E500King

If the navigation system can be retrofitted, this shouldn't be too difficult to do...

DWP

Drop an E-mail to MBenzNL (Steve) or check his web site, MBenzNL.com. I get the impression that he can retrofit anything to anything, given appropriate compensation. Your car also has to be somplace where he is, of course.

benzmodz

When the director of "Raise the Titanic" was asked to comment on the obscene cost of his movie he replied with

" it would have been cheaper to lower the ocean "

It would be the same thing in this case.

WORK TO BE DONE
-------------------
- remove all door panels
- remove all door handles (replace)
- remove all door bearings (replace)
- remove all door and trunk locks (replace)
- install new wiring harness in doors
- install new antenna modules in doors
- assemble doors

- install wiring in trunk lid
- install wiring in rear bumper
- install new trunk lock with KG button
- install trunk module
- install trunk antenna
- install bumper antenna
- assemble trunk (or wait a little longer)

- remove seats
- remove centre console
- remove gear selector
- remove underside panels of dashboard
- remove dashboard wood trims
- remove COMAND and so on
- remove dash panel under steering wheel
- remove ignition switch (replace)
- install new gear selection
- install new changer cover with KG button
- install centre console module

- install floor harness and connect to doors, shifter, ignition switch, rear sam, trunk module
- put almost everything back in car
- switch on all the software settings
- test as much as you can
- put back rest of the car parts

- try ordering a wireless key for your car to start !

SUNILP

I have done it to my C class but I doubt even Steve wound do it for anyone unless it was his own car.

CE750

You know.. MB would probably find their costs reduced greatly if they would just standardize their cars to one set of major options. For example the Acura TL's all have "keyless go" and therefore only one set of parts.. not two.. same goes for every major option.. MB's laundry list of options on their cars is just not logical, and it also irritates people like me who find paying that much for a car without these features found on a $45,000 Acura lame.

CE750

btw, if anyone can do it, Steve and Dean can..

They're coming out to my place this weekend and between about 1pm Sat, and 5am Sun, installing Parktronic, HK stereo system, and folding mirrors ..

That's in a period of 16 hours and thru the night folks!

MB Fanatic

Its the RL that has the Keyless option. HOWEVER, its not as advnaced as MB's. You still have to turn a little knob on the steering column to crank the car. Why not just put a button on the shift knob or elsewhere on the car?????

benzmodz

Hence the reason why we all own a Mercedes and why Steve is busy. Fancy coming to a dealership and getting slugged twice as much for the same chassis. The sticker shock would send the stock prices into a spiral for sure.

DWP

Or, why not just put the key in the dash and turn it and save $1,080?

The Acura equivalent of Keyless Go is standard equipment on the RL. Honda is trying one marketing model with the new RL by making everything standard, and M-B is continuing its model of making many of the toys costly options. It will be interesting to compare sales of the '05 Acura RL and the '05 E350 to see which marketing model is more attractive to Mr. and Mrs. Upscale America. I would prefer the M-B model if the cost of an E350 optioned to match the RL was similar to the cost of an RL (so I wouldn't be paying for stuff whose appeal eludes me, like Keyless Go) but in fact the cost of an E350 optioned to match the RL is substantially more. It's the Tristar, don'tcha know?

CE750

I sat inside the Acura RL and I was indeed impressed for what you get for the $49 sticker (guy said it can easily be had for $45K).

Everything was standard that is optional on the MB.. Leather, Xenon, High End stereo, NAV, Key-less, Sun Roof, etc.. etc.. and much of it was done better, such as the NAV with real time traffic, and a much more advanced display.

The minus was the interior build quality was probably a bit less, and the look/design of the MB is second to none.. the W211 is a real home run IMHO.

Over all, I like my MB better... but I don't understand how the Japanese can build a car 95% in Japan with expensive Japanese labor, make it reliable, and make it far cheaper than $50K... and the Germans can't do the same for even $70K... makes no sense to me.

MB needs to ditch Chrysler, they're dragging them down..

Barry45RPM

If the folks at MB would only consult with a Japanese electronics design firm instead of plodding along thinking no one can do anything better than a German can, the MB electronics would be as good as the mechanical aspects of the car, and they'd have a real home run. Still not for everone's pocketbook, but a true Home Run, nontheless.

CE750

those were the exact words of the salesman at the Acura dealer (who up until recently worked at the BMW store). He said the mechanical engineering and chassis design of the German cars is beyond reproach. Their workmanship equal or better than most... The electrics is their big problem.

aceman

It seems like the real value to the MB is the drive / chasis / riding dynamics - something japanese / american engineers haven't gotten close to duplicating IMO. However, the electronics, IMO, should be easy to FIX since all they have to do is throw some development dollars at it. Unfortunately, now in year 4 of the W211, still no fixes to blatent gafs by the engineers. Just unreal.

aceman

MB Fanatic

My 2006 E350 and my 2004 E55 all run fine. There are no electronic issues with the TPMS or anything for that matter. I have had more problems on my Japanese vehicles mainly being my 2004 TL which is now traded for a new 2005 TL with Navi and A-SPEC.

The new TL has been a dream to drive and own. My 2006 E350 feels more solid and has a much more pleasing interior in terms of fit and finish than the E55, but the E55 still looks better and has better fit and finish than the BMW's of today if you ask me.

I too just wish that MB would make certain features like Xenon, and Keyless GO standard and charge a 10% increase on the MSRP.

benzmodz

I never have heard of a Japanese car in Japan that was up to 600,000Km. Perhaps it is to do with the laws that force change and take perfectly good cars off the road and create a level of wastage not seen since the fats kids at summer camp broke out and raided the refrigerator in the mess hall.

