2012 Ford FocusFord
Mercedes-Benz Canada has been without a B-Class wagon in its lineup this year, leaving the GLK crossover, among others, to fill the hole left by a model that normally delivers about 3,000 in annual sales.
Mercedes' sales in Canada are up 10.3 per cent this year, aided by strong GLK sales. The GLK boom also helps to explain why sales of compact luxury SUVs were up 50.1 per cent through the end of May, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
Indeed, luxury car sales in Canada are booming right across the board, not just where the GLK competes: up by 26.4 per cent in May and up 14.9 per cent year-to-date, according to auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers. That in a marketplace where overall sales were up 8.2 per cent through the end of May.
Yes, "luxury sales are significantly outpacing the total market," says DesRosiers in a note to clients. Not only are compact luxury SUVs flying off dealer lots, sales of small luxury sedans are up 24.2 per cent; large luxury SUVs are up 105.9 per cent, and intermediate luxury SUVs are up by 24.1 per cent. Only the most expensive luxury sedans are suffering, says DesRosiers, with sales down 1.9 per cent in May. Still, even the big dogs like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8 are up as a group on the year by 7.3 per cent, says the analyst.
With numbers such as these dancing around, Deals of the Week went looking for offers that might motivate luxury buyers. There certainly are some sweeteners on the 2012 GLK350 4MATIC.
To keep current B-Class owners from defecting before the new B arrives in November, Mercedes has the B-Class $4,500 loyalty bonus in play. This offer is available to those leasing a B-Class and to finance and lease customers opting for an eligible GLK or C-Class.
But it's not worth $4,500. A $1,500 "dealer participation fee" reduces the actual value to $3,000. On the other hand, the deal includes free Pirelli winter tires and a 25 per cent discount on Mercedes accessories.
And there's more to explain here. Mercedes' $2,500 4MATIC 4ALL appears "stackable" with other offers, notes www.carcostcanda.com. So does the $1,650 select your savings rebate for eligible vehicles, though like the loyalty offer, this one is worth $1,100 thanks to a $500 dealer participation fee.
Still, for the right buyer looking at an eligible vehicle, the discounts could add up to $6,600, not including any dealer discount. That on a vehicle with a base price of $43,000.
Given the surge in luxury SUV sales, Deals noticed a $2,000 rebate on Mercedes' big GL SUV, which is due to be replaced at the end of the year with an all-new model. Lexus, meanwhile, has a $3,000 cash offer on the big LS 460 luxury sedan and Ford appears to have as much as $4,000 or more in discounts on the compact Focus sedan.
As usual, Deals of the Week obtained pricing information from www.carcostcanada.com, among other sources. Consult your dealer for all the details. In the meantime, here are the numbers.
2012 Ford Focus SE sedan
- MSRP: $18,999
- Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,600
- Dealer discount (estimated): $550
- Factory discount: $1,500 (delivery allowance factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Factory discount: $1,280 (employee pricing discount factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Factory discount: $1,000 (dealer cash factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Taxable subtotal: $16,269
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $18,383.97
2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4MATIC
- MSRP: $43,000
- Freight, dealer prep and air conditioning tax: $2,095
- Dealer discount (estimated): $1,900
- Factory discount: $2,500 (4MATIC 4ALL credit factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Taxable subtotal: $40,695
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $45,985.35
- Factory discount: $1,100 (select your savings Credit factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Factory discount: $3,000 (B-Class $4,500 loyalty bonus factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Final price: $41,885.35
2012 Lexus LS 460
- MSRP: $83,050
- Freight, dealer prep, AC tax: $2,050
- Dealer discount (estimated): $3,750
- Taxable subtotal: $81,350
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $91,925.50
- Factory discount: $3,000 (non-stackable trading dollars factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Final price: $88,925.50
2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC
- MSRP: $70,500
- Freight, dealer prep, AC tax: $2,095
- Dealer discount (estimated): $2,750
- Factory discount: $2,000 (dealer cash factory-to-dealer rebate)
- Taxable subtotal: $67,845
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $76,664.85
Pricing information source: www.carcostcanada.com. Calculations based on Ontario customers. Please note that while the information above is accurate at the time of publication, incentives are given at the discretion of individual dealers, and may be changed or discontinued at any time. Dealer discounts are negotiated with the customer on a case-by-case basis.