Ordering a 2020 Sprinter

Sprinter-drive

New member
What should I expect? I’d go in and ask a dealer but they are sometimes thick headed and instead just try to sell me something right away, I don’t think they really listen much. Anyway, I’m planning on ordering in November, 170 HR Gas, with most options. What are the usual build times like? I’ve read some say here that good luck getting the chance to order your exact options...but isn’t this most what Mercedes has bragged about? They advertise all these different options to suit any need, it would follow that they intend such vans to be ordered with your exact options and a dealer dancing around that, I’d bet, is outside some contractual agreement with Mercedes.

Anybody placed an order lately?
 

red_johnny

Active member
There is another section dedicated for the new VS30 models. I would ask there. Seems like build times can be a few months to many.
 
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Tex68w

New member
What should I expect? I’d go in and ask a dealer but they are sometimes thick headed and instead just try to sell me something right away, I don’t think they really listen much. Anyway, I’m planning on ordering in November, 170 HR Gas, with most options. What are the usual build times like? I’ve read some say here that good luck getting the chance to order your exact options...but isn’t this most what Mercedes has bragged about? They advertise all these different options to suit any need, it would follow that they intend such vans to be ordered with your exact options and a dealer dancing around that, I’d bet, is outside some contractual agreement with Mercedes.

Anybody placed an order lately?
I was in a dealer earlier this week to look at a 4x4 and they told me a similar story. They claim the game has changed since Amazon started buying the bulk of their production. Now allocations are more dependent on dropped orders from the large buyers and then it becomes a crap shoot whether or not that now open allocation fits your requested build or can be modified to do so. Maybe there's some truth to this or maybe it's BS, I don't know. All I know is that they claim that the Sprinter side of things is no longer like the rest of MB and you are more at the mercy of availability than it used to be.
 

Sprinter-drive

New member
I was in a dealer earlier this week to look at a 4x4 and they told me a similar story. They claim the game has changed since Amazon started buying the bulk of their production. Now allocations are more dependent on dropped orders from the large buyers and then it becomes a crap shoot whether or not that now open allocation fits your requested build or can be modified to do so. Maybe there's some truth to this or maybe it's BS, I don't know. All I know is that they claim that the Sprinter side of things is no longer like the rest of MB and you are more at the mercy of availability than it used to be.
Thanks for the input. It sounds like just another form of dealer talk to me. Ever notice how it always seems like whatever they say somehow leads to the buyer having to submit. Also, most of the time when I’ve ordered cars in the past, because I do a lot of research, I know more about my particular car/build than the dealer/salesman anyway. They always seem to know a lot about the stuff they have on the lot though.

Perhaps a letter to MB with signatures could clear this up.
 

marklg

Well-known member
Thanks for the input. It sounds like just another form of dealer talk to me. Ever notice how it always seems like whatever they say somehow leads to the buyer having to submit. Also, most of the time when I’ve ordered cars in the past, because I do a lot of research, I know more about my particular car/build than the dealer/salesman anyway. They always seem to know a lot about the stuff they have on the lot though.

Perhaps a letter to MB with signatures could clear this up.
I don't know anything about how MB deals, but I have ordered vehicles customized exactly to my liking at other dealers. I just made it clear that I would only buy exactly what I wanted and the salesman made it happen. It did take many months. They need to face the prospect that you will walk away. If they think you will settle they will try to sell you what they have or can get sooner. They would rather make a sale months from now than never. I also paid cash, which helps.

Regards,

Mark
 

Sprinter-drive

New member
I don't know anything about how MB deals, but I have ordered vehicles customized exactly to my liking at other dealers. I just made it clear that I would only buy exactly what I wanted and the salesman made it happen. It did take many months. They need to face the prospect that you will walk away. If they think you will settle they will try to sell you what they have or can get sooner. They would rather make a sale months from now than never. I also paid cash, which helps.