Seriously, what Japanese call evolution is nothing more than a government sanctioned destruction of perfectly good cars going to the wrecker.

Some of us buy denim jeans, wear them out, put patches on them and wear them out all over again. Some of us camp out overnight in Milan to see the next big thing for next season (the country collection with stonewashed jeans and adorable patches sewn on for style).

CE750

Just looked (for my friend) at a nicely equipped 530i and for about the $55K I paid for my MB... BMW gives you A LOT more.. Keyless go, Leather being to major one's that I didn't get for my $56K.

MB needs to cut more costs at Chrysler, and re-inject more value into their line. I am hopping the 2009 E class (probably my next car) will have all of this remedied.. otherwise, I WILL go elsewhere for my next car.

MBenzNL

exactly

keyless go can be retrofitted but due to certain programming issues and - even worse - replacement key issues (right Sunil?), we do not plan on offering that service.

As for those who think that MB should offer stuff as standard and mark up the price a little...MB Norway offers xenon headlights as standard equipment...go search for their carprices online!!!

HONESTLY, US cars are way to complete for the limitted amount of money you get charged...

greetingz,

CE750

I hear you steve, but for Pete's sake, my VW Passat that I paid $29,300 for in 2003 came with leather seats.. MB-Tex in a 55K car? US or otherwise.. it's just wrong.

BTW.. what do you charge for a Leather re-fit?

E500King

If an Acura TL or RL cost the same as a similarly equipped Mercedes, why would anyone in their right mind buy an Acura?? The only way the Japanese can sell their luxury cars is by offering MORE standard options than it's competitors and at a lower price. The Germans however know they can easily charge an arm and a leg for the additional options and that's where they make a killing. This problem exists even amongst the German makes themselves. Running boards on my BMW X5 for example cost CD $750 while the same option on the Porsche Cayenne costs about CD $1700...and people pay for it! By offering extra packages, the manufacturers keep the base price of the car lower. If a fully equipped E500 cost $20,000 more not only would sales go down drastically but the car will be classified in a different category. It's a no win situation...If you want the options, you gotta' dig into the pocket. Otherwise there's always the ordinary (read Acura) and the likes...

CE750

I have been told this by not one, but two different Jap car salesman who weren't some kind of cheerleading squad for Jap cars, as much as they were objective car lovers who also admired MB and BMW...

The single biggest reason that Jap cars are more reliable, and cheaper (even though cost of living in Japan is higher than Germany) is that they DONT have a laundry list of options.. if MB would make two versions of the E... one with all of the bells and whistles and one with most of them... the could actually CUT their costs by a lot, since they wouldn't need such a gigantic parts inventory control system, nor would they need to worry about how things integrate, or the difficulty of assembling 40 different combinations of one type of car..

This makes sense to me, and the Japs proved it's doable.. The TL is 49K sticker with everything.. its 95% Japanese (vs 81% for the E), and it's build like a tank, and has EVERY conceivable feature.

I still prefer my MB... but I sure would like it if they took an idea or two from the Japanese makers.. that being one of them! Even if I have to pay a few more $1000..

prprandall51

Great thread - but especially interesting to see the views on the cost of MBs in the USA. Did you know that we pay way more for the same car here in the Uk?

My moderately-well equipped E320 CDi estate cost $80,000 in January of this year. You guys are getting a bargain over there.

I also noted (above) that the BMWs come out cheaper. I compared a BMW 5 series with identical specification to my MB and it worked out at about $3000 more.

And your gas is cheaper (currently $7.50 a gallon here). You lucky, lucky, lucky people.

Philip

CE750

No denying that we're lucky... Heck, in Taiwan the CDI is a $150,000 car... so in some ways you're lucky too!

But we can only be concerned with the market we're in... and in this Market MB is losing it's comptetitive edge to the Japs...

BTW.. how much is a TL in the UK? OR a Lexus LS430?

A lot of the price issues you guys have (especially in the Nordic nations) is the MASSIVE TAXES on your cars.. not so much that MB is gauging you guys.. And finally, there is the specific issue of UK/AUS cars that need to have left hand drive which is an issue for the "cost accountants" to deal with at the auto makers.

Anyway.. I don't make these comments because I don't like MB, I make them because they need to return to their roots... and quit building cars in the way they used to mock the American auto makers back in the 70's and 80's when they did it.

prprandall51

The LS430 is a bargain price of $103,000 - taken from the UK Lexus website (I didn't know they were so expensive!) at an exchange rate of 1.8.

In fact Britain has relatively low car taxes but a tradition of relatively high car prices. A BMW director commented some time ago that if he could only retain one market worldwide (including his own sales in Germany) he would take the UK market because it was so profitable!

RHD conversion is certainly a factor - but not much of one, the requirement is engineered in at a very early stage of development and the parts are mostly shared (just moved around). With high manufacturing volumes it isn't a big consideration - but you're right in one way, the manufaturers often quote it as an excuse for high UK costs. Mostly, the manufacturers love the fact that we "drive on the wrong side" - it stops us buying cars from over your side of the Atlantic or in Europe and shipping them back!

Philip

CE750

wow! $103,000 for the Rice limo! Man... but see my point now? It's not enough to blame the deal we get here in the US.. that's just a benefit of our lower taxes, and massive market (that all auto makers want in on!).

All else being equal, MB is still expensive here by US car price averages.