53mercedes

I have a production date of August 8. I placed my order for 2024 AMG GLE 53 in May and it included 465 AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL. Confirmed my order in mid June and it included 465 ARC. Now early August my dealer tells me MB has deleted 465 ARC from my order. No notice. No explanation. No nothing. My dealer said he will contact MB and try to get them to add it back to my order. I do appreciate my dealer going to bat for me. This is not the fault of the dealer. MB owns this. The car I ordered and which MB agreed to produce in May had nearly all options, excluding the 3rd row. So $105k MSRP, excluding taxes of course, at the top end of the AMG GLE 53 price. MB owns this. No notice. No explanation. No attempt to reach out to the customer to let them know that their order is important and that MB values their business. I guess that I should feel lucky that MB did not send out a post card with a simple message "**** Off". MB made no effort whatsoever to let the customer know that they value their loyalty and business . No it feels more like a royal wave off. It is not 465 as much as it is MB disregard for the customer. This just might be tipping point.

benzbell

In most big companies nowadays there are a lot of schmucks, idiots and bozos. That's just the way it is. You have to navigate it as best as you can and try to find the right people to work with. Most of them probably care more about their next break, surfing the web and checking the likes they got on Facebook of their burrito they got at Chipotle for lunch. Incompetence is the new normal unfortunately.

mikapen

Supply chains are being impacted again.
Dockworker, rail and UPS strikes on one hand.

OTOH, many smaller suppliers have gone out of business as a result of COVID and subsequent labor problems, and their items need to be "re-sourced" with new contracts and retooling.

Tesla has been the only manufacturer relatively unaffected, since they started out more Vertically Integrated. Others have had to do acquisitions to keep or restore their supply chains. The second wave is hitting now.

It is what it is.

David Vargas

Yesterday, I ordered the 53 and airmatic was not even an option anymore to order smh

53mercedes

Open question: Does anyone with an August production date for a USA model GLE 53 have 465 AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL? Does anyone know why MB has decided not to offer ARC for the GLE 53 going forward, at least that is what has been posted here?

CT-ref

My sales person was able to find a 24 GLE AMG 53 with ARC, produced in June. I would have bought it, but it was built without the Pinnacle Trim package, so didn't work for me. If you can't wait until the ARC is back in production on the 53, then it seems your options are

1) order a 63
2) put some effort in to find a 53 already produced that is unsold and meets most/all of your options
3) buy a Cayenne or a Range Rover

I'm waiting on the 53 for now, but considering moving to a 63 or the GLS if this doesn't get resolved in the next 30- 60 days.

You probably aren't asking for advice, so I won't offer any, but Mercedes and all car companies consider the dealers to be their customers, not you or me or any other owner.

David Vargas

I wanted a 63, but it would be a year wait for me and I could not wait that long. You couldn’t order airmatic either, which sucks. I’m still thinking of switching my order to a GLS. The GLE 53 is fully loaded. Only thing I did not order was the Drivers Assistance package.

BenjaminKohl

Airmatic is standard on every AMG GLE, and if it's the ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL+ Option 465 you're talking about, that's standard on the GLE63.

David Vargas

Yea I couldn’t get ARC

PandaSPUR

Sheesh, and I bet these new supply issues just help dealerships in their never ending quest to charge ADMs

W205C43PFL

MBUSA themselves wants a share of the pie too (I guess that was hence the C 63 S Final Edition was born or I meant otherwise priced in the USA when the non FE was way cheaper and even have more options)

mikapen

During the COVID-19 car shortage, almost all manufacturers found that they had to discount less / could take ADM's more freely with limited supply.
The "normal" "Days Supply" has been about 72 days, providing sufficient dealer lot selections while not flooding the market. For years!

Industry wide, the New Normal is under 50 days, partly because of Floor Plan expenses, but mostly to preserve pricing pressure.

53mercedes

Dealer just told me that MB has removed 465 ARC from the order guide and will not offer it for the rest of 2024. Don't know if this only applies as an option or to all models. Probably just as an option as 63 would be less competitive without it. But I don't know. Question: the 2024 AMG GLE 53 comes standard with Aromatic and Adaptive Dampening Plus, does this provide the feature of automatically lowering the car at higher speeds for stability and aero dynamics?

W205C43PFL

Ya and the fact that MB says they want to go upmarket and sell less but more profit per vehicle also played a role.

53mercedes

Dealer just told me that MB is removing from all builds as an option. If it is standard, like the 63 they will continue to include ARC. So just eliminated as an option. HMMM....at $2,800 option seems like they were making money, but maybe not enough so why not just raise the price of the option? Come on guys can't be supply chain issues as the take rate as a option was low. Me thinks it is more of a way to push buyers into higher level more profitable cars. Just my guess. I just do not buy supply chain excuse as take rate is low as an option, just not enough to tip over the supply. Nope do not buy it as the reason.

