C-Class W204 Official: 2011 C-class (W204 facelift)

[tennmb]

You are right about the G25. I was unware they had expanded.

That and MB costumer will is totally different from infiniti one for sure even if he is shopping for an entry level Benz sedan.

Really? How long have you worked in luxury sales? I have over 12 years of exprience with Mercedes. So, if you think that there are Mercedes customers, and Infiniti customers you are mistaken. Most buyers look at several options. This is a naive statement. One that may have been true 20 years ago. But the fact is that Lexus, Infiniti and the likes are very respected by the consumer these days. When it comes to the C, Mercedes is competing for a piece of the pie like everyone else.

I would not pay more than $40K for it.

Most US C-classes are quickly passing that mark. You can get a base model C300 for $38k, with no Nav or tech, or you can get a loaded Infiniti G37 with Nav for $40,275. And heck you only gain 100 hp, but get better fuel mileage. Don't believe me. Go to the build your own sites and spec.

 

[martinbo]

Come and sell C-Classes in SA, tennmb. Down here the C utterly slaughters the competition. Japanese-origin cars just don't cut it down here...

 

[tennmb]

I work with SA gent who is died in the wool Mercedes. Never heard him complement an asian car.

But ultimately that doesn't deal with the content. Either your product is the best, or it isn't. I know for many years here, I had customers that were enchanted by the three pointed star. They wouldn't even consider anything else. As time goes on, you can only live on a name for so long. That's the way it was 20 years ago in the US. MB was selling overpriced, low content cars, getting fat and happy with 20% dealer mark up. Now dealers work off 7% and MB is having to battle like a demon for every sale. The pie is a LOT bigger, yet Mercedes is only getting a slice. They used to be the pie.

As sales people we are on the front lines. We know better than anyone why people buy or don't buy our cars. How many times do you think Mercedes consults its front line people to find out why people buy and even more important, why they don't? I've never known of one time. Imagine a general not consulting his sergeants to find out what is happening in the trenches. Yet this is the very program that MB and many other corporate giants operate under. They pay some over degreed suit to do market analysis, and then wonder how brands like Lexus and Infiniti have become so effective at capturing market.

 

[Osnabrueck]

...brands like Lexus and Infiniti have become so effective at capturing market.

They've had a nice run but the Japanese premium brands are facing serious headwinds as the texture of the marketplace has shifted dramatically since 2008. I see a good future for the German brands in the US - and a very challenging one for Lexus, Infiniti as their share of market erodes thanks to murky product and branding roadmaps.

 

[Tarek]

Really? How long have you worked in luxury sales? I have over 12 years of exprience with Mercedes. So, if you think that there are Mercedes customers, and Infiniti customers you are mistaken. Most buyers look at several options. This is a naive statement. One that may have been true 20 years ago. But the fact is that Lexus, Infiniti and the likes are very respected by the consumer these days. When it comes to the C, Mercedes is competing for a piece of the pie like everyone else.

Naive?..applying US way of thinking of the customers to the rest of the world is what is most definitive naive..here people couldn't careless about more power or options in ur lexus or infiniti..u'll see more C-Class more than the entire Lexus and Infiniti lineup of cars.

It's all about the badge when u premium..it's how it is here.

 

[Sunny]

^Then you have a bunch of brand conscious snobs over there then.

I don't know what people are getting so riled up about, all temmb seems to be arguing for is MB must make cars that are also competitive and not just rest on the brand name. As MB fans, you guys should be supporting that. As a BMW fan, I definitely wish BMW would do the same, like make nav standard on cars instead of charging people an arm and a leg.

 

[Osnabrueck]

^^ As does the entire planet. Lexus, Infinti and the rest have tried to seed badge snobbery of their own making in 'conquest markets' but have had mixed results. The success of Japanese premium in the US is something of an anomaly when you take global performance into account.

But yes - The ORIGINAL POINT was that MB had learned to lean on their stellar reputation and image and were caught flat-footed by the competition.

 

[Tarek]

^Then you have a bunch of brand conscious snobs over there then.

I don't know what people are getting so riled up about, all temmb seems to be arguing for is MB must make cars that are also competitive and not just rest on the brand name. As MB fans, you guys should be supporting that. As a BMW fan, I definitely wish BMW would do the same, like make nav standard on cars instead of charging people an arm and a leg.

Then i'm a brand snob too and happy about it..i'm sorry but when i pay that much i want brand image and charm thrown in too..something the Asian brands will most likely will never gonna acquire.

We're against temmb of anything here,he is actually spot on about ever improving and be competitive as hell,we were just stating that sheer power is not always the prime concern.

