Nevada Jack

Here is the response from MBUSA on the location of the Volume Controls for the rear passengers. As shown by the picture they sent me with the area circled in red. It is in the same area as the Climate Control dials. There must be an earphone connection somewhere there I guess with a control knob of some kind.

***************************************

Thank you for your internet inquiry.

The rear volume control (if so equipped) is located in the rear section of
the front center console. It controls the output volume of the right and
left side headphone jacks (headphones are not included with the vehicle).
Please see attached picture for location.
Unfortunately, there are no controls for the 3rd row seat. (See attached
file: R-Class.JPG)

If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to e-mail us again
or call us at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372).

Sincerely,

Surya Boonphadung
Team Leader - Consumer Promotions
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC

AutoSaurus

So there are no wireless headphones that come with this pkg?

Nevada Jack

Nope. Not for the TV package either. The Edmunds review (or one of the many) mentioned it's disappointment with the fact that there was no "wireless" headphones.

joshg

Strange... see the closeup of this area below. I guess that's why there are "blanks" in the HVAC controls, but I can't quite imagine where they'd put the two headphone jacks and a volume control given the weird layout of blanks left in this panel. Despite her circling that area very clearly in her response, I'm still surprised it isn't in that lower hatch area (below the vents) rather than intermixed among HVAC controls and labeled things.

If she's right, and those blanks are used for 2 headphone jacks and a volume control, this will be one VERY weird looking control panel and I bet it will be highly criticized...

Nevada Jack

Not only that...the car with the TV would not have this setup because you plug into the connection below the LCD screen. This car you were in did not have the TV but we know it had the H/K so where is the connection and control? Something is not right and I don't know what it is? I could not have been clearer on my clarification email and she could not have made it any clearer in her response.

EKaru

It's also strange that the much cheaper Chrysler Pacifica equipped with the DVD entertainment pkg comes with two wireless headphones....
Eric...

Nevada Jack

There is nothing common with the Pacifica and the R Class so comparing the two is kind of a waste of time. I have again followed up with MBUSA asking for a description of where the controls and earphone outlets are located and what the control look like. They may just ignore me this time...:-)

EKaru

You and I both know this as car enthusiasts, however the majority of America will not, which is why it will be an utter failure.... unfortunately... $73K for a car that resembles the Pacifica, which has failed so miserably in this market is risky... You can't deny that...
Eric...

Nevada Jack

I could not disagree more. Every review that I have read so far (and I have read a lot of them from the US and foreign press) have had nothing but positive reports and enthusiasm for this vehicle. The people who compare the R Class with the Pacifica would never buy the R Class to begin with. $73,000 is the top of the price range. The low $60's will buy a very nice R Class that will interest a lot of buyers.

I agree with one point...any company who introduces a new model in the price range of the R Class is taking a risky chance. But Mercedes doesn't shoot in the dark...they have had over 3 years to assess this market and I think they feel pretty good about the potential for it being a success. MB has jump started this market and when Jaguar, Audi, BMW and others come out with the competition in a year or two, this will be the class vehicle to own. The big truck SUV is a dying breed and people will love to have the features but not the look of that big, ugly truck parked in their garage. Cadillac and the Escalade will be prime targets for MB and you watch the SRX marketing go into high gear to try and stem the tide.

It will be interesting to see how sales go early on. Add the diesel option in 2007 and I think your prediction of "utter failure" will be utter nonsense..:-)

Jack

Nevada Jack

Here is a comment from a review I just read tonight. Excuse the size of the copy:

EKaru

As a Benz enthusiast, I wish the car success, but historically speaking when observing how America took to the Pacifica, doesn't bode well for the R-class... I actually talked my car ignorant parents into a Pacifica, which they bought back in 2003. They found the 6-place seating utterly annoying. A lot of the time they took 5 people (including the driver) and the 3rd person sometimes had to sit on the center console on the way to airport, because the back two seats were folded down to accommodate the luggage.. Anyways they kept it 6 months and traded it in on a SRX with a second row bench, which they found much more useful... Fully loaded with everything the SRX was $60K. A comparably equipped R-class is significantly more... The problem with the R-class is that it's only a 4 pasenger vehicle with luggage...
Eric...

