Quote:
Originally posted by Jon Hrut
However, something has to give eventually.
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I don't think that the C-Class and E-Class model dynamic will play any role in MB's future success. If anything, the C-Class in it's top model formats is too expensive, and the E-Class might bleed the C sales in luxury car markets like the US where car size and luxury are linked. In many parts of the world, size matters, but the other way around. In many European nations, the C-Class is a full sized car.
What we need are the greater choices available to Mercedes customers in other parts of the world, but that would only make me and a few of us happy. Generally speaking, MB's customer base in North America is different than in many nations. They are trying to reach a larger audience with cars like the CL230, but that's not where I want them to go. I want to be able to buy a four cylinder C-Class without COMAND, manual seats, no traction control system at all (half the posts in the tech section are "ASR" related) and maybe even manual AC controls. But folks like me are a minority here. Thanks to the short term expectations of car owners, they mostly value trinkets over things like double row timing chains.