Regards,

Mark
Good point. This is how it has worked for me in the past as well. I’ve always assumed that when I want to order a specific set of options I could, so when the dealers have given me some dealer talk as to why I couldn’t, I simply said I only buy what I want. Then they go away for a while and act like they are talking to a manager, when they come back they are ready to take your order. The build process has always taken at least 8 weeks.

I’m asking here if anybody had any experience with the new Sprinter because I have heard the wait is longer etc.
 

sanomechanic

Well-known member
Ordering a Sprinter is a process. First trying to find a dealer that does not attempt to BS you. That's tough. When I first started my journey to order. MB Laguna Niguel sale person "NELLY" tried to brow beat me into purchasing a van that was on the lot. She had no desire to help me order what I wanted.
Called MBVANS.COM customer service to complain. MB says all dealers are privately owned and they have no control over their practices. Best thing to do it write bad reviews on dealers that are shady so other can see how they operate and hopefully cost them as many future sales as possible.
Once finding an honest dealer. They attempted to order what I wanted. After several back and forth e mails between dealer and MB production managers. I finally got my build sheet and van was in production. Then it was a waiting game. Now...5 months later...van is finished...MUST HAVE PATIENCE! Call other dealers and ask for sales manager.
 

Sprinter-drive

New member
Ordering a Sprinter is a process. First trying to find a dealer that does not attempt to BS you. That's tough. When I first started my journey to order. MB Laguna Niguel sale person "NELLY" tried to brow beat me into purchasing a van that was on the lot. She had no desire to help me order what I wanted.
Called MBVANS.COM customer service to complain. MB says all dealers are privately owned and they have no control over their practices. Best thing to do it write bad reviews on dealers that are shady so other can see how they operate and hopefully cost them as many future sales as possible.
Once finding an honest dealer. They attempted to order what I wanted. After several back and forth e mails between dealer and MB production managers. I finally got my build sheet and van was in production. Then it was a waiting game. Now...5 months later...van is finished...MUST HAVE PATIENCE! Call other dealers and ask for sales manager.
Great story, thanks. That will be my plan.

In regards to MB begging off on a dealer complaint, I’m not so sure they have zero control. I understand dealers are privately owned, not owned by MB, but there must be a contract of some sort providing for obligations to be performed by both MB and the dealer. MB general counsel may be an option, because as consumers we do have protections and are an intended third-party to contracts between a manufacturer and dealer. Could easily drag dealer and MB into a lawsuit over non-performance, which sounds extreme, I know, but I’ve dealt with GC’s before, they want to avoid lawsuits. Of course you won’t be able to tap through to their general counsel without an attorney.

And with that said, one more thing, never threaten lawsuit, verbally or otherwise, because it doesn’t work and they will call your bluff each time. You have to have a complaint drafted up, send it over with a cover letter and a time frame for response. If no response file it in a local court, which is cheap, but they will have to have lawyers show up to defend it.
 

elemental

Wherever you go, there you are.
A purchasing manager I worked with once years ago was quite skilled in always developing multiple sources and then working them to get the best overall deal. As long as you aren't looking for highly custom or one-of-a kind products it works, sometimes passively (you don't negotiate the price of milk at your grocery store directly, but you choose where to buy it), sometimes actively (like visiting two or more different dealerships when buying a vehicle). No matter what authorized dealership you buy your Sprinter from, factory service and warranty repairs can be had at any other authorized dealership you like. If you don't work multiple sources, then you are very likely to pay more as you have eliminated your most powerful bargaining tool, market competition.

I can't find the on-line source I read while getting ready to purchase my van (the writer was a master at the craft and involved five different dealerships), this subject has been discussed before on the Forum <https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35845>. How far you are wiling to go while negotiating is a personal matter; your extra time/energy might not be worth getting another $200 off the deal, but might well be worth $2,000. The dealerships are highly skilled and they vastly outweigh most of us in terms of experience. Any deal they make is one that they can live with, no matter how much they try to convince you that they are losing money or not making enough money to feed their starving children at home, so pushing them just as far as you can is NOT being unkind, it is just business.

