R-Class Leasing deal £319/month+VAT

[S-Express]

Looks like Mercedes are having trouble shifting the R-Class and have started shoving them out via leasing companies. Only £375/month inc VAT from here:-

http://www.citycontracts.co.uk/specialspage.htm


It's not really my cup of tea, but if I needed a car of this size it has to be a bit of a bargain.

 

[Will]

Looks like incredible value - who's getting one!?!

Will

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Wow.

That's incredible value!! So tempted...

 

[richard]

Rumours are that theres a 7 seat version due very shortly - which would be much more useful

R

 

[Robbo]

They must be having trouble shifting them, on www.drivethedeal.com you can buy an R500SE for £35162. Thats a massive £14872 off list price!!!

 

[Brett]

They must be having trouble shifting them, on www.drivethedeal.com you can buy an R500SE for £35162. Thats a massive £14872 off list price!!!

Cheap as chips! Could be tempted at that leasing price especially as it is only a two year deal...

 

[nickg]

crazy that an M280cdi is about £200 a month more than an R320cdi - shows how wedded we are to SUVs in this country (or how ugly and ridiculously big the R class is for this market).

 

[Brett]

Spoke to them today - £319 (business) £375 (private) gets you flat black base model R320CDI with no options. SE or Sport with parktronic, COMAND and phone comes in at £430-£450 for business hire.

Plenty of availability...

 

[Brett]

£8.5k off a R320CDI Sport Auto on Drive the deal...residuals are going to be a nightmare on this car by the look of it!

 

[Rory]

£8.5k off a R320CDI Sport Auto on Drive the deal...residuals are going to be a nightmare on this car by the look of it!

They have sold so few that I wonder if residuals might actually end being quite reasonable?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

They have sold so few that I wonder if residuals might actually end being quite reasonable?

That's my thinking too. Although there aren't many people looking to spend £40k+ on one, I suspect there are a whole heap who'd have one when they approach half that price - cheap way into a relatively new MB.

I reckon the used values may slide at a gentler rate from year 3 than say the equaivalent ML which will gave held more value in first year.

 

[Tilly]

Yep we were doing these from about 350 + vat but we're struggling to find standard cars now. Most have COMAND and other bits and bobs that're pushing the price up but very good rental to OTR cost ratio. The reason the discounts are out there is because merc cannot shift them, noone wants them and the residuals are set to be shite. The best route to go at the moment is BMW. Large discounts on mercs are not un-common and it reflects on residuals but we have a dealer giving large amounts off BMW's, okay they're not as much as the 12k+ merc are offering on the R class but it will not impact the residuals because its is not well known. This dealership will more than like have its BMW franchise removed at new year

 

[Brett]

Tilly, you have PM

 

[Satch]

If you are not sure exactly what the estate car/off-roader/MPV crossover R-Class is for, you are in good company.

Mercedes Chief Executive, Dieter Zetsche, has said the company needs time to "educate the market" about the new car. The company line is that once people understand it, they will buy it. Maybe - but customers are usually pretty clear about what type of car they want to buy and if they don't like the R-Class, it is unlikely they are too dim to understand it. The usual model is that the seller tries to understand the buyer - not the other way around.

In the UK, the R-Class has sold less than 500 units so far this year - once you take out demonstrator vehicles, that does not leave many actual buyers. Apparently buyers in other big markets are equally lukewarm

Reuters
Tue 3 Oct, 2006, 16:21

 

[Robbo]

Lets face it MB have cocked up with the R class. Its not a car that the buying public actually wants. Could the R class be mercedes version of the Renault Vel Satis??

 

[Brett]

:bannana:

Lets face it MB have cocked up with the R class. Its not a car that the buying public actually wants. Could the R class be mercedes version of the Renault Vel Satis??

Which bears out some of the comments above - they hold their value well now as a used car because so few of them were sold.

 

[C240Sport97]

but bear in mind they also ceased production of the Vel Satis which may help its 'novelty' factor

:bannana:

Which bears out some of the comments above - they hold their value well now as a used car because so few of them were sold.

 

[Brett]

but bear in mind they also ceased production of the Vel Satis which may help its 'novelty' factor

Not long for the R Class if it doesn't sell...

 

[richard]

Lets face it MB have cocked up with the R class. Its not a car that the buying public actually wants. Could the R class be mercedes version of the Renault Vel Satis??

I think they have cocked up with the ML and the GL as-well as the R.

We need an occasional 7 seater, my wife wants a higher-up car - it encourages her to look further up the road. By occasionaly I mean 6 seats once/twice a week and 7 once/twice a month. 5 seats every day (car-share on the school run)

We have a W163 ML with the optional rear seats. We want a new car, what do we do.

The GL is huge and ridiculous money (mad money) for a car that will be covered in crud by the kids.
The ML won't work - 5 seats
The R won't work. - 6 seats, but if you use the 5th seat (like we do all the time) the 5th passenger gets clobered with the push-chair when car goes round a corner

There is a backlash growing (mainly for illogical/incomplete reasons if you ask me) over the "traditional' 4WD vehicles - so thats a double negative against the GL.

So, currently MB must be missing out big time on the 7 seat market.

I really hope they put 7 seats in the R class and the ML

My view is the GL will be very cheap to lease in a year. I've only seen 2 on the road in the UK so far - and I live in '4x4 mum-ville'

At the moment we're considering a voyager or such like - at least its a bucket load cheaper, but i'll be sad to switch one of the cars from Mercedes to something else. The rumours of a 7 seat R is making me hold my breath though.


R

 

[BenzComander]

Agree Richard, we are looking for seating for 6 with luggage space but Mercedes cant provide a cost effective new vehicle.

Had a look at a Mazda 5 the other day.................