luxkitty

Ok we were quoted 36 months $578/mo. (excluding tax) and $2k down on a 09' e350 sport with premium 1. MB would pay off the remaining 5 months of my lease which is $2830.

Oh, and 12k

What do you guys think?

TYIA
Kitty

E500wanabe

Sounds better than I was quoted last month. Were are you located?

Chris

luxkitty

I'm located in So. Cal (Arcadia)

beartrap

whats the purchase price, ie discount if the car if I might ask? I got offered a 30 month lease at around $620 or so with no cap cost reduction. I know the lease/money rate they are using is stupid low but residual is around 52. My '07 E350 is due back in January and trying to figure out what to do. Seems like MB is not interested in moving cars faster than they are piling up in the ports. Where are you located?

Greg_S

what is the cap reduction? what dealer?

luxkitty

I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow. I'll update soon.

AMGTTV8

who cares what everybody else thinks...at the end of the day its your money.

Does the deal sound good to you?

cleankutazn

you going rusnak in arcadia?

Z356

Beartrap: I leased from MB Financial a new '09 E350 Sport 4Matic with a MSRP of just over $62K in late 8/'08 (terms: 10K miles per year and only a 24 month lease). My residual was only $38K. How can the residual they are quoting you be for $52K...much less for a 30 month deal? Not only are the finance rates being subsidized by MB Financial, but residuals set at even my $38K levels are highly unrealistic and being done only to make leasing these vehicles more attractive to the MB consumer. Upon my turning in this vehicle in 8/'10 at end of my lease, MB Financial will come back to me (or to the dealer I returned the car to) with an offer to sell the car to us for much less than my set residual. First they will check with the latest Manheim auctions that month and the dance will start. I expect the figure could be less than $30K at the time. How low depends on economy and the hit 211s are taking once the new E class model comes out next year. The two year leases I got are not, apparently, being offered now at the favorable terms I received. And remember that longer term leases (e.g. 27, 30 or 36 months) means the residual will be much lower, since the car will not command as much in a resale (older, more miles, more wear & tear) and MB will set these residuals much lower. So please check your figures on these residuals again and let us know. Saludos, Z356.

beartrap

What I meant was the residual value was around 52-53% of the price, certainly not $52k! MB is not offering overly attractive deals on their cars now. They seem to have taken the position that if people want to drive a Benz (S, CL, SL for example) they will have to pay for it. The entry level cars are more likely to move due to lower sticker cost and some attractive lease rates and programs. Seems that the best deal I can get for an '09 E3504M is around 30 months, 10k miles, heavily discounted, the monthly payment should be around $720 without a cap cost reduction. Compared to my current lease which is 27 months/12k miles at $629 includes tax these current offers are not as attractive. The lower residual values are driving the price up, plus the recent sticker increase. I'm hoping some special promos will come out from MBUSA in December buy my dealer doubts it. I'm going to wait and look at the GLK350 due to arrive Dec 5th to see if it will be a viable replacement for the E. If not then I will have to decide which way to go before my car goes back in January.

Z356

Beartrap: Ok, I understand now what you meant. By the way, the way Mercedes are piling up by the Carson VPC at port, we might see quite a number of lease specials by spring. Their Winter Sale Event has already been announced and, according to those who have posted here, doesn't seem to have any great deals. But I remember a few years ago when they came out of no where with a special lease on E55s (around $1000 per month if I recall correctly) just to move inventory build-up on these AMG cars. I expect that we will all see incredible deals in the none-too-distant future. Good luck with your acquisition. Z356

luxkitty

Ok … Here is the deal I got
2009 E350
White Exterior
Black Interior
Sports Package
P1 Package
MSRP $55,450
Selling Price $46, something….
Down payment $1400.00
36 months
10k miles
$640 (including tax)
Tier A1 Credit
Very happy!

beartrap

Wow that is an awesome deal! Congrats, you should be very happy. Getting 9k off of the sticker is spectacular. Do you recall what the residual value percentage is?

beartrap

You could be right, and I hope so, but not sure. I was at my dealer yesterday getting my car washed for free as they offer that service for customers on Saturdays and the show room was packed! I'm on LI so not sure if this area is indicative of MB's pain in other locations, at least not yet perhaps. I'm thinking many people are in the same situaiton as myself, a lease expiring shortly and have to get into another car. The sales guys were taking lots of test drives BUT they were in C's, E's and ML's not GL's or S models'. There are no deals on the high end models, esecpailly for leases as the residuals have tanked and the money factor sucks.

I might try to role the dice and turn in my E350 come January and then wait it out to the spring for the better deals. I could drive my '07 SL550 but prefer to keep that in the garage where its been for the last few years during the winter. Another option is to keep the car for three more months for a couple hundred more/month than what I'm paying now ($629 to $825) and then see what the deals are like. I'm thinking production on the current E 211 models will slow down come the spring as they retool for the new model due out in the fall. No idea what the inventory will be like then and how that will effect the deals? The other option is the GLK350 which arrives on 12/5.

Thanks everyone for sharing the info and your experiences. This board provides good value for everyone the more we share what's happening out there. Lets keep it flowing...

luxkitty

Thanks! The residual value is $26,628.00.

luxkitty

The sales person i was dealing with at rusnak told me... MB is planing to shut down the factory for 1 to 1/2 months to stop production? (during dec) probably a load of bs...
anyhow, i ended up getting the car at penske.

Z356

Luxkitty: Unfortunately, the shut down of production in December is true. I posted this before on the newest S Class forum:

http://www.autonews.com/article/2008...PY01/310069939

Porsche and BMW are also doing similar cuts in production. Much better than having the cars pile up in Woerth (storage place in Germany) or ports of entry worldwide, with dealers unwilling to take them (due to high finance 'flooring' costs) and exposed there to the elements & damaging salt air. As it is, there is an unprecedented number of leftover '08 cars that MBUSA & dealers are still trying to sell.

Saludos,
Z356

beartrap

so when will we start to see the really stupid can't pass up deals on the '08 S class models? This would likely be to purchase since the residual values of these cars have completely tanked. Stupid would likely have to be north of $25k off sticker I would think. Comments?

Z356

Beartrap: Back in August when I leased my '09 E350 Sport 4Matic, I was offered $20K off on their leftover '08 S class vehicles by my Colorado dealer. There is a fellow in the S forum (amgnsx996tt) that has just posted that he got a leftover '08 S 4Matic that listed for $115K for around $82K (a claimed $37K price reduction!). So we are all bound to see soon what you called 'stupid can't pass up' deals on all remaining leftover '08 MBs. The big question is when the really low deals will commence on existing '09 Mercedes inventory, which is piling up in German storage depots, US ports and US dealers. In an era of increasingly hard-to-get credit and leases, how will MBUSA and MB Financial incentivized their customers to move their cars in this doom & gloom economy? That is the question. Z356.