MBUSA_#1

Is there a way to find out an invoice price for a given MSRP (for GLE 450, for example)? Is invoice a fixed percentage off MSRP?

tluke

I have used this site before. NADA lists invoice and retail for any car and allows you to work up a custom build.

https://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2020...E?category=SUV

MBUSA_#1

Spot on, thank you! No idea why some dealers start freaking out when you ask them what's the invoice price. The info is public, unless NADA is way off - highly unlikely, IMHO.

BigBoy11

The dealers are usually reluctant to give “invoice price” numbers because there are so many other factors that can affect their actual cost/markups. There are incentives, holdbacks, trade-ins etc., that can also come into play and be used by the dealers for negotiating room. It’s not all as cut and dried as one might think.

ygmn

NADA supplies a good educated guess as to plain invoice and my guess is it is always high

Figure even if dealer sold at that invoice they would still be making bunches of money....

As NADA is a dealership association and I doubt they would publish to the public good numbers.

MBUSA_#1

Absolutely. As BigBoy11 pointed out, invoice does not reflect true “cost of goods sold” for a dealer. There are dealer holdbacks, manufacturer incentives, rebates, etc. Thats exactly how a dealer can sell a car below the invoice but still above the true cost. As a consumer the closest one can come to purchase price during a negotiation is by basing discount off the invoice. True cost is a secret number that dealers will never divulge.

Ron.s

Invoice is a just number now, with no relevance. At one time it was closer to dealer cost but it was cut about in half to help the dealer negotiate. Everyone wanted invoice. Sales people still try to leave the impression that it’s cost. Large competitive market dealers may get better pricing than small market dealers through special incentives. You may as well negotiate off of MSRP, IMO.

HBguy

When you ask a sales manager, they'll always show you a small paper which shows "invoice" price per specific build, but it's never helped me during purchases. I've gotten to where I just go to Edmunds and build whatever I'm looking at. As others mentioned, actual COST is different from invoice, and it varies on many factors that i think even the average salesman cant fully know.

Bottom line is availability i think, and how long a specific car has sat on the lot. Turnover is key for management.

CC2018

I work for a US MB dealership. Invoice is 6%. Hold back isn't guaranteed to the dealership and is based off of hitting KPI's and sales/service metrics. Its why most dealers use Invoice to negotiate. On the new GLE, there is no incentive available unless you are an employee.

MBUSA_#1

So, to put my mind at ease - for a car at MSRP $79,310 (including $995 destination) getting $72,850 purchase price - that means invoice was $74,551 and that puts purchase price at $1,701 under invoice. Is my math correct and can this be deemed a good deal for a custom built GLE450?

GregW / Oregon

You didn't ask me, but I think that's a screamin' deal at this point in the game.

CC2018

Yes, you got a killer deal. Every GLE450 we have coming in has been a pre-order. We are discounting between 500-1000 off MSRP. With the inventory finally coming in on a steady basis, I expect discounts will start becoming more available.

I do wish MB had handled the whole delayed product thing better. I understand why they did what they did but I think some PR behind why the delay would have made people a bit more understanding. We have had so many upset customers.

MBUSA_#1

For the uninitiated - what exactly did they do? I mean the delays were not planned on purpose, right? You must be referring to something else and I am curious to know.

bigpern23

I assume CC2018 means MB's decision to keep customers completely in the dark, rather than admitting to the delays and trying to give customers some idea of what is happening with their vehicles.

CC2018

You are correct Bigpern23. They actually have left the dealers in the dark as well. Its slowly coming out what actually happened. A supplier manufactured something wrong and it wasn't figured out until the vehicles were coming off the assembly line. It wasn't a safety issue. Which is why the GLE's are taking a while to be corrected and its why orders that were scheduled after a certain time are making their way to the dealerships before the earlier production cars.

We were actually asked not to say anything further than that which is why its frustrating. I find conducting business in a transparent way is better for everyone involved. Instead the dealers who have no control over it, who also don't know anything are the bad guys. Just a difference of opinion on the way it was handled. I still love the brand and love working for them.

fabbrisd1

Well.. frankly what you were "told" is bullsh*t... starting in 1998 and up thru the V167 the Vance facility operated under it's "own" JIT (just in time) procurement-manufacturing system - and frankly the Vance system was working just fine... starting with the V167 Vance was instructed to changeover to the Daimler "Global Manufacturing System" which works perfect for Germany - frankly has never been as good outside of Germany - and Vance system was at par with Global on efficiency - but heck the decision was made for the startup of Global V167 just asking for trouble - and they got that trouble in spades... same with Sprinter Charleston startup... rigs came off the line "to VPC incomplete" - this one for that - that one for this - and there was no turning back except to work to "tune the system" and the problem footballed from one week to the next with Daimler manufacturing calling the shots for Vance.... any dealer right now that hasn't already "re-ordered" for their back-ordered customers needs to look in the mirror...supplier issues - no - poor order management with suppliers - sh*t C-Classes launched out of Vance with 1% of this bullsh*t..

MBUSA_#1

Now, that's the corporate mentality I recognize. Sounds VERY plausible.

No matter what, the delays have occurred and are (hopefully) getting better. Placed the order in July and SA does not even have PO number yet. He believes December delivery is likely - I hope so - December has the best incentives, usually...

bigpern23

You haven’t negotiated the price yet?

MBUSA_#1

The purchase price is of course negotiated and locked in - I have it in writing on the Buyer's Order and I already paid a deposit to reserve the build. However, the car will deliver in December and SA does not know the money factor, residuals, incentives, etc that will be available then. Hence the monthly payment is unknown as of today.

bigpern23

Ah, gotcha, now I understand. Good luck, hopefully you get some good ones!