I was in the market for the MB C240/320 and the BMW 325/330i and recently went to both dealerships and test drove each car. First the BMW, and second the Mercedes Benz.
When I walked into the MB dealership I had an appointment with a sales person that I had arranged days before showing up. I even called and confirmed the appointment two days prior. I showed up for the appointment, but the sales person decided not to come to work that day. I stood at the reception counter for 10 minutes while the rest of the sales staff were huddled in the back laughing and telling one another jokes. There were no other customers in the building and they saw me standing and waiting. Finally one of the sales staff approached me, and in a snide voice asked if I needed help. He explained my sales person took the day off. Since he nor any of the experienced older sales staff wanted to deal with a 30-something middle-class buyer, they assigned a 20 year-old boy with one month experience to try and sell me a new MB.
The test drive was a joke. The sales person insisted on driving first, only to show me how you can recklessly drive through traffic, swerving side to side with rap music playing on the radio. Every question I asked of this kid was responded to by a "I don't know. I'll have to look into that". This kid knew nothing about the car's he was selling besides what the 0-60 time is.
Back at the dealership I was offered cookies and coffee, and $4,000.00 less than blue-book on my trade in. After another hour of mistreatment and diversion I got up and walked out.
Two hours later I found myself back at the BMW dealership. The dealership was immaculately clean with professional sales staff waiting to make the buying experience pleasurefull. Although I already had a sales person I was working with I was approached a half-dozen times by different sales persons offering to get me coffee or make polite chit-chat. Another hour later and I was signing papers for my new Steele Gray BMW 325i.
The following morning I was driving to work in my new BMW when the MB sales manager called me on my cell phone. He snidely explained that my trade in was a piece of shi* and he could only offer me another $500 for it. I told him, thanks anyway, but I am driving my new BMW as we speak. And don't look for me ever to return to a MB dealership after the unprofessional treatment I received. He huffed and I hung up.
On a side note. The MB interior was cheap. The options meant to impress the small minded. That coupled with the dealership staff and reputation of horrible reliability, I will NEVER OWN A MERCEDES.
-Mike Rollins New BMW Owner