krazyvshank

Hello

I am from Charlotte, NC.
I placed my order on 03/24 for an ML350 gasoline model with these options -
Steel grey metallic
Black mb-tex interior
Premium package 1
Driver assistance package
Keyless GO
Heated steering wheel
Heated rear seats
Parktronic
Special order options - mb-tex wrapped dashboard, black roof liner and satin ash wood trim
Accessories - chrome door handle inserts

Went in on 03/28 and included the Lighting Package. My dealer's guesstimate is last week of May / first week of June as the delivery timeframe.


I wanted to check here based on others' experiences. Please let me know if you think that is a realistic timeline with all the delays being discussed in other threads.

Thanks!

cobalt210

I placed my order, with the lighting package option, on February 10th. I have a build date of April 20th. My SR suggests I'll see the car by the end of April or early May. Sounds quick relative to my order, but the xenon light issue may now be getting resolved, shortening the production window.

krazyvshank

Thanks cobalt210. Looks like it might take between 75 and 90 days going by your timeline.

shortspark

Where can I find a photo of the MB Tex dashboard wrap? I've googled it but can't find good pictures of it. Is it worth it? Also, what is the black headliner? I assume it is just that wouldn't look funny in lets say an almond/beige interior, for example?

mcube3

The proposed "build date" for ours (with lighting package but no mb-tex dash) was March 25th. My sales guy expects it to arrive somewhere around 30-45 days after that. But he called me last week saying it'll be ready for pickup today (April 5th), guessing production is ahead of schedule. I've heard from others that theirs were built/delivered ahead of schedule as well.

I think the best way is to keep in close contact with your sales guy at the beginning of May to see if the car is build. Then he can provide you with a more realistic estimate of when it'll be delivered.

Best of luck.

krazyvshank

There are many stock photos on the net. Here are some pics taken by an owner with MB-Tex dash.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w166...0-bluetec.html

krazyvshank

Thanks mcube3. I hope I get some updates by early May.

shortspark

HA! I responded to that thread and never realized the photos were of the MB-Tex dash. Now I know. Thanks.

twodivers

krazyvshank, I too ordered mine in Charlotte (Hendrick) on Nov. 7. Because the configuration can affect the build date, here are my details:
Diesel
P2
MB-Tex Dash
Satin Ash Wood
Lighting
Pano roof
Heated Wheel
Trailer hitch
3-Zone Climate Control
Running Boards
Entertainment pre-wire
Heated rear seats
Driver Assistance Pkg.

I have a PO # (which your dealer should be able to give you) and a build date (confirmed by MB Corporate) of last decade of May. You should be able to get details from your SA, but the build date you are getting seems realistic. I'm hoping based on a few reports of build dates being moved up that mine is delivered a bit quicker!

shortspark

I hope someone can explain to me how all this works. I'm almost ready to place an order on a ML350 (gas). I'll see if they get to my price and if they do I will not wait for a 2013. But here I see twodivers placing an order the first part of November and he still does not have it. That is unacceptable. I know they had problems with the lighting package and Pana roof and those have essentially been resolved but when you place an order, do they not give you an estimate when you should receive it? Do you get your deposit back if they do not deliver the car when promised?

And what about the price? I mean you negotiate price and, I assume, any incentives such as conquest for that month. What if when the vehicle is delivered the conquest is higher than you originally negotiated? In other words, you negotiate a price that includes $1000 conquest incentive but three months later conquest is now $2000. You still don't have the car but the incentive is higher. How does that all work? I mean are you stuck with the agreed deal three months previous or the amount at the time of delivery? Since these things change over time and given the long periods between when the deal is made and actual delivery, how do you know what the final price is?

RJR

This is great news if they are running ahead of schedule. We were told about 3 weeks ago that our build date was April 16th. We were hoping to have by the end of April. Fingers will be crossed.

krazyvshank

Wow...you ordered it in Nov and your build date is somewhere in the last decade of May. I wonder how long it's gonna take for me. I placed my order with Hendrick too. let me check for the PO# and the build date with my SA (who by the way has never bothered to respond to my queries after I placed the order).

dgiturbo

ShortSpark, good questions.
Here is an example. When I ordered my wife's GLK in December, the in dash 6 disc CD player was not available, so I choose the single disc player. ($400 cheaper). Also, in Dec., MB was offering 1.9% for like 70 months or so, and a good conquest incentive. My understanding was "order or take delivery" by the end of Dec. to get the discounts. Car showed up middle of March with the 6 disc player, no incentives that would apply, and MB only had leasing promotions. I was shocked to learn that I also had to start from scratch with pricing. What worked in my favor is that by then, I was able to take advantage of an employee fleet program, which right off the bat gave me a better price than we had "agreed" to in Dec., so all's well that ends well. ($1500 under invoice)

From what I can see, the lighting and pano roof may be your issue. Still haven't seen any on the lots with these options, which is why I am just on the sidelines. Also noticed that the Air Suspension is off the website.
<BTW. for the ML, the fleet discount is $3000, if your employer participates.>

lowsparkhigh

I just placed an order for a 2013 that has a build date of June 18 and expected delivery in mid-July. Some ordering options have changed for the 2013's:
No P2 Package (some have been integrated into P1 and other are stand-alone options), soft-close doors, rear window sunshades, B&O audio, Dynamic Handling Package broken up as individual options, MB-Tex dash wrap standard on ML550...there are probably others, but I don't remember what. As far as price goes, I am getting some discounts from the dealer that will apply no matter when it is delivered.
2013 ML550
Iridium Silver
Black Leather
Brown Satin Ash Wood
AMG 5-spoke Wheels
Premium 1 (2013 version)
Lighting Package
AIRMATIC
Active Curve
Parktronic
Rear-seat Ent Pre-wiring
Heated/Active Ventilated Seats
Three-zone Climate Control
Black Headliner
Trailer Hitch

krazyvshank

A 2013 model already? I don't see any details online yet. Which dealer in which city? Do you have any online links with details?

