Streamliner

Of course the service department is very busy. This is yet another way in which our ultra luxury car ownership experience is watered down: With so many C's, CLA's, GLA's and other entry level vehicles flooding the shop floors, we are stuck waiting in line to get our mega buck rides worked on. I hate to sound "uppity," but the dealers need to find a way to enhance the service experience of their upper end customers. Right now, if I leave $30K CLA for service, I drive off in a C300 loaner. If I leave a $250K S65 for service, I drive off in a C300 loaner. I know, I know, if you scream loud enough, some dealers will give you something better, but you shouldn't have to scream and when you are driving a $100K+ car, you shouldn't have to wait for all the CLA's to be fixed, before you get yours worked on. I guess I am uppity. Oh well.

LovinMercedes

I don't think this is uppity. I think this is fair. If you sell a luxury car, you should give the service that goes with it.

nycphotography

I don't even think it's fair, it's really just smart.

When your luxury products no longer come with a luxury experience, you won't immediately realize the impact on sales.

And 5 years from now when you start suffering staggering sales drops, you won't have any idea why... as "nothing's changed from last year".

sam9187

I agree with you 100%. I have been making this point with my SA all along without any luck.

DaveVY

Maybe you need a new dealer. The couple times I dropped our S off, even for a Service A I have been offered an E or an ML. I agree it would be best to get an S loaner but I have never had to do anything other than tell the loaner desk that "I am dropping off an S, what can you put me in?" and they always quickly find me a car better than the C.

Germancar1

When did Mercedes-Benz become ultra luxury?

M

Streamliner

"Mercedes-Benz" isn't. But the 221 & 222's I would call ultra luxury. Maybe not ostentatious like a Rolls or Bentley, but ultra lux none the less, IMO.

Germancar1

They aren't. They're high-end, but they aren't ultra luxury. That would be Rolls, Bentley etc.

M

5634MG

Generally, loaners are given on a first come first serve basis. The SA and my dealer generally recommends me to book my appointment well in advance as they can reserve a better courtesy car for me. I've received an E or and ML before but when I arrived later in the day or book in a short notice, I'll get a B250 or C250. I do think that they may offer better service to those who purchase the higher end models but generally do try to offer a comparable experience to all customers in general.

Streamliner

Well, I had a brand new Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible. It was an absolutely lovely car, white with tan leather with Magnolia piping. When I drove around L.A. with the top down, it was like riding on a float in the Rose Parade. Girls would gawk. A car full of girls passed me one day and two of them pulled their tops up to show me their "headlights."

But the way the car looked was the high point. The leather started to crack within months of having taken delivery and I never let it bake in the sun. The carpets were mismatched when delivered and they finally got me a new set, TWO YEARS after I had sold the car. If you drove the car even the slightest bit hard, the brakes would fade out, the transmission wouldn't shift correctly and there was a horrible burning smell. When I told the dealer about this, they told me it was normal for a new car and would go away after a year or so. The radio was not as good as what was being put in a Toyota at the time. The seat belts were spring loaded in such a way, that if you unbuckled and let it go, it would put a gash in the wood trim on the door. The chrome on the radiator had not been applied properly and was dull in areas. When I noticed paint on the rubber grommets around things like the parking lights and questioned if the car had ever been repainted, the dealer told me that the car did not receive its final coat of paint until the entire car was assembled. If you left the car in the garage for a week without driving it, the battery went dead. After a late night one time, I stopped to put gas in the car and mistakenly left the gas cap off. The dealer charged me $300.00 for a new one. Looking at it, it looked familiar and, sure enough, it was a standard Stant cap in a Rolls-Royce box. When I went back and asked the dealer about it, he said that they used Stant gas caps, but that they "underwent special testing at the Rolls factory first." RR dealers must think their customers are complete idiots.

Anyone here feel that the above described car was "ultra luxury?" It was an elegant, beautiful, horribly expensive piece of SxxT!

I can pretty much afford any car I want, but I want what I feel is the best. I feel that the W222 is the current best car in the world. The interior--especially one of the higher end options is quite opulent. The car is amazingly quiet and comfortable. It is probably the safest car in the world. It has safety and tech features that Rolls will be "testing" for years before they will use them. It may not be exclusive like a Rolls, but I feel it is head and shoulders better in most every way and I call that ULTRA LUXURIOUS, but that's just my opinion.

5634MG

hmm...btw, the standard 18's on your car look a LOT better than what are depicted on the mbusa configurator; I never thought I'd ever say this but they actually look quite elegant.

Streamliner

Thank you. I feel the same. I knew I wanted the 18's, just because I am a ride quality freak, but based on the MB Build site, I didn't think I would like them, but I do.

