What do you want to know?

[JBD]

Compared to when?

Truth is that the rot set in at least ten year ago; Mercedes is not a premium marque anymore - it’s executive- it was once a peer of Bentley and Rolls Royce and now it’s a competitor of Audi (anyone that knows the history of Mercedes-Benz would find this a tragedy).

They do now sell (lease) a massive amount of cars compared to that ten year ago, it’s justbthe way the market has gone - some stay high like RR, others go low like Mercedes.

I’ve got no doubt Mercedes margins are exponentially higher than they were in the 90’s but the glamour of owning one lost its lustre long ago (in the 90’s even maybe!)

Maybe the real issue there is that MB use the same badge on every car. RR, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche etc are all extensions of VAG and BMW. MB are clearly branching out as much as those other brands, but all under one roof and behind one badge.

I completely understand that someone who drives a car at the more expensive end of the range might not like an A Class sharing its badge, but we all know a Bentayga is still a Q7 [emoji23]


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[wivenhoe]

I wouldn’t have a car without privacy in the back. No privacy glass makes me think E Class SE


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I have privacy glass on my E Class SE so your jibe doesn’t strictly apply to me. I went SE rather than have fake leather and lose 50% of the tax saving due to 1” larger wheels. You seem to classify E Class SE’s to be only for (as you said in another post) middle aged men. As a Mercedes salesman which would your sales manager prefer you sold - a base A Class with privacy or a fully optioned E Class SE fully optioned with a list price double the A Class ?

 

[JBD]

I have privacy glass on my E Class SE so your jibe doesn’t strictly apply to me. I went SE rather than have fake leather and lose 50% of the tax saving due to 1” larger wheels. You seem to classify E Class SE’s to be only for (as you said in another post) middle aged men. As a Mercedes salesman which would your sales manager prefer you sold - a base A Class with privacy or a fully optioned E Class SE fully optioned with a list price double the A Class ?

I’m perfectly happy selling any model in our range as long as it’s what that individual wants. I absolutely love how diverse our range is and I really do think it makes MB unique, as i explained in my previous post. The E Class SE joke was simply that, a joke. I was merely defending MB’s choice to branch out beyond its stereotypical demographic


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[moodi]

Question - is there a discount on genuine parts for forum members?

 

[BTB 500]

Maybe the real issue there is that MB use the same badge on every car. RR, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche etc are all extensions of VAG and BMW. MB are clearly branching out as much as those other brands, but all under one roof and behind one badge.

Of course MB did have Maybach as a separate brand until a few years back.

 

[JBD]

Of course MB did have Maybach as a separate brand until a few years back.

They did indeed, but I do like the direction it’s going in now. I think we will see some big changes got Maybach in the next couple of years, which is long overdue


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[Deleted member 37751]

but we all know a Bentayga is still a Q7 [emoji23]

I tried that with a business associate - “it’s basically a Tourag” was my witty line to which he replied “what colour is your Bentley then?”

I didn’t reply...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Of course MB did have Maybach as a separate brand until a few years back.

For whatever reason, I don’t think Mercedes are interested in buying other car manufacturers (Aston Martin would have been a great buy a few year ago) to give themselves some artistic license - they’re happy diluting their own car models to achieve their aims, the only problem with that is the myriad of models now on offer from the A-Class to the GT is mind boggling.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Compared to when?

Truth is that the rot set in at least ten year ago; Mercedes is not a premium marque anymore - it’s executive- it was once a peer of Bentley and Rolls Royce and now it’s a competitor of Audi (anyone that knows the history of Mercedes-Benz would find this a tragedy).

They do now sell (lease) a massive amount of cars compared to that ten year ago, it’s justbthe way the market has gone - some stay high like RR, others go low like Mercedes.

I’ve got no doubt Mercedes margins are exponentially higher than they were in the 90’s but the glamour of owning one lost its lustre long ago (in the 90’s even maybe!)

It bothers me (mildly) that MB want it both ways.

It's clear that they wish to expand into more markets and a big facilitator for this has been finance deals which open up ownership to all but the homeless yet the snootiness prevails which is evident in the post above regarding SE spec E classes.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It bothers me (mildly) that MB want it both ways.

It's clear that they wish to expand into more markets and a big facilitator for this has been finance deals which open up ownership to all but the homeless yet the snootiness prevails which is evident in the post above regarding SE spec E classes.

