GLK250 Bluetec purchase strategy/advice?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
GLK250 Bluetec purchase strategy/advice?
For those who recently purchase, what advice would you give to future buyers, to get the best price? Paying cash if it makes any difference
- which website to use to contact multiple dealers to get quotes? best to do it individually at each dealer website?
- better deal when buying a car off the lot (assume it v close to wanted options). Do dealers give better discounts off lot? or it doesn't matter?
- 5% off MSRP is considered a good deal if you're a very average negotiator? I hate hate hate haggling and no good at it?
- do you just walk in and ask 5% off MSRP at each dealership and keep visiting all dealers until one says yes?
- what items to look/double check when delivery?
- one can freely refuse all the dealer extras (warranties, bogus add-ons) or do they sneakily somehow add it into the contract without you noticing. Or forcing it upon you on delivery?
- I'm essentially looking for a GLK250 with 0 options, lowest possible price.
sorry for newbie questions, last purchase was 10 years ago at a 'pay the displayed price, no less no more' dealership
- which website to use to contact multiple dealers to get quotes? best to do it individually at each dealer website?
- better deal when buying a car off the lot (assume it v close to wanted options). Do dealers give better discounts off lot? or it doesn't matter?
- 5% off MSRP is considered a good deal if you're a very average negotiator? I hate hate hate haggling and no good at it?
- do you just walk in and ask 5% off MSRP at each dealership and keep visiting all dealers until one says yes?
- what items to look/double check when delivery?
- one can freely refuse all the dealer extras (warranties, bogus add-ons) or do they sneakily somehow add it into the contract without you noticing. Or forcing it upon you on delivery?
- I'm essentially looking for a GLK250 with 0 options, lowest possible price.
sorry for newbie questions, last purchase was 10 years ago at a 'pay the displayed price, no less no more' dealership
#2
Senior Member
For those who recently purchase, what advice would you give to future buyers, to get the best price? Paying cash if it makes any difference
.......
- I'm essentially looking for a GLK250 with 0 options, lowest possible price.
sorry for newbie questions, last purchase was 10 years ago at a 'pay the displayed price, no less no more' dealership
.......
- I'm essentially looking for a GLK250 with 0 options, lowest possible price.
sorry for newbie questions, last purchase was 10 years ago at a 'pay the displayed price, no less no more' dealership
I've ordered just the options I wanted and it is going to be 2014 GLK250 model (with unknown Base Price at this point, hopely not much more than 2013) with scheduled Delivery Date - August 26.
Since local dealers were not flexible enough, my ordering dealer is in CA, but receiving dealer is here in Michigan ( and does not knows about coming delivery yet).
Read https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...sa-glk250.html
Tread.
Last edited by Alex Bel; 05-23-2013 at 01:09 PM.
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Westchester County, NY
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GLK350,Ford Escape,Camry,C280
Hi, I used Truecar.com through work to purchase my GLK350 and paid just below invoice. I tried pricing the 250 and found not as much a discount. Try Truecar and they will look for participating dealers in your area.
#4
Super Member
Put your location in your profile. That makes it easier to recommend.
Contact your dealers within a couple of hundred mile radius. Those distant ones are more likely to talk price with you knowing if they don't put their best foot forward they don't have a sale. There's no other way to get you. I contacted dealers as far away as Texas, some 3500 miles from my home. I had one in the Bay Area respond very positively as did another within a couple of hundred miles away. Armed with those possibilities I spoke to a nearby dealer and they reluctantly gave me a deal. While warranty work has to be done by a dealer, it makes no difference which one. You can buy a car miles away and your local dealer still has to fulfill the warranty. Distance only matters for pickup.
You seldom get breaks on a new model so you have to work a bit harder. If you're a Costco member, their buying program is very good. It's likely worth it to become a member just for this one purchase.
Contact your dealers within a couple of hundred mile radius. Those distant ones are more likely to talk price with you knowing if they don't put their best foot forward they don't have a sale. There's no other way to get you. I contacted dealers as far away as Texas, some 3500 miles from my home. I had one in the Bay Area respond very positively as did another within a couple of hundred miles away. Armed with those possibilities I spoke to a nearby dealer and they reluctantly gave me a deal. While warranty work has to be done by a dealer, it makes no difference which one. You can buy a car miles away and your local dealer still has to fulfill the warranty. Distance only matters for pickup.
You seldom get breaks on a new model so you have to work a bit harder. If you're a Costco member, their buying program is very good. It's likely worth it to become a member just for this one purchase.
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
GLK's right now are still made in Germany - so plan on roughly 12 week factory delivery for a factory order. The advantage of factory order is you get exactly the options and features you choe are important to you - nothing less, nothing more.
On "in stock" GLK's - that's a different strategy - and frankly GLK inventory is getting tight now - so for in stock delivery - so some compromise is to be expected.
I have not looked into delivery schedule of 2014 GLK250's - diesels are subject to additional Federal and California certification procedures - so "normally" if 2014 gassers debut end-Aug/beg-Sept and then 20-14 diesels follow later in mid-October.
Good luck on your search/purcahse - the GLK350BT is awesome - jury is out on run flats but at least their not butt busters like they were on the leavier ML and GL a few years ago.
Keep the beat !
On "in stock" GLK's - that's a different strategy - and frankly GLK inventory is getting tight now - so for in stock delivery - so some compromise is to be expected.
I have not looked into delivery schedule of 2014 GLK250's - diesels are subject to additional Federal and California certification procedures - so "normally" if 2014 gassers debut end-Aug/beg-Sept and then 20-14 diesels follow later in mid-October.
