Brooks Was Here

Thank you in advance for your input and insight.

Just test drove a 2013 ML 350 4Matic with an MSRP of $57,675 configured as follows - arctic white, black MB-tex, premium package, trailer hitch, harman/kardon sound, brushed aluminum running boards, pre-wiring for rear seat entertainment, chrome package and lane tracking package. The invoice per TrueCar is $54,060.

We currently have a 2010 GLK 350 4Matic with a KBB trade-in value of approximately $26k.

Dealer offer is as follows:

$2,625 discount
$1,000 rebate
Adjusted selling price = $54,050

Trade-in Value - $20,500

Trade Difference - $33,550

The dealership currently has 18 2013 ML's

Should I be expecting more of a discount given the MY2014 has come out?

Should I be receiving more for my trade-in? Can KBB be that far off?

Does this deal seem comparable to others you have seen?

Looking forward to your responses

supernsx

I believe people are getting 10-13% off from MSRP on 2013 inventory.

KBB trade in is normally on point if your car is still under factory warranty. If your car has some rare color or high mileage, KBB is not very accurate. What I will do is a search on autotrader or cars .com of the ongoing asking price of the same color/condition/mileage of your GLK from the MB dealers in the 250 miles radius. Take 20% off the average price of non-certified vehicle and it should be the ball park of the trade in number.

Brooks Was Here

Thanks very much supernsx

Our GLK is black with tan interior and has 40k miles. On autotrader they are going for $30k+ so 20% off or $24k makes much more sense than the $20k they are offering and is much closer to KBB.

The increase in trade value in conjunction with a few more percent off the MSRP will make a huge difference in the monthly payment.

Since posting I have been reading and it seems the majority of people are getting at least 10% on the 2013s (not the 6% they are currently offering)

jnejah

Brooks - I think it depends on where you are located but 10% or more for left over MY13s when MY14s are on dealer lots should be commonplace. The 10% should be before rebates too. Send email inquiries to multiple dealers - I believe you will get a temperature reading from them very quickly. Good luck.

fabbrisd1

For trade-in value - best 3rd part gauge is emdunds.com - kbb trade-in is erratic depending on brand/model.

Your "discount" on a 2013 on Aug 12th and your "discount" on August 31st are going to be different to wrap up a deal at month end - assuming they have some ML's left..

iamgort

Build the car you want on edmunds or w/e and let your nearby dealers fight for your business. Wait until the end of the month is near and play hard with the sales guys. I am not sure how many dealers are in your area but where I live (Washington DC area), there were literally hundreds of 2013 ML's in the area so all the dealers were very aggressive in their pricing.

supernsx

If your GLK is black with 40k miles, I think the dealer is lowballing you. Dealers actually make more money on used car than new. If they can get your GLK for $20K and turn it around and sell it for $30K, they make way more money than selling you the new ML.

I agree with others that you should get bids from other dealers and get the best price possible within 2-300 miles radius. You can either use edmunds or msns to do that. Or you can contract them through the online forms on each of the MB dealer sites. Then, take the lowest bid to the dealer(s) that has the ML you want and ask them to match it.

Brooks Was Here

Ok so I've been dealing with dealerships all day (6 in total). The final deal is as follows:

MSRP - $57,835
Price - $51,500

Amount for trade - $21,000

Saved over $3,000 from original deal!

Unbelievable how the original dealership tried to take advantage of us. Initially they were only offering a $1,000 rebate and no discount on the price.

Thank you all for your insight and the invaluable information.

VERY much appreciated!

iamgort

Nice work.