Remember to consider total cost of ownership as you negotiate price, but be sure to use real numbers in your calculations (i.e., a dealer may throw in an extended warranty, or free services plan, in which case you need to know the real costs of those items and not some inflated value that makes them look more valuable than they are). Beware the after-sell in the finance office for paint protection packages, etc. (do your own research, but my opinion is that such things aren't worth much, at least not with just a one-time application). And remember that anything a dealer does on their own may not part of the factory warranty (factory options installed ex-factory by an authorized dealer probably are covered, fuzzy dice hanging from the mirror obviously aren't).

Stay vigilant all the way through picking up your van; don't "accept" the vehicle unless it is the one you want/ordered and everything you can (reasonably) check out for proper operation is in full working order. Once you take it home, it is yours. Before you take it home, it is still the dealer's even if they say it has your name on it. One forum poster even had a dealer sell off his custom-ordered van to another customer before he could come in to get it, and then wanted him to be happy with a different van that was not what he had ordered.

Read everything, ask lots of questions, try to avoid making any assumptions that you don't explicitly verify by asking more questions. Playing dumb is generally going to work better than acting like you know everything already (and become afraid to ask a question because you don't want to look stupid). Buying a new vehicle is something many of us do only a handful of times in our entire lives; dealers do it once/twice a day all year long (even more if they do fleet sales) every year they are in business. You are buying it from the dealership, not the personable salesperson whose hand you shake.
 

marcwestbmw

Active member
Production through the end of the year will be 2019's. The 2020 configure guide does not show a M2CA7G ,170 cargo gas, yet.

There are build slots available for the 2019's now. Find a knowledgeable dealer. Work with them. If you know more than the dealer, move on to the next.
 

mikeysprinter

New member
Ordering a Sprinter is a process. First trying to find a dealer that does not attempt to BS you. That's tough. When I first started my journey to order. MB Laguna Niguel sale person "NELLY" tried to brow beat me into purchasing a van that was on the lot. She had no desire to help me order what I wanted.
Called MBVANS.COM customer service to complain. MB says all dealers are privately owned and they have no control over their practices. Best thing to do it write bad reviews on dealers that are shady so other can see how they operate and hopefully cost them as many future sales as possible.
Once finding an honest dealer. They attempted to order what I wanted. After several back and forth e mails between dealer and MB production managers. I finally got my build sheet and van was in production. Then it was a waiting game. Now...5 months later...van is finished...MUST HAVE PATIENCE! Call other dealers and ask for sales manager.


What dealer did you end up working through in Southern California? I am in San Diego looking for a quality dealer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

The Goshawk

New member
Same here, looking to order one. Most Sprinter sales in SoCal have been upfront. I think part of the problem is new factory delays, confusing options package, uncertainties over gas model and not knowing when the vehicles will get done. I was offered discount on a brand new because Düsseldorf factory forgot to install even the base radio:)) such are the vagaries in commercial van market. So far has been enjoyable, everyone has been generous with test drives, multiple visits measuring configuration, hope to finalize build soon.
 

gltrimble

2017 170 4x4
What dealer did you end up working through in Southern California? I am in San Diego looking for a quality dealer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Denis Alexander, Sprinter Sales Manager, at San Diego Mercedes is very knowledgeable regarding the ordering process and a pleasure to work with.

The sooner you order the better your odds of timely delivery with all your desired options. Option changes can usually be made prior to production. I ordered in May, confirmed options in September, van built in December, and delivered in February. New model year production typically begins September-October.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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nickbokhoven

Active member
I cannot speak to Hoehn MB in Carlsbad for service or continuing experience but I can say I truly enjoyed the buying process with Jim Rosenfeld there. He is the antithesis of car salesman. Zero pressure, honest pricing, and very accommodating and one point recommended two other dealers when it looked like he wasn't going to have a build spot. Glenn and Gordon at Walters in Riverside were pleasurable to converse with. The Riverside team sells Sprinter by a long shot in SoCal.
 

