So just to mention/recap, the distribution of allocations and therefore cars will greatly depend on dealerships and their traffic. I have tracked 327 E53 wagons, and the vast majority of them went to CA, FL, TX followed by NJ, NY and OH. There are some states that have received a total of one car so far. Kansas, for example got their first car 9 days ago. NM also got only one car. VT, MI, ME and AL each had one E53 wagon and they sold within 10 days. The only outliers are Oregon (got two, took them 80 days to sell the first one, the second is still for sale after 135 days) SC (only got one, still for sale after 102 days)

The states with the most unsold inventory are NY (7) and OH (6).

The states with the longest unsold inventory are: AZ (2 cars average of 143 days) NJ (2 cars average of 145 days) OR (1 car 135 days) and CO (2 cars 120 days)

Based on average time on lot sales data, the supply and demand is largely in sync. There is no shortage but there is also no over abundance of cars on lots.

I also noticed a pattern that the factory will build cars in batches, for example there was a large swath of cars without driver assistance that all popped up together. Same for the dynamica headliner. So there is some supply-chain planning going which will affect an allocation, depending on packages.

I know for a fact that Porsche will allocate lower profit margin cars later than higher profit margin cars. But this happens at the dealer level, not at the factory level although it could also happen at the factory level where a less desirable build gets pushed further out.

 

Hey folks, been reading these forums for a bit and just signed up for an account, hoping to get some advice on ordering. I'm set on an E53 wagon to get back into the enthusiast car world after a long hiatus. I've found a few in stock across the country but most with either the superscreen or white (who thought that was a good idea?) interior so am considering building one. All of you that ordered a custom build, did you pay full MSRP, above MSRP, a slight discount, etc? I've so far found one dealer near me (Seattle) that will charge full MSRP and another that wants to do a dealer markup as "it's a very desirable car currently". Also do any of you know dealers that have in stock wagons that are offering any (even slight?) discounts off MSRP? Thanks!

 

Shoot me a message if you'd be interested in a nearly new one in the Edition 1 spec (in Alpine Grey paint). We have another G63 coming in and I'm days away from trading this in. Willing to make a great deal (well below MSRP) on it.

 

Thanks for the offer but not interested in all the bright yellow interior accents on the Edition 1 cars.

 

you can get custom order below MSRP - I did in NYC metro.

 

I had a custom order and came out slightly under. Should be at or below without markup.

 

ditto

 

I have also been lurking and am ready to order.

So what kind of discount on a new order are we talking? At best, say 2-5%? Or are people getting less or more?

 

I got $1k off MSRP and free shipping to my home (about 80 miles away). I really love the idea of it being delivered to my home and not picking up from the dealership as I have not bought a new car is quite a while and this E53 wagon seems to be a huge jump from my current car when it comes to technology. I will be able to put it in my driveway and learn / set up all the functions before actually taking it out on the road. This will make me less distracted (safety) and also allow me to get used to the power under the hood while actually driving without wondering how to change up my AC / heat or put in navigation or change my seat position or find my music, etc..

If you are near a state border, I recommend looking at dealerships across state lines. They might have different state rules on fee caps and they might also have different down payment requirements. I am saving like $500 on fees (state maximum caps) and my down payment requirement was much less than dealerships in my state. The dealership down payment requirements might not have anything to do with what state it is in, but all the dealerships in my state wanted $5k down (I think I looked at 6-7) and this dealership across the border only wanted $1k down to make the order. BUT, the dealership that I went with is a small, family owned dealership and while there were many upsides, the downside was the time required to get the allocation. Yin and yang I guess. If you want your car tomorrow (you get what I mean), then you may sacrifice some reduced cost. Dunno what the market is like right now since I ordered in late September 2025 and expect to get it in late March / early April after an allocation delay.

And I guess you may want to take into account when the car is expected to be delivered as the incentives you get are determined by when you get your car and not when you order. I am a little bummed that my car was expected to be delivered in late January 2026 originally and I would have qualified for 1.4% financing. Now, I am expecting it in the Spring which is the worst time to buy a car as manufacturers know that people are getting tax refunds and that warm weather makes people want new cars, so they don't usually give any incentives. As I have learned, it is really a craps shoot on custom orders...So, was my $1k off really worth missing 1.4% financing? As a Monday morning quarterback, I would say no, it wasn't worth it.