MB,BMW and Audi should always be at the top of the game and do their best to maintain it.

 

[Shining Star]

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[Deleted member 1071]

Here in Germany, Mercedes-Benz has made a formidable effort to improve customer satisfaction and enhance the showroom, purchasing and service experience. According to recent surveys, M-B now ranks first among Germanys' premium brands with regard to these aspects. And it wasn't that long ago that M-B dealers were absolutely notorious for their arrogance and pomposity. When I purchased my first and only new Mercedes-Benz back in the mid-1980s', that very arrogance was the reason that I defected to the BMW and Audi camps in the following years.
They (BMW and especially Audi) knew that they just had to try much harder back then. Of course, there will always be exceptions to the rule. I am very pleased with the way that my Audi dealer has treated me as a customer. But I have read that many Audi dealerships have now assumed the role that M-B had years ago. It will eventually bite them in the ass.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Report: Mercedes-Benz C-Class diesel coming in 2012

We've got good news for the oil-burning fans of United States. Car and Driver is reporting that Mercedes-Benz wants to sell eight diesel models in the land of the free by 2014, and one of those will be a C-Class.

Odds are that the vehicle won't show up until 2013, and when it does, it will come packing the Silver Arrow's 2.1-liter turbo diesel mill with 204 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That same engine is likely to find its way into the nose of the GLK as well, though the pint-sized crossover is expected to show its face sooner than its sedan cousin.

The GLK is likely to hit showrooms in the fall of this year as a 2012 model. Car and Driver says that when it does, it could bring some tasty figures to the table, including a 0-60 time in the seven second range and fuel economy in the high 30s.

Currently, Mercedes-Benz serves up a diesel option in its E, M, GL and R-Class models. The S-Class is set to join that party by the end of 2011.

- Report: Mercedes-Benz C-Class diesel coming in 2012

As MB fans, you guys should be supporting that. As a BMW fan, I definitely wish BMW would do the same, like make nav standard on cars instead of charging people an arm and a leg.

That is the absolute truth!

 

[dtd]

Does that mean the C250CDI will be in the US at the end of 2011 or mid 2012 as 2013MY ? I also heard that the diesel needs to be serviced twice a year ( change the urea solution ?). Is it true? At this moment diesel price is higher than premium gas price in CA.Anyway, good gas mileage plus high torque is what we need , not just small engine.
dtd

 

[katkat33]

WOW.. the change.. i see so many different things just by looking at the photos! (and many thanks for them)

it's quite welcoming to see the change in the inside.. not sure how much of it is for the AMG/sports package only or are those round air vents and round odometer standard for every trim.. but that aside, I see a lot more mood lighting inside - especially on the door (near the handles). There are also cooled front seats now - something that was not previously available on the c-class in Australia (not sure about elsewhere). I wonder what is the purpose of the image of the car on the centre of the odometer.. if it's meant to show the driver something? But the wood/aluminium trim on the front dash is a very welcoming addition as the front has been very very bland. I would prefer the previous COMMAND APS with a flip up screen, keeping the dash low when the screen is not in need. Also less dust build up but it's to keep with the current brand design i guess..

on the outside, quite like the near rear lights to the extent that the indicator LEDs are now the full length. However, they've changed the housing so now you see the little circular bulbs - i liked the quadrangular slots for the LEDs previously more... and the headlights, to me, are quite appalling. I very much like the old headlights more.. but for the majority, new is good right? The front bumper has also borrowed curves from the new E-class, but the LED front lights on a chrome bar looks very sharp - for some reason sharper than it looks on the 2010 models.. The tucked in centre part of the front and rear bumpers also make the car look sportier..

Does that mean the C250CDI will be in the US at the end of 2011 or mid 2012 as 2013MY ? I also heard that the diesel needs to be serviced twice a year ( change the urea solution ?). Is it true? At this moment diesel price is higher than premium gas price in CA.Anyway, good gas mileage plus high torque is what we need , not just small engine.
dtd

In Australia, at least, the c220cdi still has the 1-year service only

 

[Shining Star]

C-Class DTM

 

[MBFanToDeath]

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[K-A]

Worst M-B Commercial I've seen in a long time.

 

[fortuner]

C-Class DTM

 

[Soup]

 

[Human]

Nice to read that the 3er reigns supreme.

IMO the FL did good outside for the C-class but even better on the inside, I like the new dash and that steering wheel looks superb!

 

[SKY]

I use to see a lot LCI W204 and, even when the interior is a huge step forward, and the front end looks pretty nice, the rear is a bit concerning. Particulary the rear bumper, looks weird, and needed of the AMG pack, on the contrary than the pre-LCI C-Class.