GLJones

Active member
Took 7 months to get a build slot for a 2019 170 passenger. It has now been built but no ETA on delivery. My dealership (Fields Mercedes of Lakeland, Florida) has been great. There were many issues trying to get the specific options we wanted but they got it figured out with help from Mercedes...the ordering system had many conflics and issues.
A month out from the build, Mercedes pulled the automatic side door and Red paint we wanted. Nothing the dealer could do about that...Mercedes doesn't have it's act together at the new factory.
Yes, there are some 2019 build slots available, but only for specific base vans. The 170 Passenger was very hard to find a slot. My dealer got randomly given a 4x4 slot they traded to another dealership for the 170 Passenger slot.
Now we wait. Hopefully it will be in in the next few weeks.
 

mercedes-josh

Sprinter Rep / Utah
hey guys,

I am from Draper Utah and I've been helping a TON of members here on the forums. we have a very knowledgable sprinter department sales and service. our dealership is of quality and i can say there is not an employee that is not on board with the values we hold. we take a ton of pride in our new building, creating an amazing and upfront experience and most of all a customers satisfaction.

i don't really have time to drag someone thru the mud just to end up with an upset client. I am here to earn your business, not demand it.

I apologize for any poor experiences you folks have experienced when looking for a sprinter. there is a ton of options that is not only confusing to the clients but also the dealerships and their salespeople. unfortunately, that is leading to many poor experiences that seem to stem strictly from a lack of knowledge and a hunger for a "now sale"

I invite any of you to reach out to me if you're looking to order or get a better understanding of how to proceed with your order. i have experience with shipping to all corners of the US and that's a small hurdle to overcome. we are extremely upfront about build times and availability. we keep well-documented lists and have a 100% understanding that not every customer will fit into a van that is available RIGHT NOW. We have over 150 custom orders waiting for allocations for vans/Mercedes-Benz that are kept organized so we can be sure that our customers are taken care of appropriately.


I'm going to leave a link to my other thread that I'm trying to keep up to date with what I have available and new info.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=797967#post797967
 

sanomechanic

Well-known member
I cannot speak to Hoehn MB in Carlsbad for service or continuing experience but I can say I truly enjoyed the buying process with Jim Rosenfeld there. He is the antithesis of car salesman. Zero pressure, honest pricing, and very accommodating and one point recommended two other dealers when it looked like he wasn't going to have a build spot. Glenn and Gordon at Walters in Riverside were pleasurable to converse with. The Riverside team sells Sprinter by a long shot in SoCal.
Yes Jim is a stand up guy. Unfortunately he was undercut and bad mouthed by managers above him.

I drove down to Hoehn Mercedes in Carlsbad from Orange County to build 4X4 after being on the Sprinter Sales Manager's wait list. Built my van at his desk. Wrote deposit check. Then the general sales manager handed my check back to me. Said the sales manager had no business selling me the van. Told me the Stores GM gave instructions not to sell the van. Too many managers. After spending over an hour at the desk. over an hour stuck in traffic to get there.

The General Sales Manager of the dealership intervened and took the build away from me and gave my deposit check back. He then bad mouthed the Sprinter Sales manager to me in the process. Told me the Sprinter manager had no business selling it. That he was told not to by the GM. That he has a hard time listening. Very strange set events. Guess they decided to give it to some one paying more money or something. They only had 1 build slot available. Who knows! Very bad experience there.

Hoehn Mercedes is not a good place to conduct business.

Here is the post I made right after my horrible experience there.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76052
 
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ocwaveoc

New member
Hi everyone,
I'm thinking of custom ordering a crew van. Can you expect to get discounts with a custom order or is that pretty much out of the question? What percent discount have you gotten for those of you who custom ordered one?
Thanks.
 

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