View Poll Results: 70% of US W204 will come from South Africa... does it change your buying decision?
Voters: 114. You may not vote on this poll
Germany vs. South Africa...
08-27-2007, 10:42 PM
#27
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The engines are built in Germany.
This is important to Mercedes as stated last summer by speaker at MBCA 50th anniversary tour.
This speaker pointed out that there are ZERO Audi engines built in Germany.
BTW, the window sticker will tell where car is assembled.
This is important to Mercedes as stated last summer by speaker at MBCA 50th anniversary tour.
This speaker pointed out that there are ZERO Audi engines built in Germany.
BTW, the window sticker will tell where car is assembled.
08-27-2007, 10:50 PM
#28
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'08 C300 Lux Barolo Red Beige Leather P2 MM 18" wheels '84 944
Build location
<<BTW, the window sticker will tell where car is assembled.>>
As will the VIN.
As will the VIN.
08-29-2007, 09:16 PM
#31
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Mercedes-Benz
W203s, NONE came from SA. Some C230s came from Brazil. I could tell just by the smell of the car, no joke.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
08-30-2007, 08:42 AM
#32
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C200TCDI Sports Edition
which is even more bizzar considering they (SA) drive on the same side of the road (as Aussie), and I've been told even more unusal is the situation in NZ where the cars come from SA,you would think the importers forboth countries would source poroduct from the same place.
The Boxter is made by Valmet in Finland.
08-30-2007, 11:19 AM
#33
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C230
A large % of US cars will come from SA....count on it.
W203s, NONE came from SA. Some C230s came from Brazil. I could tell just by the smell of the car, no joke.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
08-30-2007, 11:29 AM
#34
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I guess when we pick our C300 Sport 4Matic up at the factory in April we'll know for sure it didn't come from SA! 
- Peter
- Peter
08-30-2007, 03:50 PM
#35
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MY2001 C320
W203s, NONE came from SA. Some C230s came from Brazil. I could tell just by the smell of the car, no joke.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
I don't think MB will ship SA cars to the USA, they didnt for the 203, why would they for the 204.
That said I had an SA built 3 series, and it was crap. Had approximately $12k worth of warranty work. The factory put Euro spec UK xenons in my car, took weeks for BMW to believe me and swap em out under warranty. I think my car had AIDS.
Not only will quality control be worse but the German plants will get all the latest and greatest engineering changes and equipment upgrades before south africa. Wouldn't you rather have a car from the plant that has the most people, time and money invested into it? I won't take another car from SA.
Edit: Look at the track record of MBUSI. Horrible quality outflows in until like 2004. Still there quality is lower than that of German plants.
08-30-2007, 06:13 PM
#36
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MY2001 C320
W204 may be "Made in China" in future
Argggh, W204 may be built in the new plant at Beijing, China.
http://www.ae-plus.com/Key%20topics/kt-vdh-news52.htm
I guess those who accept a SA built car (see list below) are also amenable to a "Made in China" MB?
am2121, amg07, Chi-Benz, dion, Germancar1, iolithblue, Jason.Bare, Joey_G_1975, johff, KiwiRobbie, KmanianC, kunz, MB Fanatic, MB-JIM, MBTex, MercedesFTW, mlew12, mtl_C350w4, nintendo_fan, Peyton, PUMes, Rimbaud, RLE, ScottW911, SoCal208, stephensong, thaihula, Tomek, Txhurdle
http://www.ae-plus.com/Key%20topics/kt-vdh-news52.htm
I guess those who accept a SA built car (see list below) are also amenable to a "Made in China" MB?
am2121, amg07, Chi-Benz, dion, Germancar1, iolithblue, Jason.Bare, Joey_G_1975, johff, KiwiRobbie, KmanianC, kunz, MB Fanatic, MB-JIM, MBTex, MercedesFTW, mlew12, mtl_C350w4, nintendo_fan, Peyton, PUMes, Rimbaud, RLE, ScottW911, SoCal208, stephensong, thaihula, Tomek, Txhurdle
09-02-2007, 02:15 PM
#39
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Moin Moin!
My englisch is not so good-Sorry! I work in the DC Factory in Bremen at the new C-Class W/S 204! At time we build very much US-Cars!!! I think so 60% of the day production are US-Version! Sindelfingen bulid more C-Class from the european markt!
You can see in the Engine-room on a black Barcode, who your car is build!
For Bremen the 67
For Sindelfingen the 50 on the Barcode!!
JaWa-Fahrer1983
My englisch is not so good-Sorry! I work in the DC Factory in Bremen at the new C-Class W/S 204! At time we build very much US-Cars!!! I think so 60% of the day production are US-Version! Sindelfingen bulid more C-Class from the european markt!
You can see in the Engine-room on a black Barcode, who your car is build!
For Bremen the 67
For Sindelfingen the 50 on the Barcode!!
JaWa-Fahrer1983
09-03-2007, 12:37 PM
#41
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Black Bimmer
It's called globalization. Regardless what we, enthusiasts, think. The executives love it for cutting cost down and selling cars even more expensive.
I got my car built in Germany, fortunately
I got my car built in Germany, fortunately
09-03-2007, 04:08 PM
#42
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540 6spd
No time to read this whole thread right now..... but!!.....
As a South African I can tell you that those cars are built to the same standards as the German ones would be. South Africans are fanatical about cars, espeically Mercedes. I'm biased, but I'd have no problem buying a car built in South Africa.
fwiw, Gordon Murray is South African.
As a South African I can tell you that those cars are built to the same standards as the German ones would be. South Africans are fanatical about cars, espeically Mercedes. I'm biased, but I'd have no problem buying a car built in South Africa.
fwiw, Gordon Murray is South African.
09-04-2007, 11:23 AM
#44
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1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
W126 and C126
Were they not building w126's (560SEL, 420SEL) back in the 80's through 92 or so, in Africa?
Bruce
BENZITCH
PS To where did those cars get exported, I wonder?
Bruce
BENZITCH
PS To where did those cars get exported, I wonder?
09-07-2007, 01:56 PM
#47
south africa has been assembling cars for decades, and even now importing cars is basically not an option. i have seen more bmws, audis, jags, or benzes on the road percentage-wise in south africa than anywhere else (except maybe germany), and all assembled there. seeing as almost everything on these cars is assembled by robots, it doesn't actually matter.
SA was the only country outside of germany at one point licensed to build mb engines.
germany vs SA though, i would choose germany, for no reason other than i would prefer my german car to come from germany. if the question was USA vs SA, i would pick SA. basically to me GER>SA>USA as to where i would like my car built. imo.
SA was the only country outside of germany at one point licensed to build mb engines.
germany vs SA though, i would choose germany, for no reason other than i would prefer my german car to come from germany. if the question was USA vs SA, i would pick SA. basically to me GER>SA>USA as to where i would like my car built. imo.
10-02-2007, 02:36 PM
#50
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2008 C350