Good luck on your search/purcahse - the GLK350BT is awesome - jury is out on run flats but at least their not butt busters like they were on the leavier ML and GL a few years ago.
Keep the beat !
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
found a nice link with good buying advice, essentially just go directly to fleet department. Anyone have luck with this strategy in NYC area?
http://www.kenrockwell.com/mercedes/best-deal.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/mercedes/best-deal.htm
#7
Senior Member
Please take a look into schedule of 2014 GLK250, because internal MB memo says "...European Delivery - early August"and my confirmation number for 2014 GLK250BT is August 26th. Interesting to know the base price for 2014 model.
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#8
Senior Member
.9
I am really not trying to be a jerk about this. Rather, just trying to pass along some knowledge. Knowledge gained from owning and operating multiple dealerships for a long time.
Any article that starts with going to the fleet manager is worthless information towards a better price, 99.9% of the time. Fleet sales are those made to a fleet customer with a fleet number issued by the manufacturer. If you don't have one of those, your not a fleet buyer but rather another retail guy looking for a good deal. If you do have one, there is basically a pre-set price that the manufacturer often participates in.
Although people love titles, I still had no luck convincing those I gave titles to work for nothing. They still wanted paid and often more than they did without the title. So, forget about the "Fleet Manager" being able to sell cheaper by by-passing the salesman's commission.
Few high-line dealers do a big job in fleet. Seldom does a company maintain a fleet of Mercedes or other expensive cars for their everyday worker. A fleet manager in most stores would starve to death and is simply the next salesman up. Of course they are going to attempt to convince the customer of what a great deal they are getting beause they were smart enough to deal with the Fleet Manager. They may even start lower but at the end of the day it is just another retail sale.
found a nice link with good buying advice, essentially just go directly to fleet department. Anyone have luck with this strategy in NYC area?
http://www.kenrockwell.com/mercedes/best-deal.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/mercedes/best-deal.htm
Any article that starts with going to the fleet manager is worthless information towards a better price, 99.9% of the time. Fleet sales are those made to a fleet customer with a fleet number issued by the manufacturer. If you don't have one of those, your not a fleet buyer but rather another retail guy looking for a good deal. If you do have one, there is basically a pre-set price that the manufacturer often participates in.
Although people love titles, I still had no luck convincing those I gave titles to work for nothing. They still wanted paid and often more than they did without the title. So, forget about the "Fleet Manager" being able to sell cheaper by by-passing the salesman's commission.
Few high-line dealers do a big job in fleet. Seldom does a company maintain a fleet of Mercedes or other expensive cars for their everyday worker. A fleet manager in most stores would starve to death and is simply the next salesman up. Of course they are going to attempt to convince the customer of what a great deal they are getting beause they were smart enough to deal with the Fleet Manager. They may even start lower but at the end of the day it is just another retail sale.
#9
MBWorld Fanatic!
Early August European delivery would mean US delivery end-September -they pull the Euro COMAND, put in the US Comand, repack the car for shipping, that's three weeks to make a vessel - then 3-4 weeks for transport to your local dealer.. assuming no port hold pending Federal approval of MY14 GLK250BT - which is perfunctory but still pending..
#10
Senior Member
Early August European delivery would mean US delivery end-September -they pull the Euro COMAND, put in the US Comand, repack the car for shipping, that's three weeks to make a vessel - then 3-4 weeks for transport to your local dealer.. assuming no port hold pending Federal approval of MY14 GLK250BT - which is perfunctory but still pending..
#12
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Atlanta
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Prius, GLK at port
I have seen a few non loaded bluetecs outside Atlanta, as well as loaded ones. I think I saw one today without a pano. I think you can do better than 5% for something that is on a lot.
#13
I just bought a GLK250 with an MSRP of around $47,900. Purchase price was $42,500 with no trade-in. I first test drove a used 2014 GLK250 with 5,000 miles on it. When we couldn't agree on a price I told them I would wait until September for the better deals. Thats when they offered me $5,400 off invoice on a new one. I couldn't pass it up. It was about $1000 more than their lowest price on the used one and we got the color we wanted.
#15
Senior Member
#16
Senior Member
Looks like GLK/GLC is not eligible for European Delivery anymore according to
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/enthus...y/vehicles#SUV
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/enthus...y/vehicles#SUV
#17
Super Member
Doesn't say that.
While they don't show either, that may be because the intro date is later this year and it's a new model. Wouldn't make sense to make the C Class available in sedans and not the GLC. The GLE is included and I thought that was made only in Alabama like the ML's.
I'm still counting on pickup my GLC Diesel next summer in Sindelfingen.
While they don't show either, that may be because the intro date is later this year and it's a new model. Wouldn't make sense to make the C Class available in sedans and not the GLC. The GLE is included and I thought that was made only in Alabama like the ML's.
I'm still counting on pickup my GLC Diesel next summer in Sindelfingen.
#18
Junior Member
I do not think it is possible to get a GLK250 with 0 options. They all come to the dealership loaded one way or another. You have two choices - Factory Order or European Delivery. Since I could not get more than 3.5% off MSRP for the vehicles on their lot ( even with options I did not want) and could not get any discount for a FO, I chose the ED with their automatic 7% off MSRP ( plus no $905 delivery charge and other things) and addition few % off to cover my flight to Germany. Current round trip tickets are about $1200 for August flight.
only options are: dark wood and becker pre wiring... total of 400 dollars worth...
bought it at the end of the year 12/30/2014 while it happened to be on a truck being delivered to my dealership's lot