We returned our leased B yesterday, a couple of days early of the period end. We were not using the car any more for commuting, due to the unusually cold conditions, and another snow storm was forecasted to hit our area in the final days, so it was more convenient to return it a bit early. We had turned down the offers from the dealership to perform early inspection at the dealership, but MBFS did send AutoVIN out to inspect the car a bit over a month before lease end. The experienced AutoVIN rep said that this was the first B that he had inspected. He spent about an hour, taking various photos and particularly spending a lot of time in the cabin with the vehicle remaining stationary. He scanned and notated the paint thickness in 11 locations. He noted chips in 2 locations and a 1" dent in one location. He measured tread thickness on all 4 tires. We used a set of substitute wheels and tire for about half of the accumulated miles in order to avoid wear that was in excess of allowable, and to enjoy better tire performance and noise levels during that usage. The AutoVIN rep used a laptop computer extensively, and I don't know if he accessed the OBD port, but it seems likely that he did. We accumulated 29,860 miles, which was short of our allotted 30,000, and which was also short of any required service requirements at 30,000 miles. I was concerned that some small cosmetic damages would be outside the scope of what was allowable. Previous to the inspection I spent over an hour using a commercial vacuum to remove bits of dog fur in the interior resultant of the sole time we used the B to bring our dog to the veterinarian. I also ran the car through an exterior wash. He provided me with a copy of his report at the completion of the inspection, asked me if we were going to get another, and pronounced our car to be "like brand new." I had read online, on other M-B forums, that the AutoVIN reps were extremely picky. From my experience, I would say that in my case he was very thorough, but that a picky person could have noted some condition problems that may, technically, be in excess of allowable damage. We always treated the vehicle as if the ending condition was important, and is if we were preparing to receive an attractive offer to purchase it at the end of the lease, meaning an offer that was an improvement over the option strike price and exercise fee stated in the lease agreement. Still, things can happen over a few years that even careful treatment doesn't prevent damages in excess of the stated terms to occur. I hope that our careful treatment and my concern for the presentation at the inspection were helpful in creating the nice outcome for ourselves during the turn-in process. Whatever the reasons, I did not find that I agree that the AutoVIN rep was picky or unfair at all. Upon visiting our dealership, we were asked for the 2 keys, to verbally agree that the manual had been placed in the glove compartment (it had,) and that the charge cable was in the boot (it was,) and that was that. We ended up interacting with a non-salesperson employee who, it happened, has been driving a leased B over a similar period whose term is up in March. We enjoyed comparing notes about what we liked, with many similarities, and the experience there was quick and painless. She was uncertain, but doubtful that our B would remain on the lot to be resold. She thought that she'd next try an E-class.
Our B's VIN is WDDVP9AB7EJ003748. If this one ends up under purchase consideration for anyone here, please feel free to reach out to ask any questions. At our lease end purchase option price of $22,517 plus $150 exercise fee, the decision to purchase was unfavorable for the usage we need it to cover. Other than that fact, there is nothing about this example that would make me object to having it in my possession!
On that note, I'll be checking in here still from time to time, and it's been nice being part of this community.
Thanks go out particularly to WTZOURIS and JEFFRAY for sharing their experiences and resources.
