be tempted to do it but we'll keep the C55 for another couple of years. It's my wife's car and dammit she's perfectly happy with it. The C63 does sound like a major leap.

Slater126

The etiquitte when ordering an MB is to pay the dealer the least amount of money as is possible. As other posters said, it's your money. You can ask for whatever you want, and then not give over the deposit if the "deal" isn't satisfactory. Say you'll give them $X if they'll sell you the car by X date at $X over invoice (defining "invoice" as the Edmunds "invoice" amount on X date -- or something like that). Also try to include a right to cancel the contract for any reason or no reason. If not, take your money and walk.

There typically is a premium associated with driving the first of a new model. Why, I do not know. One of the major magazines (Motor Trend?) published an editorial awhile back on this, wherein the author referred to the "me first" mark up as the "Stupid Tax." I can't say I disagree. Unless it's a very unusual situation (e.g. a Ferrari Enzo), the manufacturer will simply adjust production over time to meet demand and the average selling price of the car will drop below MSRP (e.g. the new Honda Civic, Shelby GT500). Then, you can take that $5k or whatever you paid to be the first on your block and burn it along with the (substantial) depreciation you are already going to suffer on your new premium luxury car.

I love my C32 more than anything but let's face it -- neither the C32 nor the C55 were stars on the resale market. Today, you can get a cherry '02 or '03 with very low mileage for less than half the original MSRP. How is the C63 going to be different?

Looking at the archives, C32s were going for a premium over MSRP when they first came out in the fall of '01. They were highly sought after at first and then were being discounted a few months after release. Granted, 9/11 probably had something to do with that but I don't think the C55 commanded any kind of premium for very long (if at all) either.

You'll probably get a better deal if you wait or, at least, are willing to wait.

uweb

1. C32: ordered as per above; no discount...but Salesman dropped in spare tire/wheel (2002 didn't have one). I was confident in what I was getting - had seen the car in Frankfurt and Paris - no surprises, other then 5HP loss (349 vs. 354).

2. Ordered a VW Diesel (US model) when they were hard to get - paid sticker price cash IN ADVANCE (!); picked it up in Frankfurt Germany, drove 4K miles and shipped it back and sold it to a happy young lady. Got my money back.

3. Ordered/paid for in full (!) a Volvo station wagon (US model special color); picked it up in Amsterdam/Holland/Netherlands and drove it for about 4 months in Europe - it had a dark brownish color which was not available in Europe. We sold it to a guy who was desperate to get it!!! - he LOVED the color (Funeral home...) - before our return to the US; broke even..., including Lloyds insurance.

Some people speculated, buying the C32 - I think those days are long over. Buy it if you (can afford) it and like driving it - or, if you are into tech. things - enjoy being part of it. I have never driven my C32 at it's full potential with a non-tech. person around!!

Slater126

The C32 was announced at the end of the dot.com era when the economy had not yet tanked so there was some initial speculation. But 9/11 pretty much ended that. I guess it's a choice. Some people have to be first and I guess you'll always have to compete with those buyers when a hot new model comes out. And sometimes it pays off -- I don't think the last generation M5 ever really dropped much in price. But that's the exception. Usually, the passion dies off by the end of the first model year and the premium you paid gets lost.

pmb600

I think any AMG model will comand full price if you want to be the first to own it. I think calling it the stupid tax is a bit harsh, maybe having the latest of some other product isn't necissary, but I know how I felt when I saw the first W221 S-Classes. It must be very cool to have one of the best cars around before everyone else.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see much going for over sticker these days at MB dealerships. The last time I saw a huge mark up was when the R230 SL came out. I remember my dad looked at one that was like 3 months old with 2000 miles and they wanted $20K over sticker and I think most of them were going for around that price too.

hakaida442

If you're willing to put down a deposit (refundable) upon ordering colors and options when dealers are taking allocations, then getting a car for msrp should be the norm. If you wait until they are on the lot when they first come out, then anything goes as far as pricing is concerned. This is just my typical experience with most high-end dealerships except for ferrari.

SolidGranite

All good information. Thanks guys.