lowsparkhigh

Nothing online yet and no details on any potential changes (color mfd, top view cam, etc) the MB Tex wrap being standard on the 550 is a guess by the dealer because it is not an option on 2013 ML550, but it is still an option on the ML350. The dealership is Park Place Mercedes in Dallas, TX...I believe they sell the highest volumes of MB in the country. The dates they gave me are obviously subject to change (as we all know). My order was the first 2013 order confirmed and will not be locked until mid-May.

krazyvshank

Good to know. Is that dealer also taking orders for 2013 ML350s?
My dealer told me that MB is coming with a 2WD model this summer....maybe that's an option for the 2013s.

lowsparkhigh

Yes, they are taking 2013 ml350 orders...don't know about the 2 wheel drive model though.

shortspark

dgiturbo, that is very revealing. I had no idea M-B worked that way. I have a build worked up for a 2012 that is right at $60,000 MSRP. It also is Iridium silver with black leather with P2 package, lighting package, wrapped dash and wheel and some other stuff. I have a price in mind that is reasonable I think, considering that when I get it it will probably be only a month or two away from the 2013 builds, which I was told by the salesman would begin in August. They might take my offer but the way it seems to work is that it could take several months to get it and there appears to be no formal way to price it until it arrives, from what you said. How do people buy cars this way? I mean, are there no contracts, no dates of delivery that if not met renders the contract void, no price guarantees, etc.? The rules all suddenly change when you go to pick up your order? How can they do business that way? I never dealt with M-B before and was not aware of all this.

What is this "start from scratch" stuff on pricing you're talking about once the car is delivered even though a deal was agreed upon and ordered months in advance? I for one can't operate that way. I don't mind waiting if I am told up front how long it will take and I agree to that. But I expect to get my deposit back if that date is not met and I decide to wait no longer. I also have to have a price that is set in stone, not subject to when this or that incentive goes into or out of effect. For example, If conquest is $1000 or $2000 for the month in which I order that is what I agree to and I do not expect it to change upon delivery even if the monthly incentive changes. This is all fine if there is a car on the lot you want and just buy it then and there under the conditions of the day but that is not going to happen very often.

And now I hear from lowsparkshigh that the 2013s are being ordered already with a build date of June and delivery date a month later. I took my test drive a couple days ago and was not told that at the dealership. I was told there will not be significant changes between 2012 and 2013 and I could save a little due to upcoming "summer" sales events but the 2013s would not begin production until August. There is no consistency. I know that date of delivery in July lowsparkshigh talked about is subject to change but if it is correct, that is about the same time I can get a 2012 - if I'm lucky! This does not make sense. I just don't see how M-B can operate this way.

To top it all off Krazyvshank says he placed an order and the salesman won't even get with him and respond to him for an anticipated delivery date. I've heard enough! I'm going back with the original idea I had of buying the 2013 SRX with CUE, which I saw demoed at the Dallas Auto Show last week that really impressed me and beats the tar out of any other manufacturer in terms of logical, driver/car interface. I will be able to walk on any Caddy lot and pick out what I want when I want right then and there. To me, that is worth more than the difference in these two vehicles.

300DTurbo

the day the vehicle touches the concrete of the dealership lot is the day that you can strike a price.

you have to play with what is available on that day.

300DTurbo

Ask your dealer if he snagged one what was already in their production que, modified it and assigned it to you? OR did he end up getting you a whole new order.

If its the latter the date is up in the air. The former will be right on target, as the vehicle was planned to be built anyways.

Level of priority. I posted a while back on here somewhere. A B C, A is a no-matter-what, B and C are given less weight.

shortspark

If that is how buying a Mercedes works, how is a car even ordered that contains all the options you want? I understand what you are saying if you drive by the dealership and there happens to be the exact car you want on the lot. In that situation it is no different than any other manufacturer. You walk in, make a deal based on the incentives at the time and drive off with it.

My problem is that unless there is a contract for the specific build you want, with a specific price agreed upon, including any incentives at the time of order, how can you get what you want on the lot in the first place? I mean, I can't imagine they would just order one specifically built for you without a contract or deposit or any price agreement in the hopes you can come to terms when it is finally delivered. I think it is nonsense to take someone's build order with what I assume is a required deposit and at least a letter of intent to purchase (if in fact there is no contract) and then tell the customer the final price will be negotiated when the car arrives. That I will not do.

serge01

the final price is not negotiated when car arrives,that is done at time of ordering,what does-might change is incentives or interest rates. Incentives-interest rates are given on what is offered at time of delivery not time of ordering and that is true with any manufacturer.If incentives-interest rates moves either way favoring you or dealer that is what goes and dealer has no control over that.I have ordered many vehicules over the years and noticed that whatever the incentive even if they do change(which has rarely happened) the final numbers do not change very much if at all.

shortspark

Thanks for that Serge01, now I understand this a little better. You don't really "start from scratch" when the car arrives as dgiturbo earlier indicated, rather, it is only the incentives that may or may not be in play at the time. Although I would rather negotiate based on incentives at the time of ordering, I can understand that better than "starting from scratch". Maybe dgiturbo had to start from scratch because the car that arrived was slightly different than the one he ordered and the cost was different. Anyway, good information and I can go from here with that.

krazyvshank

My SA got back to me this morning with a build date of 6/1/2012. I think I can expect delivery around 6/10/2012.