When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I bought new truck 3yrs ago and did my homework with 'Fighting Chance' by James Bragg info ( used last 25 yrs) and came away pretty decent. Batted down all finance office tricks add ons and mark ups.
So how does it go with MB dealers and finance people. Do they work with you on price? I like to order from factory so none of these dealer add-ons, upgrades etc are shoved on you. If you use the "find it for me" search where they source from in stock from other dealers you usually have all these high dollar fluff items already added on I'm not interested in.
And another thing, when I order fresh from factory I get one that hasn't been sitting on the lot for a long time getting washed with a bunch of swirl marks and scratches in it. I like to detail my own cars.
2019 s-class coupe 2025 GLS 580 SUV2017 S-class cabriolet
Jay450,
It has been my experience with several MB dealerships that they are no different than a Chevrolet dealership.
Sales tactics remain the same. You would think that entering a MB dealership that the experience would be more civilized. But, NO. Be prepared with all your previous defenses and be ready for the usual hassels. And, yes the closer will still try to dump all the garbage on you. In summation: BE prepared.
Everyone is preoccupied with saving a couple bucks in the showroom, but then pays dearly in the service bay where every dealership makes most of its profits with $500 oil changes.
I don't waste my time with slimey sales personnel. I find the vehicle I want online, negotiate online, pay cash, reject every add-on the finance guy is selling when I take delivery, and DIY my oil changes.
Yeah I understand and agree with that. Being a hands on and mechanical guy I'll do the easy stuff like I already do and use an independent mechanic as much as I can. But you're right
I'll also add that you can NOT "order directly from factory". Only Tesla (and I believe Lucid and Rivian) skips the traditional third-party dealerships and allow you to work directly with them (the manufacturer). But in that case, while there are no add-ons, there is also no off-MSRP negotiations.
I also read in many posts around some conflicting statements that you can't expect more than so-and-so % with Mbenz like other brands, which is not true at all. You can get 10% off MSRP on a new customer-spec'd order, PLUS all the factory rebates available at a given time. It all depends on your relationship with your dealer, how often you buy from them, and whether they value your business enough to offer you enough discount. I have already discussed deals on cars like the E-class AMG, GLE AMG, GLS 450, with 10% off MSRP as a starting point, but I know the GM well. I get slightly more with my BMW dealership, but Mbenz couldn't match it cause with 10% on some of these cars they were already close to the invoice numbers. Adding a free 1 or 2 years or added CPO warranty or so on top of the deal is another trick that you can negotiate even on new cars if you plan to keep them long (the cheapest warranty you can buy is the warranty you buy as early as possible when the factory 4-years warranty is still valid, even on day-1).
Good luck; just shop around, and try to build a relationship with someone you know. From my experience, the salesman will never get you even close to the max potential that the dealer can offer. You'll need to work with the GM, but most of them have ego and won't negotiate directly, or welcome you first in their office when you visit the dealer to work out the deal, unless you know them well. Relationship needs history too, but it's doable with the help of an honest salesman.
Last, before you negotiate any numbers, ask for the out-the-door baseline sheet (that's NOT the build sheet, that is a 1-page sale sheet that shows the car purchase price, sales tax, dealer fees, and any add ons, as well as estimated payments for lease or financing if that's the case). If they ask for your SSN, just ask them to print that sheet assuming no loan/lease, as if you are paying cash, to see the deal numbers. Use that as a baseline, before you negotiate anything, because you will see any added fees as soon as you start negotiations, not the last minute after you had already negotiated an off-MSRP number. Ask them to remove any add-on before you negotiate the off-MSRP.
Regarding swirl marks: if you are ordering a new car, you can always ask them to not wash the car, or detail it, and even to keep all the stickers/plastics/etc in the interior. On almost every new car I purchased, that request was always accommodated and I find it mentally fun and rewarding to just unwrap the car myself in my garage. They still need to take it to the service bay and connect it to a PC regardless, and go through some mandatory diagnosis before it is "customer-ready" but they can skip detailing it.
If you're going to order new, find a broker, they'll do the leg work for you, and already know where to go, across the country for the best deals. The guys on the BMW pages average about 5-10% off MSRP on a $600 commission to the broker.
Used, I just do everything I can online, find the 'one', get the dealer inventory inspection sheet if out of factory warranty, send your offer, and proceed from there. Even if you're in the same area, digital signatures or have them mail the paperwork to your home. They can not apply pressure this way, it really is, "Do you want to sell the car or not?". Time is money as well, the longer the deal takes or the more sales people you rope in, the less likely they are to budge on price.
Time is money as well, the longer the deal takes or the more sales people you rope in, the less likely they are to budge on price.
This is an excellent point, which is why I said what I said about sales people vs the GM. I've ordered many cars just through emails and phone calls with the GM (that saves him time, and saves me time). Tell me what you want, and for how much, and we take each other's words for it. He submits the order or reserve the allocation for me. My last BMW sedan was spec'd and order through email communications that way; I didn't sign anything ahead of time. Once the car's spec that I asked them for arrived their lot, I went their and signed docs with the numbers we discussed via emails in advance.
