JD Power Customer Satisfaction Service Results at Atlanta Classic Cars

The good news keeps coming for the Atlanta Classic Cars service department! The 2009 J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index has ranked us 34th out of 335 Mercedes-Benz Dealerships in the US so far this year! It is great for a large dealership like us to break the top 10%.

We were ranked in the following categories. Scores are out of a possible 1000 points.
Overall CSI Index : 919
Service Initiation: 916
Service Advisor: 925
Service Facility: 923
Vehicle Pickup: 911
Service Quality: 918

Mercedes-Benz as a whole has moved up 31 points over 2008, to place 12th in the overall manufacturer rankings. Our goal is to be back at the top of the charts as soon as possible!

2009 SL65 Black Series Available for Sale at Atlanta Classic Cars

Our 2009 SL65 Black Series is now available for sale! This car arrived at the dealership earlier this month and is ready for delivery! It is stunning! The pictures do not do it justice. It seems to be about as wide as it is long - the fender flares are mind boggling! The interior is gorgeous with the contrast stitching and special gauges. It also sounds phenomenal!



Black with Black Interior - MSRP $304,350.

You can view more photos in my previous post from when the SL65 Black was first announced.

Mercedes-Benz Stars of Service Champions - Four Winners at Atlanta Classic Cars!

Joe Carpenter, Al Macaulay, Troy Metts and Bob Padovano of the Atlanta Classic Cars service department were named as round one winners in the competition to find the Best of the Best in Mercedes-Benz Service.

The first round of the U.S. competition was completed in March 2009. This round of the competition consisted of a very intense and comprehensive online test, and the 632 dealership employees who emerged with the highest scores were determined as round one winners! These winners represent the top 10% of technicians and service advisors.

Atlanta Classic Cars is very proud to offer our clients the best possible service from the time of the sale through the whole ownership experience. If you haven't serviced with us before, it is worth the trip!

2010 Mercedes-Benz Model Year Changes CLS, CL, SL, GL, R, SLK, G

Most of these models have had some major upgrades in the last few years so they will only receive relatively minor changes for 2010.

New on the 2010 CLS:
P15 - AMG Wheel and Sound Enhancement Package
-- 19" AMG twin 5-spoke forged light alloy wheels
-- AMG high-end surround sound system with 12 studio loudspeakers, ICEpower amplifiers and 705 watt output
New paint: Palladium Silver
Pewter Paint deleted


New on the 2010 CL:
New Direct-steer system
Improved selection of Sport mode for transmission and suspension
New mirrors with arrow-shaped LED indicators
New paint: Palladium Silver
New multi-color ambient lighting
New Night View Assist PLUS with pedestrian detection
New Active Body Control (ABC) with crosswind stabilization
Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring system
Rear view camera (P2 Package)
Standard Bluetooth - no adaptor required
Sport Package PLUS one
-- Sport bodystyling (front and rear bumpers, side skirts)
-- 20" AMG 5-spoke wheels with all-season tires

New on the 2010 SL:
Standard Bluetooth - no adaptor required
Direct-steer system

New on the 2010 GL:
GL320 Bluetec renamed GL350 Bluetec
Palladium Silver Paint is in, Pewter is out
Ventilated front seats now available in GL450 with Appearance package
Redesigned seat materials with piping

New on the 2010 R:
R320 Bluetec renames R350 Bluetec
Palladium Silver Paint is in, Pewter is out
7-seat option removed from Premium 1 - now stand alone option


New on the 2010 SLK:
New 17" twin 5-spoke wheels for SLK300
Diamond White Edition SLK300 gets 18" AMG two-tone wheels
New color: 230 Indigolith blue (really Mercedes? Indigolith?)

New on the 2010 G:
Bluetooth connectivity and voice control
Rear park assist
Stainless steel grille guard in chrome
New paint: Palladium Silver

2010 Mercedes E-Class Coupe - Testing Video

2010 Mercedes-Benz S550, S600, S63 AMG and S400 Hybrid - Colors, Packages and Options

Here is the information from the preliminary Dealer Ordering Guide for the 2010 S-Class. This is a preliminary version and is subject to change at any point. Pricing has not been announced.

New front and rear bumpers, front (Bi-Xenon) and rear (LED) lights, grille, mirrors, exhaust, and wheels
New Paint Colors: Diamond White, Palladium Silver
Enhanced wood trim and door coverings
New seat structure and stitch patterns
Enhanced instrument cluster display
New 19" and 20" wheels (optional)
New Direct-steer system
Reduced noise, vibration, harshness
New multi-color ambient lighting

Enhanced COMAND system, including:
Bluetooth interface for hands-free calling
HD Digital Radio®
Gracenote® media database
In-dash SD memory card reader
Media interface (iPod, auxiliary input jack, USB)

Enhanced voice control for audio, telephone, and navigation
New Attention Assist driver drowsiness monitor
Enhanced PRE-SAFE® system
New child rear door safety locks
New Adaptive Highbeam Assist system (P1 Package)
New Driving Assistance Package, including Lane Keeping Assist (standard on S600 and S65)
New Night View Assist PLUS with pedestrian detection (optional)
New PARKTRONIC with Parking Guidance
DISTRONIC PLUS (with PRE-SAFE® Brake)
Blind spot assist
Lane Keeping Assist

Sport Package plus one (standard on S600, S63 and S65)
Sport bodystyling (front and rear bumpers, side skirts)
20" AMG 5-spoke wheels with all-season tires
Dual chrome exhausts

Rear Seat Entertainment Package (standard on S600 and S65)
Rear seat video system (dual-source DVD with wireless headphones)
Two remote controls

S400 Hybrid Added to Line-up
3.5L V6 Mild-hybrid
AIRMATIC air suspension with
Adaptive Damping System (ADS II)
Heated14-way power adjustable front seats with pneumatic lumbar support
Dark Burl Walnut wood trim
Nappa leather steering wheel

2010 E-Class Sedan and Coupe - New Colors - Quartz Blue, Pearl Beige and Natural Beige/Black

There are some new colors coming for the 2010 E-Class. I haven't yet seen them in person yet but I was able to get the official paint chips from Mercedes-Benz. Quartz Blue will be available on the Sedan and Coupe. Pearl Beige is for the sedan only. The Natural Beige/Black interior is a Full Leather option available on the Sport Sedan only.


