Why are we being ripped off (AGAIN?)

[The Editor]

Just been on the MBUSA site !!.... I wish I hadn't !!

Why are we being charged £1,950 over here for COMAND and yet our American cousins are offered the same product for £677?? In actual fact, the software/maps for the US is more comprehensive than the UK since the size of the States is just slightly bigger than the UK (last time I looked)

I won't even look at the price of the vehicle or other extras because I will get too upset !!

Throw in their FOUR YEAR/50,000 mile warranty as well as their free servicing for four years and I start to get upset.

As per usual I suppose, the English put up with being ripped off whereas the Americans won't... The vote with their wallet and have gone out for the past few years and bought Lexus.

Wonder if I can buy one, get a right hooker (that's RHD before anyone comments crate it up and send it back to myself??... Oh no, I forgot, Mr Taxman will want his 17.5% won't he ?

Regards

Mr Angry

 

[SLIGOGOLFER]

Yes, but you would still be saving!!!!!

 

[The Editor]

Yes.... Or I could do it like Johnny Cash !!... One Piece at a time ....lol

 

[ddentrec]

Answer is simple.

Why should the M-B stealer reduce the price of the command unit when he can sell them like hot cakes at full price?

Fact is, the Mercedes brand has a peculiar hypnotic effect on customers: they will pay over the odds for the brand image, even though the average C-class costs less the manufacture than a Mondeo (fact), and is of lower quality and durability (I have owned both--and I know).

In our society, it's all about brand, brand & brand. Oh, and celibrities.

So, if you want cheaper Mercs like the US then start demanding better discounts and complain about the poor value to the stealer. Or just walk away!

 

[shrekky]

Its like that tv reporter who went to germany and bought a mercedes for 20k cheaper than here,shipped it here and only had to pay 3k in tax.........saving 17k !! or the same tv reporter going to japn and buying a MGF,shipping here,paying the tax and still saving 6k,and it was made here and shipped there !!
And they dont call us RIP OFF BRITAIN ! for nothing you know.
American the land of the free and trigger happy or britain land of the repressed and ripped off !
And if it wasn't for the courts not letting me take my kids out of the country to live without their mothers permission,I WOULD BE LIVING IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY !

 

[davidsl500]

I think the vehicle manufacturers in the 1990's referred to the UK as "treasure Island"

Still, we can look forward to fuel going up again...

 

[cjcor]

Answer is simple.

In our society, it's all about brand, brand & brand. Oh, and celibrities.

So, if you want cheaper Mercs like the US then start demanding better discounts and complain about the poor value to the stealer. Or just walk away!

This is very true - we pay vastly inflated prices for all cars, and even more for Mercs. I have a C240 (March 2001) and a 318iSE (December 2001) - similar miles 59k. I just cannot understand as to why the Merc is almost £1.5k more expensive than the beemer (just checked the glass prices) - quality wise it should be the other way round. Simple exampleL: just close the doors - one has to accept the BMW feels significantly more solidly build.

Despite having a much bigger engine, speed wise the the cars offer almost identical performance. Come to the petrol station, it is altogether another story!

We do pay way over the odds for those three pointed stars! If we stop buying the manufacturers will HAVE to respond.

 

[Rory]

I think you'll find that E Class in the US comes with some kind of partial COMAND as standard, so adding DVD Navigation is an upgrade. It's a lot dearer on C-Class at $2200 - if you add VAT and use a reasonable exchange rate then it's still cheaper than UK, but not a million miles out.

I've just come back from holiday in the US and car NEW prices in general (but especially US produced cars) seem amazingly cheap. Most new cars are apparently bought on personal leases (same as our PCP) and Merc C230 Kompressor Sport (which is their entry model - none of your C180's etc) was being widely advertised for $329/mth. If you measure cars by the cubic foot, then Lincoln Navigator at $369/mth has to an amazing price.
Bear in mind none of the prices include tax, registration etc, which has to be paid up front, so on the Merc, around $4000 is payable up front.

A colleague told me that Merc 230K / BMW325 (again, none of your 318 rubbish, but they still only pay 318 prices) are the standard college grads cars.

What's weird about the US market is that second-hand prices seem (especially when new is cheap) absurdly expensive - that why the lease deals are so cheap, beacuse the residual values are high.