danrts

Hi just wondering, im in negotiations to buy an ml350, metallic paint, convenience pack, amg pack, panoramic sunroof

Driveaway price is $123,500 aud (inclusive of gst, lct, stamp duty etc)

Do you think $115,000 is a reasonable price for a new vehicle or can the dealer go lower.


Thanks.

iankayem

Sounds like you are in Australia. Please add the location to your details.

Start at 10% off or $111,000. Don't accept their first counter offer. You should pay less than 115k unless supply has tightened. Mine is due tomorrow, 4 days short of six months from day of order.

danrts

Thanks, when i suggested something like that, the response was theres not even that much margin in the car which i would find surprising

I am in north queensland australia where we only have one dealer though the dealer said all dealerships purchase cars from mercedes benz australia at exactly the same price regardless of the size of dealership.

iankayem

Tell him you're flying to Brisbane. Ask him if you should book a return flight. Then watch for the BS. Or try the telephone first.

DrFox1969

Apologies for bringing up old thread but just read this.

Not sure what deal you did in the end, but i got my ML with 9% off driveawy price, including 3 years free servicing, 4 years roadside assist and mats/rear shallow boot tub thrown in. I felt this was as far as i could push them at the time, and i had a very good sales guy to deal with.

Some of you may know this (no teaching to suck eggs here!!) but in order to get a good judge of discounts available I tend to get a price from one of the growing number of internet fleet discount company's. This may be a bit cheeky but they do all the hard work for you. They will tender your spec, along with a number of other orders they have and you get the opportunity of discounts for them buying multiple units. I then use that information to negotiate down the price from the main dealer. If they cant match, then i buy from the fleet dealer....no loss.

otagomed

That's a good deal. 9% with free servicing.
I I also like the idea of getting the quote from internet fleet discount companies.

Thanks for sharing that information!

DrFox1969

No worries otagomed. Happy to share, might eventually get our MB prices down permanently......wishfull thinking.

If you do use an internet fleet company, they will give you the hard sell and try to put you under time pressure to order........just hold tight and get their quote in writing.

The other thing is the MB dealer will tell you that it is MB Australia policy not to give prices and discounts to fleet dealers, so the quote isnt valid. Whereas it may be policy, there are plently of dealers who will quote the fleet buyers if they have the chance of selling multiple units in one order, especially the Sydney dealers it seems.

I got this response and when i said ok i'll order through the fleet buyers, there was a rapid change in attitude and things went very smoothly from there!!

jellies

if this is of use to someone in oz, I am in nsw and managed to get an inbound and as yet unallocated 350BT with options I don't disagree with and luckily my color choice, for 9% off MSRP (if MSRP includes mb australia website recommended dealer delivery charge).

I may have done better especially if I switched to a bespoke order and waited them out, however I went for it because (a) it was better than any demonstrator deal I offered on (b) pricing has jumped 2k for the 350BT starting Jan production onwards although the mb australia pricing tool does not reflect this yet. (bad mb!). and (c) something about getting the car now rather than in six months was strangely attractive haha!

I found it a lot harder to negotiate for a particular impending car in the system, than a proposed build where you can just say "call me if you can do it for $x" and wait. They have a negotiating advantage when there isn't a lot of free stock.

For what it is worth, I test drove and thought long and hard about the following cars as alternatives:

Range Rover Sport
XC60 r-design
RX 450h
Q5
Touareg
Discovery4
Jeep GC

honestly they all have advantages it was a really hard decision..

iankayem

If you do 9% off you are doing pretty good. Thats in the region I settled for.

I am surprised they are raising the price by $2k as the dollar has improved a bit from release so it should be dropping. Guess its due to short supply, despite the fact I was advised today the wait is 4 months, whereas mine took 6.

I also looked at a similar range of vehicles before again buying an ML. I am sure you made the right choice.

Just as a matter of interest, with what options will your new ride be equipped?

jellies

I was surprised over the price change. It seems to apply just to the bluetec model not the petrol, so now there is a premium to go diesel engine, just like USA.

as much as I want prices to move south at least we're not in the situation of 2012 touareg buyers who watched as the 2013 car got 10k of extra options for free. I bet that depreciation hit is lurking for 2014 though.

plucking from stock, for 350s, I think everything is optioned very unimaginatively: convenience pack almost always, sometimes sports pack. No harmon kardon systems, no off road packages.
Rarely, entertainment packages (which are now relegated to just hk + tv + prep the rear seats) or panorama roofs.

