I'm important not to confuse engineering and marketing. We design and test all sorts of low end features that never make it to market in the US... the engineers have nothing to do with this decision. The marketing people decide what will sell and what won't, and how to package it. Its important to note that MBUSA is a marketing and sales company before anything else, and they have nearly no development engineering.
As development engineers, we just sit back and wonder how and why they make the decisions they do. This is how it works in most industries. But one thing I've noticed on these lists over the years: While the "240D crowd" loves to go on and on about how MB doesn't offer what they want, the reality is that there are very few people out there that feel the same way. And the number of people in that group willing to pay $40,000+ for a new car of any kind is probably barley a handful. Like it or not, the majority of buyers want what MBUSA is selling, and thats why they are successful at doing what they do. Do I like the idea of buying a brand new W212 E220 diesel with a 6 speed and cloth seats? You bet! Can I afford it? Nope! If I could, would I really buy one? Don't know. Jaime On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 9:53 AM, Dieselhead <126die...@gmail.com> wrote: > I agree that MB has always had advanced features, and that new things > appear first on the S, then on the smaller cars. (then on US cars) I > always like to point out that the 62 190Dc and the 59 220b and Sb has > steering locking, and the key was in the dash not on the steering column, > and that it was way more study than the gm steering column lock. (didn't > appear in the US until 1968, when it was a gummit mandate) They also had > very effective crumple zones designed without computers. > > The first point is easy. If cheap compass is a "Luxury car" why SHOULD MB > compete with it? Why would MB WANT to compete with the whole cheep lineup > that are now considered "luxury cars?" > > The second point is what you brought up "Engineered like no other" is what > MB used to be, and I think is trying to be again. However, to be engineered > like no other, doesn't mean we should have to pay for stuff we don't want. > Like ACC, power windows, power sunroofs (although i will pay for the > sunroof), auto trans, leather seats. As you can tell from the comments on > this list over the years, many people like the cloth seat covers. If the > car is "engineered like no other" we should have a choice. We should at > LEAST be able to special order a car without the stuff we don't want. MASS > PRODUCTION is out. MASS CUSTOMIZATION is the future. computers make mass > customization easy. > > in the 60s, my friend who used to own a MB dealership when it was a > studebaker dealership says that the typical customer was an engineer or > someone who appreciated the advanced engineeringand or safety of a Mercedes. > Yet, may princes, potentates, and hollywood and nashville personalities > bought MB also. > > When the typical customer became a yuppie or yuppie larvae that could > barely afford the lease, he sold the dealership. > > I have noticed over the 30 some years of being an MBCA member that there > are two types of MBCA member. A: the one who bought the car because of the > "image" and how it boosts their fragile ego. This is the typical "luxury > car" buyer > and B: the one who appreciates the safety, and engineering of the MB. > These are often serial owners of several or many MBs. > > For the past 20 or so years MB has been targeting type A and been > disrespectful of type B. In the marketing game, customer retention is the > game. For all the marketing brainpower that has been running MB for the > past 2 decades, it seems stupid to ignore or disdain the repeat customer, > type B. > > In the 60s and 70s the print VW ads were legendary, and the MB ads were > similar. They focused on the practicality and reliability of the VW and the > engineering and safety of the MB. For the past 20 years, the MB ads in > essence say "if you lease a MB, you can be a bigger snob than your snob > friends." > > Why wouldn't MB want to compete with "engineered like no other" and set > itself apart from the "luxury cars" like cheep, caddylack, linkum, letsus, > infinitoe, bimmers, folvos, hyndi, mahindry and the unending line of > chebbies, frods dogdes and other vehicles that think power everything and > leather makes a "luxury" car. > > The catch is to separate stuff that is useful and practical from the fluff > that the software people want to slip in just to show they can do it, that > is neither useful or practical. (the 12 mb starwar credits on excel 97) > > > > > > I'm not exactly sure what your point is, but like it or not, Mercedes is a >> luxury brand in the USA. Even in the early 1980s, most models were >> available standard with automatic climate control (240D is the only >> exception), power windows, etc. Most of the world envys us for getting >> all >> the "good" cars with lots of features for reasonable prices. >> >> There has been discussion about bringing the B class to the US for years. >> They are now sold in Canada. Really, its all about what the market >> wants. >> Does Mercedes really want to compete with VW Jettas, etc, and will people >> really pay a premium for it? I dunno, I'm an engineer, not a marketing >> guy. >> >> With "luxury" features comes loads of safety and quality in engineering. >> Plain models are really a relative thing. Looking back at a W211 2003 >> E320, I see a pretty simple plain and reliable car I'd consider owning. >> In >> 2003, we'd all look at this and say "Whoa, stay away!". I look at the new >> SLK I'm driving this weekend and I'm taken back by the numbers of advanced >> features in a mid-range Mercedes. Really, its just an example of where >> all >> other cars will be in a few years when they catch up, and where the S >> class >> was a few years ago. I'm sure when looking at a brand new W116 in 1973, >> with its crazy electronic fuel injection, people felt exactly the same >> way. >> Now people think nothing of owning a W124 or W210 and fixing it >> themselves, >> which are much more complex and closer to a modern mercedes than most >> realize. >> >> Our kids (and kid's kids) will grow up know nothing other than checking >> DTCs >> and using CAN tools to diagnose their teenage beaters. And they'll talk >> about how it won't be possible with "new" cars of the era. And a 240D >> will >> be a museum piece not fit for public roads. >> >> Jaime >> >> >> On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 11:45 PM, Dieselhead <126die...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> On the radio here they have been endlessly advertising the "new LUXURY >>> car >>> lineup" compass, patriot, liberty, ...Blah blah. >>> >>> Now go ask your grandfather who was in WWII if a cheep is a "luxury car" >>> >>> Message to MomBUSA: If a cheap is a "luxury car" WHY ON EARTH would >>> Mombusa insist on positioning Mercedes Benz as a "luxury car" in place >>> of >>> "the best engineered vehicles in the world"? >>> >>> We don't all want all the ACC and so called "luxury" crap. There is a >>> market for the A class and other "rest of the world" models here. The >>> "plain" models sold in the rest of the world will also sell here. >>> >>> _______________________________________ >>> http://www.okiebenz.com >>> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >>> >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >>> >>> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
