Benz-O-Rama

My local dealer is listing a 2006 R500 for 45,250.00. MSRP is 59,250.00

It's not optioned that well, but still, 14K off MSRP. Wowzer! And that's the listing pre-negotiated price. Is this what everyone else is seeing?

I'm considering picking up a very well appointed 2006 R350 (MSRP 61K and change) He's qouting me 48K over the phone without really even negotiating.

Man, I'd be pissed if I bought one of these when they first came out.

pureautomobile

Where are you located? I am in Los Angeles and locally, 13k off MSRP is flying everywhere. The more desired (with lots of options) are discounted heavily. It's all about how much of the 5.5% hold back they are willing to give you to sell cars. Today will be a crazy day for most dealers as they have been advertising that the incentive will not get better, and the residual will be lower and the MF wil go up in 9/06. We shall see. I recently took delivery of R350 @ $63,915 MSRP and purchase price of $50,523. I also negotiated a R500 and the salesperson quoted me 4.5% behind their holdback, about 14k off MSRP. If it weren't for the additional $1800 premium over the R350 with less options than the R350 that I took delivery, I would've jumped on the R500. Last day today!

mikeR500

At which LA dealerships have you found the best discounts?

Benz-O-Rama

I live in the DC Metro area. The dealer I'm talking about is Euro Motorcars - Germantown. It's right on their home page.

pureautomobile

Best in $ would have been Fletcher Jones on 8/31/06. The sales manager was willing to sell any R class with 11% off MSRP +$7000 off. This would have been right at or below 5.5% holdback. Of course, they had over 70 R's when I visited.them. If you are in Orange County, it would've been foolish not to buy from them. But I live too far from their dealership.

Downtown LA has been known for their low prices and they came very close to Fletcher for me. Obviously DTLA's dealership does not have the same ambiance as Fletcher, and Fletcher will wash your car once a week for the life of your car.

Southbay was also very willing to go at 4.5% into holdback.

mikeR500

Thank you for providing the information regarding the deals in L.A. and Orange County. Forums such as this one really serve to level the playing field between the dealer and the consumer! Best regards!!

lrrp

How far do you live from Newport Pure? that you couldnt buy from them?

pureautomobile

Far enough that this is the first time I heard of Newport "Pure"!

lrrp

Newport is where Fletcher Jones are Pure

hawk20

I knew when I first sat in the R class that it would be a flop and it really has been not just in US but bombed over here as well. Not helped of course by the new Chairman, Dr Z, saying the R class was the kind of direction Mercedes should not be going in.

But the real problem is poor design. The front is cramped. Less legroom than any other Mercedes. A lot less than the little A class my brother owns. And when you raise the front seat, it stupidly goes forward, reducing the legroom still further. So I cannot get comfortable in the front. Then with the front seat fully back, there is little legroom for the long legged in the middle row. All this to get one extra seat. Far better if it had been a big estate with room in front and a bench seat behind, followed by a big boot instead of the puny boot space it now has. See the Thread R class is Cramped to see I am not alone in finding these problems.

And the trouble with buying a car they are trying to almost give away with no profit, is that the residuals are going to be awful 3 years old and beyond. And what harm this design mistake is going to do to the Merc image. Great shame. I waited for it expecting to like it. Bought a nearly new S instead.

vivaki

I heard the R class will be available with 7 seats next year...

Scotsman

Think so? I thought there was plenty of room in the front and it was a lot more comfortable in the middle than the rear of the ML. And that was the SWB. Only thing I would have liked is for the rear seats to slide forward to give my dog space but guess it wouldn't be cost-effective.

I'm getting a pretty good deal so maybe they're not selling too well here but I'm still having a 5 month wait for delivery so there must be a demand somewhere!

gangrun

The R is anything but cramped. It has more legroom in both 1 and 2 row(havent gone in the 3 row yet) than any other crossover around.

gangrun

Hawk, you must have sat in the short wheelbase version i presume? That is why it has less room