chokaay

Hey all! What price should I expect on this BRAND NEW E350:

Flint Grey Metallic
Black Interior (MBTex)
Burl Walnut Trim
P1
iPod/MP3
321 Sports Package

Edmund's says the pricing SHOULD be around:

MSRP = $57,805
INVOICE = $53,820

But what kind of REAL deals are people getting on similar configurations (off invoice price)? I know there's a $6K incentive on financing, and some posts mention a $4K rebate (although I couldn't find anything "official" on this). Is there anything else I should be looking for?

Thanks for any replies!

LaicepsYdobon

Search is your friend. Coincidentaly this topic was an active thread today:

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...good-deal.html

chokaay

Yeah, I saw and read that thread, but that was for the 4Matic (the car I want is RWD) and in Chicago (I'm in SoCal). Do those 2 affect the price substantially?

Thanks for your reply!

LaicepsYdobon

Your location shouldn't effect the price of the car by much. However, the drivetrain choice will. 4matic cars are about $2,200 more expensive then RWD cars. Since you live in SoCal you will probably get a RWD model which will be cheaper then a 4matic. You will also benefit from better gas mileage because your car will be lighter and you will have a 7-speed transmission on your car as opposed to a 5-speed.

SolidGranite

Figure about 11k off MSRP. That should be about 5k under invoice.

chokaay

Thank you both for your replies!

As for 11K off MSRP, is that including the $6000 Market Support incentive for financing, or without?

chokaay

Ok, so after a round of calling (and letting the dealerships offer me their best price on the configuration), so far the best price is $45,600 + tax + CA licensing (but only if financed at 1.9% through MB). What do you all think about this price?

Barry45RPM

...well you're not going to beat the financing deal anywhere else! (and here in NY, we have a no prepayment penalty on car financing., so if you weren't planning on financing you can prepay the loan @ 4 months. That way the dealer gets the credit for the financing. Look into that where you live if it applies.

chokaay

Yeah, the sales people I talked to said I could pay off the loan after 4 months with no penalty, so that makes financing very attractive!

According to the dealer, $45,600 is $8,800 below invoice. Has anyone got more off invoice for a similar configuration (which I'm hoping)?

SolidGranite

That is a good deal. Take it!

LaicepsYdobon

My car is a 4matic with P1 and no sports package and the "wood" steering wheel and at the time of inception I was quoted 55 or 56k as the price. I would say you have a better deal on your hands; I would take it.

chokaay

Ok, so I finally closed out the deal today with a slightly different configuration:

E350 (RWD)
Flint Grey Metallic
Black Interior (MBTex)
Black Birdseye Wood Trim
P1
Panorama Roof
321 Sports Package

Closing price was $46,500.00 + tax + CA licensing + misc charges = $51,027.31. I could have probably got $150 more off if I was more aggressive and let them "wait" a few days, but I didn't... oh well!

chokaay

Just out of curiosity, does anyone think that next month's financing rates (June) will be cheaper than this month's (May)? Right now it's 1.9% APR... think it'll go below this?

My friend is thinking about getting a new car now, and is a MB fan...

Dema

Ask $20K below sticker. MY 10 is around of a corner and dealers are suffering of selling MY09.

chokaay

Wow! That's really quite a jump from what I got my last E350 at a couple weeks ago (that was only $12K+ below MSRP... and NO dealer I spoke with would do better than that)?

On the flipside, I spoke to a lot of dealers about how prices will react in the next few months, and they basically said that prices would go up as the year goes on because:

1) Inflation / Weaker Dollar
2) Lower Inventory Levels (MB reduced production, and dealerships are still selling)
3) Increases in CA Licensing Fees (and state sales tax, which already happened)
4) Increased Demand (both because of current 1.9% APR + Market Support promotions, as well as less supply)
5) Material Costs Rising
6) Fuel & Transportation Costs Rising ("Destination Charge" will increase again very soon)
7) MBUSA has been gradually cutting back on incentives for car purchases (instead converting them into incentives to people who finance or lease... which in the long-run can work out to less than the cash incentive)

Of course I know sales people have an agenda, so they want to make it seem like the world is coming to an end... but the list above DOES make sense... it WILL make the car more expensive...

However, I'm also thinking that the price for the E350 COULD also come down because:

1) It's a discontinued 2009 model, and once the 2010's hit the shelves dealers will want to clear out the older model (although the longer I wait, the more chance the configuration I want will be purchased by someone else)
2) Month after month I keep reading/hearing that Mercedes posts terrible sales drops (ie: 25%, 27%, 32%, etc)

I'm not exactly sure what kind of incentives to expect in June 2009. Do you think the 1.9% APR will go away (as the salesmen would want you to believe)? How about the $6,000 Market Support for financing with MB Financial? And how about the "MB Financial pays your first 2 months" promotion?

Dema

Exactly!
All these reasons are good to increase a price; however there is just one which is much stronger all of them. People do not earn more, and all these cost increasing factors affect other areas where people have to spend money. So increasing price will harm sales and as result decreases revenue collected by dealers and MBUSA. From other point, never trust dealers.

Edit: Just got a message from Hyundai :
Every Month for the Next 6 Months Hyundai Will Send You Money.
And Genesis is a direct competitor of E class.

chokaay

Yes, I'm tempted to tell her to wait a few more days until June 2009 to see if the incentives get better. She doesn't NEED a new car right now, but the configuration & color is exactly what she's looking for.

On the other hand, I've been told that the 1.9% APR is tied to the "bond market", and if that does better, the interest will go up (don't know how true this is, but more than one salesman told me that).

If that's the case and the 1.9% goes up to 3.9% or something, then that's something I could kick myself over for not telling her to buy right now. BUT... if the market support incentive on E350's go from $6,000 to $8,000... then it's well worth the wait! Man, what a headache!

gaazmon

OT but, my former entertainment law professor's boss (at the firm he works at, not the school obviously ) just bought a brand new 09 911 for $25k off MSRP.