gollard

I am interested in a offroad package for the CDI - on MBUSA.com I can't find any information on this - is it even available for the CDI? Not sure also what the specifics are - I assume it allows to raise the ride height of the car - correct?

thanks for any info on this

Brocktoon

Not available on CDI in North America.

gollard

thanks for the repsonse
so no offroad package for the 320 ( appears also not for 550)- but for the 450 only

Just found this post about MY2009 :
would this at least allow to raise the ride height ?

Comfy_Couch

Although the 2008 320 doesn't have the ORP (not available as an option), it does has the ability to raise the ride height of the airmatic suspension via a button on the dash.

grover432

I was more interested in the locking differentials, although the extra ride height wold be a benefit in the mother of all snowstorms hits us again next year.

Brocktoon

R U Sure? the ones I have seen don't, but I'm in Canada.

Comfy_Couch

Yes - the height adjustment came in handy during the record-breaking March snowstorm we had here in Ohio. Here are a few pages from the manual describing the operation of this feature. Perhaps the models built for Canada are different in this regard. I know several other features (e.g. tire pressure monitoring system) are different for Canada.

Brocktoon

Looks you are right, but somehow I got the impression that the ride height was fixed on the 320s. Thinking back, I think I got the impression from the salesdude, I've only spent like 15 minutes in a 320, and I was negotiating the whole time, so I must have missd it! I'll have mine soon enough.

thebishman

There is an 'Off Road' button on the dash that when pressed raises the GL about 3" as well as changing many of the engine, transmission, braking, etc. parameters so that the vehicle does even better off-road than normal.

Bish

grover432

No locking diffs though, correct?

Brocktoon

...but 4matic and other awd systems give a "virtural locker" effect through brake application. Unless you are really gonna rock crawl, I have never needed lockers in either of my Land Rovers off roading with a similar brake-based system.

grover432

Have you ever driven a G class off road? I have and it had an amazing amount of traction. I don't the electronics can match locking all 4 wheels into forward motion to keep you going. But, let me not forget that the GL is an SUV, not a 4 wheel drive true off road capable vehicle like the G Class. And mots would never miss that capability.

Brocktoon

No, but a Unimog, I have.

grover432

Unimog??

Brocktoon

suit yourself, but I don't think I'm going to be taking the GL into any situation that would need lockers over 4matic, so for me it's just added complication. What I wanted was the ability to squat into parkades, which you don't get with the CDI, and that is likely why I thought the ride was fixed.

Urabus

With Canadian and US dollars basically at par, I've been looking carefully at the features on each side of the border. Although the price is much higher in Canada, it is possible to get the 550 with the off-road package option that includes differential locks and a 2-stage transfer case.

I don't understand why MB doesn't make options the same across North America so that people can simply choose the features they want.

Brocktoon

I do, Canada is a smaller (gross and, as a percentage as well), but more picky market for prestige autos.

Actually, mainstream manufacturers would be better off selling their Mexican assortment in Canada, rather than the American models. Do you think there would be a HiLux diesel sitting on any lot in Canada if it was available? Never, but Toyota gives us the Tundra, which is only selling in the limited numbers it is, because as a pickup, does not attract carbon tax.

VW is selling the Citi here, and we almost got the Polo, too. I guess we also got the B and Smart CDI, so there is some hope. Ford was going to bring the EcoSport here, but chickened out at the last minute. They would have sold a pile, perfect little urban SUV for unplowed roads... time will tell.

oknish

Ma Benz knows the best. 'nuff said.

StevethePilot

You might want to take a month or so to read what kind of hoops you'd have to jump through to get a car for the Canadian market imported to the U.S. I was trying it with the diesel Land Cruiser for a while. My find was basically that it was not possible, as I'm not a diplomat nor a member of the military bringing the vehicle here for temporary purposes only, nor is the vehicle built earlier than (if I recally correctly) 1972.

STP

Urabus

I'm going the other way (US vehicle into Canada) and while there is paperwork to complete, as long as the vehicle is not on the banned list (or is more than 15 years old) you can import it. In order for Mercedes Canada to honor the warranty, they simply require that the vehicle be modified to Canadian specs by an authorized dealer. That usually means a metric gauge cluster and or DRLs if needed. In my research I've found that it adds about $2000-2500 to the final cost.

