petermk

Hi everyone,

Long story short, my SUV (2010 Acura MDX) got flooded when Sandy hit NYC and now I am looking for a replacement. Basically, I narrowed it down to the BMW X5 xDrive35d and MB ML350 Bluetec. So, my question is how long would I have to wait if I ordered the ML350 Bluetec?

Thanks

petermk

Just went through some of the posts here and it looks like 4-5 months... :-(

27T

I ordered my BT in mid-August and it was delivered to dealer on West Coast in late October. So only two and a half months for me...and the build was heavily optioned. Luckily the options I wanted were available at time of order; MBtex dash, DAP, lighting, etc. Also keep in mind that 13BTs began being built in October so there were no earlier production slots available.

The dealer where I purchased received MLs with first and second decade October builds at the end of that month, mine included. We were both surprised how quickly they were delivered after production. We expected a December delivery based on previous experience.

How long it takes to get your ML depends on many factors:

- Are your "must-have" options available at time of order and build.
- Does your dealer have a soon-to-be-built slot open to customize. If not, can he trade?
- How soon will the factory ship the ML after production.
- etc.

petermk

Thank you. The only option, among the ones I'd want, with "limited availability" on the MB website is the panorama roof. I'd also want leather seats (also limited availability) but after reading some reviews on the web, I figured I could live without them.

27T

Pano roof is nice but I passed because of the thin cover that will make driving the ML annoying under the 360-day SoCal sun.

I have the MBtex and really like it. Before ordering this ML I never thought that I would ever consider buying a car without "real" leather. Though I wish I could have the vent seats that are only avail with the leather.

27T

As for ordering, call up a few dealers and see what the timeline will be for custom order. My experience and others' vary because of the factors mentioned above. Also working with a dealer that will really try to get you a BT as quick as possible is key.

Some dealers don't give much effort, some don't know how to work the "system" to your benefit, and some will BS you to get you to buy one from current inventory.

petermk

I definitely won't buy from what they have. If I am going to buy a $60K car, I'll make sure it has exactly what I want. The wait is going to suck though, as I don't have a car at all at the moment and all rental places around here don't have any cars available.
As for the thin panorama roof cover, I did see a few people mention that. No aftermarket alternatives available?

27T

I'm with you, the options I ordered were deal killers if they built the truck incorrectly. One of the MLs that came on the same delivery with mine which was also a custom order was built without a couple options that the customer wanted AND the factory added an option not asked for. But mine was all good.

Not sure of any aftermarket for pano cover but I haven't seen anyone point to one yet. Personally, I would be weary of messing with it, especially non-OEM.

katiesdad7

I did the same thing and ordered my vehicle. I got the color and options that I wanted. Took a while but you get what you want.

Baloo588

I found an open slot for an Ml350 bluetec at my local dealership whom allowed me to customize it in early October and the car went into production the beginning of the month and is completed now. It will be arriving at my dealer soon before the weekend so overall 1.5 month which is not bad!

Benz Werd

Sorry to hear about your beloved MDX, hope the rest of your possessions, and family/friends were ok after Sandy hit.

Firstly, it sounds like you're undecided between the X5 & the ML, so the first thing you should do is go drive them both extenstively. Not sure about the USA but here in Aus dealers will let you demo cars overnight which to me is the ONLY way to properly get a feel of a vehicle prior to purchase, not just a 15 minute drive 'around the block' with the salesperson blabbering on in the passenger seat.

From my experience the ML is a much better vehicle than the X5. My brother just sold his 2010 X5 xDrive 5.0i, and compared to my now sold W164 ML500 his X5 wasn't anywhere near as good. The new W166 ML is even better. The X5 had very light steering and didn't feel like a prestige car at all, whereas the ML was solid and felt alot more stable on the road to me, and felt like a proper luxury SUV should. Also be aware there's a brand new X5 model just about to be released so you'd at least want to get one of those if you decide on BMW .. just my 2 cents worth. In the end only you can decide what's best for you after having a test drive of both. Here is Aus there's also the problem of really bad service from BMW. My other half is now in a C250 after 4 years of 325i ownership (which was an awesome car by the way, just the people at BMW have attitude it seems) and the service we're receiving from MB runs rings around anything BMW ever offered or showed us. Once we took delivery of the BMW they pretty much just dumped us and weren't interested in being helpful or friendly at all, until the last 12 months when we indicated we were going to upgrade the car, then the smiles and friendlyness returned. We had a few warranty issues with the 325i during the 4 years and the way we were treated was just appalling. Bad enough that we'd never buy another one of their products now matter how good it was.

