I dropped my car off for the service today because my car pulled to the right and one thing was surprised me that they gave me a 2003 Honda accord for the loaner car, instead of MB. Am I missing something here? The infiniti services can do better than this. Every time I drop off my 1999 I30 for the services, I get 2003 G35 for the loaner. What is going on with MB? This is the first time I bought MB car and also the last time.





2003 E320 brilliant silver/ash leather, E2, E3, 4 zones, rear shaded, NAV, parktronic, 7yr/100Kmiles, protective films.

 

First, the process of having Mercedes rental cars at dealers is not decided by MBUSA, however each dealer decides whether it will use MB cars as rentals, or use cheaper cars (i.e.- Hondas, Fords, etc.) so maybe you should just change dealers if driving a "commom" car bothers you so much. Some dealers actually have a small fleet of MB rental cars, you usually just have to call a few days in advance to reserve one. I actually enjoy driving a rental and then returning to my MB, lets me know how much better my car is.

Some dealers do this to try to entice you into the newer models of their car and hope that your purchase a new vehicle.

Also, if your not going to purchase another Mercedes simply because YOUR dealer doesn't provide MB rentals I don't think you really appreciate the car.

Just my thoughts.

 

Look at the bright side. There's a greater probability that you wont encounter another defect while you're using the loaner!

Dealers, at least the one I deal with, have a supply of MB loaner cars which they lease (at special rates) from DC. At times when demand exceeds supply they get additional cars from the local Enterprise rental agency.

 

Guys -- A honda loaner at an MB dealership is insane.

The worst you shoud get is a C-Class (and not the 2 door hatchback version). Hopefully they didnt tell you they use Honda's because they 'drive straight' from the factory and the maintenance issues are lower!

 

When i serviced my car at a dealer inoregon i got one of their used cars on the lot to drive around..but when i serviced in california the dealer had an enterprise car rental office right next to the service department..sometimes i would get a dodge stratus or malibu but this one time i got an E320. I am not sure if i had to used enterprise because i didnt buy the car there or if they use them for all the loaners.

 

Oh come now, my Evil (TM) offshoot of American Service Center dealer, MB of Alexandria, whose motto happens to be, 'Mercedes, Just Mercedes', gave me a Taurus the last time I was there. And this after the BS their sales manager gave me about no MB dealer in the area having a MB loaner fleet. The dealer in MD, EuroMotorCars has a 100% MB loaner fleet.

They all suck.

One buys a premium marque for the 'entire experience'. It is not just about appreciating the car itself. If the service is subpar, I would drop the car in a heartbeat. And I am about to, due to the Nav fiasco.

 

Ah!

Well, at least the joys of Audi ownership entitle you to... yes, you got it... the occasional VOLKSWAGON loaner cars!

Once I got an A6; once I got an A4; once I got a Passat (surprisingly, this was actually a pretty nice car... made me wonder why I spent all that extra money and bought my A6 to begin with...); once I got a bug... yes, a bug; once I got a Taurus from the local enterprise (I guess all in their fleet were out...); and once they didn't give me a loaner at all for a two week in the shop, replace the whole damn transmission, OUT-OF-WARRANTY repair, where I was into it for about $7k out of pocket (and they put in about $5k) claiming that they don't do loaner cars on "good-will" service!!! (Yeah, the "good-will" was about half of a new $10k+ transmission to replace the one that crapped out after 60,000 miles...)

So consider yourself lucky with the occasional Accord...

And if you gotta ask, why is it that I needed all those different loaner cars within a three year period... that's a good question... and also the reason why I'm looking at the E500...

-NavNut

 

Yea i guess is depend on your MB dealer... On my dealer they give me at least c class or wagon. Just change dealer if this became a big deal to you

 

NavNut-
Any comments on your Audi (what year was it, model, etc) and its reliability. I had heard a rumor that the Quattro system needs to have part of the drivetrain replaced ~ every 25K, is this true?

Thanks

 

Wow,

Turbo2, don't get me started... It is a 2000 A6 2.7T... And I still have it but not for much longer... There is no reliability in Audi's. They haven't got the slightest idea what the word reliability means...