It goes back to my earlier statement about Mercedes not diversifying their interests to include a “lesser” or “higher” brand - think Bentley > Audi > VW.

Having said that, they have made a mess of Maybach in the past so maybe they thought better of it!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

It goes back to my earlier statement about Mercedes not diversifying their interests to include a “lesser” or “higher” brand - think Bentley > Audi > VW.

Having said that, they have made a mess of Maybach in the past so maybe they thought better of it!

I'd be interested in a 3 year old Skoda based on a Bentayga, big, comfy and cheap. Put my name down.

 

[John]

Did Maybach have a big enough clout as a brand by itself to carry off the premium product idea...

Bentley and Rolls obviously did.

Or is it more to do with how Mercedes, BMW and VW handled them respectively...

 

[jdrrco]

Don't worry what anyone else thinks about your choices. Make a choice and enjoy it. I think the sad thing with cars these days is that people are so swayed by what others might think or by claims of what might affect residual values that they all end up in grey, black or silver cars with dull black interiors. When I saw my CLS, the first thing that caught my eye (because it was a photo) was the fact that it was red with a beige interior. The 4.7l tt V8 was a bonus!

I think your A looks great in that blue, but you shouldn't care about that! Just get what you want!

 

[C240Sport97]

Is smartphone integration for GLC included in the premium plus pack with COMAND?

The standalone smartphone integration option is only selectable if premium plus package is removed?

 

[JBD]

Is smartphone integration for GLC included in the premium plus pack with COMAND?

The standalone smartphone integration option is only selectable if premium plus package is removed?

It’s only available with the standard system, so with no packs or just premium. It isn’t compatible from the factory with that version of NTG. You can buy a stick to go in the OBD port of eBay to install it though


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[SW18]

I'd be interested in a 3 year old Skoda based on a Bentayga, big, comfy and cheap. Put my name down.

The Kodiaq...? Or is that technically a size smaller, more in line with the Tiguan/Q5/Macao?

Anyway, Skoda are supposed to be offering a Kodiaq vRS and maybe a L&K model, which will be sure to depreciate like a concrete balloon.

 

[jdrrco]

Hi James, not your department I know, but surely someone at MB needs to know about this...
Unpleasant surprise

 

[JBD]

Hi James, not your department I know, but surely someone at MB needs to know about this...
Unpleasant surprise

I’m sure they already know...

When he reports it to the dealership and it goes in, it’ll automatically be reported as part of the warranty claim process. I’ve seen that happen on an SLK and it wasn’t a difficult fix, but part availability my cause a delay.

It sounds like his gripe is with the dealership specifically, so maybe needs to speak to MBUK if he’s not happy


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[bpsorrel]

I’m sure they already know...

When he reports it to the dealership and it goes in, it’ll automatically be reported as part of the warranty claim process. I’ve seen that happen on an SLK and it wasn’t a difficult fix, but part availability my cause a delay.

It sounds like his gripe is with the dealership specifically, so maybe needs to speak to MBUK if he’s not happy


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Yeah, my gripe is the off hand attitude and lack of any kind of caring by the dealership itself (on the service side, although sales at MK are not a lot better). Got better after complaining to the service manager who verbally confirmed that nothing (including storing the car for a month if they miss my deadline) would be chargeable.
With any luck they'll be starting the fix today as the parts arrived friday.....

Having worked at dealerships as an employee or more lately a contractor, I'm fully aware that a dealer is only as good as it's staff having seen marked contrasts from one dealer to another within a group. But, my experience at Lexus both as a customer and working at a few Lexus dealers within a group, the management keep a close watch on the behaviour and quality of the staff.

Do MB not do this?

 

[JBD]

Yeah, my gripe is the off hand attitude and lack of any kind of caring by the dealership itself (on the service side, although sales at MK are not a lot better). Got better after complaining to the service manager who verbally confirmed that nothing (including storing the car for a month if they miss my deadline) would be chargeable.
With any luck they'll be starting the fix today as the parts arrived friday.....

Having worked at dealerships as an employee or more lately a contractor, I'm fully aware that a dealer is only as good as it's staff having seen marked contrasts from one dealer to another within a group. But, my experience at Lexus both as a customer and working at a few Lexus dealers within a group, the management keep a close watch on the behaviour and quality of the staff.

Do MB not do this?

Of course they do and should. I do often Lexus user as an example of a brand with high customer service levels, but I’m not convinced it’s particularly fair with their low volume


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