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  #1  
Old 03-28-2005, 12:41 PM
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E320CDI Euro delivery

Has anyone taken delivery on a new MB at Stuttgart recently? Are there any pitfalls to avoid? MB will pay one night's hotel and transportation voucher from the hotel to the plant. Drop off locations are fairly widespread. Dealer here says that 2006 models will be available in 3-4 months. The 7% discount can't hurt. Rental car rates vary between $200 and $400/day so another good reason. Can anyone think of any more? Need for ammunition.
Oily (dreaming of a new 320CDI)

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  #2  
Old 03-28-2005, 12:52 PM
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2.5% import tax and shipping costs. If you can afford a new benz it would be great. I wish I could afford to go over there and bring home a German version s400 CDI. I believe after researching online it would be exempt from the EPA regulations that petrol powered Euro models have to go through! The autobahn is definitely the right place to break in a Benz. If you can afford it go for it. Good rule of thumb. If you have to ask how much it costs you probably can't afford it.
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  #3  
Old 03-28-2005, 02:21 PM
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I believe BMW gives you a 10% discount for Euro Delivery. That's beyond any discount you can haggle from the dealer.
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  #4  
Old 05-18-2005, 11:47 PM
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euro delivery

I did it last summer well worth it. Got 7% off the price including options and no delivery charge, plus little dealership interaction always a plus. Shipping is included in the deal, unless you pick the a couple of more distant drop points.
I would highly recommend it.
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  #5  
Old 05-19-2005, 09:11 AM
LarryBible
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It's a great deal. 7% is the margin that the dealers work on in the US, so they are giving you the dealers margin. It's all the same to them.

I have not done this, but I can offer a few comments because I've been to the Stuttgart facility several times and traveled Europe extensively although the last time I was there was 2003.

First of all you can rent a car there for MUCH less than $200 per day even in light of the falling dollar.

Also, remember that fuel will cost you $7 or 8$ per gallon.

Secondly, assuming that the car is picked up at the main facility in Stuttgart, don't EVEN THINK about going without allowing a couple of hours to go through the MB museum. It is not large, but it is SOOooo well done. They give you a tape recorder and headset that narrates your trip through the museum in the language of your choice. You start chronologically with the very first Benz ever made and even start it. You then go through the examples and they point out the mechanical innovations on each.

There are also milestone cars such as the public road speed record car, the winner of the Mexican Road Race, the small experimental car in which they did the 617 turbo engine development, etc., etc.,

If you've never been to Germany and driven the roads, MAKE SURE you do a little studying of the rules of the road first. And make sure you get on some of the open sections of Autobahn where you can really let it go. My favorite stretch is between the Frankfurt area and Kaiserslautern, but there is a reasonably good stretch if you leave the Stuttgart airport toward Munich after you get a few klicks out of town.

Enjoy,
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  #6  
Old 05-19-2005, 09:24 AM
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Euro Delivery

We took European delivery on the Benz in 1997 because it was the only way to get a discount...turned out to be a vacation of a lifetime. Highly recommended, regardless of cost. Do it Mid September, and you'll get to experience the beginning of WurstFest. I still hungover...
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  #7  
Old 05-19-2005, 09:37 AM
GoWolfpack
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Let me second what Larry Bible is saying. The Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart is incredible. Adjacent to it, you will see the "neue" (new) museum they are building which will open in I think in like 2007.

There is no admissison charge for the museum, which I think is very classy (unlike another German carmaker in Munich where you have to pay 5 euros).

The museum is located at the Unterturkheim factory which is located very near the Gottleib Daimler Stadion (the soccer stadium) subway stop.

For security reasons, you meet outside the factory gate and you ride a big Mercedes bus into the factory complex and it will drop you off right at the museum. I think a bus comes by every 10 minutes or so.

One note--make sure you have a hotel room booked ahead of time. I rode around Stuttgart last time to about 8 hotels before finding one with vacancy....


I also have driven that stretch from Frankfurt to Kaiserslautern (K-town as many Germans call it) and you can definitely hit some high speeds.

