New member with incoming C-Class 205. I have questions :)

[Gary-W]

Hello all,

I ordered my first ever Mercedes a couple of weeks ago - I've been driving Audi A4's for almost 12 years now and I'm really looking forward to a change. As the spec I wanted was in stock at another dealer, they put it on a transporter and I was due to pick it up yesterday. Unfortunately, the car was damaged in transit so I'm now awaiting a factory order car with an ETA of 19th Dec. All I can do now is wait and hope this one turns up in one piece

So my questions are:-

1. How accurate are these dates usually? I'll live but I was so excited yesterday so I'm hopeful that 19th Dec is a worst case rather than a best case!

2. I've ordered the LED Intelligent lights. I saw the S-Class ad for these and loved the 'cut out the beam where the other road users are'. I also saw this video

LED Intelligent Light System - C-Klasse W205 - Mercedes Benz - YouTube

which claims to be for a C-Class 205 and looks like it's dimming just where the guy in front is. But the book seems to say that they are not quite as intelligent as those on the S-Class. If not, what's happening in that video? Can anyone give me a definite answer please?

3. How is the Artico leather? I tend to keep a car for 5-6 years from new so wear is as important as comfort / look.

4. Any 'must have' features? It's not too late for me to add.... I've already gone for the 220 Sport in obsidean black with premium plus, head up display and the intelligent lighting system.

5. Does the carplay ap thing work with iPhone 5? I tried bluetooth audio along with plugging in both the iPhone and an iPod and all worked fine but I didn't see the apps on the dash (Spotify etc).

Many thanks

Gary

 

[st13phil]

First of all congratulations on the purchase and commiserations on the delay due to the damaged car. The good news is that you're getting a new build instead though

I can only comment on Q's 1 & 3.

Regarding delivery dates, my experience is that they're approximate. Once you have a firm build date (approx. 4 weeks prior to build) things are much more certain. Keep in touch with your dealer. One thing you have in your favour is that they will want the sale this year rather than next, so should do everything they can to make that happen.

Artico is very good, and unless you take something sharp to it (like scissors or a knife!) it will look just the same in 5 - 6 years as it will the day you take delivery. Personally, having had cars with Artico, regular MB leather and MB's Nappa leather my preference would be for Nappa for looks and feel, then Artico and bringing up the rear the regular leather.

 

[whitenemesis]

Artico has come in for a bit of stick over the last few years. Many complaining of it cracking or splitting on the drivers bolster, sometimes within the year!

Hopefully MB have improved it for the latest models...

(Don't confuse Artico with MBTex of the 80's and 90's MBtex is virtually bombproof and will look as new after many years/100k miles as attested to by thousands of taxis!)

 

[GP801]

In my experience ( I have had 3 factory order MBs) they all turned up before the expected date. It was a few years ago though so might have changed now.
Artico and leather are both hard wearing but artico probably more so. Ours have leather and at 10, 12 and 19 years old the seats still look pretty much like new.

 

[MancMike]

Is the Harman Kardon speakers still an optional extra? I'd go for that if you've not go it. I'm considering having it retrofitted to mine.

I think Audi's "cut out the beam where lights are coming from" tech is better to be honest. Watch their video. Although it's cool watching the Merc LED pod move around like that, reminiscent of the mantis shrimp.

 

[Gary-W]

Thank you all for the replies - I appreciate it

st13phil - that's great information about the leather. Thank you.

whitenemesis - I hope so.... I've had the alcantara (sic??) stuff in my Audi A4 and that has been fine.... That's another man made effort and it's lived through 106,000 of my rear end so I'm hopeful the artico survives such terrors with equal elegance.

GP801 - I hope you're right. I am so excited so the sooner the better

i-CONICA - thanks for this. I have gone for the premium plus pack which has the Burmeister system. I didn't crank it to death but what I heard was impressive. I've had the updated B&O system in my A4 and that is very good (IMO). The Burmeister will need to be lived with to judge but it seems to be universally well thought of and I think I'll love it. Music and ability to talk to ipods / iphones / bluetooth / kitchen sink is important to me so I'm looking forward to playing with all of this.

Any more opinions on the other items would be most welcome if anyone has further thoughts

 

[mgooda]

Burmester is a much more complete sound than the HK via CD/DVD. Not as good as the HK was on other sources with compressed files.

CarPlay isn't fitted, not available yet and no guidance whether it will be available as a Comand update.

 

[dand87]

Hi Gary - was it a new factor order as that would be a quick delivery date of December if so. It was it already ordered for dealer stock and it's been allocated for you.

Certainly my experience of UK orders would suggest no chance of December but I'm unsure where you live? I ordered in August and due for January delivery....

 

[MancMike]

I didn't crank it to death but what I heard was impressive.

Whatever you end up with just make sure you run the speakers in gently. You can damage speakers by over driving them when they're new and stiff, so build the volume slowly over weeks of driving.

 

[grober]

Factor in the sea voyage time from South Africa after the build date as the UK market cars are built there. To get another car so rapidly you must have been given a car already allocated for dealer stock.

 

[Gary-W]

When the dealer ordered this, it was one of two cars he found which were due to be built and shipped to the UK anyway.

He said that with this system you can change everything up until the build date EXCEPT engine and transmission so what he did was to look for 220 auto diesels. He found two and grabbed one which was then tweaked to my spec.

The build date of these cars was (if I recall) early November so they were always due to get to the UK for 19th December. I guess they were just being built with common specs for stock but now it's shown on the system as being sold to me.

So hopefully this will all work well.... We shall see

 

[dand87]

Nice, that makes sense then and good to avoid the long lead times.

Think mine is due to land around then, but I won't see it until January as it's a company car and there'll be nobody around to get it all processed for me.

 

[timskemp]

Drove a 205 a few weeks ago (service loan) and it is better in every way than the 204 except for the stereo. I'd definitely get an upgrade on that if it matters to you, it's as if they've scuppered the bass response to make people buy the upgrade

 

[bensales]

When the dealer ordered this, it was one of two cars he found which were due to be built and shipped to the UK anyway.

He said that with this system you can change everything up until the build date EXCEPT engine and transmission so what he did was to look for 220 auto diesels. He found two and grabbed one which was then tweaked to my spec.

My dealer was saying similar, but it was colour first. He said if there was one allocated in your colour, then you could change everything early enough, engine and gearbox included. If it had the engine and gearbox fixed, then the rest of the trim and spec as amendable up until very close to build date.

I imagine if it's a black, white, or grey-variant, then there's high chance that there's one of the line able to be changed.

Me going for Hyacinth Red rather put an April-sized spanner in the works...