Hi Baby,

Did you actually do a PO for '04? I haven't heard them release any pricing info nor option packages for the '04's yet... Did you negotiate it as "Dealer Invoice plus..." or "MSRP minus..." or ???

Just curious how all that works, when I would bet that there will be some differences in options and pricing between the '03's and '04's...

-NavNut

 

I think there is a production run for E500s at the end of March. That is when mine is being build and I ordered it 2 days ago.

 

I don't get it. If NAV is gonna be there for 2004, why can't it be there for, say, the production run in March? Is there something magical that will happen between now and August that will give us our cherished COMAND II?

What this tells me is that, potentially, there is no guarantee that COMAND is going to be there in the first run 2004s either (my incoming E55 included).

I heard there was a Eurpoean E owner with COMAND II on this board. Are there COMAND II vehicles out there on the roads of Europe? If there are, that makes it even more confusing because that tells me that the issue is with geographical data and not necessarily the electronics. Grrr...why can't MB just be honest with us. Just tell us what is going on and when you expect a resolution and we will all shut up!

Sheesh...confusing as heck.

 

I think I figured out part of this II or 2 confusion... The question is NOT "Are there any European E-class owners out there with COMAND 2?" (Because I believe the answer to that quesiton is "Yes...")

The question is: "Are there any European E-class owners out there with COMAND II?" Or more precisely: "Are there any European E-class owners out there with DVD (NOT CD)-based navigation?"

Part of this confusion is that I believe there is a software release on the OLD COMAND CD-based hardware that they call COMAND-2.0 and COMAND-2.5... I believe the new DVD-based hardware (the one that we all want) is being called (by people who are careful) COMAND II.

(I may be all wrong about this... It's all really hard to say.)

-NavNut

 

Since pricing and options are not yet available, I just did a preliminary contract that will hold my order position.

I negotiated MSRP minus percentage, which is noted and signed on the preliminary contract. Few dealers would agree with you or other dealers regarding exact invoice price. But, all would acknowledge the publicly promoted MSRP. MSRP is typically 7% above invoice. So, either way is fine as long as the end result is the same and you have it in writing before delivery.

 

This may not add anything to clarify the situation here, but the German owners manual for the E at:

http://www.mercedes-benz.com/d/cars/...ck/comand.html

does show an apparently functioning Command system. Someone with better German language skills than mine may shed some light on what is being stated. The recording describes it and there are additional button explanations by clicking on the red arrows for button detail. If you play the audio shown when you hover on the NAV button, it definitely shows a trunk-mounted DVD drive.

 

Just click ENGLISH on the top menubar of that page.

I don't think this is the COMMAND II system.

 

Interesting... the German site definitely has the new COMAND II system (it looks like the 16:9 aspect ratio screen, not 4:3 aspect ratio screen in the old cd system...) it also clearly says DVD on the player mounted in the trunk...

However, I am not sure this means much... we have had the Voice Recognition stuff detailed on the USA web site for months, and as far as I can tell, no one has actually received a voice recog module yet...

Hey, wait a minute... the MBUSA site now lists TBD for the moto v60 phone with voice recog... I could have sworn they originally listed it as $1995... something is up... (maybe) I think it's all linked to the nav problems...

-NavNut

 

Either that or they are likely phasing out the V60. MOT has released several new phones...and the MOT is not state of the art any more. I am beginning to think I wasted $2600...I should have waited a little bit. If I was them, I would start supporting GSM pronto, as AT&T along with T-Mobile is also beginning to show a GSM presence all over the U.S.

They better get me my voice module, or I will be doubly pissed. That is one of the main reasons I got the phone in the first place.

But I think you are right, the new COMMAND II probably has something to do with the Voice Recognition Module.

What a mess...

 

I don't think they're just yanking the v60 and upgrading the whole phone model... They are still showing the v60 WITHOUT the voice recog as a $1595 option...

I am beginning to think that the voice recognition integrated into the COMAND II controlling the phone, audio, AND nav is the most likely reason for this whole debacle...

If they manage to fix all this up and get it right, it'll be way cool... but it's pretty frustrating right now. I really don't think the people who ordered either the new Nav, or the voice recog on the phone, or both are going to get screwed... I still believe they will try to make it right for you guys...

Personally, I don't want to order though, until I know it's right, and installed at the factory when I pick it up...

-NavNut

 

This phone thing maybe the one good thing that comes out of this delay. There have been a lot of rumors about interfacing with Bluetooth/GPRS with COMAND II, if this happens then you won't have to buy the proprietary MB v60 phone. I just bought a Sony Ericisson T68i and it supports Bluetooth, and you can actually by a wireless headset/mic combo that works via bluetooth wireless. The idea is that this kind of thing would be integrated into COMAND II.

Since I won't get the car until Nav is available, I will have a chance to know if this is supported before my car is built, and if it is supported, I won't order the $2K V60 phone.

I know people will say that this would mean MB could not sell a $2K option and so they won't do it, but I read an article in one of the airline magazines 1 or 2 months ago about automobile telematics and they actually had a guy from Diamler Chrysler talking about how the strategy was to move away from proprietary systems in automotive telematics because it costs the companies a lot to develop and maintain and see this as becoming standard features in the future, and I can completely understand that logic.

 

I have always wondered why we got the propietary systems in the US since in other parts of the world, you can get any nokia phone to go with the car kit supplied by MB as an option.
Go figure!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by abhansali
The sales manager at my dealership also mentioned a meeting in CA (probably about 1-2 weeks ago??). I'm assuming it was the same thing. However, he said they were saying April production, but he would not promise anything. My sales guy did mention that he had sold a car to someone with promise of Nav, but is not sure they would be able to do that now.

Sounds like the "available at all" is probably referring to retrofit, which would make the answers seem consistent. [/QUOTE

I notice you have the Pewter/Ash combination. Do you have any pics? I'm thinking about ordering this combination. Does the Pewter in sunlight have a hint of light brown color , and if so, does it clash with the ash interior.

 

IMHO it clashes.

Go with the Stone or Anthacite.

 

Callaway,

Excuse me for beign clueless...what does IMHO stand for?

 

in my humble opinion

 

Yep,that's right.

Thanks.

 

Thanks guys! Forgive my spelling...it's almost bedtime here.

 

skipper, send me a pm with your email and I will email you some pics that I got from another forum member jposhea3. He is one of the first with pewter/ash delivery on this forum, and based on those pics, and one car that I subsequently saw phyically, I like it and that's why I ordered it.

 

I think those pewter/ash pics are on page 11 or so of the pic thread.

Now that we're getting some sunnier weather I'll have to go out and photo the car in better light - it was really gloomy the day I shot those pics.

But I really love the car (despite premium costing $2.09/gal in Manhattan!) no matter what the color (there are some great pics in another thread of the platinum blue on 19 or 20" wheels - I'm not crazy about multipiece or really large rims, but the blue is another great choice)