I don't know if the GM saves money when I pass the sales team (which allows him to pass larger discount to me). I assume sales people get a commission when the secure a deal, and as much as I like to help them, I'd rather get that discounted from my deal and cut any mid layers. A good direct connection with the service advisor is the only other connection that matters outside of the GMs.
I have found that luxury dealers are a little better to deal with than mainstream dealers. I have found less pressure with things in the finance office, etc. More respect for my time...
I would suggest looking at numbers from a broker at least to find out what is possible. Right now brokers are offering 10.5-11% off of GLS450s in the Northeast. Thats before rebates, so if you qualify for loyalty or conquest you can get another couple thousand dollars off.
I am currently shopping for a GLS or Lexus TX and brokers are the way to go, then you can take that number to your local dealer and see if they can match or beat it.
I used to negotiate with multiple dealers in the area and depending on the timing/facelifts/supply/demand/etc, managed to get anything between 2% and 13% off the MSRP on GLSs but the process was time consuming and often frustrating. Now a bit older and wiser, for my 4th one I just used a broker. Checked the local dealers' inventory and sent him the link of the car I wanted and he replied back in 2 minutes with 11.7% off MSRP plus standard MF (and in my 15+ years of leasing MBs, this was the first time I paid standard MF as dealers almost always marked it up by 0.0002 or something). The ease of the transaction and not having to listen to the salespeople standard lecture on the "nationwide xxx shortage" was well worth the small broker fee.
I used to negotiate with multiple dealers in the area and depending on the timing/facelifts/supply/demand/etc, managed to get anything between 2% and 13% off the MSRP on GLSs but the process was time consuming and often frustrating. Now a bit older and wiser, for my 4th one I just used a broker. Checked the local dealers' inventory and sent him the link of the car I wanted and he replied back in 2 minutes with 11.7% off MSRP plus standard MF (and in my 15+ years of leasing MBs, this was the first time I paid standard MF as dealers almost always marked it up by 0.0002 or something). The ease of the transaction and not having to listen to the salespeople standard lecture on the "nationwide xxx shortage" was well worth the small broker fee.
I wish more dealers would listen and read this. Sales people should stop some of their tactics.
Note that not all dealers allowed brokers to order from them. Most of them actually don’t allow brokers to sell from their inventory or allocation.
I wish more dealers would listen and read this. Sales people should stop some of their tactics.
Note that not all dealers allowed brokers to order from them. Most of them actually don’t allow brokers to sell from their inventory or allocation.
In my experience (as a broker/lease agency/ dealership general manager), dealers will check their sales and visitor log to see if the broker's customer had visited their showroom and used the time and resources of the dealership to choose their car.
If the dealer refuses to do any business at all with a specific broker, I'd be suspicious if that broker is a little unscrupulous. I have seen my share of unethical brokers - more so than high pressure dealers.
A broker will generally cost the buyer more than the commission that a salesman draws, so you don't normally save money going through a broker.
You save time.
I used to negotiate with multiple dealers in the area and depending on the timing/facelifts/supply/demand/etc, managed to get anything between 2% and 13% off the MSRP on GLSs but the process was time consuming and often frustrating. Now a bit older and wiser, for my 4th one I just used a broker. Checked the local dealers' inventory and sent him the link of the car I wanted and he replied back in 2 minutes with 11.7% off MSRP plus standard MF (and in my 15+ years of leasing MBs, this was the first time I paid standard MF as dealers almost always marked it up by 0.0002 or something). The ease of the transaction and not having to listen to the salespeople standard lecture on the "nationwide xxx shortage" was well worth the small broker fee.
Regarding the post about markups on Money factors, often that markup allows them to give a bigger discount on the car itself.
All this becomes apparent If the buyer focuses on the "out the door" price instead of the payment, the trade allowance, the discount, or whatever most buyers decide will get the best deal.
If you focus on the out the door price, the dealer can structure deal to give you the lowest overall cost. Which is what you're actually paying.
Any other approach feeds into all those dealer shenanigans that take insufferable amounts of time.
"If I could get the payment you want, would you buy today? Sign here." Substitute trade allowance, MF, interest rate, discount, or any other term for payment in the previous sentence.
"Out the Door" cuts through all that crap, and results in shaving sales, parts, warranties, and finance charges (back end).
Just start with everything you want - the floor mats, ELW, ceramic, tire replacement, whatever - so you don't have to re-negotiate after you win.
Then your visit to F&I will only be for signing documents, not further negotiating.
It's usually the Back End and parts/service that gets their profit cut with the Out the Door strategy.
A broker will generally cost the buyer more than the commission that a salesman draws, so you don't normally save money going through a broker.
You save time.
Agree, you can always replicate the deal a broker can get you it’s just the time and energy involved in getting there. I have never actually used a broker but I have used their pricing in my own negotiations.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
