I'm in CA and was looking to order a 35t R-sport. Is it possible to negotiate a price below MSRP or are most folks here paying MSRP for cars you are ordering? My local dealer (only one dealer in this area) says I would need to pay MSRP.

Thanks.

 

I think MSRP is it for now but they were offering incentives which added up to around $1300 under MSRP if you pre-reserved. I don't think those offers are still available but you might be able to use that as leverage.

Also, there are rumors of a price increase coming up mid June which could seriously bump prices up (~$1000). If you do order one, make sure they'll match the price when you order, not when you take delivery.

The last time there were rumors like this (mid April) they were spot on...

 

I expect to pay full MSRP on mine. I think negotiating, especially for a V6 which is available only in limited numbers, is wishful thinking.
CRS.

 

Thanks for the info. That is helpful.

 

Having gone this route with my C-400 when it was released in 2014 dealers started selling below MSRP quickly...of course they'll take your money if your willing to pay MSRP...but they make no money on cars that are just sitting on the lot...

 

Thanks. I'm not in a big hurry, so I think I will wait at least until the Fall to make my final decision and order one. I think it may be hard for me to get one on the lot because I want a fairly stripped down version, the only option being the dynamic suspension.

 

Good move...I priced one yesterday at the dealership...and yeah it's a nice car but I can't seeing paying msrp for it...and if it goes like the MB it was only a matter of weeks before they were going below msrp...patience is a virtue!!

 

It helps that I truly am undecided. One my big reasons for wanting to change my current car is seat comfort. So I'm deciding between:

- Volvo S60 T6 AWD. Have not yet tried the 2016 because the dealer doesn't have any in stock, they usually have T5's. I have tried a used/CPO 2015 T6 and loved the seats, but it had a 6 cylinder engine/6 speed auto and the transmission was sluggish. The 2016's have a 4 cylinder turbo/8 speed auto.

- The Lexus IS200t. Still have to drive this one. Was very underwhelmed by the IS250 I tried before, but this has a more powerful engine and a better transmission (240 hp vs 200 hp and 8 speed vs 6 speed).

- The Jaguar XE 35t. Still need to see/drive a US-spec car.

Based on my drive of the Mexico-spec car a couple of weeks ago, I like the Jaguar the best in terms of combined seat comfort and driving. If the Lexus turns out to be acceptable, it might actually be the cheapest option, although Volvo sometimes has some very generous incentives especially since the S60 is about to be significantly refreshed in 2018, and the car is quite dated compared to the competition.

 

The issue with MB was that they started making the car in the USA so shipments came much quicker and models flooded dealerships. Normally, not that big a deal.

But when new owners quickly ran into a lot of issues (MB tex seats bleed glue when using seat heaters, car key fob randomly stops working, navigation display permanently freezing, etc) the word of mouth spread quickly and people stopped buying the car.

Hence why in the middle of 2016, some dealers still have 2015 cars on the lot (if they haven't already put them in the service fleet).

Yes, if you don't care about the quality concerns or that they are now made in USA - you could score a HUGE discount on a C-Class. When I test drove, a 2015 C400 (discontinued shortly for the C450 which is now discontinued for C43) they immediately opened with "I know my manager can get you at least 15% off sticker".

C400 was a lame car though, and C450 is FUN but not worth $62,000.

 

To OP:

I wouldn't get a volvo that is old as hell and about to be entirely replaced in 1-2 years. Even if its firesale pricing (which its not).

The Lexus might be cheapest monthly but remember that you will have to service it and that is not included. When my GF took her IS250 to the dealer for the first service it was quoted at $380 for service (thankfully when she purchased the car, lexus offered first 2 maintenance for free). This is LA pricing and YMMV on that $.

Also keep in mind that 2015 Lexus leases were so cheap because the whole brand was subsidized by toyota to make record sales. Those deals were also ONLY for a small selection. That is - you could get a 250FSport for $250 a month (like my GFs) IF A) you have top tier credit, B) Lexus FS was the financier, C) Lease was for 24 months. D) Lease was 7500 miles per year. If you do not meet all of those, the $250 pricing quickly jumps to $300 and beyond.

In 2016, those super high residuals that Lexus offered that made the leases so cheap are gone (I believe my gf has ~74% residual on her IS and the 200 is now in the 60%s).

A good resource for this is of course Club Lexus as those folks are serious penny pinchers and love to report their deals. Just want you to be aware of those facts.

As for price negotiating a Jaguar, you won't be able to negotiate on a custom order. The premise of custom order is you're agreeing to pay more for exactly the car that you want.

