hey i ordered a clk in the us in new york about end december i called to follow on just for status and the car had no status does anybody know whats going on with the cars and why they arnt producing them. They said i would get the car 30 days after mercedes sets a production date but that never happened. is mercedes producing a large amount of cars and thats the reason im not receiving mine
please reply important matter!

 

Mercedes-Benz has cut back on the production of W209's due to the car not selling as well as originally intisipated. I know our dealer alone has about 17 V6 coupes and 7 V8 coupes. What will happen is they will taper off the build numbers in lue of the the MY05's coming out. This will help the dealers thin out there currently inventory before the new car hits. They will still have a small allocation of cars, so sound to me like someone forgot to order your car!!! I would definately do a little more digging to get to the bottom of this.

 

Any thoughts on why the model is not selling as expected (e.g., price, styling, build quality, low demand for coupes, pulling to the right issue) ?

 

Please keep in mind that this is my opinion and not proven fact, but I believe it has to due with the overall styling of the car. From the prospective clients I have spoken with, they are not taken by the shape and look. I think the W208 was a lot more muscular looking and appealed to men and women on a broader scale. The current W209 has gotten the reaction of being more a "girl" car than anything. This is why I think the sales have been substantially less than expected and resulting in the dealers holding larger inventories!! Again, please understand that this is my OPINION and not stated fact, so if I am stepping on any ego's out there it is not intentional!!!!

 

Here's some numbers I found:

CLK, year end results for U.S.A:

98-11,622
99-16,714
00-17,796
01-19,423
02-17,251
03-19,230

These numbers can be found at mbusa.com & germancarfans.com.

 

If more people drove around with all the windows down (weather permitting) I think MB would sell lots more of the 209s. I say this because when I drive around with the windows up no one comments, but when all the glass is down showing off the pillarless design I get positive reactions from complete strangers. My color combo is a strong contrast dark paint super light interior, so maybe that helps too as the blue tint is no longer a factor which chaanges the shade of the interior color from the outside.

Ok so be it, if 209s are not selling as well as expected, what kind of discounts are you guys offering on a new 500 coupe? Also when are the 05's out, July? Any news/rumblings on changes?

Thanks

 

what are they chaning for 05? dont tell me its a facelift already!

 

There is not going to be exterior changes from what I understand, but there will be some of the W203 interior upgrades. The 500's will get the 7-speed tranny and the DVD Navi. Also, I think the instrument cluster will be modified like the W203, but not completely sure about that one!!!

 

When do the MY05 start to ship? I'm thinking I should hold off on my car purchase.

 

???

 

Hi MarcusBenz

Will the 350 appear for the MY05? There have been a lot of rumors that the 350 will be replacing the 320 and I was wondering whether the MY05 is the year.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

 

I have not heard any "official" word on that, but I think it maybe another year or so away!

 

MY05 CLK's won't hit showrooms until sometime in September. Also, keep in mind that the special rates for the CLK will not carry over to the new models. Waiting for some minor interior changes for the V6 could end up costing you some major $$$$$!! Just my thoughts, since you are not looking to get the 500, which will get the majority of the upgrades.

 

Hi MarcusBenz

Can you elaborate the 'special rates' for the CLK? Are there discounts being extended for the CLK cabs?

 

Mercedes-Benz Credit does have special lease rates, but the Cabriolet does not qualify. The only reason they have it on the coupes is to try and thin out dealers increasing large inventories. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I have lots of coupes, but the earliest I could get a Cab. would be the middle of June!!!!

 

http://www.benzworld.org/news/news.asp?id=253

http://www.benzworld.org/news/news.asp?id=261

according to benz company reports, which is reported in several articles listed on the benzworld website, sales have not declined.