So mine will be very aus standard: convenience pack, black leather, silver paint. I will most miss the upgraded sound, and the air suspension.
But it'll be exciting nevertheless. Taking the kids to see my brothers family in brisbane will actually become something enjoyable, less tiresome!

iankayem

Still a very well equipped car. I understand most dealers include CV1 with all stock orders, the rest are good boys toys but not essential. I am surprised at the desire for panorama in the Australian sun - we were happy to stick to the standard sunroof.
You will be proud.

jellies

I was in two minds about the panorama as you point out it isn't ideal for our average record breaking australian summer day so no loss. Also the stock sunroof isn't the letter box you get on a sedan! it is quite sizeable.

when upset at the australian captive consumer tax I console myself with all that 350 pre-loaded gear that american buyers have to tick as options, possibly delaying their car for ages.

I'll be investigating whether a decent stereo shop can do some subtle improvements to the stock stereo just by replacement of key speakers and some sub solution. As long as it doesn't irreversibly modify any trim..

DrFox1969

My dealer also told me that a price rise was due in January. He also told me stock is becoming harder to get than 2012. Still plenty of sales going through which is why there are limited dealer pre-order stock.

I agree 9% is pretty good, given demand and availability.

jellies

For you australian bluetec owners this might be helpful

I had the impression from overseas that a cheaper way to buy Adblue was through VW, however when I called VW here, they said the price for 10L (2.6 US Gal) was $38.

They said they called mercedes and the part number A004 989 042 012 is Adblue 10L, and Mercedes price is $24 per 10L. (In Russia it is $18 for the same part number.)

In the US, the price is $10 per 10L at auto parts stores (generic urea solution).

At australia shell, Coles express stores, they sell it at $50 per 10L container, 5x the price in the USA. WTF! A few shell stations sell it at the pump for about 1.80 per liter. A few as in about one per major metro area!

On ebay you can find it for $33 per 10L (more expensive than Mercedes)

Assuming 3-5% Adblue consumption per diesel gallon, the price of Adblue will add 10 cents per liter to the price at the pump using mercedes prices, 15 cents per liter using VW prices, and 4 cents per liter using US prices, and about 7 cents per liter using pump adblue prices.

My conclusion would be to fill up at an adblue servo some time close to a scheduled service, but also speak to the service manager to verify that there isn't a charge for either top-up or draining/refilling the tank.

iankayem

It is available at various truck depots at a reasonable price.

CMV Trucking (Laverton, Clayton & Dandenong) have it in the bowser for $1.32 per litre inc GST, or $22.00 inc GST for a 10 litre refillable container.

Shell has it at many locations, 3 in Melbourne metro.

Caltex has started supplying it from a dozen locations. The nearest to Melbourne is Port Augusta. Still a long drive for Dr Fox!

Hopefully as time goes on, many more locations will appear.

DrFox1969

There does seem to be quite a few Shell servo's which now stock adblue (see attached), albeit the pre-packed variety and if its as much as you say jellies, its worth a trip to the pump.

As you say Ian, there are limited places to fill up at the pump although it appears from the attached there is a place in the Nothern Suburbs of Adelaide now (Mansfield Park) so only 20 mins from the CBD.

My other house is in Lysterfield South, VIC and I do often pop over, so if there is a place in Dandenong I could fill up there.

Mind you from what you say jellies, it doesnt sound like MB price is too bad compared to Shell pre-packed prices!!

iankayem

Yes I am sure there are many locations and more coming.
It was tounge in cheek to mention Port Augusta. Just very strange that the Caltex website ticked that as the only Adblue location in south east Australia.

All new heavy trucks from 2010 and light vehicles from November this year will require Adblue so in a few years time, I expect every service station will carry it.

Its run out will probably be similar to the LPG network in the 1970's. We had a list of about a dozen filling stations in all Victoria when we converted our first ute in 1972. Now its everywhere.