However, for the XE - wait a few months and keep your eyes out for Specials. Check if there is a Hornburg dealer by you as they have the best deals in California. Seriously - they took $10,000 off my XF to get the deal done. Best car deal I have ever made.

Another resource is a broker, I have used the same broker for all my cars and have always found his prices to be about 90% close to best you can do. Getting the very best possible pricing is usually a multi-week long affair, and its not worth it for us. To each their own!

 

What worked in the MB community was that folks also posted what they were paying and posted their spec sheets...this was helpful as I was able to use that to negotiate. By the time I priced out a C-300 it was only $3k less than a C-400 so I went with the C-400. I've heard about the MB tex seat bleed...luckily I have leather. Although when I ordered in 2014 dealerships had not yet received them yet. I really do like my MB but the XE has gotten my attention. It looks like about a 90 day wait to spec order one...so that's not bad. And you're right they only had the C-400 that one year...hence I've hardly seen any here in Vegas...pretty much mostly the C-300.

 

I'm considering Volvo only for the seats. I think there will be an all new S60 for 2018, 2017 will still be the old style. I want to try a US spec Jaguar XE R Sport. I do not find the regular XE seats acceptable, so in that instance Volvo wins even if it's old and boring.

Regarding negotiation for ordering. That may be the case with Jaguar, but it's certainly not true for BMW. I paid about as much for my special order as someone would if they bought off the lot (a few hundred over invoice).

Thanks for the tip about Hornburg.

 

I've had several volvos (including an s60R), and so has my missus (last one a V40T5CC AWD) and I've had a number of s60s as loaners over the years. Over the XE, I think that the s60 has slightly better seats. Prior to the XE I would have said that the volvo stereo was better, but the meridian is pretty awesome, I think that they are now on a par. The volvo interior is very pleasant and the electronic dash is good to use (though a little too similar to the mazda for my liking). A lot of what is standard in the XE comes as an option in the volvo, but then there is a fair price difference.

To drive, there is really no comparison. The FWD volvos still tend to understeer and torque steer, and the turning circle is terrible in both FWD and AWD. The ride is great on nice roads, but judders and is very noisy on sub par roads. They are a pleasant drive, but the XE is a truly great drive even on bad roads. My missus was always a volvo fan but she just loves the XE to drive so much and is the first to say how much better it is to drive than the volvos.

That said, if you were stuck in traffic in a daily commute, you might not know the difference. Or if you are sitting in the car on a motorway doing 60mph for hours at a time, the better seats in the volvo might tip the balance in its favour. The s60R was the only car I'd ever had that I could drive for 2 hours and get out of feeling better than I'd gotten in.

 

IMO C300 and C400 didn't have too much that differentiated them. You have to really stomp the gas in the 400 to feel the 6 cyl to work. When I drove them both - 300 was the better deal.

C450 is another level, and that car is a hoot. The fact that you can customize it with quilted designo nappa leather bucket seats is just BALLER. But while a 400 was ~57k well equipped, the C450 are ALL $62k. Get that designo interior and a few other goodies and you're at 70k+. Not worth it for a car with serious quality issues, built in America.

Im sure with C43 is even more expensive.

IMO you might be disappointed with the XE's interior if you're coming from the Merc. I suggest NOT getting the car with a black interior as having seen it in person its seriously drab.

Get either the latte or oyster, or get the R-Sport with the color inserts. And make sure to splurge that $350 for wood or aluminum trim to add pop.

Otherwise, XE will **** all over the Merc in terms of driving experience.

 

I agree the MB interior beats the XE...although not by much. I was surprised with how little room there is in the back of the XE. Again in purchasing my MB the $3k difference was a no-brainer...features which were optional in the 300 were standard in the 400. Having said that I did drive the R-Sport...although I'm not a fan of the two tone seats you get in the sport model...and I won't get a black interior. So I'm undecided between the R-Sport or the Prestige...and honestly it comes down to the seat colors...you can't get the latte color in the R-sport...and I really do like that color for the seats. I also like the wood trim...very similar to what I have now in my Merc. It's only a matter of time before I pull the trigger but until then I'll keep checking in here to see what folks are talking about...

 

It's not just the color, the actual seats (bolstering & headrests) are different in R sport, much more supportive. I agree the two-tone is a bit weird.

 

XE R sport seats don't qualify?

 

I havent taken it for a 2 hour trip so I cant say! They are pretty good, though. More comfy than either of my XFs, for sure. They feel sublime after I have been driving the f type, or my daughter's MiTo for that matter, and they hold you nicely in twisty roads.

 

What are you waiting for? We're all eager to see your report!