American Service Center-Newsletter

Next Generation M-Class to Debut This Spring

When the Mercedes-Benz M-Class first arrived at American Service Center seven years ago, the new sport utility vehicle started a trend that inspired the entire auto industry to shift toward more car-like SUV's. Virtually the only sport utility at the time with four-wheel independent suspension, the original M-Class was one of the first to be designed from the ground up, rather than being based on an existing truck platform. That first generation M-Class won an impressive number of auto industry awards, including the prestigious North American Truck of the Year. Now, the next generation M-Class promises to deliver even more.

The all-new 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, featuring a completely redesigned exterior and a rich, sporty interior with 72.4 cubic feet of flexible cargo space, will be available from American Service Center in Spring '05. The new SUV is longer, wider and lower on the road than its predecessor. Beneath its sleek new exterior is an all-new unibody platform as well as a double-wishbone front suspension and a newly developed four-link rear suspension that deliver impressive on-road performance and the comfort of a smoother, car-like ride.

The 2006 M-Class features a standard seven speed automatic transmission, a permanent four wheel drive system with revised four wheel traction control and optional features including height-adjustable air suspension. This new generation M-Class will be available with tow powerful engines: the ML350 is powered by an all-new 3.5 liter, four-valve V6 delivering 268 horsepower. Of course, the Mercedes-Benz commitment to passenger safety is standard and the 2006 M-Class comes with driver and front passenger airbags, curtain side airbags, an advanced technology restraint system and a rollover sensor.

Let us know if you're ready to experience a new generation of SUV and we'll give you a call as soon as the new M-Class arrives in our showroom. Call us at 703.525.2100 and ask for new car sales.

Meet "Mr. Lucas"

It's hard to describe what Ed Lucas does for American Service Center's service department on any given day. He's been called the "troubleshooter", "the go-to-guy", and just "THE guy". In order to understand his value to our family, it's less important to know what he does than it is to know what he's done.

Ten years ago "Mr. Lucas" as he's known in these parts, came to ASC from a supervisory position at a local lumber yard. At that time our service department was experiencing some growing pains and we needed a pro to help us figure out how we could maintain a superior level of service as volumes increased. Ed was instrumental in developing and implementing systems in place today that enable us to move 160-180 cars through the lane every day, providing our customers with the accurate, efficient service they deserve.

Ed prides himself on taking his job seriously, but never forgetting to enjoy the work and the people he interacts with. "It doesn't matter if you're working here, or digging ditches" he says. "It's the way you do your job that matters". His approach has earned him the respect of his colleagues at all levels of the organization.

The way Ed does his job is mirrored in the way he lives his life. When his beloved wife fell ill, he stepped down to a less intense position at ASC in order to attend to her needs. She passed away in December, but Ed considers himself lucky to have the love and respect of 5 daughters, 11 grandchildren and "a whole bunch" of great-grandchildren. And speaking of luck, Ed also enjoys an occasional trip to Atlantic City as well.

We're proud to have him and hope the next time you stop into our service lane you'll find "Mr. Lucas" and say hello.

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Construction Challenges Inspire Commitment

We hate to admit it, but lately you may not have had the kind of service experience you've grown to expect from American Service Center. They say the first step toward fixing a problem is admitting you have one, so we want to say "Sorry" and let you know we are committed to ensuring that our challenges do not impact your experience.

If you visited our service department today, you'd see that we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of our new service addition - a process that has been a bit more disruptive than we anticipated. We apologize for any impact the process has had on giving you the fast, efficient and effective service you deserve when you bring your Mercedes-Benz to American Service Center. The walls and roof of our new addition are finally in place, framing what will become our new state-of-the art shop with 26 self contained stalls and access to the largest Mercedes-Benz parts department in the Mid-Atlantic. Our anticipated completion date is June 2005. Once the new shop is fully functional, we will begin renovations on our existing facility. The final result will be a 65-stall, single location facility that will allow us to meet and exceed your service expectations. In the meantime, our New Year's resolution is to make your next service experience a seamless one. Call for an appointment and bring your car in to American Service Center. We'll show you how committed we are to living up to our middle name.