Mercedes lagging well behind Bmw and Audi in Ireland this year

goochy · 10-09-2021 11:24am #1

Mercedes has been a bit behind the other two german prestige brands in Ireland for a good while now , but so far this year they are about 1000 vehicles behind ! The fact that not many uk imports will be coming in these days will not help dealer revenues either .

I think their styling and mature image have alot to do with it , the GLB for instance looks pretty bad.

MDL - the distributor - have not been great for the brand and its a pity MB UK or the manufacturer are not in charge of things . For instance during the celtic tiger years there were 9 MB dealers in Dublin - the focus was on quantity of dealers rather than quality .

Dealers nationwide were not encouraged (like Audi and BMW did ) to build standalone dealerships or at least showrooms to gice buyers a better buying experience.

Also AMG and other desirable models rarely appear new or secondhand at dealers like even Ballsbridge motors , these models would improve the image of the brand to buyers of even the lower end models .

You see M model BMW models - new and secondhand rat plenty of BMW dealers .

12-09-2021 9:46am

This is just my view/ opinion but I think its simply to do with atttactiveness....the ' wow......mmmmm' factor......mercedes just ain't got that

12-09-2021 10:08am

I think Audi's look crap to be honest

12-09-2021 10:29am

Their shape and styling has still got the elder gentleman/ businessman vibe about them.

Some of them look decent but I can’t see them being as attractive to a 30 or 40 year old in the same way BMW or Audi is.

The shape of the back of them needs work imo.

Water2626262 · 12-09-2021 10:50am

They might be behind this year but have done very well the past 5 years. The C and E class models from 2015 on were extremely desirable vs the previous models.

Also I disagree re the AMG models, a showroom full of €100-200k cars would put me right off as a prospective entry model buyer. I’d be assuming they’d have no interest in me or I’ll be getting ripped off. Same goes for the 20m showroom build that Audi are fond of. Margins aren’t that good in this industry so they make the customer bend over at service time or offer crap trade in prices.

goochy · 12-09-2021 11:07am

I agree about spending 20m on an audi factory , but don't think selling the brand opposite the likes of vw , kia and skoda does it any favours . I am not saying they should have a showroom full of 100/200 k models but if you go to MB Belfast that have a small AMG show room section . If you only stock basic models it makes the brand appear basic.

12-09-2021 11:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879768#Comment_117879768

That's my sentiment too.......they have a look of 'the establishment ' about them.......... the Suv's are very attractive but the cars aren't contenders against audi/bmw similar priced models

Comment_below · 13-09-2021 4:58pm

Audi are very much seen as a lease car or a rep car these days, there's nothing prestigious or unique about Audi , just a fancier Skoda. Audi have targeted the lease car market to sell more units.

goochy · 13-09-2021 5:10pm

was never a fan of Audi but the A6 is the best looking car in its class ( in my opinion ) hence selling very well here and its other models are starting to look more distinctive such as even the current A4 .

Some of MB's styling is very poor - A class saloon , GLB, GLE and EQC to name just a few , however their current interiors are best in class.

As said if there were more solus MB dealers , they would be pushing the brand more . If you have the likes of VW to rely on also you dont have to worry so much how well MB are doing.

jmreire · 13-09-2021 5:33pm

Long may it last, if it means a drop in prices to encourage sales..... I'm on my 2nd E class ( both w212 types) and when the time comes, I'll be MB again. But like everthing else...diferent strokes for different folk's.😀

California Dreamer · 14-09-2021 6:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879622#Comment_117879622

All fur coat and no knickers!

zilog_jones · 14-09-2021 9:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117879831#Comment_117879831

You don't need a showroom full of AMGs, just one will do. Showing off your "halo car" can help promote the brand in general.

Ash.J.Williams · 14-09-2021 9:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058208197/mercedes-lagging-well-behind-bmw-and-audi-in-ireland-this-year

every karen in the country has a white C class at the minute, it's put me off, the traditional E class is a great car but a little conservative for me at the minute, there is a new sport back E class that looks the part though

14-09-2021 9:14am

They're starchy looking cars and definitely lack the wow factor, if they ever had it.

I found find modern BMWs very lacking in something too though. My recent experience of them hasn't been wow, more so wow, this feels very plasticky.

You'd wonder about those luxury brands tbh. Maybe I'm just not wowed as much as I used to be in general.

goochy · 14-09-2021 9:39am

The fact the German 3 are selling so many cars is bound to have eroded their prestige somewhat. A used Mondeo Vignale seems like an interesting alternative now and at least they arent all over the place.