Nevada Jack

"The problem with the R-class is that it's only a 4 pasenger vehicle with luggage..." That would fit the new S Class and almost any sedan in the country.

Unless you have a lot of kids, most long distance travel would probably be two couples leaving scads of space for luggage. If you do have kids and want the R Class they do make a roof rack attachment to store additional stuff for a trip. How you want to use your car is what determines the model you want. I think the R Class will appeal greatly to the luxury SUV buyer who has had nothing but converted trucks to select from for years. The R Class (and it's future competition) will satisfy the need and want for a car like vehicle but with all the features they were used to with their prior truck. From the reviews, the handling of the R Class appears to be a very positive feature which can only further enhance its acceptance.

I don't know that much about the success or failure of the Pacifica but I understand that the marketing for it was a complete disaster. I don't think that will be the case for the R Class. I would imagine that starting in early September you are going to see a major campaign for the R building up to its release on October 1st or maybe a little earlier.

EKaru

Most full-sized luxury sedans (including the S-class, which you made reference to) can comfortably seat 5 passengers. My parents have always been BMW 7-series and S-class buyers and frequently they've taken 3 passengers in the back w/out any problem.
Eric....

Nevada Jack

Five passengers with luggage on a long trip in the new S Class? I would not want to be the one in the center seat for the entire trip...:-)

EKaru

Obviously it's not as comfortable as sitting in the main seats, but it is possible, with which in the R-class it is not.... I'm not talking just about long distance, but what about driving 30 min to the airport with the back full of luggage.
Eric...

Nevada Jack

Buy the S Class Eric...it is obvious you do not like the concept of the R Class. If you find it "not possible" to transport 5 people with luggage to an airport for a 30 minute drive in the R Class, "although not as comfortable as sitting in the main seats," then I am at a loss of words.

Hope you will comment on my pictures and trip across country in my new R Class in late October on this forum. I will have the entire vehicle to myself so there will not be lack of space for the luggage...:-)

BTW Eric...I lived in Maryland (Brandywine/Clinton/Crofton and finally in Annapolis) off and on while in the Navy and permanently from 1968 to 1987 when I worked for the National Archives.

EKaru

Jack, please don't get me wrong, I really like the R-class and would definitely consider it if I was currently shopping in that segment. I think it's novel concept in an unexplored price class. I just hope there's a niche for it in the luxo class. I'm very much looking forward to your photos and wish you luck with your upcoming R-class...
Eric...

Nevada Jack

Thanks Eric...I have two digitals and a bunch of CF cards and I hope to fill them up with some good images...:-)

Carl_CA

Found this pic showing the location of 2nd row headphone jacks and their volume controls.

-Carl

Nevada Jack

Great information! Where did you find this and are there more shots from this site?

Thanks for posting.

Carl_CA

The pic is from the internet site of an European (Finnish) newspaper. They recently tested the R-class. No more relevant new info there. Also I guess the language (it's in finnish) is not easily understandable for most people in this forum

http://www.iltalehti.fi/2005/08/25/autot/200508043343751_au.shtml

- Carl

joshg

GREAT find Carl, we've been debating this as you see... and I just lost the debate, being so very (wrongly) confident that MB would never integrate volume and headset jacks into a penl with AC buttons mixed right in. Thanks for setting us straight. I guess it looks better than i'd have imagined but I still think that's a weird design decision.

EKaru

I still stand by this statement....
Eric....

ruykava

they will find a market for it, don't worry.

let me put it this way: a Camry is the same size as an E-class. it "resembles" the E-class in that it can seat 5 and is comfortable, and has wood and leather. the engine sizes have some overlap too. now, the majority of people will not really objectively notice the difference between the two because they couldn't care less, although they'd clearly "feel" that the E is more expensive. but people still buy both E-classes and Camry's because they appeal to different classes.

i mean, if it's all about space or even reliability, i would buy a Ssangyong Chairman instead of an S-class any day: http://www.ssangyong.com.sg/Chairman-2.htm

having said that, i think having the ability to seat 7 would have been good for the R - although people seldom ever seat 7, just knowing it is a kind of comfort. i guess if the market asks for it, they'd have that option soon enough.

StapleGun

Quality on the new "R" class is sub-par much like most new Benzes and absolutely hideous....unfortunately. Pacifica is what came to my mind!