As Larry says, make sure you are familiar with driving practices and whatever you do, don't lollygag out in the left or "hammer" lane.
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Old 05-19-2005, 09:41 AM
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For those that took European delivery: I assume you take your car from (a) Factory to (b) shipping point. How did your insurance company address (coverage) with you driving around Germany?
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  #9  
Old 05-19-2005, 10:46 AM
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When we took delivery temporary insurance for Germany was part of the delivery program. We took delivery in Oct and spent most of our time in Bavaria-------beautiful and a real blast to drive YOUR new car in Germany for a week. We then travelled north to Frankfort(EH Harms) and dropped off our car for the shipping home. We have also done a european delivery on 2 Bmws and that was just as much fun. The museum for both manufacturers are a must see along with the factory tours. I agree with being careful on the autobahn in the hammer lane it's where the big boys play.
Go for it -you'll be glad you did
Jp
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  #10  
Old 05-19-2005, 10:46 AM
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Since the diesel models aren't available in CA, would European delivery be a way to get around it?
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  #11  
Old 05-19-2005, 10:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TX76513
For those that took European delivery: I assume you take your car from (a) Factory to (b) shipping point. How did your insurance company address (coverage) with you driving around Germany?
You pick it up at the factory get breakfast/lunch and also a tour then the hand over ceremony and off you go. There is a additional 5 day package when we do the next one we will do that. The hotels are top notch and mercedes treat you right. It was an excellent trip my 5 year old still talks about it. I will never buy a benz through a dealer again.
m
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  #12  
Old 05-19-2005, 11:45 AM
LarryBible
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It's not only the high speed rules and etiqutte that you need to be aware of. There are MANY traffic laws that regard things that as an American "trained" driver you would never think of. The list is too long to go into here, but examples might be things like; running out of gas on the Autobahn is illegal, a child 10 years of age or younger is not allowed in the front seat.

Another thing is the traffic signs, most are standard international signs, but there are some such as the speed limits and the marker indicating no speed limit need to be learned.

For all practical purposes I learned to drive on the Autobahn, so these things are second nature to me. I could handle a car and drive around when I first reached Germany at the age of 20, but I developed my "freeway" driving skills on the Autobahn in Germany.

I got to Germany in early 1969 as a newly trained Nuclear warhead technician. By a twist of events I almost immediately found myself playing baseball in the Army Special Services and traveling all over Europe playing 144 games a year, mostly in Germany. I was traveling on the Autobahn about every other day on average and had to get the hang of it quick.

Other things that you MUST learn is that when a traffic light turns green, there is a yellow light beforehand as a sort of "ready, set, go." Everyone goes almost at the same time and the guy behind you is expecting you to get with it the instant the light turns green.

In Germany it costs the average German about $1500 to get a drivers license and he has more hours of instruction than is required in the US for a pilots license. For this reason, they OBEY the rules because they don't want to lose the license. Contrast that to our strict requirements for a license here in the US, that is one must be 16 and their heart must be beating.

Be warned, after driving in Germany, you will come back to the US and be EXTREMELY frustrated with the drivers here in the US. I had almost 30 years to get over it after leaving Germany in 1971, and then started going back alot in 2000, so my US driver frustration began all over again.

BTW, I've rolled into Stuttgart numerous times and just would walk into a motel and get a room. If you go to the Gasthaus's it will be more difficult, but there are chain motels around the airport and along the autobahn where you can get a room more easily.

My FAVORITE place to stay near Stuttgart is an old hunting lodge way back in a box canyon not far from Pforzheim. It is so peaceful and quaint you won't believe it. I've always been able to call ahead and get reservations. Also, there is an outstanding MB restoration facility with an interesting showroom and they are anxious to give tours. This place is called Kienle and is not far NW of Stuttgart. You can do a google search and find them. I highly recommend stopping by.

One more thing. Keep in mind that a 211 car such as the CDI is a rather large car for Germany. You will find very small parking places and some very narrow roads, so be careful.

Enjoy,
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  #13  
Old 05-19-2005, 12:24 PM
GoWolfpack
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I was in Stuttgart for business and had a business associate from Japan travelling with me, so I ruled out the Gasthofs. Typically, when I am travelling for fun I prefer to stay in Gasthof/Brauerei's because I like exceptional food and beer.

I think I ended up at an Accor/Ibis Hotel in Stuttgart--waaaay across the city from Daimler. But it was the only hotel I could find at 10pm after driving from near Saarbrucken.

A nice place to stay outside of Stuttgart is the town of Sindelfingen. There are a few Daimler plants there-it's where they build the Smart car. Also some Daimler offices are in this town. You can easily stay there and then drive the 30 or so minutes to downtown heaven, er, I mean Stuttgart.
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  #14  
Old 05-19-2005, 01:34 PM
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The Euro delivery program is in my opinion the only way to buy a new Mercedes, took delivery of my E320CDI about a year ago had a great time, I think the details have been covered, you might want to wait for the E400CDI, I recently rented one and now I want to throw rocks at my E320CDI, also the new V6 CDI is currently in production, should be here in about six to nine months.
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  #15  
Old 05-19-2005, 03:53 PM
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Yes, Sindelfingen, for the most part, is a modern industrial area and there are lots of motels that would be familiar to an American, such as Best Western and Holiday Inn. Also, it's not very far at all from the airport or the MB headquarters.

Have a great day,

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