Cmark777

Does that sound right to you guys?

I'm being offered an in stock S550 for approx $20K under the $116K MSRP. If I wanted to order one with every feature exactly as I want apparently they have less discounting ability. I didn't get into specifically how much less yet (planning on it) but I can't seem to figure out why this is. Do they pay less for ones they just accept coming in? Or are they just trying to make a sale today at my preferences loss?

Iridium222

I believe that with any car manufacturer these days, there's usually a lot less of bargaining flexibility for a special order vehicle as opposed to what's already sitting on the lot. With that being said, what they're saying seems pretty correct IMO.

LovinMercedes

It's all done to try to force you to buy the car now. That is what all dealers want. The cost of the car to the dealer is the exact same on either car, assuming corporate programs and interest rates don't change from the time you order the car to the time it comes in.

It is not that they can't, it's that they don't want to.

terrain

Does the dealer have the car in question (the one for 20K under) on the floor or is it a car he has to dealer trade to get? I'm assuming the offer for 20K off is a 16.. if you custom order now is it fair to assume that you would be custom ordering a 17 - that alone will count for less discounting. It's 100% common that you will/can get a significantly better deal on a vehicle that is on the shelf vs one that has to be built/delivered. In speaking to several local dealers they are less inclined to custom order any S550 today since savvy S550 buyers are aware the LCI (face lift) is coming out next year.

hyperion667

oh yes.....I've configured 4 MB's and have gotten around 2K off.....that was the best I could do.......and it included the 500 off for being a MB club member too.....when they found out I had that it went from 2K to 1500, but was still 2K .....they're buggers

Speedriven1

There are incentives to the dealer to move what they own, obviously- but there is also "back end money" and other dealer cash incentives to push sales through that maybe wouldn't apply to "special" orders. (?)

Streamliner

I think a lot has to do with your history with the dealer. If you go back to the same place and are a good customer, all things being equal, you will get the same deal on an ordered car as on an in stock vehicle. I ordered my 2015 and got something like $13K off a $115K car. Also, I always negotiate the deal BEFORE I go down to pick up the car. Lots more leverage when you don't give them the home field advantage.

LovinMercedes

So true, and I've always gotten a good deal when I have done that.

When I didn't, that same dealer wanted a very different deal. Never again.

success

I just got my 2016 S550 custom ordered for about 14% off MSRP. Ordered it November 17,2015 and it just came last month, April 12, 2016.

e_dasani

I dont understand, you are stealing an S550 for 20K off, better get a contract written before dealership change their mind. A custom order, dealer has no incentive to give you a discount even close to that. To give you perspective, I got my 16 S550 MSRP 129k for 6K off.

MTrauman

Here is another perspective:






I ordered my '16 S550 4matic at the end of June 2015 and it was delivered in early September 2015. The MSRP was $137k. My discount negotiated at time of order placement was 10% or $13700 off.

hyperion667

you guys that get that much off must live in cities that sell them by the gross because I've never seen such a discount.......or maybe I'm just a sucker??

WEBSRFR

If you are buying a brand new custom car, why not go the European Delivery Program route? You get at least a 7% discount and you might be able to combine that with additional incentives.

Some dealer may or may not like to push this option but it is worth considering as the car comes with the incredible experience of combining the delivery with a vacation and some Autobahn time. If I buy a new Mercedes this is definitely the route I'd take.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/europ...livery_program

MTrauman

With Euro Delivery you cannot combine any additional incentives. You may be able to find a dealer to provide upto an additional 3% for a total of 10% but most dealers do not want to cut into their "piece of the pie" so they will stick to 7%. My '14 S550 4matic was Euro Delivery while my '16 S550 4matic was not Euro Delivery.

WEBSRFR

If you manage to get 10% that is still almost a $12K discount and you can apply that towards a 2017 model year car when discounts for those might be harder to come by with dealers.

Plus you get to combine the delivery with a vacation and the opportunity to try out the car on the Autobahn and that is worth something extra...

When you did the Euro Delivery did you sign up for a standard package? The Black Forest package sounds very tempting.

MTrauman

The Standard Package.


I could get atleast a 10% discount right now on a 2017 S Class. I did get a 10% discount when I ordered my 2016 S Class in June of 2015 delivered in September 2015 when the 2016 model first came out. The MSRP was $137k with a $13,700 discount custom ordered.

steveb9771

It seems like dealers should be able to offer better discounts on special orders since they avoid the expense of paying interest on the vehicle while it remains unsold on their lot. The dealer rate of return on their investment is extremely high for a special order since they do not have to tie up any capital costs.

MTrauman

The key here is they "should" be able to offer better discounts on special orders but if dealers can get people to believe they will not discount as much on special orders their profit margins are greater on the S Class for the entire year. They will discount to a great degree on special orders if the dealer has a compelling reason to do so. In my case, I have been purchasing S Class cars from my local dealer for over 20 years. So they are willing to discount on an order but I do negotiate abit to get this to happen.

MTrauman

Why did you have a 5 month turnaround from order date to delivery date? Was it a "custom" car similar to LovinMercedes custom order or an order from the "normal" menu of options?

hyperion667

the salesmen are sleeze......they care about no one except themselves.....but they do put on a good face to make you think you're a good person and special.......

pamiboy

The dealer usually is reluctant to custom order a car because the customer can still change his mind at the time of delivery and go with a different car / brand. So they may be stuck with a car that is less likely to sell quickly. Usually the dealer will tend to order a car which is most likely to sell in that geographic area.
The other negarive for custom ordering a car is that you have to wait a few months for delivery. There is no instant gratification. In case there is damage during shipment, that'll be another area of concern (another possibility of custom order and delay).