Is P2 worth the money?
 

Ok, need some opinions here....

I am seriously consider the P2 package for the 60/40 rear folding seats. I can see how this can be useful to help carry luggages and occational trips to IKEA....

The $1350 extra will also get me the headlight washer, rear sunshades (which I've read could be problematic: unpredicatble noises, broken switch...), directional foglights and bi-xeon headlights.....

Did anyone else throw in the money for p2? There isn't a stock on the dealer lot on the colors I want with p2, they would have to order.... worth the wait and money?

not sure...
 

I've only driven the P1, and own the P1, so can't say for sure. But to wait 8 weeks or more for a p2 seems not worth it. And the $1,350 seems not worth it. Directional fog lights, big whup. Headlight washers, again big whup. 60/40 folding seats, okay, worth something but how much? Bi-Xenon headlights? again, worth something, but how much. Guys with the xenon's will say they're nice, but the stock p1 lights aren't shabby (and better than any other "stock" light I've ever driven - but those were basic, non-luxury cars). For me, I'd get p2 if in stock and if the dealer was willing to bargain more due to the increased cost- even if end cost were more. In other words, I'd buy p2 at, for example, at 93% of sticker if p1 was 95% of sticker, or whatever the math works out to.

I personally don't think so, as $1300 more would have put me into a different price point, thus a different car (Acura MDX) (BMW 335i) perhaps looking at a base E350 lease etc.. but I was not willing to spend $40K for a C-Class I can justify the car as it is all day long for $36 but not a penny higher. Also it depends if the C is your families only vehicle? My wife and I also have a pickup on hand so when we need to haul something we take that.

-Ryan

I got the P2 and and glad that I did, mostly for the bi-xenons, the sunshade and the LED rear blinkers. The MB xenons are almost a total white and the visability with them is much improved over standard halogens and cheaper xenon lights that I've seen.

I was also deciding between the 18's and P2 since they were in the same neighborhood price-wise. When I decided that the tires on the 18's would not be a good investment I defaulted to P2.

p2 in canada includes bixenon headlights..led tails..pano roof..keyless go..multimedia package...memory seats and rear sunshade!

woo!

that is true, 40k is over board.... but this will be my only car. living in nyc, i will opt for the 4matic also... so p2, 4matic, and mm packpage will run over 40k.... I might just consider p1, 4matic and use my tomtom....

My situation was that I didn't want to wait much for a car and found one in their computer system that was mostly what I wanted. That's how I wound up with P2. I don't think I would have ordered it at the time if I were going to special order one.

The trunk really isn't that large, so the pass through from the trunk helps a lot. As another poster said, how much is that worth? I don't think its worth $1300, but I sure wouldn't want to be without it either.

Now if I were to be on the market again, given the trunk situation, I'd get the P2 package. Now if you can get the trunk pass through without the P2 package, that would be the way to go.

Yea, I truely wish MB had that option only, BMW has it for $600 I think.

Maybe I'll skip the MM and put that dollar to P2.....

P2 is worth it. Considering I really only wanted the xenon and rear sunshade. An aftermarket Xenon kit would cost ~500 and having the other options thrown in for 1300 isn't too bad. Thing to consider if its P2 vs. rims, you can always get a set of new rims and pop them on the car, but if you ever wanted the fold down seats and rear sunshade, you're out of luck after you but the car w/o it.

What dealer are you working with? I got my car right off dealer inventory with 4matic, P2, pano, and MM. They had a few ready to go in different configurations.

spoke to Helms brothers back in Nov... haven't been back since to check on inventory. maybe dealer was pulling a fast one?

My situation is similar as well...I got the Luxury, Pano, 4Matic, Sport Grill, P1 and MM because it would have taken months to order one with P2 and since I saved $1300, I put it into a rear spoiler, 30% tint and QuickPark. The rear fold seats would have been but oh well...maybe next time they will not put simple rear folding seats on the most expensive package....how about standard MB?? I think the Chevy Cavalier even had standard fold down :-)

Okay - have to comment here. Get the MM!! I cannot even imagine the new C300 without MM!! The features are wonderful and it really makes the car have good technology. Dont short yourself :-) Enjoy!

