Merc sales in decline?

[johnmc]

Hi,
I read an article on my last trip that Merc sales are 9% lower today in the UK than in
2005. Blame was firmly on the quality problems. Given that their competitors grew by more than this, it puts Merc in a pretty bad position. I don't believe that the situation is any better elsewhere. One of my US colleagues took his new model M-Class in for a service, walked out with a bill for $2,000, most of it for faults out of warranty. He queried why, and the service manager said "if you want quality don't buy German, buy Japanese". Ooops! Who does he work for?

I have to say I'm still not happy with Merc's direction. I had a new C-Class on hire in Germany recently, drove from Nuernberg to Nijmagen. It was a C320CDI, super car to drive and hit 160mph on the unrestricted section (fun but insane), but a lot of the plastics were thin and hard. I found it tough to tell the build quality apart from the new Mondeo that I drove the day before. In many ways the Mondeo was nicer (just didn't have the top notch 320CDI motor). I'm beggining to wonder if the differentiation between the prestige and other cars is vanishing, at least in the base models and general build quality.

Any thoughts from anyone? Merc's are a nice drive, but is there enough of a difference today?

John

 

[verytalldave]

There is in my 2004 W203. Was in a new Mondeo last week and while I admit was a nice car, I wouldnt have swapped.

 

[aliddle]

Can't say that my brush with MB has been good. I purchased an A160 for my wife thinking that she deserved it after 20 years of marriage..... We gave up with MB last month after 4 very expensive years and I have bought her a nice Toyota Corolla......

Even the drop in resale value of MB is steeper than most other vehicles - at least in the base models.

 

[jberks]

I had wondered, but then I went for a motorway trip in a friends mondeo. Ok I am comparing to my E but never the less, it simply didn't have that 'feel' of solidity or quality that the merc does. Sound proofing, ride, presence, i could go on. All differences relatively small but together, it just wasn't as good. That said, given I could have had 2 1/2 mondeos for my merc the difference also wasn't as wide as it should have been.

I accept that the E doesn't quite have the feel of the previous models and certainly not of the 124 but it's still a cut above the opposition.

I did wonder about the 204 though. Sitting in one in the showroom I began to wonder (I gauge C's against my 1995 202 and it wasn't a patch on that) but without driving it I have to reserve overall judgement.

It doesn't just apply to merc either. I took out a 320d a few months back - I used to love the old 3 series but this wasn't there. Ergonomically, a strength in 1980's BMs, it was appalling. Everything controlled from a nondescript bank of buttons on the radio, almost impossible to figure out.

 

[littlebrooklyn]

There is in my 2004 W203. Was in a new Mondeo last week and while I admit was a nice car, I wouldnt have swapped.

You can pay nearly as much for a Mondeo as a Mercedes, at least that is what I found when I searched for both online today. There is no way however that a Ford is ever going to look as classy as a Mercedes. We just went back to a Mercedes today after having a Golf for the last 2yrs and I have to say the Mercedes is so stunning to look at

 

[jubhi]

Mercedes cars themselves are nice, it is the after sales service that I don't like.

 

[Rory]

Mercedes cars themselves are nice, it is the after sales service that I don't like.

You hear that about every manufacturer though, apart from Lexus.

What is particularly frustrating with MB, is that the dealers seem clueless about very basic things, like how ASSYST works, and which oil is required.

I asked my dealer service manager why my car didn't need an ATF change and he said he didn't know and that there would be no chance of getting to somebody in Mercedes who could provide a satisfactory explanation. He gave up before he even started.

 

[jubhi]

You hear that about every manufacturer though, apart from Lexus.

What is particularly frustrating with MB, is that the dealers seem clueless about very basic things, like how ASSYST works, and which oil is required.

I asked my dealer service manager why my car didn't need an ATF change and he said he didn't know and that there would be no chance of getting to somebody in Mercedes who could provide a satisfactory explanation. He gave up before he even started.

I agree totally. They are clueless. If you ask to speak with someone technical they simply make excuses and just send the Sevice Manager/Team Lead out who knows just the basics.

My friend at work had his door dinged quite badly on his SLK as part of a routine service it went in for. Luckily thier dent removal guy was able to remove it but the point is that it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

I'm literally scared to take my car in knowing that they will most likely damage something while it is in. I do always insist that they take a walk around my car first before I leave so they know it is in perfect condition. I can tell that they don't like it when I ask for them to do this but the annoying fact is that they should do it as standard and we as the customer shouldn't have to ask.

A cousin of mine who used to work for Mercedes actually told me that technicians damage so many cars all the time and that they do quick smart repairs and dent removals without even informing the customer. They simply phone up the customer and say the work has taken longer than expected and to come and collect it later in the day etc... This is simply not acceptable and makes my bood boil. :evil:

I sometimes wish I could do everything myself and never have to take my car in..

 

[Sway]

I'm happy with my 1994 W202 even though it has some rust issues.I can say with hand on heart it's the most reliable car i've ever owned in my life ( and i have owned a wide range of cars!)

I have had some bad experience with a MB dealer in the past like some members on this forum but that hasn't put me off owning a Merc.