 

Thanks for the insight. I can't find any option and color combo that I like on dealer lots around the country right now. There was one at a dealership in OH a couple weeks ago but they were adamant on MSRP only. I'll try to get a new order from my local dealer at a slight discount. Seems like the way to go, and I'm def not paying ADM.

Sorry to hear about your delays. Hope you're excited for your car to arrive!

 

Very lightly used e53 wagons are starting to show up online as CPOs. Some have just several hundred miles, must be buyers with cold feet? Or maybe dealer demos? Some are good deals and some seem overpriced. Either way these seem more enticing to me for a slightly lower price and getting the CPO warranty as well. I may have to wait a few months for the right one to show up but I'm in no rush. Anyone have tips on finding the original window sticker/msrp to determine what's a true good deal on these or not?

 

There are several sites that can produce a Monroney label by entering a vin. Google is your friend. (Some are free while others are fee based.)

 

Wagons are all current model year so you can see what the car has and build an MSRP on the configurator...

 

Yes I have tried all of that. One I found in particular I cannot tell from the pictures if it has 4 zone climate or not. I have tried numerous VIN decoders and none have been helpful unless I want to pay for a window sticker which of course I can but more just window shopping at this point. Found this one that seems to be ~10K off MSRP and under 1000 miles https://www.mercedesbenzofpompano.co...cc8479ea25.htm

 

believe only way to get 4-way climate control is that it comes with Pinnacle Package

 

I saw a couple quite loaded under 3k miles, with MSRP of 115K+ with asking price below 105... These were titled already. Suppose to get mine on Monday... :-) On a new car- 5-6% discount, depending on MSRP. To many variables, couple of days ago E53 had a 2k discount if financed trough MBF, it's gone for now

 

The currently advertised lease deal for the E53 wagon seems to include a discount of ~2.3% (it shows a “suggested dealer contribution” of $4,201 on a $94,700 MSRP, but I think that’s building in $2,000 in dealer cash from MB).

Does that strike folks as a reasonable anchor for a discount on an ordered vehicle? I never know how these dynamics work out. On the one hand, you’d think a dealership should be happy to take a custom order since the vehicle will be in and out of their inventory quickly. On the other hand, even with a deposit the dealership faces some risk that the customer doesn’t accept delivery, and I can see them having a legitimate concern about needing to sell a niche vehicle with whatever random set of options I selected.

 

This car showed up new on 10/3/25 in new inventory and sold on 1/6/2026. Original dealer was in Coconut Creek, FL. It does have pinnacle trim, therefore 4-way climatronic.

 

Thank you! Gotta wonder on the quick turnaround from new sale to for sale again...

 

I just ordered one on 03/09 with just over a 110K MSRP and secured a 4% discount plus any/all incentives/cash available at time of delivery in Indiana.
Doug (benzandbowties) at MB of North Olmsted offered me 2.5%off the one changeable allocation they had available .
Happy Hunting!

 

I just picked up mine yesterday. I paid 2% off MSRP + $2500 in rebates. Ordered 5 months ago. Dealer said they just "earned" three new allocations, all their other ones are already sold orders, the new allocations have a build date of late July so they will be September arrivals.

I actually went with the black/white "Oreo" interior and we absolutely love it, it's a stunning color combo even if it's a bit more delicate than a black car. Saddle brown just wasn't even an option for my wife, she does not care for that color at all but she loves the white interior.

 

I love the white/black interior combo with the Alpine Gray on mine too. It got the same reaction at the dealer. They said that it would have sold in three days if it wasn't already.

the quote from the GM was "We should have you do all of our builds. They'd probably all be AMGs though." He wasn't wrong

 

I ended up ordering a new one with a 3% discount off of MSRP. Went with Nautical Blue on Brown leather with Multicontour seats, Pinnacle, Dynamic, Driver Assist, and a bunch of other smaller options. Seems like 3% was best case in this market considering what others are getting. The car will replace my S60 T8 Polestar which has been a solid daily.

Thank you all for the insight. Excited for a new daily!

 

my car is a twin of yours. You will love it.

 

Did you order a sedan or wagon? My E 53 wagon replaced my 2 previous Volvo wagons, one of which was a V60 Polestar. The tech in the Mercedes will take some getting used to coming from Volvo, and whether your car has Sensus or AAOS.