Germancar1

WOW....interesting story. Yeah a Rolls is ultra luxury for sure, but back when when they made that car they were still owned by Vickers and the engineering was junk. Germans cars have always been better until arguably now (since the Brits are German owned now), but their presentation wasn't the same. I don't disagree and neither does the press about the W222 being the best there is right now, but that presentation and exclusivity is what gives Rolls their edge. Nothing Mercedes builds can stand next to a Phantom when one rolls up, regardless of the technical superiority of the Benz. Ultra luxurious sure, have you seen the new Maybach S600, stunning...but Bentley and Rolls still have the edge on status/image/prestige.

M

Jason B

I recently got a loaner 2015 ML. But still hated it and life became great again when I got the S back a week later. That was one hard week!

Streamliner

This is sort of "where I came in," for you older folks who might remember the saying. I had driven Lexus LS sedans as my everyday drivers since 1993. Great cars, but got a 2013 S550. Couldn't stand the black exterior that was always screaming "WASH ME," so I thought why not try an ML? I ordered an absolutely loaded white ML350BT, but ended up thinking I was going to lose my mind over the low speed "cheap pick-up truck" ride "quality." So, I found a guy to take over tbe ML lease and here I am with my W222. I have a few complaints, but ride quality is not one of them.

AppleFan1

Well, all issues with the transmission (due to faulty booster pressure sensor) are now solved. Car rides as good as new. However, I was surprised that they also charged the battery. I was noticing that the ECO light was not on green very often. I wonder if this goes back to the first week I had the car back in April. Unfortunately, like an idiot, I left the parking lights on one entire night when I was doing some programming and thinking that it would take less battery power. I should have left it in auto. But in any case, the ECO light is now green the great majority of the time. I need to talk to the technician to find out if my theory is correct or perhaps this is not unusual to charge the battery after 15,000 miles.

They also performed some software updates yesterday.

BenzV12

It is good news now
Happy Days

steveb9771

Although S class owners do not always get special treatment by the service departments, they also do not get charged a higher fee. Most dealers charge the same amount for "A" & "B" service for an S550 as they charge for a C class even though our vehicles often require more quarts of oil. We usually get the same level of service at the same price paid by "C" class owners. Would those complaining about not receiving a higher level of service and better loan cars be willing to pay more?

Streamliner

If that is indeed true--and this is the first I am hearing of it, then I feel it is a ridiculous way to do business. There should be different service charges for different vehicles, especially when the difference is like the "Grand Canyon" difference between a C and an S. But, to answer your question, I am always willing to pay for better service, as long as it is within reason. And, going out on a limb here, I think that most owners of late model S Class cars would happily pay a bit more to receive service commeasurate with the cost of their vehicles. In this regard, I am referring to perhaps an exclusive appointment process or a pick-up/drop off service, better waiting area, MUCH better loaners, etc. MB makes some fairly basic cars and then they make some very luxurious cars. The way things are now, the luxury car ownership experience is getting watered down by the hoards of basic cars in the system and a lot of folks are not thrilled by it, myself included.

newyorktoLA

I think it's ridiculous for S Class owners to have to pay more for service, even if it means better loaners. Maintenance is expensive as it is; I wouldn't be willing to pay any premium; the dealers already want you to spend 1K+ every time you visit. Imagine if you told them you have the money to spend for "better" customer service - they'll take you for a ride. I'll keep my regular fees and my C class loaners...although once, I did drop off my SLK350 for a new tire and got a brand new E350 Cabriolet fully loaded with nappa leather, active LED's, the whole deal

Streamliner

Really? Active LED's!

e325rkh

Maybe MB should review what my Audi dealer does. If you have an R8 or A8, you automatically get an A8 as a loaner. All other models usually get an A3/A4.

Streamliner

Ah, but now you are asking MB to be logical, when, in fact, logical thinking is one of the qualities that they have thrown under the bus in their race to the bottom. What's logical about not providing even a SPACE for a spare in a car the size of a W222? NOTHING!

Quadcammer

wow guy, you really need to get over the spare tire.


as to the loaner, is it really that big a deal to drive a brand new C class for a day or two? really? really? If they stuffed you in a hyundai elantra, or even a CLA, I could see your point, but to complain about a C-class seems pretty whiny.

Streamliner

I DO whine and I AM uppity. We've established that. Where have you been?

As for getting over the spare, I never will. I see it as a fatal flaw, especially in something so large and grand as a W222. If you have never had a near new tire absolutely shredded by an unavoidable road hazard, you may not appreciate the importance of a spare. Have that experience in the city, it will cost you a day. Have it on a cross country drive out in the badlands and you'll find yourself at the mercy of the local fillin' station, where "Gern" will say something like "ain't never seen a tire like that before." Anyway, you get the idea. My never mounted W221 spare arrived by FedEx on Friday. The jack & tool kit are inbound from Germany. The Best or Nothing!