Okay, so I'm new here and trying to get some perspective. I've kind of fallen in love with the 2022 in Rubellite. However, there are none at dealerships in the Twin Cities. The closest available is in Kansas City.
1) The dealer there is quoting me $10K above MSRP--making a big deal of how there were only about 40-45 of these that came to the USA. Is this at all legitimate or are they just trying to squeeze $$$ from an out-of-state buyer?
2) What has people's experience been with buying from out-of-state in terms of logistics? (e.g. transport to destination, titling/license plates and so forth).
3) If you own this one, are you finding the light colored steering wheel to be a problem? I'm having thoughts of needing to wear driving gloves in the summer time to keep from ruining things.

Thanks for any thoughts on the above.

 

One thought I have in "out of state" sales is whether your state's lemon law will apply, or will the law of the state from which you bought the car. The next question is whether the law that does apply is "better" than the lemon law that does not apply.

I'm a California lawyer. In California our very protective lemon law only applies if the vehicle was bought in the state. If it was bought out of state and imported here (or licensed elsewhere and serviced here), California's lemon law will not apply. The remedies for out of state purchasers may be significantly worse.

When I purchased my 2018 coupe and my 2020 roadster, I made sure to do so from California dealers. These vehicles are complicated. If there was a lemon law problem, I wanted it covered under California law.

I understand California is not in the mix for you, but it sounds like at least two states are. That being the case, I'd like to know what I am getting or giving up (other than the additional profit the dealer is demanding) by buying out of state.

 

I appreciate your legal perspective on this--differences in state lemon laws were not something I had considered! Have to do a bit of research on that.

 

I found mine at my local MB dealer in Miami. I had been trying for a year to order a 2022 E53 Cabriolet in Rubellite with a similar interior but they simply weren't getting allocations so when they had the Special Rubellite Edition arrive in the GT53 and they offered it to me, I was smitten and immediately told them I want the car. My salesman was apologetic because their dealership normally never adds an extra markup but desperate times call for desperate measures. I asked what they were asking, assuming they'd want $10K but it turned out they'd done a ceramic coating on the paint and added a clear bra and for these extras I needed to pay $4700 but since I was getting some value for the money, I accepted that premium since I wanted the car and felt that paying for overpriced paint protection was better than simply paying extra profit just because they can demand it.

As for out-of-state purchases, I've done quite a few and have never had a problem. In my almost 60 years of driving have never needed to resort to the Lemon Law but YMMV.

So far, the steering wheel hasn't shown any dirt or discoloration. I don't see that as any more of a problem than the light colored seats getting dirty. My last car, a 2018 C63S Cabriolet Ocean Blue Special Edition had a similar interior and after more than 3 years of ownership my seats still looked nice with very little maintenance.

I'm in love with this car! Besides being drop dead gorgeous, I love the handling. Whereas I'd lose my nerve accelerating in sweeping turns of entrance ramps to the expressway in my C63, the GT53 does it with confidence-inspiring aplomb and ease. I've only owned my car for about 6 weeks so it's too new for me to give more feedback yet.

Good luck in your hunt!

 

Hi Jeff--Thanks for sharing your photos and your ownership experience so far--the rubellite looks gorgeous in the Florida sun! It's especially reassuring to hear your enthrusiasm about this car, since I did take the plunge and order from a dealership in North Carolina. Fortunately I did have a chance to test drive (non special edition) locally, which helped a lot--agree on the great handling--although my husband would probably say I don't need any further encouragement to drive faster! Anyhow, I'm now waiting impatiently for the transport truck to show up in the next week or two so I can get out on the road!