I ordered my new ML back in June and I'm still waiting for it. It was built about 10 days ago according to my dealer, and is now in the holding yard in Vance, but delivery is still not scheduled until 31 Dec at this stage. So if you have to wait 2-3 months which seems to be the norm in the US I wouldn't complain!! I realise you're without a car now though, so any waiting period is going to be an issue for you.

Happy test driving anyway and hope you end up with exactly what you want!!

Cheers from Down-Under bro ...

petermk

Thank you! The MDX was a great car, except for the mileage (10-11 mpg in the city). My initial list also included the Lexus RX350 F Sport but I test drove it and didn't like. It's a great car but there's no feel to it. I also tried my friend's diesel X5 and liked it more than the Lexus. It looks kinda too plain inside though. So, the ML is the only one left to try....

MLee

Aussiebenzlover

You must go to the same BMW dealer as we do.
Same service and same result.......waiting delivery of ML

Morro

OK, its thin but tinted black and there is a sunshade under it too. Come on, do you think MB would give the pano roof to cold climates only? It keeps out all the heat, don't worry.

petermk

So, I drove the 2013 BT today, liked it better than the X5 and figured I'd place an order. The configuration I wanted was about $62K MSRP. I asked what kinda price I could get and the salesperson said he could do $60K. I said I wanted a lower price and asked for $59K. He said that my offer was out of the question. So, I offered $59,500, he said he could probably do that. At that point he asked what it would take to make a deal right there. I answered $59K (even though I know that price is still a bit high). He took my credit card, went to his manager, and came back saying that the car was in very high demand and they could do only MSRP

katiesdad7

Seems that your credit card was not that much in demand. :-)

hutch300

I have heard many dealers are easily selling 2013 BTs at full MSRP... supply and demand

fabbrisd1

Have no idea what area the "buyer" was in -but frankly ML350BT "orders" are mostly at full boat - like last year any Spring incentives April/May will probably exclude the BT.

That said - going into month end November on any BT's on the lot - you might be able to get a little knock down.. shoot for the $1500 which the dealer can get back if he has unused Winter Cash certificates.

Play another in-stock BT within 500 miles against the closer dealer's BT...

Keep the beat !

Benz Werd

BMW Melbourne? Yeah, they're idiots, I get better service from my local Ford dealer where I get my ute serviced.

Pity though, because BMW does have a good product, just their people let them down badly ... oh well, more business for Mercedes-Benz I suppose!

petermk

It was in Brooklyn, NY. They are probably also using the fact that many people are looking for new cars here these days.
And if they are selling at full MSRP only, why in the world did he offer $2K off MSRP to begin with???

petermk

Does anyone know how reliable True Market Value on edmunds.com is? According to edmunds.com, a fair price for the configuration I wanted is about $4K off MSRP.

Benz Werd

$60K is a great price. We pay 100+K here for a ML350 petrol or diesel, so I wouldn't complain too much

27T

TMV tends to be off. In general, it is much higher than I ever pay. The problem for NY is the sudden jump in demand/supply. The good news is that Europe market is very soft at the moment so maybe ML allocations in US will not be as pared back as initially believed.

petermk

So, I went to MB of Manhattan today and placed an order for the 2013 MB350 Bluetec. The expected delivery date is sometime in February. They supposedly had one spot available and they put my order in it. The price is about $2,600 off MSRP.

Specs:
Black exterior
Almond MB-Tex interior
19" wheels
Lighting Package
Panorama roof
Running boards
Trailer hitch
Chrome Accessory Package (chrome doors inserts and hood fin covers)
Wood/leather steering wheel
Multi-color ambient lighting
Keyless-go
Premium 1 Package
Lane Tracking Package

petermk

Just went through some posts on this forum and started having second thoughts regarding not ordering the harman/kardon sound system. Is it still possible to add one after placing my order?