+1 for $300 Tom Tom I have one and it fit's perfectly in the radio display thing a ma-jig so you don't have to stick it on the glass. Also I take it everywhere we travel as a bonus. Also the W204 has the best non-HID lamps I've ever used, I don't miss the HID I had in the '04 TL versus the non-HID I have in the W204 I really though I would but the standard lighting on the W204 is more than adequate. In hindsight I would have gone HID/ 60/40 split or pass through rear seating if they were stand alone options. I don't need pano or MM though. I seriously don't have enough free time to sit and watch DVD's in the driveway, I would rather do it from the couch inside the house and I'm not an audiophile so even the primitive single din CD player in my '88 Carrera is perfect.

-Ryan

I originally ordered mine with 18" rims and no P2, but then after thinking about it I called them up and dropped the 18's and added P2. The only thing I really wanted out of the P2 was the headlights and the sun shade, but P2 seemed more sensible vs. the rims.

Absolutely true....especially where you live.

Are you saying that because he lives in snow/ice country or is it something else?

Snow & Ice...unless he wants to buy a second set of rims and tires for the winter...

Wrong. My aftermarket xenon kit was $160 shipped with lifetime warranty on BOTH the bulbs AND the ballasts. Not even OEM MB Xenon kit has a lifetime warranty on it. And it looks exactly like OEM if not better. They don't have glare or blind anybody either. A really straight cut off pattern w/ minimal scatter.

Since the only thing I wanted out of the P2 package was the xenon's.. paying less than 10% of the OEM price for an aftermarket kit just makes sense to me.

And even with the 17's, as part of my deal I had the dealer agree to install winter tires for me. Sounds like they'll help a bit and I can split the wear half the year on each set. Won't quite make up for the lack of 4matic, but...

And you put these on yourself and had issues that you had to modify and take to the dealer correct? (https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w204/221042-w204-aftermarket-hid-kit-install-issues.html)
For someone that's not DIY'ing it, add the labor to your $160. And are you voiding your MB warranty by messing with the lighting circuitry? Have you checked with MB on that?

now where is my hack saw.... 60/40 splits right? hmmmmm :p:

If we are talking about a no options car, just P2 then the price is going to be $38k and some change. Its $1350 more than a P1 car, so in those terms its really not that much more money. Problem I have with it is your really not gaining anything. The Xenon lights are a $900 dollar option on ML's, and they are curve illuminating headlights with corner illuminating fogs.(C class Xenons have stationary lights and only corner illuminating fog lights) The l.e.d. tail lights look good, but the only part thats l.e.d. is the turn signal, the rest is standard bulb. I'm sure the after market will pick up on this and offer a full l.e.d. tail light soon. That leaves the sunshade, which I had on a w203 and never used, and the fold down seats. I had fold down seats on other cars and will admit they come in handy when you need to haul something long, but come on, are you really going to use it enough to warrant $1350 dollars?

Also, over 40k for a C class is pushing my limit. I have grown to love my C300 Sport grey/black two tone interior, but put it in a 40k car and its starting to look a little cheap. Keep in mind that if your looking at a two wheel drive C that the money you spend on the P2 package would also pay for 4matic, if you live where you get bad weather.

I share some viewpoints of yours, that's why I am so indecisive on this. If I had money to blown, ya, sure. Since I don't and my "needs" is really bigger than my pocket so I am sitting on this dilema.... :smash:

Blame it on MB for the lack of options. Split seats was a $400 or so option for the w203. Frankly, I don't understand why MB decide to bundle such weird combination. Perhaps to save cost on their assembly line? oh wait, no, cause every region seems to get different options anyways.....

Well, they did get most of us to spend $1375 extra instead of $400 extra.

Just to repeat my response, the trunk isn't very large and you pretty much need the extra space for luggage. If you've got kids that will be sitting in the back, then you could always carefully lay your suitcases in the back seat and strap the kids to the roof.:naughty::naughty::naughty: