Should I go loaded or Basic...Options...
 

I'm about to do a trade my RX for a brand new C-Class.

I'm having a hard time picking which option to go with...

I want PII, MM, Pano, & AMG Wheel. But it's just to much and I have to compromise a bit.

What are the must options I should get...the ones that I will regret if I don't get...

Right now...I'm thinking MM (Nav) is a must...what about the other stuff?

Oh...and does MB have good resale value? I'm coming from Lexus and it can help my decision.


Thanks in advance...

Hook'em

Get the MM..but not for the NAV..it is just OK...my Garmin was better.

BUT..the Harmon Kardon sound system is KICK ARSE..and the ipod adapter is sweet. Pano roof is a novelty at best....you cant see the rear sunroof from the drivers seat. I like the AMG wheels I went with....

My Opinion...if you DONT get the MM..you WILL kick yourself later.

In my opinion, I would suggest you get the P2, MM and Pano as they are cool options. Mine has P2 and MM and I thought that I should've gotten the Pano when I got it. I'm pretty sure you wont' regret getting the Pano. As for the 18" AMG wheels, you can get them later on if you want. :)

Yeah I had the same prblm as you, I wanted 4matic, MM, P2, Pano, and iPod. This came out to around loaded C350/basic E350 range(without warranty, taxes, tags, processing fee), which was way too much. I ended up getting rid of the Pano roof and the iPod adapter. Then I changed the P2 to a P1. It came out to just over 40k (with taxes, processing fee, warranty, and tags).

B/c in my opinion, you don't need the iPod with the 4GB HDD, 6 Disc Changer (with MP3 CD support), and the PCMIA slot. Also, the P2 was more of stuff that you really don't need (bi-Xenon headlamps, sun shade, folding rear seats) instead of practical and useful stuff of the P1(Heated Seats, Rain Sensing wipers, garage door opener).

One thing you can do to save about $700 is skip the extra cost paints. I would skip the pano sunroof. Next, go with the stock wheels. You can always swap out the wheels in a couple years, if you still want to.:zoom:

I currently have HID on my Lexus but I'm thinking about skipping PII. It's been awhile since I had the non-zenon so how does the stock headlights fair on the C300?

Just ask yourself the question -

Will I regret not getting what I wanted or regret spending too much for what I wanted?

I always find myself regretting not getting what I wanted rather than how much I spent.

Good luck.

The only thing I would regret is the NAV. But I just want to get some feedback from happy owners that can help my decision.

i say get it all...what's another 1-2000 if it's going to make you wonder if you sold yourself short every time you hop into your car! id rather be upset by getting too much rather than too little.

i got ipod....well, it sucks - end of story. but if i didnt get it, everyday, id be thinking, maybe i should have got it...EVERY DAY lol

Get European delivery, and you can get every single option nearly for free.

means ! Harmon Kardon sound system is good or not ? worth it ?

they are not useful for me :nix:

6 disc changer
NAV
Heating / cooling seats


think twice :confused:
pano and AMG wheel ! not sure worth it pano and standart whell is good also

good choise :y

Buy the basic car with no options as it is a great car & will get you from A to B in comfort , style & safety. Then invest what you have saved by not optioning up, into the stock market ,then be in the position to purchase an S Class in a few years.Sorry Lee !!!!!

At the end of the day it all comes down to personal preferences. I find the stock sound system more than adequate for my needs. I think the nav is a must but that is my opinion and it does help resale value in UK. AMG's look much better than stock wheels, again IMO. Pano roof is something again that I like but hey to each his own.

Go for what you want/can afford

Decisions,Decisions:nix:

I purchased the C300 with P1 (rain sensing wipers, heated seats etc) with stock split spoke wheels. I thought the pano roof was a novelty (I don't even open the sunshade on the sunroof) and every other option was going to put me at a 3 month delivery time (I needed a new car like NOW). First thing I did was add the Ipod adapter (but I'm an Ipod freak). Its OK- would be better if it displayed through the audio screen. I did not get the multi-media because I was afraid of the pop-up screen (something motorized to break in the future) but now I regret it. Too many great features on it and stock stereo is OK. I am also shopping for new wheels (estimated cost $3000). I could have upgraded to the beautiful 18" AMG's for $1000 at time of purchase. :smash:
Just remember to negotiate strongly. Dealerships are not selling as many cars as they need to and should be very willing to cut a deal. Be firm and get what you want.

IMO I agree that the "pano" roof is a novelty and I won't use it either. Even standard sunroofs are a waste to me now. But I have the full glass roof on my current car that I am trading in and not having the extra roof paint to keep looking nice is a bonus.

With standard sunroofs you always have that rubber trim that collects wax and needs cleaning or otherwise looks crappy along with more paint to chip and maintain. If you detail your cars a lot you will enjoy not having the extra work of the roof to wax. The full glass is easy maintenance and makes the rest of the cars color "pop" as well.

So in the end there are benefits to justify the extra cost.

This is true. The dealer I am dealing with is willing to come off the sticker an extra $1,000 to buy a loaded car off their lot instead of them finding me a car with less options.

I really didn't think the P2 was necessary, and I don't like headlight washers. A folding rear seat should be standard:confused:.

Don't know about the prices in USA but here in Australia the W204 option prices are a lot better than any previous MB models. For this reason I'm getting all the options I like on my new C220CDi. When I bought my CLK, the options were double the price and I could not get myself to pay $7000 for sat-nav.

You lucky Americans get such a great price for the car.... !

There has to be some type of relativity. We "seem" to get great prices but that's because our dollar sucks. I'm in the high end middle class income level and the price of a C-Class is in the very high end of what I feel comfortable paying for a car and I am a car enthusiast who is willing to stretch his budget.

If the car were a lot more like you guys mention in other countries I doubt most of us in the US could afford it which makes no sense. As I said I am in the upper middle class and this car is is Mercedes entry level car. Something doesn't add up.

Sorry about your currency... I recently went to USA for a holiday and for the first time, things seemed so much cheaper than ever before!!!

One of my pleasures when visiting USA is looking at the cars. Such a huge range!

If you have to choose between P2 and MM I'd get the MM. Everyone is impressed with my car and likes the look of it, but it is the MM screen popping up when I turn the car on that makes them say...aaahhhh, that's nice. Plus I use the voice control almost all of the time still.

P2 is great, but not better than the MM. If you are getting the 300 you will almost definately want new rims as well. If you are thinking 350, it will come with AMG rims standard.

Hook 'em!

+1000
I got P2, MM and Pano and REALLY REALLY regret not getting the 18's, as I am having the hardest time finding a good deal on other wheels.

MM and AMG wheels are a must

Do not get a C class fully loaded! On the other hand don't get a base model either! If you get a fully loaded C class you must be purely insane, this C class is not a $40k+ car in terms of fit, finish, and materials used. If you feel the need to drop that much cash wait a year and go with the new E class, you will thank me. On the other hand the C is a great car for the mid $30k range, but don't get a base car as it will kill you on resale value. MB have great resale when you get a car with popular options (sunroof, auto trans, heated seats) but if you have a base model car you tend to lose money on them, found that out the hard way once.

My thoughts are if you want a C class go with P1 and MM if your in need of navigation. The stock stereo system plays mp3 encoded disks you can burn at home off your computer, so an ipod adapter is useless for some. The pano roof is an awesome option if you can afford it, but I'm not so sure its a liveable option, meaning I'm not sure I would want it there all the time but its fun to have on occation lol. The 18'' AMG wheel package (offered only on rear drive C300 Sport and C350) is a steal at $1000 bucks but be aware that there isnt much side wall to those tires and if you live anywhere with potholes you will be replacing rims quite often. The stock wheels on both the C300 Sport and C350 look great in my opinion.

A sports c-300 is a must! I have a p2 and pano. P2 is also a must if you love bright bi-xenon headlamps. Pano, i don't care too much for, it's only cool for the back passengers.