sbarsap

How much could I realistically get this GL for?

http://www.mbsugarland.com/index.cfm...ranchiseID=768

Newbie_2_MB

I went through Autoland which is affiliated with my credit union and got $6K off MSRP on my GL, but I didn't have all of those options, either. I priced out the one you're looking at on carsdirect.com and came out at $64,970. Carsdirect.com came pretty close to what my credit union came in at, so I'd print out the data from carsdirect.com and walk into the dealership with it. If they don't match the price, go home, click the "save with carsdirect.com" button and get the car for about $65K.

oknish

That's a great strategy, Jen. I did that and had great results. Plus, sbarsap, you can use that to play dealers against each other. The only trick is finding another vehicle with same configuration that will help compare apples to apples. Otherwise with the ton of options available on GL, it's very hard to compare prices and negotiate.

sbarsap

I appreciate all the help. I am currently debating whether to buy a used E55 for myself or the GL to replace my miniivan for the family. For the price of the used 06 E55's I could get a brand spankin new GL so I am leaning towards to the GL. Honestly I know alot of the E55's cause I have been looking for weeks but just started to look at the GL's yesterday so am unsure about all the options.

I also noticed that MB is offering a financing special on the GL 450's, the lease is like 699/month.
Would I be able to lease a 450 with any options for this price? I have never leased before.

Also what's the diff bet. the side step bars and running boards?

Newbie_2_MB

According to MB's website, the $699/mo. lease is for a GL w/metallic paint (any color than basic black or white), the sunroof package and the entertainment package. You don't get the memory seats which to me, is a biggie. I got very used to having those & when my husband (who is a foot taller than me) drives my GL, it's nice to press a button & have my seat & mirrors return to where I had them set up. Maybe it's a girl thing, but I like that

I'm leasing my GL, but plan on buying it out at the end. This is my first lease but since I'll be buying it, I'm not overly concerned about mileage & excess wear -- things you need to think about if you're leasing.

oknish

MB lease specials are usually for cars with very limited options. If you are looking for a car with more options and find it on a lot, negotiate the MSRP first. Don't say if you want to lease or buy, up front. It can be hard to do but can be done. Then when you have the price negotiated then use the terms of lease (residual, money factor, etc.) to calculate your lease payments. If that payment works then back to the table with dealer and tell them that you like the price but want to lease instead of buying. Again, this is easier said than done but worth it, IMO.

BHairsto

Right on. I am leasing mine (June production) and its fairly loaded up--the same terms apply (resid, mf, etc. ) regardless of options, except that some dealer accessories cannot be capitalized. The advertised promotion is merely an example. So, negotiate your price and make sure the dealer applies the same terms from the current promotion (one dealer tried to scam me on the lease), and your payment will vary accordingly. Additionally, you do not have to stick to MB's prescribed cap cost reduction--you can vary your downpayment up or down as you wish and it just affects your capitalized cost. Good luck

sbarsap

I appreciate all your help on this. I have never leased before but was looking into it this year for tax purposes. I just started my own business last year so have the option to write it off. I don't understand residuals, etc. I will read up before going to the dealer.

oknish

Tons of info out there on the web. Here is a site that I used to go before http://www.carbuyingtips.com. There is a dedicated section on leasing. He has a lot of info and spreadsheets that help you calculate everything. It has gotten a bit cluttered over the years but still has some good "out of the box" info that you can use.

oknish

Great point, BHairsto. Rule of thumb on leasing is not to have dealer add anything. I have seen examples where $ 500 parts turn into $2000 parts on a lease.

sbarsap

I just priced it on carsdirect.com too and it came out at $69,385. Am I doing something wrong?

These were the options selected:



» 218:REARVIEW BACK-UP CAMERA (REQ: P01 Premium Pkg) *Late Availability*
» 319:LIGHTING PKG -inc: headlamp washing system, Bi-Xenon headlights w/curve-illumination, cornering fog lamps (N/A w/323 Heating Pkg)
» 323:HEATING PKG -inc: heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, heated washer system (REQ: P01 P1 Premium Pkg)
» 324:SUNROOF PKG -inc: pwr tilt & sliding glass sunroof, pwr rear quarter windows, dual shade sun visors
» 334:OFF ROAD PKG -inc: Adaptive Damping System (ADS), (2) locking differentials, front & rear stainless steel skid plates
» 846:RUNNING BOARDS
» 864:REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT
» 889:KEYLESS GO
» P01:P1 PREMIUM PKG -


I went and test drove the below Black GL450 listed at 69,725 MSRP and the dealer said all he could do is drop max 1K off due to the high amount of sales for the GL.


» 218:REARVIEW BACK-UP CAMERA (REQ: P01 Premium Pkg) *Late Availability*
» 319:LIGHTING PKG -inc: headlamp washing system, Bi-Xenon headlights w/curve-illumination, cornering fog lamps (N/A w/323 Heating Pkg)
» 323:HEATING PKG -inc: heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, heated washer system (REQ: P01 P1 Premium Pkg)
» 324:SUNROOF PKG -inc: pwr tilt & sliding glass sunroof, pwr rear quarter windows, dual shade sun visors
» 846:RUNNING BOARDS
» 864:REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT
» 889:KEYLESS GO
» P01:P1 PREMIUM PKG -
» 581:3 Zone Climate Control
» 070: chrome Package

btw I live in Houston and the dealer was MB Greenway.

Newbie_2_MB

I went back & repriced it & got the same $$ as before. Maybe it has something to do with zip code? I'm in southern California & using a local zip code, so maybe that has something to do with it.

I bought through my credit union and got the best price. Dealers out here were not willing to mark any $$ off, either. I got $6K off MSRP going through Autoland with my credit union.

BHairsto

Mine priced out to a little over $71K MSRP and I got 5% off accross the board, and this is for an ordered car where the dealer had to buy a production slot from another dealer. It wasn't the best deal, as others here have gotten about twice that discount (at least for in-stock models), but I think it was a fair deal for both parties and it was done with no haggling. Having previously talked with a dealer that would only do MSRP and being really impressed with the level of service offered by this salesman, I was happy to agree to that price. So, you definitely should be able to do better than $1K off with a little more effort.

sbarsap

I re-priced using a SoCal zipcode and it was in the range of 65K. I guess I will start calling dealers in Cali to try and make a deal.

oknish

sbarsp - discounts are more prevalent in SoCal but only for on-lot cars. Also, don't forget to add shipping from TX to CA to the price. Unless you plan on driving it home. PM if you want details on dealers around here.

donc

In Chicago, I bought mine at invoice. It was the last day of the month.

By the way, I thought the engine was a 4.6 litre engine, not 4.7 litre.