QQQ

1. Driver knee airbag
2. Parktronic
3. Pre-Safe
4. Intelligent Lighting System
5. Rear side airbags
6. Multicontour front seats

I wish we get #4 stateside. BiX automatically powers up from 35W to 38W to increase range by 50m when car is above 55mph on highways. Driver can also select country road mode where the low beam dips and gives a wider cone to see more shoulder / ditch on unlit country roads.

ismeto

I think Driver knee airbag Standart in all C models. But the others are optional in every country .You are not sepecial , sorry

QQQ

No driver knee airbag in North America.

pmb600

I find it very disappointed out of all of these things that over the years Mercedes has taken out airbags and made them optional. What is that all about, Mercedes invented the airbag and they have always advocated saftey. Making a saftey thing like a rear side airbag optional does not fit the image.

Germancar1

Cost is likely the reason. I'm betting that after they hear it from customer they'll fix most of these issues for the 2009 model year. The lighting thing is the government, not Mercedes.

M

QQQ

I saw the marketing brochure in Canada and they removed rear side airbags as std to save costs as BMW does not offer same std.

Gov't definitely plays a part but if they approve Bi-X then don't see why they don't approve intelligent lighting system. #1 and #4 are not even in their E and S and bringing these to C out-equip the elder brothers and hurt their sales.

ismeto

TEAShea

OK with me. I would not want to pay for any of these.

TEASha

rocketchris

I drove a C350 today and the dealer had added it as a preinstalled 'dealer option'.

QQQ

that is not MB full parktronic. only audio warning and checks the back only. the full factory parktronic is like E there is a visual bar in front and back of car plus it checks front and back.

smoothbznf4n4tc

Keyless go is another option available in Canada and the rest of the world but unavailable in the U.S. (which is practically North America ). I think parktronic is available in Canada, no?

QQQ

full factory parktronic no, delaer installed rear audible warning yes.

Turbo2

How about full power seats? I think it's complete BS that we don't get full power seats like the ones that we're available on the W203.

Why would I buy a new car, for more money and less features then my current W203?

Doesn't make sense to me MBUSA!

QQQ

power seats standard on all W204, just not memory seats.

compared to W203, non-memory seats are not full power with manual adjustment for fore-aft, so still an improvement over W203.

smoothbznf4n4tc

I wonder if there is a reason for MBUSA doing this. Maybe to cut costs with the dollar depreciating and all. In addition consumer reports stupid report on how Mercedes Benz cars are unreliable and all, might have resulted in MBUSA deciding to reduce the amount of electronics in the USA at least for the first year. Or Mercedes just doesn't have the necessary technicians for the new technology but that seems implausible considering keyless go is available on other models. I think its retarded that Europe gets more options than we do. I also think Consumer Reports is retarded and biased and maybe a cause for this. Oh well! I guess I'll wait.

QQQ

that could be why 70% of US W204 will be made in SA to cut labor costs.

pmb600

Are you sure about this? I thought they only moved production of the C-Class coupe to Brazil?

Also right hand drive C-Classes have been produced in South Africa for years.

QQQ

http://www.daimlerchrysler.co.za/Por...=695&col=roomc

50,000 annual production most go to US.

RLE

<<I drove a C350 today and the dealer had added it as a preinstalled 'dealer option'>>

Probably available from JC Whitney for less money.

RLE

<<power seats standard on all W204, just not memory seats. compared to W203, non-memory seats are not full power with manual adjustment for fore-aft, so still an improvement over W203>>

This post is a bit confusing but if you are saying that W203's have manual fore/aft, you must be talking about the low end models because my '01 C320 is powered in all directions, with memory. And the 204 is the same without memory as we all have been *****ing about for weeks, now.

RLE

<<Why would I buy a new car, for more money and less features then my current W203? Doesn't make sense to me MBUSA!>>

My C300 with P2, Multi, metallic, and leather is going to be cheaper than my '01 C320. About $1600, in fact, and with more equipment. Well, except those memory seats and the rear door bags.

QQQ

Yes, C320 comes with memory but not std on all models.

pmb600

C300 and C320 are not correct comparsions. C300 is closed to a C240/C280 and C350 should be compared to W203 C350/C320.

pmb600

That's depressing, I don't want a Mercedes not built in Germany. The ones I saw at the dealer said they were built in Bremen. I wonder which ones they will build there and which they will build in Germany.

PUMes

I'd say paddle shifters. The Euro spec cars have them, we don't. I personally would like more control over the gears at my finger tips rather than on the floor console where the tranny lever is. I also wouldn't mind seeing the seat adjustments back near the door handle, I wouldn't die if they never came back, but still. It's only the first year so I'm not going to sweat it.