Having said that, when they work, the Quattro system is unparalleled... hence the loyal following... but ask even the most loyal if they have had any problems with their Audi's - and I mean dig a little past the knee-jerk, "oh, no...", and I don't think you will find one person who has not had what most would consider to be MAJOR problems... I'm talking, pull the engine, drop the transmission, in the shop for two weeks to a month each year, leave you stranded on the highway, dead spots in the power curve with no real explanations, unreproducible on demand, yet consistently intermittent, kinds of problems. That's in addition to all the ticky-tacky, flakey little niggling problems that ALL non-Japanese cars have... flakey radio's... flakey instrumentation... flakey electronics... flakey flakiness...

My only advice to current or would be Audi owners is basically to make sure you are prepared to be without the car for one month out of the year, and also be prepared to unload the car before the warranty runs out... lest you get saddled with horrendous repair bills for something that should not go wrong in 200,000 miles, within miles after you pass the 50,000 mile mark...

You will hear Audi owners rave about their cars, and I admit their performance on all-weather conditions, not just the clean, dry, flat pavement that all car reviewers drive cars on, is just amazing. I have done things in this car in the rain, that would send the oft-lauded, oft-raved about by Car-and-Driver performance mag writer-types, Bimmer 540's doing 360's down the freeway and into the side-ditch... The quattro cars will drive circles around 540's (and porsche's... and ferrari's...) all day long in wet, snowy, or icy conditions...

But, god as my witness... I will NEVER buy another Audi again... EVER...

-NavNut

 

NavNut-
Thats a shame, I remember the Audi problems of the 80's (sudden acceleration, etc.) and from everything that I had read and from all the people purchasing the newer Audi's I had figured they had gotten a lot better, but from what your saying I guess not. It's really a shame, they have some extremely good looking cars, and fast (S4, RS6) but if they cant be reliable and always there for you, its not worth it.

Thanks for the advice....and I guess you will be throwing the A6 up for sale soon?

 

As soon as I get an E500 with nav...

Yeah... I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I called my dealer and told him that I was willing to trade this car in (with it's bad transmission) for something reasonable (by reasonable, I was thinking something like dealer trade-in bluebook minus the 6 grand that I would have to put in for a new transmission - remember the Audi USA regional manager agreed to put in five... So I was thinking - let them do the swap - it wouldn't cost them the labor - it saves me the hassle of having it done... etc...) and the dealer assured me... come in, we'll talk about it, we'll make you a good deal... and he ends up offering me a new car at invoice plus $800 (not bad) and $10K trade-in for my car... oh yeah, right! That's a deal. Then when I said that I think it's a little ridiculous to amortize $40k on a car over three years, he comes back with, "Well, heck... you enjoyed a nice car for the last three years... You should be happy!"

I should be happy? I should get some of the same drugs he was on! Christ!

Appalling. I don't know what happened to customer service...

-NavNut

 

I have to take issue with the Audi comments. I just switched from a 2000 Audi A6 2.7T to an E500 Sport. The 6-speed manual was a blast when I lived on the East Coast, but lost some of its appeal in LA's unending traffic. I love the MB so far and am very happy with the switch. However, other than routine service and a few minor recall items, I never had the Audi in the shop for anything. I know a number of other people with similar experiences.

When I got the Audi three years ago, I thought it outclassed the MB and I much preferred the look of it. Audi has not changed the A6 much since then, and the current E500 passed it by in my opinion. But I would still take the Audi over almost anything else in the size and price range (other than the E500, of course!).

_________________________________________
E500 Sport - Pewter/Charcoal - E2, E3, CD Changer, Launch Package

 

I've asked before and I'll ask again. What is the big issue about what make and model car the loaner is? It's free transportation while your car is being serviced. Even if it's a Cavalier or a Malibu, so what? Quit whining

 

Just an obervation on the Audi issue - the broad brush labelling of all Audis being unreliable just isn't true. I autocrossed my S4 multiple times and drove it "enthusiastically" most of the time. I had the CD Changer (Panasonic part) replaced and a part on the throttle body replaced in 35,000 miles. Dealership experience better than the MB so far. I'd pick up an RS6 in a heartbeat if two college tuition bills per month weren't staring me in the face.