Volvo are lagging well behind , dont think the dealer set up is great for them in Ireland and its mostly their Suvs that are selling and theres only so much of a market for them.

bazz26 · 14-09-2021 9:56am

Sticking extra chrome and quilted leather seats on a Mondeo then calling it Vignale and charging a hefty price tag for it was never going to change the fact it was still a Mondeo or sell more of them. The reason they are not all over the place is because nobody bought them new outside of Ford dealers who probably had to. They don't command a premium used either.

goochy · 14-09-2021 10:12am

Doesnt make them a bad car , theres people buying A class Mercs and in past 1 series Bmw for nothing more than the badge.

Gregor Samsa · 14-09-2021 10:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117886298#Comment_117886298

I wouldn't necessarily count on any price drop.

Daimler have realised that with the delays and shortages caused by the pandemic and the semiconductor shortage, their customers are willing to pay more. So they're happy to let them do that even if it means moving less units.

“We will consciously undersupply demand level[s],” Harald Wilhelm, Daimler’s chief financial officer told the Financial Times, “and at the same time we [will] shift gears towards the higher, the luxury end.”

https://www.ft.com/content/f55a1d96-1146-4e17-88a9-1a0fbaf57de6

bazz26 · 14-09-2021 10:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117888825#Comment_117888825

But if we are going to talk about just buying cars for the badge then why go with a Mondeo as an alternative when you can buy a Dacia Sandero for a fraction of the price again? People put different values on different things which is why budget and premium branded products exist.

goochy · 14-09-2021 10:55am

That not correct , some cars are better than others . Aside from being poor in crashes , Dacias are inferior to most cars out there . You cant compare a Mondeo to a Dacia.

Tastes differ , but some cars ride , handle better than others or are more reliable than others

bazz26 · 14-09-2021 12:13pm

Hold on, you started off by comparing badges and stating why someone would chose an A Class or 1 Series over a Mondeo only for the premium badge. I use the same logic in comparing a Mondeo to a Dacia but you say I cannot compare those and now your bringing crash ratings and reliability as the reason rather than the badge? Your making little sense to be honest and your perception of Dacia sounds very like the A Class/1 Series owner you are questioning.

goochy · 14-09-2021 12:18pm

A person doesnt buy a Dacia because its basically a Mondeo but at a cheaper price , premium brands at the bottom level can get away with not building a great car because of the badge e.g 1st generation X1 and X3 .

bazz26 · 14-09-2021 12:32pm

This is like a strawman argument. I'm out.

goochy · 14-09-2021 1:08pm

me too

UhOh · 14-09-2021 2:28pm

I used to have an AMG model (a proper one), switched to BMW. I can honestly say I would never go back to Mercedes. To me Mercedes Ireland just haven’t moved with the times on par with BMW. On the model range, the current Mercedes models, be they AMG or not are just plain ugly IMO. I’m not surprised Mercedes are falling behind

jmreire · 14-09-2021 2:34pm

Personally, I would not even remotely compare a Dacia with a Mondeo.....Dacias are built to a price and represent good value for money, but thats it, they are fine for getting from a"A" to "B", without any frills. I drove Dacias in Sudan, and they worked out fine, believe it or not, but they will never be mistaken for a Mercedes Benz.... ( or a Mondeo!!! )😁

nj27 · 14-09-2021 2:37pm

Mercedes, while I respect them, are for chicks. I’m an antediluvian ape, but that’s the vibe I get. The 1970s SL was boss tho.

jmreire · 14-09-2021 5:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117890385#Comment_117890385

What were the negative / positive aspects of the BMW's V the MB Eclass, in your opinion? At the time, I was thinking about a 520 / 530 BMW, but went with the MB, not the least because of the N47 timing chain issue. And so far, I'm very happy with it.

UhOh · 15-09-2021 9:50am

^^^ I’m not familiar with that timing chain issue. From my own experience the amount of standard equipment MB offer is nowhere near what BMW give you. The pricing on a lot of the options with Mercedes would make your eyes water aswell, especially when I knew the pricing for the same equipment in other markets i.e. sports seats that were standard in the UK were a 4.5 grand option here. The upgraded navigation system at the time was a 6.5 grand option compared to it being 1 grand in UK/Germany. Those are just some examples. Customer service was very poor aswell, although that could have been just the dealership I was with. Build quality wasn’t on par either IMO, it was actually pretty shocking. No such issues or complaints with BMW.

jmreire · 15-09-2021 10:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117893757#Comment_117893757

The BMW timing chain in the N47 2.0 litre (mainly) from 2008 onwards was a disaster, with some cases of failure still being reported as late as 2014. It was so bad, that after first trying to deny it, BMW had to embark on a very large recall program. Up to last year ( ASFAIK ) know, the local BMW dealership was still repairing / replacing BMW N47 chains / engines. Google BMW N 47 Timing Chain Problems. and you will get the picture.

zilog_jones · 15-09-2021 11:09am

Not to mention the BMW EGR cooler recall, and related fires.

Mercedes lagging well behind Bmw and Audi in Ireland this year

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