Because of the strength of our dollar, many people have been importing vehicles from the US on their own. A couple of friends I know have done that. One bought a BMW M3 and drove it up himself from Las Vegas. Another went down to San Francisco to bring back a Ferrari 360. In my situation, I would probably just go through a local broker who will do all the paper work for me. When you start talking about differences in price close to $20,000, the bureaucracy is worth the savings.

BlownV8

As long as it is the same vehicle as the ones in the US it's not that hard. I have a late model Mercedes that started it's life as a Canadian vehicle and it came across the border legally.

grover432

The rules keep changing and the automakers have been adjusting their strategy to slow the flow of US cars into Canada. MB and BMW now say they won't provide a clearance certificate to RIV and Transport Canada unless the instrument pods are changed and in MB's case on some vehicles, the bumpers are changed including their frame mounts.

In MB's case, I've been told that this cost can exceed $8,500. It's a pity the Canadian government gets pushed around by big business, but I guess the auto industry is already in the toilet in Ontario so Ottawa doesn't need to push things further into the grave by letting new cheaper US vehicles into Canada easily. In any event it is no longer as simple as driving a vehicle back and turning on the day time running lights.

Urabus

Sorry for straying off-topic, but I think there are two separate issues when importing a vehicle from the US. The first is whether or not the vehicle meets Canadian safety standards. If it doesn't (most likely because of the bumper rating), then the vehicle is not admissible. Such is the case with the VW R32. VW will not make available the necessary updates/changes (or perform the Canadian tests on this low volume model) and this vehicle is not admissible at all. Although, there have been some examples of current VW R32s imported into Canada, they mostly involve rebuilds and loopholes that tuners can use. But in order to import this vehicle as a private citizen, you would need to wait until it is 15 years old.

In the case of the Mercedes, all 2007-2008 GL-class vehicles are admissible as stated on this site: http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/index.cfm?id=6872 That's not the case for all Mercedes models, but it is for the GL. The price difference on a GL550 in the US compared to similarly equipped GL550 in Canada is about $20,000. Even if it costs $12,000 to change the vehicle to Canadian specs, you'd still be $8,000 ahead and $8,000 in my pocket, is still $8,000 in my pocket .

The second issue is whether or not Mercedes Canada will honor the warranty on a US vehicle. Many manufacturers will not, simply to discourage people from importing vehicles on their own. Other manufacturers have no problems honoring it at all. Luckily enough, Mercedes is willing to make a compromise and simply state that the vehicle must be changed to Canadian specs in order to receive warranty coverage. This site explains the details: http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=253#MERCEDES-BENZ You will not get the same benefits as a Canadian purchased vehicle, but you'll still get the basic coverage.

For other makes that don't give a Canadian warranty, you pay for all repairs yourself. But sometimes the savings leaves a lot of money in your pocket as insurance to make those repairs if they are required .

Brocktoon

...then there is the cost of travel, the cost of converting the money, and the fact that you are on the bottom of the pile for booking repair appointment. On the 320, the exact configuration I wanted was not available in the US, and the difference in price was only marginal, so for me the reduced resale and all the hassle was not worth it.

I would also exercise caution that the air pressure monitoring system is different on the US and Canadian GL, and it has been a major problem for people who change the instrument clusters, and MB Canada is not exactly working on a solution.

When I worked with Porsches in the '90s there were all sorts of problems with grey market cars, like people waiting months for parts, or $800 air filters etc. You have to understand that any warranty work you get is on the basis of goodwill only, and that carpet could be pulled out from under you at any time, regardless of what work you have paid for, unless you get a new, written warranty from the manufacturer.

BTW, RIV is also a private company, they have no obligation to serve the Canadian public, and are not, as you note, above setting up onerous deals with manufacturers.

Tread with caution...

StevethePilot

By "late model," you mean ... ? My experience was that while the Land Cruiser could be otherwise a US vehicle (they do sell them here, after all), because it was not built for the US market, the deisel basically couldn't be imported. The only difference was the engine/drive train. It otherwise would meet US DOT bumper/etc. standards. I did as much research as I could on this and while I do love my 320, if you're saying I could've imported a diesel LC ... I'll be disappointed.

STP