Hi all, I have been driving Audi's for the past 18 years and am looking into an EQS SUV. Today I was told by my salesperson that one cannot use the MBCA rebate ($4500 off) for ordered cars. Is that true at all? I simply cannot find that info from https://www.mbca.org/mbusa-incentives

We also test drove an EQS SUV today and compared to my wife's Audi Q7, the EQS has significantly more body roll during turning. It just feels more "floaty" and heavy. I was wondering if anyone else has any thoughts on the driving dynamics compared to an Audi SUV. Thanks so much!

 

I have not driven the Audi Q7 but have taken over 25 folks for rides in my 580 SUV and every single one has said they have never ridden in a smoother quieter vehicle. I generally drive a F250 or my SL550 which one cannot compare. One has to remember the EQS SUV is a 6,000 pound plus vehicle with air ride and made for a very smooth ride and not a performance vehicle. Did you try the sport mode while driving? It tightens up the suspension some what.

 

so how eqs suv suspension is softer than any of suv I ever drove. but suv is about the same weight eqs sedan which its suspension is good. I wonder the psi or setting of suv air suspension is not high enough to support the longer travel of the suspension?

 

Its inevitable. The Q7 I must say is pretty well tuned in the handling department for its class, but the EQS is a tad larger, and much much heavier, and designed to be more soft and cushy like an S-Class.

The new Q8 E-Tron may feel more at home like your Q7, although it will not offer 3-Row seating which I imagine is something you are interested in considering you have a Q7. There isn't much choice in Luxury 3-Row EV's at the moment unless you wanna take a chance with startups (Rivian) or poor quality manufacturers (Tesla). Volvo should eventually join the game with the now delayed EX90.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. We actually have an ordered Q8 etron coming which is already in transit and all of a sudden my wife wanted to check out the EQS because of its size. She and I immediately felt the difference in handling. Yes, it was very comfortable and quiet, no doubt. I guess in order for the car to be very comfortable the suspension needs to be softer so soak up the imperfections on the road. This most likely contributed to the floaty and body rolling feelings. We plan to test drive at the different dealer because we felt rushed from this particular sales associate that only allowed each of us to drive for about 5 min each. Kind of dumb if you ask me. And after the drive was over, he kept asking us "do you want to take it home today?" LOL.

 

Definitely shop around, deals are out there, especially on EQ models. As for the suspension, yes making it floaty and soft will soak up bumps, but in general the reason it is soft and rolls is by design. Mercedes have typically gone towards a different direction compared to Audi's and BMW's being more cushy and soft, especially as you move higher up the hierarchy. Being that the EQS SUV is badged as an "S-Class electric" that is one of the reasons for the soft suspension.

Is there a reason in particular that the EQS holds your wife's interest? Based on your signature and history looks like you guys have typically stuck with Audi's.

 

Before the gen 2 Q7 my wife also had a gen 1 Q7 with a V8. That one sounded very nice.

Ultimately It's the trunk and the interior space that my wife wanted. We take our 14 year old son to USTA juniors tennis tournaments a lot and the bigger the trunk, the better. The etron's trunk space is definitely smaller than the EQS's and the Q7's.

 

That is not true! I factory-ordered my car in January (EQE, not the EQS). While waiting, in February, my dealer suggested that I sign up with MBCA because of the rebate. I picked up the car last week and he accepted the MBCA rebate on top of the dealer discount. Note that you need to be a member for at least 30 days before you can generate a rebate code.

 

Did you spec and order the car? What was the dealer discount that you spoke of?

 

I think this is much misunderstood, and depends on the dealer. When I was looking at an Audi etron, they were willing to discount the vehicle by the anticipated rebate amount. I never quite understood that? MB was not willing to do that, and, in fact, seemed to not even understand what I was taling about. I ended up, of course, buying the EQS, and did receive a $7500 tax credit on my 2022 income tax, which gave me a $7000 refund this year. So, you get the money one way or the other if your car is eligible. But you may not get it up front with some dealers. I still don't understand how a dealer is able to discount the car by the anticipated tax rebate?

 

7500 is the new lease credit offered by manufacturers, not a tax credit. EQS suv will not quality for the tax credit under the new law as it's more than 80k MSRP, even it's made in the US.

 

This rebate looks like it’s part of the affinity program. Easiest way to the money is Sam’s Club membership which is only $25 through end of July. I don’t think there’s a waiting period either.

 

The MBCA rebate works just fine with an ordered car. I have done it a bunch of times including last winter. You make the deal with the dealer and then give them the key number which you get from the club. The amount of the discount depends on the car you purchase and is also dependent upon the deals in the month when you buy the car.

 

Sorry for this question but what does MBCA stand for?

 

 

Thank you!

 

The MBCA rebate works for an ordered car. You can also get the same "affinity" credit through other sources--credit unions, trade associations such as the American Bar Association, even Sam's Club and American Express/True Car.

AS for the suspension, you might try putting the EQS SUV into sport mode and see if that suspension is more to your liking. The SUV felt huge to me when I briefly drove it. The sedan felt more manageable. It did feel really soft on initial drive, but when I put it into sport mode, it felt like a sports car. You could also play around with the individual settings and change elements of the handling to see what fits your profile best.

 

i spec’ed and ordered the car with the options I wanted. When the car arrived, I negotiated the actual price with the dealer. Part of the deal was trading in my 2018 E300 4MATIC. We went the usual back and forth and settled on my out-the-door price offer … which included the MBCA rebate, the dealer discount, value of the trade in, taxes, registration fees, doc fees, etc, etc.

 

There is typically a stipulation on the rebate certificate stating that the car being purchased must be DDR’d (essentially the car was sold new and the warranty began) by a certain date. These rebates are subject to changes each month. Whenever your order arrives you would qualify for whatever MBCA rebate is offered at the time, but that may be different than what is currently being offered.