PHYBENZ

Doubtful, the GLK will be here instead of the estate.

blastit

i think that he just hates the americans

JK

wmhjr

Sure, it makes (no) sense. Take a look at annual sales numbers of US compared to Canada and try to explain why that would be the case.

Bottom line is that if there's some sense to it, it isn't apparent to anyone. Seems to make about as much sense as the fact that the $2K incentive money for the E in January was eliminated in Feb. So, an '08 E (last year for the model) effectively has a price increase at the exact time when dealers have a lot of inventory and when they ought to be incenting it. That was the great news I got yesterday evening when I called to discuss final details of buying an E. So, lack of required options kills the C for me. I look at the E but then they kill the incentive. I won't go to an S, so now it seems as though MB is doing everything they can to push me to another brand. Since it's only a week and a half until March 3rd (when the next incentives for March are announced) I'll wait until then. If the purchase incentive for the E is still gone, I'm buying the Infinity.

wmhjr

C63 will be in the US. I meant I didn't know if you'd be able to get things like memory seats in the US C63.

MBTex

Rumor is no Mem seats or Keyless Go for the C63 in MY09. Also no advanced performance package option.

Basically the first year's C63 is going to be nothing more than a soup'd up C350.

Insert collective groans from US buyers on the AMG forum here.

goatehall

How about with the IPOD integration kit being able to control the IPOD with the command system as opposed to having to use the small screen in the dash

QQQ

+1, soup'd up version with mem seats and keyless go available in Canada.

vantage78

Agreed. I think the new 305hp V6 is coming out soon, not just for the C-Class, but other models that use the 3.5L V6. SL (in Europe) and SLK are already getting this new V6, makes sense for the other models.

wmhjr

I would most definitely not count on this. Was at my dealer yesterday, and absolutely no rumours about this. My dealers comment was that they are able to sell MB cars in spite of MB management and marketing. They're in many cases more upset about the US lack of options than we are. Plus, remember that we currently can't even get the C350 4Matic - while everyone else can. There is no relationship whatsoever between what the rest of the world gets and what we get in the US. Hope it's true, but I have no faith that it is.

Germancar1

Well the dealer is the last place to find about upcoming vehicles and changes. They either don't know (usually) or don't want to tell because they want to sell you a car now, not next model year.

When a new engine debuts it always finds its way throughout the lineup. At a miminum you can expect to see the SLK350's new V6 in the C350 and CLK320, maybe even the E350. Engine changes have nothing with with whether or not we get 4Matic or memory seats.

The new for 2005 SLK350 debuted the new DOHC 3.5L V6 and for the 2006 model year every other "320" Mercedes became a "350" with the new engine. That said the only thing different this time is that the SLK350's V6 is a faster running/spinning engine more suited to the roadster than say it is the C350 or ML350. They might detune it slightly for the 2009 C350, but you can almost without a doubt expect some kind of engine change for the 2009 C350.

M

nyca

The reason why keyless go isn't in the US C cars is well known - it's not a reliable feature, and americans do tend to complain alot, so in order to avoid hitting the car in owner quality surveys - they delete potentially low reliability features early in the product life cycle. But a memory seat, where you push a "1" or a "2" button to have the seat move to that position - the technology behind that is surely perfected.

Jon935

+1 the dealers know or tell nothing!

PoaMike

So explain to me the reason keyless go is in older MB and also in most Jap. cars for less then half the price of a MB? Not flaming or ranting Im just bringing that up. We all know MB hates to give things away because it would be "cool"

nyca

the Japanese have far better electronics in terms of reliability, then euro or american automakers.

yes, keyless go is in older MB models. and they must have collected statistics on its failure rate - that's a big reason why it isn't in the C.

Germancar1

I might have believed this a few years ago, but the ultra-reliable W221 has Keyless Go and there have been no problems with it so IMO, this excuse doesn't fly anymore. KG was left off due to cost reasons, not reliability. Same thing with memory seats. Keyless go has been around since the 2001 model year S-Class so surely it shouldn't be still causing problems now.

M

wmhjr

Sorry, but I do not agree. We may suspect that it's quality related, but we don't know that. And frankly, newer keyless go to my knowledge has had no worse reliability issues than any other feature. The fact that it's not just keyless go, but is also memory seats - seems to indicate that it is strictly marketing related. Furthermore, the fact that the C has power folding mirrors but does NOT have turn down mirrors is obvious proof that this is not a "reliability" or "quality" issue.

It's what I continue to call arrogant marketing.

MB-JIM

I saw at least 20 C63 models this morning in Paradise Valley, Arizona where they must be having a press presentation. All of them had seat memory. Since these are cars that will probably be photographed by US press, I have to assume that our cars will have the seat memory.

blastit

the things the OEM do are crazy. i agree that the american market is 10 times what the canadian market is in terms of sales. But lets be honest different country or not you spend a dollar there the same way we spend a looney here and at the end of the Day MB head office sees the results. so if they were so worried about brand integrity there would be standard pricing world wide.

blastit

wmhjr - just wanted to let you know that when i spoke with my dealer about the tilting mirrors, he informed that there maybe something that they can do at the dealership to reprogram the computer so the mirrors will tilt. they will not know until the car arrives. i will let you guys know how it turns out come april. as that is my pick up date.

nyca

I'm just not buying this idea that MBUSA marketing thinks someone is going to "get an E or an S instead" just to get keyless go. They must have made a decision that including it in the C, for what it would cost them to reliably engineer and integrate it, and what they would have to charge for that option, not enough C buyers would order it to make the business case. In the E or S segment - the equation is different because the car costs more and the buyers are demographically wealthier and less sensitive to 4 figure $$$ options.

Jon935

i agree, you can get this type of technology in a prius or a altima, that being said, people move up in class for size and power, not much else

wmhjr

Sorry, but again it seems to be BS. If you can get options in Canada or Europe (such as memory seats) but not in the US, it clearly is NOT because of the cost of engineering and integrating it. That part is completely done - sunk cost. So the only thing MB is not doing is making that investment available in the US.

To be clear, if you live in northern NY you can't get keyless go, memory seat, the C350 4Matic, etc.

If you move a few miles north, you can magically get the C350 4Matic, memory seats, keyless go.

So how exactly is this even remotely related to engineering or integration? Is there some magical mystical electrical field that only exists in the US which prevents this technology from working?

Or are the MB marketing folks for the US simply arrogant? A lot of buyers in the US (and people on this site apparently) aren't aware that all these options are available on the same exact vehicle everywhere outside of the US. I think if they were aware, there would be a far more significant backlash and just maybe MB would get the message.

MB-JIM

Very well put wmhjr. We are being treated like second class citizens by MBUSA. If the 2009 W204's in the US still lack these options, which are available on competitor's cars, I will for the first time in many years, be forced to look elsewhere for my next car. How sad.

MB_FTW

I already have a C300 Luxury, but there are some things that I think MB should put in the '09 or '10 C-Classes

1. Memory Seats. I like many of you thought that I could live without them, but it is a pain in the a$$ having to adjust it after my wife drives it.

2. Keyless go. So many cars have it now that it shouldn't be considered "luxury"

3. LED Taillights. 'Cause they look awesome.

Just what I think, at least.

Jon935

yea same here, i was going to trade out of my lease early, but i am forcing myself to wait for my09... i cant imagine not knowing exactly what the 09 will offer by august, but if they are lacking in feature, i might just opt for a jap car