EKaru

Is there a good reason why we still had to pay $790 on top of the already steep sticker for Xenon headlights, which are standard on a $26K Acura TSX? For those of you who didn't get the Lighting pkg, why did opt not to get it?
Eric...

vdubpower

you got both audi and MB, nice post some pics, tell us about the differecens between them

EKaru

I guess you missed this thread...
https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c55-amg-w203/87952-poor-quality-photos-my-two-cars.html

DL_AMG

because they want to make more $...of course.
Actually some people prefer not to have Xenon since the brightness might blind you in extremly dark mt. road while driving. You basically can't see darker area once u used to Xenon's bright area. Your eye can't adjust fast enough for the unlighted area.

MBenzNL

FIRST OF ALL: mercedessses in the US are dead cheap compared to identical mercedesses in the rest of the world...so as far as the sticker price is to be concerned...it is FAR from steep!!!

SECONDLY: MBUSA wants to offer cars at low price...and in order to do so, they specify the base model (in this case the base C55) as cheap as they can by removing features as standard equipment and make those features optional equipment...something I myself find easy to understand.

THIRD: if an Acura is what you want, then that is what to get...regardless wether one car is twice as cheap as another...if it is something you don't want to be driving, any price is too expensive to start with...

greetingz,

cntlaw

You stated all my views, nothing much I need to say

BTW, local here was aslo thinking to set laws to control the beam angle of Bi-Xenon as many aftermarkets installation was not done to others safety.

EKaru

The reason I brought this up was because my wife's S4 came standard with bi-xenon headlights.. The S4 is also german (with inflated prices outside the US) and a direct competitor to the C55. On top of that Audi has included full maintence that even covers brake pads.... Mercedes has removed this program from the entire line-up... Now how cheap is that?
Eric....

MBenzNL

compared to the prices in europe...STILL dead cheap!

greetingz,

Karl G

As was stated before, if you want Audi, go Audi. The reason MB does all the things you said is because they can. If MB can take xenons off the standard features list, charge $800 for them, and still sell all their cars (if not more), they'll do it. If they can take away their paid maintenance program and still sell cars, they'll do it. MB is a business, they think like a business (even more so now than ever before). Any belief that MB is out there to be nice and friendly and give you what the other manufacturers give you simply because "they do it too" is simply untruthful. MB will continue to take advantage of its position as a premium brand, as will Porsche, BMW, and other high-end car manufacturers - they will charge when they can, for what they can, up until it starts hurting business.

05C55

I can't give you a good reason and not only is it not standard on the premium C55, it's not even standard on the S430! Thats nutz. In addition we only got them as part of package on our now dead and buried E500. They were standard on my 32K Honda S2000. I will say that the xenons on the Mercedes are substanstially better than either the Honda or our 745. How do they comapre to those on the S4?

noka

Anyone know if the MB xenons (on the C55) have a self-leveling system?

Rgds,
Norm

EKaru

I think the Xenons are brighter on the C55, though have you noticed that Audi Xenons tend to be more blue (purplish even)....
For those of you above who are making the comparison with non-US spec Benz cars, I know their standard equipment list pales in comparison to here.. Nearly every luxury item is optional elsewhere.... BUT... that is not my argument... The fact is that this IS America, so I'm only comparing the Benz cars to other luxury makes like Audi and Lexus who have Xenons as standard equipment. At least Doug (05C55) acknowledges that there's no excuse..
Eric....

http://www.topgear.com/content/featu...ishing_act/01/

Darba

Yes It really sucks that bi-xenon is not standard equipment. In Fact when I purchased my car I told the salesman that the only options I wanted where Nav, and Bi-xenon. He plain out lied to me and told me Bi-Xenon where standard. I believed him because I was taking a look at a 545/645/S4 and they all came with Xenon standard. Now I had to buy a set of bi-xenon headlamps for the C55 but I have not been able to install them. ALL the MB dealerships in Boston refuse to install them. I need to take them to a body shop to have them retrofitted.

setUout

hows you audi doing? any problems yet? i just had mine lemoned. missfire on cly #7 couldnt be fixed. i had an 04 nogarro with alcantara loaded. now im in a c55.

cntlaw

Check HK's C55 specification
C55 spec
Note that:-

1. B-Xenon is not a standard for all W203.
2. Bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light function is an option for all W203 except C55.

C55 's headlamp is not same as W203 but same as a CLK.
The CLK Bi-Xenon headlamp on my C55 comes as a 'standard' ( a 'gift' ) from the dealer so that I guess it then matches its AMG status among others W203 who might or might not have B-Xenon option.

What it mean, if you find your car has an 'option' included as 'standard, it does not mean this is the 'standard' of your country but an option give away by the dealer for market strategy/competition reason.

If you notice the on link, THERMATIC automatic climate control is in the STANDARD list. This is why it is not available as an OPTION for W203.

My 2 cents

MBenzNL

ALL factory installed (MB) (Bi)Xenons come with the auto levelling feature...

greetingz,

EKaru

The S4 is still new (only 2K miles) but so far all's going well.... I gotta knock on wood when I say this in regard to any German make....
Eric....

setUout

any mods done to it yet?......

EKaru

I have never done a mechanical or cosmetic modification of any kind to a car... Several years ago one of my friends had a Porsche 928 with a Calloway twin turbo conversion. The thing did 0-60 in 4 seconds, but it was in the shop constantly.. Doing mods just aren't my thing and I wouldn't want to face the possiblity of voiding the warranty.... About the S4, wan't the old B5 S4 much better for modifying being that it was a forced induced car?
Eric...

setUout

yeah i had a b6 s4 and a b5 s4 and a b5 a4. all of them were problematic.
my buddy has a b5 s4 thats around a mid 3 0-60 and mid to low 11;s in the quarter. but hes always working on it. always. as far as the c55 goes wheels and coilover kit for sure. then probably window tint. then who knows. for now the motor feels good as is.

Mr.PS

That makes no sense you cant see darker roads becuase of the brigher light.?You wont blind people with auto level bi-xenon's and when you turn on high beams the effect compared to halogen is uncomparible. 3200 Lumens concentrated and balanced by projectors cant be compared to 800 lumens a halogen bulb has. Thats why projectors where made so the light would have a cutoff and wouldnt blind un comming drivers while spreading the light evenly and better then any halogen reflector housing could.

I dont see why anyone wouldnt get HID headlights over the fact that there cheap or never been in a HID eqipped car.