By the way, my MB dealer told me up front at purchase - they will try to get a MB as a loaner, especially if you make an appt., but you may get something else. No big deal - I can live with a Honda for a day or two.

Enjoy!!

Bruce McDonnell

 

my local mb dealer only offers free rides -- I was surprised first because my local bmw dealer gives me a loaner but it is not bad after all

1. you have a "chauffeur".
2. no gas fill necessary
3. no insurance involved if accient happens
4. read your papers
5. no parking issue
6. driver waits for you on time and he is very polite.
7. no seat/mirrors adjustment necessary and save time in finding switchs/buttons locations in loaner.

 

Well, that's impressive... I've personally known a LOT of Audi owners... and by "A LOT" I mean more than 10... That seemed like a pretty good sample set to me... and they ALL had problems and knew other Audi owners who (seemingly) ALL had problems...

Now, actually, bfischer... I am intrigued given that you had the exact same year and model as I... I got mine in the beginning of 2000... Did you get yours near the end? That could account for some of the differences... in addition to a good luck factor... It's hard for me to believe that you had a 2000 A6 2.7T with NO problems other than scheduled maintenance and the gas tank sensor recalls... and the front bumper recall... I can forgive those recalls... but then again, my car never left me out of gas due to the faulty sensor as it must have done so to many others before a recall was issued... I suppose that your radio also functioned properly? No automatic incrementing of the radio stations by 0.2MHz each time you turned the car off and on with the radio on? That would be amazingly good luck... Hard to believe everything was perfect...

As an aside, I do also agree that three years ago, Audi had the absolute best looking interior in any car coming out of Germany... Sorry guys, but the old MB's (and all the Bimmers including the new styles) are way too boxey, square, and plasticy-looking... and let's not even discuss the absurd buttons in the really old Benz's... puh-lease! I'm surprised they didn't have the old chrome toggle switches all in a row...

The Audi interior far outclassed all those interiors and at $10-$15k less than a comparable Bimmer, and at $20-$30k under a comparable MB... Today's E-class is another story however... I do believe that if you try to be objective about it, you may agree with me that today's E-class took a lot of its interior styling cues from Audi... and hence is greatly improved...

In any case... You can buy as many Audi's as you like... if you were lucky once, I doubt it will happen again... I personally... WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AUDI again... EVER...

-NavNut

 

NavNut, would it be safe to say that you are extremely passionate about never buying another Audi again?

Just kidding.

 

NavNut,

You got me. I forgot about the radio. Audi replaced it pretty quickly and the new one worked fine, so I forgot about it. But the new E500 has the motor mounts, pulling to the right, and lets not even start another thread on the Nav system.

I accept that every car is going to have some issues. If they don't keep the car out of my garage at night, I can live with the car in the shop for a day now and then. So maybe I was lucky. For now, it does not matter, as I love the E500 and hope to stay with it for awhile (at least for as long as the lease lasts).

Otherwise, I agree with you. Audi had the best interior, and I liked the exterior better too. Plus, it was one of the few luxury sedans that offered a manual transmission. I also could not afford the equivalent of an E500 back then.

By the way, since at least nominally, the topic here is about loaner cars, my Audi dealer always had a loaner waiting for me, and it was usually an Audi, though once they stuck me with a Toyota Corolla. I was not pleased. My current dealer only gives a shuttle for same day maint/repairs (I bought the car elsewhere) but gives MB loaners for overnight repairs.

bfischer

________________________

2003 E500 Sport - Pewter/Charcoal - E2, E3, CD Changer, Launch Package

 

By the way, in general I do agree with mbtech208... what the loaner car actually is, doesn't really matter... it's a nice courtesy no matter what you get... and the idea of a complete, everything is covered PLUS we give you a loaner car if it will take a day to do the service is really a nice perk of a "premium" automobile where you actually tend to pay $10k or more (sometimes much more) than most people would pay for a car at all...

