shortbear

This is rediculous. Who the hell listens to cassettes anymore. I can't believe I have to spend an extra $700+ just to listen to my CDs.

avlis

You're right. Same goes for all the other Euro options/features that aren't available here. But look how many people still buy the cars anyway. You'd be laughing all the way to the bank too if you could shaft thousands of foriegners (read *americans*) out of a few hundred dollars per car.

You can listen to CDs for a lot less than $700. Search the forum.

davezaristo

Because they are smart business ppl in which you are naturally forced to spend a few hunderd more...and that translates to a huge amount of extra profit each yr considering how many cars they sell...

Also, they can brag about their "retro" standard equipment that no other car offers in modern days.... makes you feel special..lol

Jim Banville

You don't! You can get either a CD changer for $400 or a (better sounding) euro-spec Becker Audio10 in-dash single disc CD player/radio for $200. Either way, LOTS of people still use cassettes. I see rows and rows of cassettes in record stores all the time. Books on tape are also very popular. If the idea on MB's part was simply "let's make them spend more for CD", then they would not include a standard CD player in ANY of their cars.

Nola

You'll get some insight here...

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...threadid=11209

Harris

I agree that they want to maximize the profit, but perhaps another reason is a lot of MB owners (especially E and S class owners) are fairly old. They might still keep some tapes at home. It will be handy if their cars have a cassette deck.

young

i'm not quite sure, but i don't remember seeing any cassette sections at music stores anymore. like best buy, tower records (ironic name), target, sam goody's, etc. does amazon sell music on cassettes?

do you mean blank cassettes?

Buellwinkle

It's just the German's way of punishing the U.S. war mongers for attacking Iraq and their friend Hussein. They are probably on the floor laughing their buts off when they install the cassette radio on U.S. cars. I'm pretty sure they sabotage each and every car going to the U.S. How else would you explain that these are reliable everyday taxi cabs in Europe but fall apart in the U.S. in the hands of consumers?

MBenzNL

Believe me...Germans really couldn't care less how they have to assemble a car for whatever country. It is MBUSA who makes up the specs on how to get the cars delivered from factory, NOT MB GERMANY!

nevertheless...I think MB thought about the occasional euro dude that is trying to make some money on their products...reminding me to note here that I have quiet some OEM MB radio CD units available...

greetingz,

c230 sport

If MB can find an in dash 8-track player, they will install them in all US-spec. vehicle!!! We are lucky that they couldn't find a German supplier that still make those stupid stick for hood-support like G-35 did.

vadim

Are you trying to say that being old they won't spend some peanut money to buy their favorite music on CDs, having already shelled out some 100K on their S class???

Harris

It is not the matter of whether they have money or not. Its just I know some of my parents friends still have their favorite songs on tapes. Some older generation people dont like to push too many buttons.

trench

My friend's grandparents bought a Land Rover with a CD-changer. You should have seen how excited they were to buy their first CD to put in it. I'm pretty sure that my dad doesn't own a single CD either. Some people just don't care about music, or are fine listening to the radio.

Cheers, BT

oggle

Audio is the one area I have a gripe with. Here we are in 2003. Honda Accords come with voice-activated DVD nagivation systems. What do we get? El cheapo slow-*** CD-based GPS with no touch screen, no DVD, no voice-activation.

And then there's the lame old cassette player. I haven't touched a single cassette tape in like years and they're still delivering decks with that crap. Meanwhile my friend's Civic EX comes with a CD player.

MB needs to shape up and shape up fast!

MarkTown

I was told what seems plausable - That Mercedes makes long term deals on audio to keep the price down for them. This worked out well for them prior to the 90's when technology was slow to change. With CD & NAV technology they have been caught asleep at the wheel. If you want to read some scathing posts regarding this - check the e-class debocle regarding non-available Command after they have already prepaid.

Jim Banville

Why does MB bother to include a standard CD player in the E, S, SL, CL and G classes (more than 50% of it's US line)? Surely MB feels that the people who can afford the upper half of thier line can afford to add an optional CD player.

CRB

What is the average age of MB owners? I think that this is a good point.


People who really care about music won't be listening to OE systems very long anyway.

mleskovar

FYI...CDs are at the low end of sound reproduction quality. Casettes are useful for self editing sound bites and making compilations from different sources. CDs are 'easy', but not necessarily better. The reason the industry went to CDs is because they are cheaper to reproduce and they can make more money...not for sound quality. You all sound like a bunch of snotty arrogant kids more interested in 'flash' than substance :-) Casette decks add little to the cost of the radio and offer more listening choices....like you have in your home. If you don't like it, don't use and stop whining.

vadim

Civic... I rented a Fiat Punto in London 3 months ago, it came with an in-dash CD player and RDS-enabled radio. That car was so small - I could reach the tailgate from the driver's seat. Compared to it, a Civic looks like a spacious family sedan.

vadim

Civic... I rented a Fiat Punto in London 3 months ago, it came with an in-dash CD player and RDS-enabled radio. That car was so small - I could reach the tailgate from the driver's seat. Compared to it, a Civic looks like a spacious family sedan.

oggle

Bicycles are good too in a world of cars. After all, you get free excersize out of it.

davezaristo

MB surely needs to hire some japanese engineer from denso to re-structure their gadget dept...as someone mentioned earlier, even 03 honda accord has voice activated dvd gps and mb is still trying to work out the kink on how to put a dvd gps in the new e-class..what a shame!!!

Once i am bored with the slk, i think i may go back to lexus and pick up the sc430...but don't get me wrong, i still think that the new SL is the best of the best becuz of its killer look!!! But a broke a$$ like me just can't afford one...:o

Blueice

Change ur HU to audio 10 =) sounds better and a cd HU

taylor192

The thread soeone linked in is exactly why.

More successful people drive a Benz (they cost more, obviously you are doing something better in life), and one of the things I just read was "Leaders are Readers". Successful people tend to read more, and one of the advantages of a cassette player is getting books on tape, or seminars/conferences, ect... so the tape player may remain the standard for a few years to come.

young

and we're good lookin' too!