W213 CD Player Rant
 

OK, so there are threads on this forum lamenting the fact that MB sees the CD as a dying medium and is no longer fitting players in new vehicles. Still other threads recognize that certain buyers yield ground reluctantly and that the factory has provided them with a retrofit player that integrates seamlessly with the COMAND head unit. So surely there must be some kind of hidden supplemental option list that can get it added to your car on the assembly line? Nope. Well how about having it installed at the VPC along with the laser logo projectors, chrome door handle protectors, and other frou frou? Nope - can't be done (and I even personally called MBUSA) - wait 'til it gets to your dealer. So my SA dutifully had his parts man order up the kit and we waited for the car to arrive. The threads make it sound like it's a simple matter of adding two brackets and, from there, plug and play with the existing wiring harness. NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!!! True enough, the kit runs about $300 but fourteen hours of shop time consisting of dismantling the dash and glove box and basically taking them back to the firewall! The time was legit as I kept dropping in to check on it. I absolutely cannot grasp 1. why it couldn't simply be offered as a factory installed build option on the SPC menu, or 2. why it couldn't be offered for installation at the VPC or, barring that, 3. why there can't simply be a connector discreetly hidden in the back of the glovebox and pre-tapped holes for the brackets? Fortunately my dealership showed me some love on the labor and the kit does indeed exist but this is ludicrous.

If you do not mind, what did this cost labor included?

Approximately 1200 bucks!!!

I do feel your pain though as I am struggling to adapt to not having one

I use my Mercedes for daily driving including picking up my two granddaughters. They love to listen to "Wiggles" on the CD player. Certainly not going to pay $1200 plus for a CD player!

Frankly did not even know that there was no CD player in the 2019 E 450! (glad I did not know as this would have been upsetting me since September when I placed my order.)

First no spare tire, then no donut now no CD player!

I'm too old (i.e. tech challenged) and too impatient to burn a CD to a thumb drive every time I have an urge to listen to something in particular (and with 500+ CD's that's a lot of burning) plus I like to borrow talking books from the library. But I promise you there's no way I would have dropped $1200 had I known what we were getting into. First one the dealership did so they didn't know either. That said, there are so many audio source options in this car that I could always find something to listen to. Tomorrow my 22 year old is going to show me how to install Spotify!

You have Sirius radio free for 6 months.

After that, it you like it call 1 866 635 2349 (Sirius radio). Tell them you want to cancel. They will offer you deals. You must keep saying "no" that is too much. They will finally arrive at $4.99 per month plus tax amounts to $5.94 per month.

This is what I do.

But like you I listen to books on tapes, CD's from my library which I will miss.

I hear you, but honestly, I can't remember the last time I played an actual CD. I have hundred and hundreds of them, sitting in their little jewel boxes and they just sit behind closed cabinet door. The ones that I really love the most were stored in memory cards and that was that. I imagine I'm not alone. I don't see people buying CDs anymore. People stream music. Apple changed the world. And Mercedes made the decision to drop CD players from our cars. Sorry it cost you what it did, but your rant is frankly kind of behind the times.

May I play Devil's Advocate here. Why CDs? For $1200 you could have had a "professional" transfer all of your CDs to digital media. No more mechanical issues, no more storage issues. Add or delete files easily. There really is no downside.

To each his own of course, but digital technology changes rapidly (yes, sometimes too rapidly). I don't miss carrying a pocket of coins for payphones...:p:

Different strokes - different folks! And I still buy CD's. Like album covers of old, I just like holding something in my hands - the cover art, track lists, liner notes - just not ready to accept a physically intangible right to download music.

Yep. I don't even know if the 6 CD player in either car works as I've never used them. Stopped buying CDs a long time ago. I just use spotify premium and I also have Sirius which actually isn't that expensive, you can get their select plan for $30 for 6 months or $60 for a year.

I think I had some software at one point where I ripped all my CDs to MP3 and then had them all on an mp3 player, but that was a long time ago.

The reality is and no offense to the OP, but ranting about an expensive job to add an antiquated music medium to his car is out of step with technology today. He had far less expensive options to add the music to his car, including having the ability to download likely every single CD he owns to the internal media storage already built into the car, as opposed to paying $1200 to play CD's one at a time.

OK - I didn't post to invite a dialogue about my personal choices in playback media or the sociological implications of evolving technology. I thought my experience might actually be helpful to others but please feel free to ignore them if they don't apply to you.

Again no disrespect, but you could still buy the CDs, with the cover art, track lists, liner notes and all for home use and transfer the music or whatever to flash drive or SD card for car use. Cheaper than the cost of adding a player. And, done correctly you would still get cover art and track lists. Don't know about liner notes, but you can't read them while driving anyway (can you? :nix:). There are other benefits too like creating your our playlist, or random playing. Now I'm ranting too. Sorry. Enjoy your CDs.

Of course you did. When you post a rant and even say it's a rant in the title of the thread, you are inviting dialog about whatever you ranted about. If you meant your post as a public service, all you had to do was tell people you chose to have a CD player added to your car, what was involved and what it cost. Instead you ranted your anger over what it took to get an antiquated music medium in your car. And I'm sure you thought we'd share your outrage.

Probably would have just gotten a portable bluetooth CD player. They do make them.

I have used my USB connectors for a flash drive with my music, my iPhone with my music and my iPad for audiobooks from the library. I am surprised that the dealership did not make these suggestions to the OP.

I wanted a CD drive - period.

You should have looked through the car and taken a test drive prior to purchase. The CD is a last century technology along with analog telephones and analog television.
A $15 CD/DVD drive with a USB connector integrates seamlessly with the COMAND system - period.

Search this forum for my thread on installation of a magnetically levitate record player in the car for the only way to listen to quality tunes. Only cost me 10k.

I'm not familiar with portable CD players that use USB connections for a vehicle. Is there a link for such a thing? As for the OP, I added rear heated seats to my car because it suited my needs and I fully understand wanting your vehicle the way you want it. In fact, at the dealership before I even went into finance the day I purchased my Mercedes I ordered the auto-stop manual off switch on a rush order and had it installed 48 hours after purchase. Even though I don't use CDs, I am surprised that there isn't some simple OEM option especially when the car is ordered -- old technology or not.

are a few CD players.

Efficiency is the reason old technology cannot be ordered. How far back does one go? Cassette tape & CD are all from the last century but were still available in the early 21st century.

Probably because the cost to make such an option compared to how few would sell would make this cost prohibitive.