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Tim in Scotland

Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3750

Mercedes sales woes

I had an interesting chat with the detailer and paint protection guy I use about the woes in the motor industry yesterday. I mentioned the rumour that JLR might be moving away from franchised dealerships to sales agents and on line purchases. The guy replied that he does collection and delivery of new Mercedes cars from their distribution centre and this year the number of cars they had had to collect has fallen through the floor, it seems nobody wants a modern Merc at the moment. He said he had read in a trade journal that Mercs sales in Jan/Feb 23 are 40% down on the really bad same period last year………. I asked him if he had a guess why - the cars are boring, they cost too much, their reliability is very poor and people have been having huge problems using their online buying system so are going to marquee with proper showrooms and people to deal with. He commented that even their sales of EV’s has fallen compared to the other German marques.
I knew that sales of all the big German car brands in China were down between 30% and 40% and even Tesla isn’t selling their cars there like they were but I hadn’t realised European car sales had been so badly effected too.
I supppse Credit is expensive and parts supply problems along with rising cost of living are having a big effect too, especially now we are passed the catching up on replacing cars that couldn’t be delivered during the pandemic. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!

16th Mar 2023 10:06pm

SteveG

Member Since: 29 Nov 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 656

Mercedes group for FY 2022, revenue up 12%, net profit 34% up , eps up 35%

Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 2,040,719 vehicles (+5%). In line with the strategy to focus on EVs, Mercedes-Benz had strong BEV sales of 149,227 units incl. smart (+67%).

Yep looks like they’re having a horrid time of it lately.

Have you tried to buy a new car lately? Most German brands have 60 week + wait times on a factory order. So despite the lower manufacturing numbers most car makers are selling as many cars as they can produce. There’s always the odd one out or model that’s struggling, but that’s nothing new in good times and bad.

For now at least, it’s not hard going for most car manufacturers.

16th Mar 2023 10:58pm

mwestcrew

Member Since: 09 Dec 2019
Location: South Warwickshire
Posts: 216

2011 Defender 130 Puma 2.4 HCPU Baltic Blue

I’ve been contacted by three Mercedes main dealers in the last month wanting to buy my C43 estate for cash. Offering £2-3k over We Buy Any Car.

Mercedes are in high demand. I’ve been in Mercedes cars since 2012 when I abandoned buying JLR products, currently driving my 8th new car from them and I have only ever had a warranty issue with one of them.
Enormous reliability. 2011 130 Utility Body
2005 110 Van

16th Mar 2023 11:35pm

DSC-off

Member Since: 16 Oct 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 1350

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Aintree Green

Re: Mercedes sales woes

Tim in Scotland wrote:
the cars are boring, they cost too much, their reliability is very poor and people have been having huge problems using their online buying system

Mercedes are also having this problem? Them and the whole industry.

17th Mar 2023 12:30am

Leamreject

Member Since: 19 Dec 2020
Location: Middle Earth - Leamington Spa
Posts: 954

This is a deliberate move by Mercedes, they are moving away from volume manufacturing and dropping all their smaller models gong forwards.

Their dealers are now agents and will only sell to end users removing any broker from the deal, no exception.

Many other manufacturers have or are following a similar model.

But having been in fleet for 40 years, things go round in cycles and will all change again

Ride like you stole it!!
If I’m not on a bike it’s because only a 4x4 will do…
2011 2.4 Puma 90 HT

17th Mar 2023 12:10pm

markb110

Member Since: 22 May 2010
Location: Guildford
Posts: 2520

more like the fact that the so called premium manufacturers are giving the ordinary folk the big

you in their quest to keep the 5 percenters that they are predicting will still be able to afford to drive in the next ten years.

17th Mar 2023 5:08pm

90 Dreamer

Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2050

2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey

mwestcrew wrote:
I’ve been contacted by three Mercedes main dealers in the last month wanting to buy my C43 estate for cash. Offering £2-3k over We Buy Any Car.

Mercedes are in high demand. I’ve been in Mercedes cars since 2012 when I abandoned buying JLR products, currently driving my 8th new car from them and I have only ever had a warranty issue with one of them.
Enormous reliability.

You must be lucky as brother had various issues with his C63 to the point that it went back to the dealer.... also have a friend who is an ex Merc Service Manager and tells enough tales to make you reject any modern Merc even if there was nothing left!!
Compared to the older stuff its a poor imitation

17th Mar 2023 8:57pm

Moo

Member Since: 01 Oct 2021
Location: Bath
Posts: 1018

markb110 wrote:
more like the fact that the so called premium manufacturers are giving the ordinary folk the big you in their quest to keep the 5 percenters that they are predicting will still be able to afford to drive in the next ten years.

And other manufacturers will fill the gap. Just look at the success of the Dacia Duster or Suzuki Jimny

18th Mar 2023 1:47am

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