230 Quartz Blue


794 Pearl Beige


264 Natural Beige/Black Full Leather Interior

Mercedes S400 Hybrid Technology Video

The Mercedes-Benz UMI System for C and GLK - Navigation Function

I get more questions about the UMI system for the C-Class and GLK-Class than any other technology Mercedes makes right now! It seems like I am the only one who has had a chance to try it out in person. This post focuses on the navigation functions and display screens as the other 4 areas of the UMI are pretty easy to understand. Just scroll through the slideshow and I hope you find this informative!


I had written another post about the UMI system and the most commonly asked questions are:
How much?
Factory Installed, VPC installed and Dealer Installed are all different prices. Consult your local dealer for the best info. Dealer Installed here is about $1850.
Will it work in Canada/Nigeria/Dubai?
I don't think so. You'll need to ask the local dealer if the software is available.
What is the part number?
A204 870 5996 - But please verify with your local dealer.
Does it work?
It is a little slower than the navigation that is part of the Multimedia package but it is the same, if not newer, information. Works just fine.

Mercedes-Benz at the New York Auto Show

2010 Mercedes-Benz C300, C350, and C63 AMG Model Year Changes

According to the preliminary Dealer Ordering Guide for the 2010 C-Class we have some great new additions! This information is not final and can be changed before the vehicle arrives.

New standard wheels for the C300 Sport (no photo yet)
Standard Nappa Leather Steering Wheel
4-way power lumbar support added to P1
Passenger side tilt-down mirror
Keyless-Go is a stand-alone option!
Available rear view camera - finally the scene from National Treasure will be accurate.
Tire Pressure monitoring system with read-out for each wheel
Driver's side knee airbag added

New Dynamic Handling Package Added: for C300 and C350 Sport (2WD)
- Driver-adjustable suspension with continuously variable damping
- Speed-sensitive power steering with more direct steering ratio
- Steering wheel shift paddles
- 18" AMG wheels

Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC Alternative Motor Vehicle Tax Credit - ML320, GL320, and R320

The Alternative Motor Vehicle credit (30b) that can be used to get a tax credit for purchasing one of our diesel SUVs has been improved by the stimulus bill. You can now claim the full credit amount regardless of your personal tax situation and income. This change applies to BlueTEC SUVs purchased after January 1st, 2009.

Important notes on the tax credit:
Must be purchased, not leased
The credit is claimed on your Income Tax Returns, not at time of sale
The upcoming ML450 and S400 hybrids will qualify for the same program, amounts to be determined.
Toyota/Lexus are no longer eligible for these credits
2009 ML320 BlueTEC qualifies for $900 credit
2009 GL320 BlueTEC qualifies for $1800 credit
2009 R320 BlueTEC qualifies for $1550 credit

2010 Mercedes E-Class Sedan Commerical

Silly Hippies

Mercedes-Benz USA March Sales Results

We hear so much bad news about the auto industry right now that it seems like every manufacturer is on the brink of collapse. That just isn't the case. The new car side of MBUSA is down about 30% this year. The good news is that the pre-owned side has picked up the slack and is up about 30%! This is the end-of-month press release from MBUSA. It is exciting to see how many new GLKs are now on the road!

MERCEDES-BENZ REPORTS MARCH SALES OF 15,602

04/01/09

MONTVALE, N.J. - Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported March sales of 15,602 vehicles, a decline of 25 percent. The volume leaders for the month were the C, E, and GLK-Class with sales of 5,008, 1,978, and 2,598 respectively. On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 40,234 new vehicles, a decrease of 30.2 percent over the comparable period last year.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,614 vehicles in March; a 29.4 percent increase compared to March 2008 sales of 5,110 vehicles. Year-to-date sales for the MBCPO program are 19,162, a 44.6 percent increase over 2008 year-to-date sales (13,252 vehicles) during the same timeframe.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. For more than forty years, MBUSA has taken pride in its commitment to the customer by providing superior quality luxury vehicles coupled with outstanding customer support. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.

2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350, ML550, ML450 Hybrid, ML350 Bluetec and ML63 Colors, Packages and Options

Here is the information from the preliminary Dealer Ordering Guide for the 2010 ML-Class. This is a preliminary version and is subject to change at any point. Pricing has not been announced. All versions will be avaliable in August with the exception of the ML450 Hybrid that will be released in December.

ML320 Bluetec name changed to ML350 Bluetec
New Colors: Palladium Silver and Steel Grey
Standard Burl Walnut wood replaces Birdseye Maple wood
Tilt down passenger side mirror - now called "parking support mirror"
Wood Wheel available as stand alone option
Enhanced tire pressure monitoring system (displays PSI)
POST-SAFE added - post-accident safety feature
P2 package, lighting package are now standard on ML63

ML450 Hybrid Added to Line-up
335 horse-power, 354 lb/ft torque
8-Speed CVT transmission
Two-mode full hybrid power train
Reduced fuel consumption and emissions
Purely electric operation
Start/stop function
Brake-energy regeneration
19" 5-spoke wheel with run-flats
Power dome hood
Graphic hybrid display in COMAND
Air suspension