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Originally Posted by chassis
MB globally sells annually more than 1m A* and C* ICE and EV vehicles. The US is an anomaly in the global small car/small SUV market.
For MB these cheap econoboxes are big business.
If memory serves the A Class will go away completely at the end of the current chassis run. C Class, and GLC are the real volume leaders and will continue. Electric C Class is coming in 3 yeras.
MB globally sells annually more than 1m A* and C* ICE and EV vehicles. The US is an anomaly in the global small car/small SUV market.
For MB these cheap econoboxes are big business.
You have to look at these inexpensive cars as what they are, the fuel that lets Mercedes and BMW etc build cars we want to buy. Be happy that they still ALSO build great cars, I came from the Lexus world and they just started making crappy inexpensive cars and totally abandoned high end cars.
You have to look at these inexpensive cars as what they are, the fuel that lets Mercedes and BMW etc build cars we want to buy. Be happy that they still ALSO build great cars, I came from the Lexus world and they just started making crappy inexpensive cars and totally abandoned high end cars.
And not only Lexus, I've had all the A8's ,and some S8's, ( D1, D2, D3 and D4) generations until they came with the latest D5, everything interior related is way bellow what used to be.....cost (and quality) reduction !
If memory serves the A Class will go away completely at the end of the current chassis run. C Class, and GLC are the real volume leaders and will continue. Electric C Class is coming in 3 yeras.
Look globally, beyond the non-market for small cars that is the US. A* isn’t going anywhere.
So @Streamliner , I have my car in for service and I have an A220 loaner. Only loaner they had. I walk up to it and the guy says "The A Class doesn't have power seats, it has manual seats like when we were kids" and describes to me how they work. I literally laughed out loud.
So i will concede that its not right for them to take my S Class and give me this little car with manual seats to drive, especially when they will likely have the car all weekend and several days next week (its in for a warranty issue). If he calls me today and tells me its not going to be ready I am going to request a better loaner.
My dad has had different Rolls Royces for several years. His loaners are always 7 series' and S classes. I think that's totally acceptable. But An S to an A is few steps down. A slap in the face lol.
I also love how they can keep my car for multiple days without looking at it, yet I'm supposed to drop everything and rush their loaner back to them when they say its done.
I also love how they can keep my car for multiple days without looking at it, yet I'm supposed to drop everything and rush their loaner back to them when they say its done.
I took the A220 back and got a GLC300, its like a Rolls Royce compared to the A Class. Seriously, the only customers who should get A/GLA/GLB loaners are A/GLA/GLB customers...this little GLC300 is more than reasonable for a loaner.
A-Class is not that bad, especially when the car is loaded with options. It is 'terrible', of course, when one compares it to an S-Class (or when someone is spoiled by an S-Class). The 2 models are just too far apart price-wise and class-wise. Personally, I find the A-Class quite OK in its own category.
However, when a dealer gives an S-Class customer an A-Class loaner, ''is this a good practice?'' is the question to ask. Maybe a C-Class is more 'appropriate'?
Personally, I do not mind at all. A few days' experience of daily driving is something that does not come to me easily. I mean, other than having an A-Class loaner, I hardly would have the chance to drive an A-Class. You know, sometimes, when you have steaks and lobsters...etc every single meal 365 days a year, it is good to have a burger once in a while. :-D
A-Class is not that bad, especially when the car is loaded with options. It is 'terrible', of course, when one compares it to an S-Class (or when someone is spoiled by an S-Class). The 2 models are just too far apart price-wise and class-wise. Personally, I find the A-Class quite OK in its own category.
However, when a dealer gives an S-Class customer an A-Class loaner, ''is this a good practice?'' is the question to ask. Maybe a C-Class is more 'appropriate'?
Personally, I do not mind at all. A few days' experience of daily driving is something that does not come to me easily. I mean, other than having an A-Class loaner, I hardly would have the chance to drive an A-Class. You know, sometimes, when you have steaks and lobsters...etc every single meal 365 days a year, it is good to have a burger once in a while. :-D
Normally I agree with you, but that A Class was just not something I ever need to experience lol. Its like having microwave chicken nuggets...nobody *wants* microwave chicken nuggets, at least not if you're older than 12. I'm perfectly happy in this GLC, and would have been in a C Class, E Class, etc.
These FWD Mercedes vehicles are just terrible IMO, they shouldn't be Mercedes vehicles. That goes for the A, GLA and GLB. They are uncomfortable, coarse and rough, loud, better compared to a Corolla than to anything luxurious. That one had an MSRP of $46,000...thats just insane...why anybody would buy that over a Lexus ES is beyond me. The ES is twice the size and twice as nice.
Thats why all 3 of those models I mentioned are on this list of "least satisfying cars"
That one had an MSRP of $46,000...thats just insane...
That's really the crux of it. It's a perfectly fine car next to a Corolla as you say, but not at the price point. For that kind of money there are nicer Japanese cars. I've never gotten an A Class loaner. The lowest was a CLA 250 4Matic. That car has power seats at least and as 4Matic drove better. The coupes, and I'm using that term broadly as MB does to include the "4-door coupes", are always more upmarket than their sedan counterpart.
That's really the crux of it. It's a perfectly fine car next to a Corolla as you say, but not at the price point. For that kind of money there are nicer Japanese cars. I've never gotten an A Class loaner. The lowest was a CLA 250 4Matic. That car has power seats at least and as 4Matic drove better. The coupes, and I'm using that term broadly as MB does to include the "4-door coupes", are always more upmarket than their sedan counterpart.
If that A Class were $25,000...it would be fine. I drove a rental Kia K5 for a week last year in Alabama, it was so heads and shoulders a better car than that A220 I had today its not even funny. CLA isn't much better, I've had them too...
To me this GLC I have right now is the lowest level vehicle they make that deserves to be a Mercedes...
Reasonable; that's the key. I don't think a GLC or C class is unreasonable to give, or to ask for, in respect to a loaner for an S Class owner.
As far as the policies on returns, that Doesn't necessarily reflect the dealers alone; let's face it, some owners are Richards. It isn't hard for me to imagine an owner deciding to make that cross state trip to visit to relatives while in the loaner to save miles on their own car; as an example. You guys are mostly older, or at least old enough, you know what I'm talking about.
My issue is, you are paying a huge premium to service your car at Mercedes. $210 an hour at my dealer. The point of a loaner is to not be inconvenienced in your daily life while your car is being serviced. If I need to travel 300 miles, and my car is in for service, then I need to travel 300 miles. It’s just cheap on their part, IMO. Especially if they are going to keep my car for multiple days without even looking at it…I had an appointment for today and dropped it off at 8AM and they never looked at it, so now I’m without it for the weekend. What it I had a little trip planned for the weekend?! Or early next week?
Thats a good point which I agree with, that I'll get back to in a minute. What I'm saying still holds true; these kinds of things are often a reaction to what has transpired during the process of providing the service. I see it with my rentals, you absolutely would not believe what some people will do until you've seen it. Once you have seen it you immediately understand how these policies get put in place.
As to your point: I was last in for a software update which was finished at 5 PM on a Friday. I told him I had already busted into the evening's Prosecco and wanted to bring the car back in the morning. They had no problem with it. I've done much the same many times because I used to have a house on an island north of Seattle which was a couple hour drive and a ferry to get to the dealership. I've never had them not work with me on returning a loaner. I'm not talking big accommodations, reasonable asks, and they always worked with me.
I honestly think if you knew you had a weekend trip and told them that if your car wasn't ready you would need to take the loaner, they would give you the go ahead.
Yeah, there's got to be a history to this policy. Out of curiosity I just checked my most recent loaner agreement. Return is within 12 hours of service completion unless otherwise authorized in writing, but I never had any issues if the service was completed and I picked it up the next morning. Just texted the SA what time I will pick it up, and the mileage limit is 100 miles per day. But as said above, usually as long as you get authorization for anything outside the standard policy there shouldn't be an issue. I've done road trips with loaner cars in the past, because service took longer than expected. A loaner agreement is essentially a rental agreement. Even rental cars come with restrictions. If you are renting a higher end vehicle, they also may come with a mileage limit and beyond that you have to pay extra. While they may have to keep your car for several days and due to their workload may not get to it the day you drop it off, they are not using it to drive around, so it's a bit different and in exchange you get a free rental that you are allowed to use within reason, and anything beyond that needs authorization.
I also love how they can keep my car for multiple days without looking at it, yet I'm supposed to drop everything and rush their loaner back to them when they say its done.
Who is that Dealer so I can avoid it when I'm in Maryland...
My issue is, you are paying a huge premium to service your car at Mercedes. $210 an hour at my dealer. The point of a loaner is to not be inconvenienced in your daily life while your car is being serviced. If I need to travel 300 miles, and my car is in for service, then I need to travel 300 miles. It’s just cheap on their part, IMO. Especially if they are going to keep my car for multiple days without even looking at it…I had an appointment for today and dropped it off at 8AM and they never looked at it, so now I’m without it for the weekend. What it I had a little trip planned for the weekend?! Or early next week?
Anyone else find that hourly price ridiculous? Typical attorneys and consultants don’t get billed out at that rate. I don’t know the pay structure at dealerships, but someone told me that the service advisors get paid based on the the gross repair dollars they settle. I have no idea if that is valid.
I can appreciate overhead, but these prices are a racket, and dealerships likely make more money from their service departments than selling cars.
Anyone else find that hourly price ridiculous? Typical attorneys and consultants don’t get billed out at that rate. I don’t know the pay structure at dealerships, but someone told me that the service advisors get paid based on the the gross repair dollars they settle. I have no idea if that is valid.
I can appreciate overhead, but these prices are a racket, and dealerships likely make more money from their service departments than selling cars.
You must not work with lawyers and consultants often. $210/hr is the entry level Associate attorney rate. Partner bills more than that, if you are working with a lawyer who knows what he/she is doing. Same comment for top tier consultants.
$2-handle shop rate for MB and Porsche is what it is - the going rate. Complain all you want; you can either pay it, go to an Indy or DIY.
02-24-2023, 11:17 AM