Slater126

Perhaps it was, given that it's a reality that this is going to happen. People were paying way over MSRP for the GT500 and even the Civic Si. It is what it is. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the author's opinion that it's stupid to pay the premium. I'm just saying that in all liklihood, you're going to lose the premium relatively rapidly. Is it worth it to do that, or wait a year for things to cool down? Personally, I'd wait a year.

ndabunka

Order one and get it in writing that you will be getting it for MSRP and NO other markups. With any luck you will be able to take possession of it while others are having to pay a premium. You can drive it for a couple of months and then flip it (with a healthy mark up) to some other yo-yo who wasn't smart enough to order it in advance. Why let the dealership make the premium? I heard about a guy making $100K flipping an SLR 722.

pmb600

Of course the 722 will comand a premium even if used because they made very few and only sold them to existing SLR owners.

abalto

Etiquette?? Are you serious? We are talking about car dealers here. Why in the world are you least worried about etiquette? It is your money. Shop around for the best deal and then decide if you want to buy one. Look around on ebay and the web. There will be dealers with allocation that just want to dump these things. Not everyone is looking to buy a $65k C class.

Honestly, you are better off waiting 8-12 months. They are not going to be able to sell these things. There will be the first wave of people that have to have one and they will pay dearly for that...then the price will come crashing down.

The best advice is let the dealers die with these things! Pick one up that is 6-12 months old second hand from an ethusiast that is buying a house or needs the money.

Chucky300

Also - its key to remember.......The buying experience is somewhat different than before.

Back in the 1980s... going into a Merc dealership was literally like boutique shopping. If i remmeber (i was just a kid) but when we went in - people didnt go in tee shirts and shorts - they treated the experience almost as though it were an art gallery or museum and dressed accordingly. The entire experience was different.

pmb600

Yeah and back then discounts were a rarity I'm sure.

hakaida442

For those that can wait this is the way to go. The C63 looks to be a real contender in this class, but it is kind of hard to imagine paying over 70k for a loaded one. BMW might have the same problem too. Lexus might be the real winner if they can keep the IS-F in the low 50k range.

SteveMondragon

Heh, that brings up a good point. The 3 different MB dealerships I visited in the past few days here in the LA area, all of the salemen were in shorts and either polo shirts or a hawaiian shirt. Same with the Audi dealerships. When I went to the BMW and Lexus dealerships, they were dressed up in slacks and a long sleeve button up shirt. FYI, none of the dealerships treated me any better or worse but that's just what I noticed with their work attire.

SteveMondragon

From what I've heard/read, the IS-F looks to be around the mid 50's, same with the M3. And the C63 probably around the low 60's range. Of course that's just the bare car before any options. Add those in and you jump up at least $5k-$10k easily after adding in tax, reg, lic, etc. Even right now if you buy a loaded RS4, you're looking at $70k before tax/lic fees so I think the C63 will probably be right in the middle, if not on the slightly higher side of things within those 4 major cars.

Also what a friend of mine told me (who works as a fleet manager at MB in NorCal), is that a lot of AMG cars are not moving and Mercedes won't allow the dealerships to drop the price on them. Therefore what they're doing, along with other dealerships, is they're trying to add value to the car like putting on different rims or aftermarket accessories that you would usually see added to the sticker price in a high amount, but not really adding them into the sticker price of the car so they can use those parts to help move them. Might be apply for all dealerships but I do believe the fact that Mercedes is strict on their price structure for their AMG models and seeing the C63 drop in price dramatically is a long shot. Best way to get a C63 cheaper is to pick one up 2nd hand after somebody bites the bullet to have one of the first ones and then wants to dump it for whatever reason, just as others have said.

abalto

This is exactly right. This is how I got my brand new (left over) 2005 e55 for $22,500+ off of sticker. AMG pricing and promotion is similiar to Rolex watches. It is controlled to protect the image of the brand. They cannot advertise discounts on AMG models or Rolex watches for that matter. If you walk in and negotiate a super deal, then that is fine, but you will not see them advertising discounts on AMG cars, period. When is the last time you saw an AMG or Rolex watch ad in the paper offering huge discounts? You haven't. It protects the brand and image of the brand. If you play your cards right and you contain your emotions during the negotiation process, you can save big.

There will be people walking in and buying C63s. But believe me, they will also have cars sitting around collecting dust. They do not want to floor plan cars forever. They are in the business to move inventory. Watch for dealers that have C63 in inventory for 90+ days, then go in and strike. When dealer cash is thrown in to the mix after the first of the year then the pot gets bigger.

kjb55

Dealers are taking orders??

https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c55-amg-w203/203287-quaife-diff-sale-25-off.html

DMC

Abalto, excuse my ignorance but how does one find out how long the dealer has had the car(s) in his or her inventory? Can this be done via the dealer's website?

Stormin

You can ask to see the invoice, which (at least at mine) shows the date that they took delivery of the car.

My dealership had no problem showing my them on both of my MB's. One had been there for a day or so. The other I watched them back off of the truck.