In my opinion, i think MB are slowly being blown away by some of it's competitors. I personally know some die hard MB owners who have switched to BMW, Lexus.. due to poor service at dealerships, build quality and pricing among others.

 

[hawk20]

Have a look at Driver Power 2008 survey in AutoExpress and you will see the E class comes out top executive car for customer satisfaction --for the first time. Not BMW and not Lexus.

 

[st13phil]

...you will see the E class comes out top executive car for customer satisfaction

Absolutely correct, I noticed that when I attended my local Tesco "reading room" last weekend.

 

[verytalldave]

I agree totally. They are clueless. If you ask to speak with someone technical they simply make excuses and just send the Sevice Manager/Team Lead out who knows just the basics.

My friend at work had his door dinged quite badly on his SLK as part of a routine service it went in for. Luckily thier dent removal guy was able to remove it but the point is that it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

I'm literally scared to take my car in knowing that they will most likely damage something while it is in. I do always insist that they take a walk around my car first before I leave so they know it is in perfect condition. I can tell that they don't like it when I ask for them to do this but the annoying fact is that they should do it as standard and we as the customer shouldn't have to ask.

A cousin of mine who used to work for Mercedes actually told me that technicians damage so many cars all the time and that they do quick smart repairs and dent removals without even informing the customer. They simply phone up the customer and say the work has taken longer than expected and to come and collect it later in the day etc... This is simply not acceptable and makes my bood boil. :evil:

I sometimes wish I could do everything myself and never have to take my car in..

In that case - do what I do and take it to a good indy who WILL look afer your car as though it was his own. There are places like this around if you do your homework.
I take mine to Premier in Hampshire as Ollie is a top mechanic. Not very local to me and is a 200 mile round trip, but worth the little extra effort to know that your car is receiving the best attentions - at a very competitive price.

 

[jamesmc]

I agree

A 200 mile round trip, with a decent Indy mechanic at the other end, has to be better than putting your car in the hands of the Local MB service shop and 'hope' that things will be OK.

 

[hawk20]

Absolutely correct, I noticed that when I attended my local Tesco "reading room" last weekend.

That's my local library too. Now that car mags are almost £5 a pop, we need somewhere to browse....

 

[hawk20]

The fall in Mercedes sales in a particular year can sometimes be triggered by the arrival of new models. Often get big slowdown in sales waiting for the new arrival. Happened with the S class in 2005/6 and the CL and in a big way for the C class. Ditto new A in 2005. And the facelift E.

Anyone got later figures and not just one isolated year.

 

[horgantrevor]

it was stated on a survey done in ireland that their are more mercedes benz in ireland per capital than germany

and getting back to the ford question i had a friend years ago work for BMW in germany on the production line and he said the germans like a ford over BMW as they were more expensive and different.

now a mercedes on the other hand i dont know i would'nt sell mine for any thing she a nice well built car (W202)

 

[jberks]

I was thinking. Yes a ford is probably pretty close in 'qulaity feel' to a merc. Not as luxurious but more similar that we feel it should be, though lyn (welcome back by the way - we knew you would be away long!) makes a good point that the price difference isn't what it used to be. BUT - do yourselves a favour. Don't look at the new stuff, where the ford is at it's best. Instead, look at 5 year old cars when they've both had time to tire a bit. That's where merc quality really starts to show.

Yes the dealers are a mixed bag. They have won awards recently for 'most improved' but reults are still patchy. Knowledge at the desk is still weak in my experience but I suspect the same is true for most makes. Ok I good a detailed explanation from the LR dealer but they are a small outfit so not comparable with the megadealership that merc have round here.
What I find amusing/frustrating though predictable is that people keep coming along complaining that the 2000 E class they've recently bought is rusting or unreliable and on the basis of that, mercs are crap and they will NEVER buy a merc again.

I can fully understand the sentiment and it just goes to prove that a good reputation takes years to acquire and an instant to lose. MB are pretty much back on top of their game now, and have been for a couple of years now, but the damage is done. All models have been gone through if not replaced and the new buyers quality reviews clearly demonstrate that the issues are behind them. Those of us that are fortunate enough to own later models know this well, but people buying our 'old' cars may not be so eager to buy the good ones we own now.

 

[hawk20]

Wise words, Jberks. Agree.

 

[hawk20]

How can a thread on Mercedes sales decline be in the section for non-Mercedes threads?

 

[grpar]

Have a look at Driver Power 2008 survey in AutoExpress and you will see the E class comes out top executive car for customer satisfaction --for the first time. Not BMW and not Lexus.

And how many years of production has it taken the E-class to get there finally ? I think the current model arrived in 2002, and was plagued with electrical faults for its first 18 months of production. So that's 6 years of production when the model is almost out of shelf life. Let's not mention to "brake hold" debacle that followed in years 2, 3, and 4.

I'm not knocking MB, but I think the motoring press are still treating them with the cautious suspicion they deserve until they clearly demonstrate they are out of the woods. Why else does every magazine seem to favour the 3-series over the C-class (even the new one) ? They can't all be wrong now, year-after-year, surely ?