hhm1644

I have a theory, gentlemen:

That MB was under contract with Motorola to provide those phones in 2003 vehicles, and so the COMAND system with voice activation unit was originally designed to work with proprietary Moto phone hardware.

In response to the wave of protests, and in response to advancing technologies, I believe MB has decided to forgo that contracted partnership with Moto and redesign a bluetooth-enabled COMAND w/ Voice ACtivation. This means they could not provide the product, probably for contractual reasons, in 2003 models due to Motorola having them by the $%lls.

Especially in light of the fact that in the new Daimler CHRYSLER Pacifica you can purchase a $299 bluetooth-enabled voice activation system along with the DVD nav! How could Mercedes possibly continue justifying their proprietary hardware pricing on Mercedes when Chrysler has the $299 any bluetooth-phone option??

I attach this from the Chrysler Pacifica Build Your Own Site:
"Cellular Systems, UConnect Hands Free
82207853 UConnect Hands-Free System includes a small control pad, microphone, speaker, module and wiring harness. UConnect utilizes Bluetooth technology which requires a Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile wireless phone $299.00"

I have a 2000 E320 wagon w/ all this BS which is proprietary and I will be elated when the wagon arrives for 2004 with a possible bluetooth solution!

What do you think?

NavNut

It's a nice idea... but I think this is wishful thinking... I don't think there will ever be a $299 anything factory option on a Mercedes... It just won't ever happen. but it is a nice dream...

-NavNut

drb

What about the chrome headlight rings $160, chrome door handles $89, and floor mats for $89? I do not recall the cargo net cost.

NavNut

Those aren't really factory options... those are more like dealer installed accessories... otherwise you could throw in the wheel locks too... Those are cheap... but I bet they're generic... now if you want wheel locks with nice little three pointed star logo's, that'll probably cost ya...

Factory-wise, I think the lowest is the heated steering wheel at $400... Heck, with them charging $400 for a heating element (basically a big resistor...) and $500 for a wood trimmed and leather steering wheel, I don't think they're ever going to do a cell phone for $300... It just won't ever happen.

-NavNut

hhm1644

That's the whole point, though. It's not a cell phone for $299. It's an enabling module that will allow you to use ANY cellphone you already own with Bluetooth.

It would seem to me that MB would sell far more of the $299 device enabling people to use their own phone than they would of any $2000 device which is outdated as soon as it hits the market and is proprietary and non-upgradeable.

I would love to know the ratio in the US of MBs sold with the phone option vs. those sold total. Bet it's pretty slim, even though many readers here have them.

dtm

Regardless of what they charge, I think that you may actually be on to something. It seems too coincidental that a) MB has been deathly quiet about the retrofit and avaiability date of the nav unit; b) the VA feature on the phone has been continually delayed; c) the price of the VA phone option just disappeared from the MB site; and d) if it is indeed true, the MB/Motorola contract for proprietary phone ends at the end of this year. That all seems to add up to a related story....as a hopeful owner of an '04 E500 4Matic, this would be great news. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, although I realize this provides little solace to those '03 owners who have been stiffed by this whole affair....

NavNut

Oh I definitely agree... I think it is all suspiciously linked together... honestly, I think that when we finally see a DVD-based nav on an E-class COMAND system that we will also see an integrated voice recog module which will control the phone, AND the nav, AND the stereo... I think the likelihood of the phone being a bluetooth phone option is also very high...

BUT... I don't think you'll get it for three hundred bucks... I think at the very least it will be a grand... more likely, it will be around $1500. That's if we're lucky...

The fact that it's inexpensive in the chryslers will have no push on the benz pricing... I mean, let's face it: Does the fact that you can buy a new car for 10 grand have any price pressure on the E-class itself? No. Why should cheap phones/nav/voice-recog in other cars have any price pressure on the E-versions. You want those features in a chrysler for those price-points, go buy a chrysler... you want them in your new Benz? Well, it'll cost ya...

-NavNut

NavNut

Oh, just one other point: the current pricing on the voice recog option by itself is $480 on the www.mbusa.com site... i.e. - if you just wanted to add the little lever on the steering column to turn on the voice recog module that needs to be added in addition to the circuit module in the trunk and control only your phone... THAT was $480... What are the odds that they will add blue tooth technology circuitry to that and price it under $480? I think the odds of that are zero. How much will the option be if it can also control all your COMAND functions? I'm pretty sure people will pay more than a grand for that (I know I would.) The question is not what is the option worth, or what can you do that for in other cars... the question is how much will people pay? That's how they price their products.

(I'd happily be wrong... but I just don't see it happening for less than the kilo-buck that most options in an MB cost.)

-NavNut

NavNut

I just looked back at my spreadsheet, and I was indeed wrong... There actually is an MB factory installed option for the e-class for under $300...

You can get the Manual Rear Side Sun Shades for $298... but you get my point... holey cloth on a roller is $300... you're not going to get anything electronic out of MB for $300...

-NavNut

Baby Jocko

The V.60 w/voice option is suppose to provide voice activation for the entire COMAND system, not just the phone. But, I agree that MB would likely price it higher than $480. In fact, my salesman told me that that option price will be higher once it is all said and done, which was the reason for the change to TBD. However, he did not say anything about it adapting Bluetooth. That would be nice! And, it would make the overall option less expensive since the proprietary V.60 should not be necessary.

I've always wondered why MB electronic options have been lagging while priced much higher, even when compared to their sister maker, Chrysler.

Silver_Lana

This lends credibility to this theory about the phone and Navi...

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...threadid=33938

abhansali

They don't mention "E-class". I wonder if this is something that will be tabled to 2004 for E-class. If so, I almost definitely will wait even if they make Navi available sooner.

Baby Jocko

Here's a link to the upcoming Bluetooth capable phone from Motorola:

http://commerce.motorola.com/consumer/QWhtml/v600.html

Availability is for second half 2003, which may relate to the COMAND delay since Motorola plays a role in it.

abhansali

Do you think they will still tie it to motorola phones or any bluetooth will work? I just bought Sony Ericsson T68i, great phone and has bluetooth. SE actually sells a bluetooth car kit that they say will work with any bluetooth phone...even ones that aren't made by SE...I hope Moto/Mercedes does the same.

tmangus

my question is: Does the connector on the bottom of the Sony Ericson phone look the same as the Motorola that MB us using? Maybe there is going to be a standard connection for interfacing the car and all phones will have a STANDARD PLUG for chargers, ETC.

WISHFUL THINKING..

abhansali

No, the connectors are different, but they way I understand it, they will make some sort of cradle or something, so if you use a different phone, you just buy the MB cradle for that phone and you are set (I think I read, it would be about $80-$100). Right now, the whole phone car kit is tied to the phone, so if you want to upgrade your phone, you have to replace the whole unit ($2K+) and you can only upgrade to a phone MB supports.