oblu

My wife got in to drive the other day for the first time and automatically asks me, 'should I use mem position 2 or 3'? I turn to her with a smile and go, 'uh, neither, there's no memory for the seats'.

She looked at me for a second in disbelief and then replies, 'what kind of ghetto *** car is this?'

My thoughts exactly. Each time I see the commercial with them sitting on the door frame I'm reminded of how disconnected Mercedes is from their customers.

mpx220

Time to upgrade to one that has memory seats!

NO_WUR_E

Kind of like the phone setup for me:

People always mention that it's cool that I have a phone keypad on the center console. Have to tell them, that it's just for my preset stations and there isn't a phone hooked up in the car.

QQQ

Tell her Europeans and Canadians stole them.

AsianML

Your wife is awesome if she really did reply that way.

G.Man

You can include Australia as well but it will cost $2500 for the option, I paid $80100 for my C200K and for that sort of dollars it should be standard. My wife alway complains every time she gets in the car after me as it takes her 5 to 10 minuets to get the seat right. I should have paid the $2500 for the peace.

Stiggs

Yeah....no memory seats in a Benz is retarded.

Stiggs

Bluetooth is pretty cool.

peabers

Thought I read somewhere that memory seats is available on the C in the U.S. but has a delayed introduction. Guess the question is how long do you wait before you order. As QQQ implied, it's standard equipment here in Canada on the C350 and C350 4MATIC.

Dema

E class has 3 positions memory for both seats. If you want a cheaper car, then you can expect that something is missed. I prefer pay less than have memory seats.

TchrzBenz

I agree that you pretty much get what you pay for but when you buy a Mercedes, one would expect to get all the perks when buying a luxury car. It's just too bad that some Benz vehicles don't have them.

Dema

Maybe Mercedes was concerned about well selling upscaled models. Just imagine that C class has the same features set as S class, besides of size. If I do not care about status symbol, then I'd buy C. Many people can think the same way.

ZedStyle

so memory seats is a tactic to keep people buying the more expensive models?!? yes, that would definitely make me pay 20 grand more to upgrade to an E. I hear the 2008 e-class will have manual roll-up windows, so people keep buying the s class.
at 30k+, something like memory seats should be standard, that's not even a 'luxury' option any more, its standard on almost any new car with power seats, let alone 'luxury' cars. even my co-worker's nissan versa has push-button start.

Stiggs

Sometimes I just don't understand what Mercedes is thinking.

JimPap

Why bother with memory seats. Just buy your significant other her/his own MB. You don't really want to share yours anyway, do you?

imboom

I fully understand why theres alot of commotion of having no memory seats in the C class. They should have done it but I am the only driver of the car so I don't really care.

chilledbenz

Memory seats wasn't standard on the outgoing C Class either, so you can't really expect miracles. Example...look how long it took them to finally put a CD player in the C Class!

Philip LeBlanc

My wife's C320 has memory seats on both sides. As I recall, they were standard on the C320 but perhaps not on the C230 or C240. This missing feature is one of the biggest reasons I have not purchased a new C350 for my wife... the other reason is that she absolutely loves her current car more than any car we have ever owned in the past. It is insulting that MBUSA seems to think Americans are not smart enough to notice this missing feature. How much can the necessary equipment upgrades cost them especially if present in almost all other markets? Cost per unit would likely drop more if they would have just made it standard across the board.

oblu

In the grand scheme of things, it's really not a big deal. But it does really leave a bad taste in the mouth, and feel a lot like petty cost cutting for corporate profit.

Which I kind of knew getting into it that that's Merc's M.O. anyway (eg no cd player in W203 ... friend had one and complained bitterly that he had to buy one on ebay.de)

If I remember right, even the malibu that we rented on vacation had memory seats.

Point is, we just have to keep complaining loud enough so that somebody might take notice.

Dema

I think MB marketing people are smart. They did this decision having more information than we are. Mercedes is a status symbol, so even optionlesss Mercedes will mean much more than a Nissan loaded with all imaginable options.

If your budget is tough, then buy Nissan. If you want Mercedes, then prepare pay more.

Note that country with less wealthy people got C class loaded with more options. You may think why. the answer is simple, S or even E class are not reachable there, so buying C in Australia is pretty much the same as buying S in US.

schoon157

I've got a 2001 C320 and am looking to make a switch next summer and like the new C350, but MB really seems to have "de-valued" the C.

In 2001 memory seats and tele-aid were standard, now you can't get memory seats and tele-aid is an option you have to pay for.

Really doesn't seem to make much sense to me, but someone at MB must have data that says entry level MB buyers will overlook this stuff. I could see limiting options if we still had the C coupe or whatever the really inexpensive hatchback was called, but limiting on the sedan and your highest trim version of that model just makes no sense.

MBZman

Real Leather, memory power seats, tele-aid & bluetooth connectivity should be standard equipment on every MB in the U.S. Keyless go and navagation should be options.

I've read numerious articles regarding Dr. Z's quest to repair MB's image. The image of MB to me is that of unparalleled vault like quality, image, & style. Basically the best production car money can buy. Why then would MB take one of their trademarks (seat controls on the door panel) and move it to the side of the seat on the C & their suv's? It may not seem like much but it's the little things that make a Mercedes-Benz a Mercedes-Benz. I'm not yet convinced Dr. Z fully understands this.

MB-JIM

i agree that MBUSA people don't really understand how to position their cars in the "Luxury" markeplace. I'm one of those with an 06 C350 that I really love and would like to add a W204 C350 Luxury Model. As it is, I simply won't give up seat memory that I have enjoyed in many MB's over the years nor am I willing to go down to a 300 once I have enjoyed the fine performance of the 350. I'm sure that the major market in the US is for the Sports model but that is not for me. My CLK 430 with staggered wheels convinced me that I preferred comfort over sportiness.
I also wish that they would quit calling the C Class as an "entry level" car. To me, it's just a different size MB that should not eliminate something like memory. I switched from an 06 E350 to my 06 C350 because I preferred the size and handling of the C Class. For some of us the C Class is a "Destination" car not an "Entry Level" model.
Let's hope the 09 Luxury model includes the things that will make it a "Luxury" car.