Ask for feedback: 2020 GLE lease deal (Greater Seattle Area)

Hi, I just negotiated a lease deal but hasn’t signed. I’m curious if anyone has any feedback if I should negotiate further:

  1. 2020 GLE 350 4MATIC
  2. MSRP: $65,820
  3. Negotiated dealer discount: $6,349
  4. Negotiated price: $59,471
  5. Trade in value: $3,000
  6. Total balance due: $63,217.51

Leasing:

  1. 12K miles 36 months
  2. $3000 down, $766/month; $5000 down, $705/month; $7,500 down, $629/month
    Money factor: 0.00181.
    Residual value: $37,517

This is for the Greater Seattle area. I’d appreciate if someone can give me some feedback.

Thank you in advance.

Are there any incentives?

I’d consider keeping the trade totally separate. Either get a check for the value or sell it elsewhere.

If you must have a GLE, at a minimum apply max MSD to drop the cost of the money. And see if you can get fleet by hook or by crook. We got it once by having a JnJ email address. See if your company qualifies.

I know you didn’t ask, but there are way better values out there. But it’s not always about the value.

:bat:

Thanks! The $6,349 is called “Auto Nation discount” - I guess it’s not the incentive you were asking? (I’m new to leasing and new to this forum). The salesperson didn’t even offer MSD options (She seems to be quite inexperienced). What do you mean by “fleet by hook or by crook”? What does it mean? Sorry I’m a newbie to this.

Thanks a lot for your reply!

Then you’re in the right place.

Fleet is an incentive MB has that almost always sweetens the deal by $500 or sometimes a lot more.

“By hook or by crook” means get it any way you find. It’s old man-speak.

I wouldn’t recommend trading a car at Autonation for your lease. Again, sell it some other way. Keep the deal clean so nothing gets conflated.

Verify the MF and RV at Edmunds.

Definitely be sure to understand MSD up and down, as you very well may have to teach the sales person about it. Not a ton of customers do it.

Keep it slow. Don’t rush. Spend as much time as you care to learning. Or, if that sounds boring, consider a broker.

Good luck.

:bat:

Edit: are you married to the GLE?

Sent you PM regarding your deal

Fleet is only $500 for the GLE right now.

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Thank you! You sound like a wise man!
The car is for my wife to drive kids to activities. We also looked at GLS and would consider it as well. The problem is that most cars in this area is pre-loaded with options. We don’t need the extras.

If you’re not picky about equipment, is one thing. Sounds like you’re set on MB, though?

You can find deals with some effort on the outgoing GLS. Likely lower payment than the GLE is possible.

But lots of other SUVs lease better especially if brand is open.

:bat:

What other brand would you recommend? Wife wants something safe but does not like Volvo. Would BMW or Audi be better for leasing? We do prefer having the third time as an option when grandparents are in town.

Depending on how picky you want to get about the deal, you should negotiate the sale price when you lease, just as you would when you purchase a car.

Since the monthly payment is based on depreciation (and since RV is based on the MSRP, not on what you actually paid for the car), the lower the negotiated sale price, the less in depreciation you will pay (and thus you have a lower total cost of the lease).

There are often rebates and/or incentives (which can change monthly) available when you lease. Since the rebates are direct from the manufacturer to the buyer, the dealership doesn’t “lose” any money with these rebates. That means you should try to negotiate the sale price rebate. Dealers will often include the rebate/incentive in the sale price, which is a way for them to mask a higher profit.

There are very few (if any) luxury SUVs that are going to be unsafe nowadays.

You can do a search to see what people have been getting on BMW X5s and Audi Q7s this month. My impression from the board is that Seattle tends not to have good deals, so you may wish to consider shopping out of state…

Kuni In Portland is possibly the best place to try and get a good BMW deal. They also have a ton of x3 loaners they are DYING to get rid of. Audi up here is hard.

Mercedes Seattle are pretty aggressive, but you need to do your numbers first and go down there. They are not easy to communicate with over email. I had to go there, meet someone have a chat and leave to get a fluid emails going. They have some 19’ GLS deals that look reasonable for our region.

Not sure if an X3 will be appealing to the OP, if he’s looking at the GLE (or even a GLS) and wants a third row for occasional use.

Thanks for taking the time to write that.

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MB of Seattle was recently acquired by the same group that owns MB Wilsonville down in the Portland area. I think you may have some success there, but it could be a grind. My in-laws got a car from MB of Seattle and it was much easier dealing with them over the phone.

Last thing I have to say about your post: certainly no one is forcing you to read or to respond.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Thank you! I have been trying to target 15% off MSRP and .00131 base MF. I will find out soon if I can get there. Seattle market seems to be tougher than other markets. Not sure why.

Very helpful tip. I have also talked to MB Bellevue and MB Tacoma. Thank you.

Captive audience of Amazon/Microsoft/google/ Facebook/wealthy Chinese folks will do it.

You definitely know the area!! :slight_smile: