Here are some buying experience when people go for the benz cars, I collect some classic ones, maybe you can have a look.
I think MB dealers will stick to MSRP on the GL. It’s new and not a large supply. However when supply does catch up w/ demand they will have to deal. Lots of competition in this space.. Lexus, Caddy.. more.
Take a look at what MB dealers are paying for the GL and in general at MSRP they will be making almost 10 large on nicely equipped models.
The place to start negotiating. Takes into account the dealer incentives and holdbacks that may be in effect.
Dealer Invoice Price $51,832
Dealer Incentive (Subtract) See note. ( $0)
Dealer Holdback (Subtract) ( $1,647)
Reports Bottom Line Price
+add Dealer Invoice for packages/options $50,185
—–bymevande
The following is an internet quote which I just got so far. Please let me know is it a good deal? I live in Seattle,WA.
1. Instock - Silver with Black interior, sunroof package, power tailgate, add single screen rear DVD = $60544 - available now
2.Available at another dealer - Silver/black, add single screen rear DVD and shipping to Seattle = $59014 - available before the end of July
3. Special order - Black or White, Single screen DVD entertainment package - $57370 - September Delivery if ordered in the next 7 days, after that October delivery.
—–bybnguyen_22
The confusion you are experiencing is common since individual stories vary widely. The analogy in medicine is trying to extrapolate the validity of a single “case report” vs a double-blind, controlled study with a large sample size. I would suggest you read past posts regarding reliability of Mercedes (bearing in mind that people that do post are usually at either end of the bell shaped curve, i.e. people with “average” experiences are not strongly motivated to post).
With that caveat, my personal experience with Mercedes is mixed. I bought a 1986 420 SEL and it ran for 300K miles with little or no problems. I still have my 1991 500SL which is one of the best cars I have ever owned. In contrast I bought a 1993 190 2.6L and the fit & finish were poor.
Mercedes quality fell off about 10 years ago, and most people will agree that they have been fighting hard to re-establish their reputation for reliability. With that in mind I still bought the GL 450 because it is quiet, handles well, looks good, and can hold both my dogs. I cross my fingers on reliability, but hedged my bets by buying the 6 year, 100K mile warranty. I intend to keep it for a long time if it holds up like my first two Mercedes.
PS I have only owned ONE BMW, a 1998 740iL. However, with
that limited experience, I was terribly disappointed in
what was supposed to be their “flagship” car. I had
numerous problems with it and it didn’t help that the
dealer thought I was just “lucky to be a BMW person”.
Actually, I dumped the car and bought a Dodge Magnum
and have been happier with it than the BMW.
PPS I apologize to any loyal BMW fans out there before you
start writing in to disagree. That was just MY
experience(n=1).
—–bygls69
My husband agreed to take another long look at the GL320. We are going up to a different MB dealer in our area today and hope to strike a deal. I would sincerely appreciate an email with a fleet discount number from Vchad and/or anyone else who make have access to one.
With great thanks in advance,
LZR
email: LZRandall at gmail dot com
—-lzr
April 10th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
IZTNnX I’m not easily impressed. . . but that’s impressing me!