However, this does get back to an old attitude which is all but non-existent these days... and that is, that at this level, you expect a "customer is always right"-attitude and impeccable service and salesmanship. If I go to the Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel in New York (can't say Lespinasse anymore... oh well... c'est la vie), I expect French service... I expect clean silverware... I expect that if I tell them the single glass of champagne that I ordered is flat, that they open a new bottle for me... I expect that if I say that my Medium-rare ordered Filet is medium, that they take it back and prepare a fresh one the way I want it, and not tell me, that this is "medium-rare" or the champagne is not flat.

Part of providing a loaner car at this level, SHOULD be (if the salesman/owner/operator/etc.) is savvy, an opportunity... An opportunity to have me drive THIS year's model... or if I bring in a C-class... to put me in an E-class... or if I come in, in an E-class, to put me in an S-class... When they sell me a car today... they shouldn't be thinking that they are selling me my next car, but that they are selling me, my next FIVE or SIX cars... That I will be talking up the car to all my friends in a similar financial state such that they can expand their customer base.

All this seems to be forgotten these days... It has nothing to do with snobbiness, or someone thinking he is god's gift to the world or that the world owes him something, or anything like that, so spare me the, "Oh, poor baby... you can't have your steak the way you want it... you should consider yourself lucky you're not destitute and starving... there but by the grace of god go I"-stuff... of course all that's true, and we all know how lucky we are, but if you do go some place or get something where you are paying for something extra, you should get that extra-level... and for good reason... but it has everything to do with someone being very business savvy, and doing the right things to expand his business.

Look around, read, and listen to what people are saying. How often to you hear people say things like, "I can't believe MB (or any other luxury car-maker) treats their customers like this... I felt like I was buying a '86 el camino off a used car lot..." People do not take pride in doing their jobs, and most people have completely lost their business sense.

So while I do agree with mbtech208 that it doesn't really matter what they give you... giving you transportation is what's important, going the extra step and providing nice, new, higher-end loaners is good business... MB dealers should know that. They (and others) seem to have forgotten.

-NavNut

 

mbtech may have had a point--a point I do not agree with--but it is really his attitude that got to me. I don't appreciate being told not to 'whine' (even if he wasn't specifically referring to me). I believe this forum exists because we are enthusiasts and have something to say about our cars.

mbtech, if you don't have anything of value to add, don't insult us--just don't read the post.

 

That's kind of what I was getting at... it's not whining to expect a level of service matching the level of cash put in... we all know we're lucky compared to most people in the world in this and many other ways. And while it is nice that we get a loaner car at all... a real salesman looks at this as an opportunity.

That salesmanship is a lost art... So while I agree with mbtech208 in one sense, I certainly agree with you, monakh... you (and/or others) should definitely NOT be told you're a whiner... and you should be happy they even give you the time of day...

All I can do is opine that there was a time when you got what you paid for in terms of service, and those times seem to be either gone or come up very rarely these days... It's not right at all... it's just the way it is.

-NavNut

 

I think when one purchases a premium brand for a premium price then one should expect:

* A premium product
* Premium service
* A premium attitude by both seller and service provider
* Although one cannot expect a replacement vehicle of the same value one should expect a vehicle of the same brand purchased.

MBTECH 208 is a great service to this board and I think he may have been letting off a little steam?? What he may not appreciate is that some of us are paying big $ lease or loan payments and it's very painful to write that check when your car has been in the service dept for a week and you're driving a ford focus. Lexus and Infiniti have it right, you drive their product and you get their product as a replacement, plus it gives their customers a chance to try other cars in the line which may lead to a future sale for a wife/husband, child etc or a recommendation to a friend or co worker. My local dealer just started with MBZ loaners but only if you purchased the car from them, they're almost there

 

There is at least one place remaining in the world where service is paramount. I stayed at the Greenbrier Hotel for a week last year. This is a very high class five star hotel. I was in a regular room $450 per night. Tipping is about $30 per day. There are servants at every turn. The shower water was tepid. When notifying the front desk of the problem, they apologized and offered to move me to the Presidential suite for the duration of my stay...a difference of roughly $2K per night. They threw in free tee time tickets, a carriage ride and breakfast in the suite. To top it off, they washed the Benz the morning I checked out!

 

The old concept of service is simply no more.