CEB

Is that a promo from MB? Are they just buying it? Are they negotiating that?

AFAIK, the maintenance has been a regular add on for a year or so, but recently you hear new owners talking about it. Are dealers running some sort of a special on it now or are the finance guys just sucking people into it? Contrary to the Audi maintenance (which is actually a steal at $700 for 3/36) the MB maintenance seems quite expensive.

Imperius*Rex

I have seen some SoCal dealers advertise free maintenance but I think it is just marketing and they build it into the car. I know some AutoNation Stores are giving two years free maintenance on any new or used vehicle but that is just oil changes and tire rotations and excludes synthetic blends...

park423

i was offered and took a 3yr maintenance for $600, but this is just for service A, B, A, does not include brakes like BMW, I don't think MB offers any maintanence program that includes brakes, just the service intervals.

Imperius*Rex

on my BM's they cover just about everything under the four year 50K. Brakes, Rotors, Wiper blades you name it. On the E350 I got the 3-30 also for 600. Good deal especially because it residualized on my lease.

ghstudio

There are different threads

One talks about whether or not mercedes maintenance is required for a lease (answer: no)

One talks about getting mercedes basic maintenance as part of your lease because it may be residualizable just like any feature on the car so even though the list price is $1000, you really only pay $250. This is the more confusing one because some claim that mercedes allows this, some claim that they don't allow it for diesels, some claim it's not allowed at all.....and as far as I can see from the posts, mercedes accepts anything the dealer puts togethers.

Some dealers throw in maintenance to help marketing, some throw in free oil changes but not with synthetics which is useless if you own a new mercedes.

In summary....it's business as usual. Dealers make up what they want, mercedes finance accepts most anything.

CEB

A-B-A for $600 sounds pretty reasonable, so I guess that's the price point to aim for (assuming they won't toss it in?)

I figured it was just business as usual but in the last couple of days I've heard of a few people talking about "I got 3 yrs included maintenance."

Thanks

aeggroup

Service A and B is basically to change engine oil and lots of checking. I just did my service B in local shop for $100. So...what is good about $600 maintanance program, that you residualize in your lease ?

ghstudio

If the maintenance program costs $600 AND they residualize it, then you don't pay the full $600...any more than you pay the full cost of any feature on the car. If your residual value is 75% (e diesel), then you only pay 25% of the $600 over the term of the lease ($600 - it's residual value)....so that's $150 for both the A and B service. That's a pretty good deal.

I know it's not logical..you should pay the full $600 over the 24 months but mercedes (apparently) allows you to treat maintenance like any other feature on the car....

aeggroup

I think you're wrong. This is only the game of words. You can't pay the part of the 3 year program if your lease is 3 years. What MB does - they brake $600 and include it in your lease payment and BTW with interest. If they don't do it - their financial department is just bunch of silly people . BTW..when I bought my GL - 3 years maintanence was included in total price, but actual price of the car was $1500 less on a contract.

park423

i prefer to stay away from indy shops as had a bad experience with an MB in the past using an indy shop, plus i get a free loaner/carwash and better piece of mind so for an average of $200 per service it is worth it, you get what you pay for and for a car that costs 65K plus, I'm not nickel and diming over a $100 savings on using an indy shop

aeggroup

I'm leasing my E class...I don't care who's gonna change oil as long as it's fast and convenient.

ghstudio

Logic would have you believe that they include the $600 like a bank fee and you have to pay that full $600 over the life of the lease...or $25 a month.

However, mercedes finance doesn't do it that way. They seem to allow you to include it as a feature on the car. That means that you only pay $150 (in the example above) over the 24 months or $6.25 per month, plus some interest.

I didn't make this up (but admittedly I have not read the mercedes finance lease procedures that mercedes finance sends to their dealers)....I am told that is the way mercedes allows maintenance to be handled on a lease and if you scan the various forums, you will see that others have found this out as well. Now there may be a $ limit on how much maintenance you can do this way; there may be a limit as to which cars this applies to, but that's the way they do it. So, yes, perhaps mercedes finance is just a bunch of silly people...your words, not mine.

Imperius*Rex

service a is around 150 for a, 300 for b and 150 for a again (3o month 36k mile lease is three services)
I got the plan for 600 @ 65% residual @210 or seven bucks plus some % more per month. Just even if I can get each service for 100 discounted I come out ahead amirite?

aeggroup

If this is the way it is - it's a good deal.

ghstudio

So it's OK if imperious*rex says it, but not if I say it

Yes, it's a good deal....depending on how your dealer includes it on the lease. The way to tell is to ask the dealer to calculate the lease with and without the maintenance. (I said calculate...as in, run the mercedes leasing calculator on each case).

ImInPA

Last year, ind December if I remember correctly, MB did offer free scheduled maintenance as a sales promotion. I missed it by a month...lol

aeggroup

LOL...no offense

Imperius*Rex

gh, you are on edmunds also, right? I think I read some of your posts prior to my purchase.

ghstudio

yes...I have too much time on my hands. I'm the guy always trying to explain and get folks to look at multiple security deposits.

Imperius*Rex

Yeah they said i couldnt do it with the mf due to being a promo.
Happy otherwise. Going to pick it up this weekend.

El Cid

With BMW and others, you pay for it with the initial cost of the car. With M-B and others, you pay for it when you take it in. Either way, neither the manufacturer nor the dealer is going to pay for it.
Every M-B dealer offers 3 and more year maintenance plans. You can purchase them anytime before first service "A" is due. Contact your dealer or MBUSA for details.

ghstudio

But you asked Some dealers deduct the MSD discount from the promotional rate, others don't. If you don't ask, you don't know. The unfortunately part is that Mercedes finance seems not to care because they have apparently accepted both ways of dealing with MSD's.

Good luck with your new car.

CEB

Right. That's almost verbatim from the MB site.

I was merely asking because there were recent threads talking about "I got the 3 year included maintenance" so I thought there was a special promo or something - otherwise it seems odd to mention it - kind of like "Oh, and I got the license plate frame."

There is one interesting advantage of prepaid maintenance though, although it probably makes little difference - the prepaid is not taxed, while you'll pay tax if you "pay as you go."

ImInPA

CEB, actually you did pay sales tax at the time of purchase as the pre-paid service was taxed along with the rest of the purchase included in the purchase price. As the tax has already been paid on the service, the dealership does not have to charge sales tax a second time when the work is actually provided.

CEB

Nope - at least not according to MD/VA/DC and PA laws. Both extended warranties and extended maintenance plans are non-taxable.

On my BMW sales agreement, they are listed on a non-taxable line. The same holds true for my wife's extended warranty on her Honda and my discussions with several MB dealers.

If you were charged tax then it was incorrect (or perhaps one of those screwy lease things.)