RBM of Atlanta-North has just turned 1 this month. It has been a great year for us. We are a bit of a destination dealership (not a lot around us), but have managed to grab a great share of the Atlanta/Alpharetta market.

We will be having a celebration on Saturday October 18th with lunch provided by Shane’s Rib Shack. Please stop by to check out our great anniversary pricing. We will have face painting, pedal car races and much more for the kids.

Also available is a FREE service clinic on all Mercedes-Benz. Includes-36 point inspection, fluid check and top off, and wash and vacuum.

T2 Tennis will have a mini tennis court set up and will be handing out t-shirts and hats.

Lastly, we will show our continued support for our local school systems by providing a check to Forsyth County Schools Partners in Education.

For more information please contact me at www.mybenzguy.com

I have received many requests asking if it is safe to use regular unleaded fuel in a Mercedes-Benz. The basic answer is “Yes, but…” Before I explain, please read what Mercedes-Benz publishes in the most recent Owner’s Manual:

To maintain the engine’s durability and performance, premium unleaded gasoline must be used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not available and low octane fuel is used, follow these precautions.

• Have the fuel tank only partially filled with unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with premium unleaded gasoline as soon as possible.

• Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceleration.

• Do not exceed an engine speed of 3,000 RPM if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such as two persons and no luggage.

• Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or operating in mountainous terrain.

Most Mercedes-Benz gasoline engines are designed to run on premium unleaded (91 min or higher). Premium fuel generally burns at a slower, more controllable rate which allows for higher compression and, ultimately, more efficiency. However, since fuel quality varies, the smart engineers at Mercedes-Benz started using some clever technology (knock sensors) to “listen” for pre-ignition and other signs of inefficient combustion. The fuel management system then adjusts the spark and fuel to compensate – up to a point. There is a limit to how much the system can adapt, hence the above recommendations from Mercedes-Benz.

If your Mercedes-Benz is a 1994 or newer model, you have this technology.

Please switch back to premium unleaded gasoline as soon as it becomes available. Your engine appreciates the good fuel – and it does know the difference.

Hope this answers all the questions.

www.mybenzguy.com

Mercedes-Benz has just released the highly anticipated BlueTEC SUV’s.  These SUV’s deliver approximately 30% greater fuel economy over comparable gasoline engines.  The ML and GL will get over 600 miles on one tank, and the R-Class over 500 miles because of it’s smaller fuel tank. 

Estimated Fuel Economy:
ML320 BT: 18/24
R320 BT: 18/24
GL320 BT: 17/23

As an update to the navigation system, and to disprove that diesel fuel is hard to find, you can search for diesel stations under POI.

Base MSRP is as follows:
ML320 BT – $48600
GL320 BT – $58200
R320 BT- $49150

“Payback” for Customer
The time it takes for a customer to recoup their investment for a BlueTEC vs. its
gasoline counterpart compared to the time it takes for a customer to recoup the hybrid premium
vs. its gasoline counterpart is generally more favorable for a BlueTEC.

For example: Based upon U.S. nationwide avg price of premium gasoline and diesel fuel from 9/15/08, and assuming 15,000 miles of driving per year, (45% HW, 55% city) the ML320 BlueTEC would allow a customer to recoup the price difference in slightly over 2 years vs. the ML350 4MATIC. Comparably, the Lexus RX400h* would take just under 4 years for the customer to recoup the price premium of $2,980 compared to its gasoline counterpart. This calculation does not include the potential of a federal tax credit for a BlueTEC customer. Please note the federal tax credit is no longer available for Toyota/Lexus hybrids.
*2008 EPA Estimates used. 2009 estimates were not available at the time of printing

www.mybenzguy.com

Mercedes Benz has announced that it will be building a 2 wheel drive ML for 2009.  The MSRP will be $3,300 less than the ML350 4matic.  We should start seeing the 2wd ML early next year (2009).  Most of the allocation will go to dealers based in the South and Southwest.  We are taking orders now for the first vehicles available.  Please contact me via mybenzguy.com