Navigation in 2003???
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 484
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From: Melbourne, Australia
I don't know whether you are just refering to U.S cars in your statements but not all E Class cars around the world are fitted with Tele aid as standard.
In our country it is not available at all,as we do not have a support system for it.
In our country it is not available at all,as we do not have a support system for it.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 924
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
2003 MB E500
Originally posted by MarcusBenz
I have to agree with NorthBenz, the customer who desires the Navi system on the E-classe is a rare breed. I deal with clients on a daily basis and approximatley less than 5% of the E-class buyers are opting for the Navi. system. Just take a look at the W210 body & try to find a pre-owned with the COMAND, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack!!
I have to agree with NorthBenz, the customer who desires the Navi system on the E-classe is a rare breed. I deal with clients on a daily basis and approximatley less than 5% of the E-class buyers are opting for the Navi. system. Just take a look at the W210 body & try to find a pre-owned with the COMAND, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack!!
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 664
Likes: 33
From: Ft. Lauderdale
2015 C300, 2025 GLC300 4Matic
Originally posted by MarcusBenz
I have to agree with NorthBenz, the customer who desires the Navi system on the E-classe is a rare breed. I deal with clients on a daily basis and approximatley less than 5% of the E-class buyers are opting for the Navi. system. Just take a look at the W210 body & try to find a pre-owned with the COMAND, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack!!
I have to agree with NorthBenz, the customer who desires the Navi system on the E-classe is a rare breed. I deal with clients on a daily basis and approximatley less than 5% of the E-class buyers are opting for the Navi. system. Just take a look at the W210 body & try to find a pre-owned with the COMAND, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack!!
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 917
Likes: 86
Well, my car is being built.....without Navi and not for me...dealer had to build the car since it is one of his allocation. When Navi is available, he will place my order again in Netstar.
BTW, I think the "Navi is not popular" reason for stopping pre-wiring is a load of cr*p. Basically everyone on this forum has said that the $1625 deal for Navi has been written into their orders, not on the official Netstar printout. So how does MB know how many people wanted the Navi out of all the cars produced before 1/1/03? Were dealers sending all Navi order counts to MB in some other fashion other than Netstar?
I tend to believe the previous posts indicating that there is some issue with the pre-wiring that has already been done and so MB just decided to cut it out instead of incurring more liability. Otherwise, why not just allow Navi to be ordered in Netstar and pre-wire the cars for people who have put Navi in their order. Of course, if there is some issue with the pre-wiring already done, MB will never officially admit it without first having an action plan in place...my guess is that they will have to do a lot of modifications to cars already pre-wired and that it will probably cost them a lot of money.
BTW, jhb, I see your point on other countries and Navi, but with all the speculation going on, I am tending to believe that if you want Navi, it is now best to wait until it is factory installable regardless of where you are. Bottom line, whether it is Austrailia or US, the pre-wiring will be the same, and if there is some problem with that, either the car will have to be extensively modified to retrofit, or it may not be do-able.
BTW, I think the "Navi is not popular" reason for stopping pre-wiring is a load of cr*p. Basically everyone on this forum has said that the $1625 deal for Navi has been written into their orders, not on the official Netstar printout. So how does MB know how many people wanted the Navi out of all the cars produced before 1/1/03? Were dealers sending all Navi order counts to MB in some other fashion other than Netstar?
I tend to believe the previous posts indicating that there is some issue with the pre-wiring that has already been done and so MB just decided to cut it out instead of incurring more liability. Otherwise, why not just allow Navi to be ordered in Netstar and pre-wire the cars for people who have put Navi in their order. Of course, if there is some issue with the pre-wiring already done, MB will never officially admit it without first having an action plan in place...my guess is that they will have to do a lot of modifications to cars already pre-wired and that it will probably cost them a lot of money.
BTW, jhb, I see your point on other countries and Navi, but with all the speculation going on, I am tending to believe that if you want Navi, it is now best to wait until it is factory installable regardless of where you are. Bottom line, whether it is Austrailia or US, the pre-wiring will be the same, and if there is some problem with that, either the car will have to be extensively modified to retrofit, or it may not be do-able.
Super Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 524
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From: So. FL
2003 SL Launch Edition, 2003 E500 Pewter/Stone
abhansali: I don't think that the members of this forum are representative of the market demographics of E Class buyers "on average". We are car enthusiasts. We are probably younger (probably except for "old me"), on average, than the bread and butter MB buyer. So, I think it is very possible that there is not as much interest, overall, in Navigation as appears to be the case here.
My inlaws have Navigation in their BMW 2001 740 and their 2002 Lexus GS300. Neither uses it and if they had a choice would have bought without it. In fact, other than me, no one I know who has Navigation, my wife included, uses it. I like cars and gadgets. When they are together, I am in heaven!!!!
But, I am not the average buyer of a MB E Class.
Jeff
My inlaws have Navigation in their BMW 2001 740 and their 2002 Lexus GS300. Neither uses it and if they had a choice would have bought without it. In fact, other than me, no one I know who has Navigation, my wife included, uses it. I like cars and gadgets. When they are together, I am in heaven!!!!
But, I am not the average buyer of a MB E Class.
Jeff
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: N. California
ML430, E500
Both dealers I spoke with told me this navigation issue has been a major headache for them. They said most of their buyers had issue with the lack of navigation.
My wife and inlaws use the navigation system on their cars (ML430 and LS430) all the time. Neither would get a car without one.
I firmly believe that a $60,000 car ought to have a navigation system standard ( as it is on S class).
This is a major gaffe on MB's part.
My wife and inlaws use the navigation system on their cars (ML430 and LS430) all the time. Neither would get a car without one.
I firmly believe that a $60,000 car ought to have a navigation system standard ( as it is on S class).
This is a major gaffe on MB's part.
Last edited by mco; Feb 5, 2003 at 08:12 AM.