MBArizona

This whole launch of the 2024 GLE seems like a confused mess. The website still hasn't been updated and thankfully people here have posted information to help give a sense of pricing and options. This is supposed to be a facelift/refresh model and now one of the popular options is being reported not available or delayed. Hopefully, this option is just delayed. If it's being completely removed for 2024, then I will start to look at other options. I was at my local MB dealer recently and overheard a sales guy say: "Why would we look to discount vehicles when a lot of people are steadily coming in placing orders on $100k cars?" Oouch!

53mercedes

Totally agree. Don't what has happened to MB. I still love the cars and engineering and technology. It is the management that has forgotten what the MB experience represents. AMG's brand is "no compromise". what a joke. The customers are expected to compromise on important features that make AMG special. At the same time it seems that all they think about are EVs.. Sorry but the lots are filled with EVs that traditional AMG/MB customers do not want. Did you hear that Lamborghini will not take any new orders for gas cars, only EVs. I am not convinced that EV will succeed without Government mandates and credits. I do not want one for many reasons and it has nothing to do with the fact that they are environmental neutral at best. Porsche is poised to be a winner as I got very close to changing my order to a Cayenne S. And if MB has anymore surprises before delivery I will become a Porsche customer. Production date is August 8 with delivery before the end of August. We will see.

53mercedes

By the way, my dealer told me that MB told them that the ARC will not be offered as an option for the entire 2024 model year. You can get it on the 63 or models where its is standard just no longer offered as an option.

53mercedes

No it is not a supply chain issue, that is not the driver. it is that MB wants to force customer to buy up to models where it is a standard. I have read that ARC is not an option that many customers take, probably because of cost. So deleting it as option probably will not impact many customers, only those like us who are car lovers and willing to pay for performance.

PandaSPUR

This is essentially what happened to me.. Dealer completely dropped the ball on my 2023 order, had no info on the 2024 model year, then MB kept stripping features (Burmester was a big one for me). The updated infotainment is about the only thing good about the 2024 over past years.
After the mess, I ended up cross shopping the Cayenne GTS and X6M. Ultimately went a different direction and ordered a Panamera GTS. I started my new car journey in October and I very much regret basically wasting 4 months with MB.

Also yes, the MB website and experience is just horribly confusing and behind the competition. Porsche and BMW both allow customers to track their own orders, if MB had this feature I wouldn't have lost my 2023 order. Sigh.

David Vargas

the dealer told me they removed it because not a lot of people were ordering it.

mikapen

​​​​​​Correct, all manufacturers are moving upscale. They found that they have Pricing Power, so they are producing high margin autos. The average price of a new car continues upward, currently at $49,500.
https://www.kbb.com/car-news/average...ce-tops-49500/

​​​​​​You're also correct that most people who buy ARC are willing to pay for performance. The increased comfort is usually overlooked.

Note however that ARC is far more than just a Step Motor twisting a sway bar.
Almost every suspension part is upgraded from steel to cast or forged aluminum, like struts, links and much more. Steering knuckles and bushings are different, and the turning circle is increased by about two feet.

​​​​​​Yes the Take Rate is lower. But to me the ARC makes the GLE53 a complete, sector-leading car.

Without it, there are other cars that are superior, although at a $20,000 increase over a similarity equipped 53.

53mercedes

Totally agree. However based on what my dealer said that MB told them, there will be no option for an ARC for the GLE 53 for all of model year 2024. So not even an option any more, if you want it then you must buy the 63 or buy the Cayenne.

mikapen

​​​​​​Or the Q7. I could never find one to drive, but the Cayenne seemed less effective in controlling body roll, with otherwise same equipment on the same roads, back to back.
​​​​​​The Q7 ang Q8, without their version of ARC/PDCC, had noise and acceleration, but felt like a Buick on the same road.

Too bad MB decided to package differently, but they did. Several ideas about the reason have been floated on the media and by dealers. Most often it's Supply Chain, but of course it's all conjecture.

The 63 also has Active Engine Mounts, which I wish I had. Still some slop on and off throttle, mid corner.
​​​​​​
But I DO NOT want a V8. Sub thirteen quarters are enough for me to get in trouble as it is.

53mercedes

New question, nit picky question out of curiousity. The air fragrance system comes with the pinnacle trim, which I have ordered. Question: Does it come with fragrance bottle or an assortment? How long does a fragrance bottle last? Okay reply minor.