which options are worth the money?

I just bought mine last week. Took an '02 leftover from stock, so it came with what it came with. Had the dealer put in the CD changer (not an option with my 1 hour each way commute). Based on my car, here's my opinion:

CD Changer - worth the money, but you lose glove box space.
The standard sound system sounds pretty good. I'm sure the Bose system is a little more meaty though. The car rides so quietly that any decent system sounds nice.
Tele-Aid system - Worth the money just for the safety factor.
Wheel package - Makes the car look nicer. Improves performance handling and resale value. Probably reduces mileage a bit, and might be less snow/rain friendly.... a choice of asthetics mostly.
Leather - wish I had it.

If your are considering a six speed the absolute must have is C7. It includes a short throw shifter, which is much better than the standard shifter. In my opinion the Panorama roof is a must have. If you live in an area where it gets cold, they heated seats are great. The bi-xenon headlights are a good buy, too. If you want leather, but the car you are looking at doesn't have it, it can be added for $1300 to $1500 at a couple of places like Classic Soft Trim or Katzkin.

An aftermarket headunit cannot be connected to either the CANBUS or the D2B fiber optic loop. Without CANBUS, you can't use the steering wheel buttons to change the volume or stations on the radio. Without D2B, you can't use the Bose amp, an integrated phone or a factory cd changer.

i m going to buy the automactic model, cuz i dont know how to drive a standard

and i live in winnipeg, canada, which is cold and lots of snow in the winter, well, except this winter, which is kind of warm. but i might move to vancouver later this year, or in the future.

i think i will get the sunroof, since i read that it's nice in this forum.

about the cd player, should i just get the benz cd changer option? or there's better option out there?

how about the 17" wheel, is that anygood for me?

There are only two changers that will work with the stock headunit. One is the MB/Alpine unit installed by MB or the dealer, and the Becker Silverstone 2662. They are connected to the h/u via the D2B fiber optic network. Get the MB changer.

You could get another changer and connect it with an RF modulator. The H/u and steering wheel buttons can't be used to control a changer connected this way.

I'm not sure about TeleAid, but having a cell phone with 1-800-MERCEDES surely helps! I had a little problem today... called 1800Mercedes, they got my location down and said that I'll hear from someone within 15 minutes. In 10 minutes someone called me from the dealership and in 8 minutes they were looking at my car. Great Service, I'm pretty impressed.

options

The panaramic sunroof is awesome! I previously drove a convertible and don't miss it a bit with this option on the C230K. Backseat passengers really like having all that glass too. Tele-Aid is very nice. Love the leather seats and the heated option. Bose sound system is great and I love my CD changer. Previous car just had a single CD which was tiresome. All in all, I got a lot more options than I originally wanted but ended up really liking them all. Memory for the seats is great, especially if you share the car. The only option that seems useless is the light washing system. (Maybe if I lived in a place with actual weather it would be useful.)

Yeah, I forgot about the Panorama Sunroof... probably because it is uncommon NOT to have that.. it is wonderful. You can do the package that will also give you the rain sensor for the wipers, etc. Nice, and not too pricey.

If you want a CD changer - definately go factory (or dealer add).. aftermarket might give you compatibility headaches that aren't worth the few $ you save.

The C7 wheel package is very nice...even with the automatic.

I was in Winepeg once... long ago... beautiful city.

Pweb said:

I'm not sure about TeleAid, but having a cell phone with 1-800-MERCEDES surely helps! I had a little problem today... called 1800Mercedes, they got my location down and said that I'll hear from someone within 15 minutes. In 10 minutes someone called me from the dealership and in 8 minutes they were looking at my car. Great Service, I'm pretty impressed.

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I'm one of "those people" who don't have a cell. So there is TeleAid in my car. Hopefully, it'll never be used for emergency or trouble purposes. But it's nice to know it's there. One nice thing, they already know where you are, just in case the area is unknown to you.

Get a winter tire pkg for winterpeg plus the heated seats, especially if you have leather seats option.

Gambit said:

Get a winter tire pkg for winterpeg plus the heated seats, especially if you have leather seats option.

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the heatseat option will sure help
cold winters over here

what is the winter tire option?

C7 tires are useless on frozen surfaces. The standard all season tires are better. Four winter tires are best.

Lynn said:

C7 tires are useless on frozen surfaces. The standard all season tires are better. Four winter tires are best.

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so i shouldnt get the C7 option then, right?
cuz i dont want my car skating on icy roads

I would go for the C7 package and buy extra steel rims with winter tires - that's what I did and it was a good decision...
Otherwise get heated seats and the sunroof.

susemu said:

I would go for the C7 package and buy extra steel rims with winter tires - that's what I did and it was a good decision...
Otherwise get heated seats and the sunroof.

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how much will it cost for the extra steel and tires?

I bought them from www.tirerack.com and paid about $680. Installed myself in about 30min.

is the bose sound system worth the cdn$1000?

peaceV said:

is the bose sound system worth the cdn$1000?

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I'm happy with mine, a car is about as imperfect listening environment as you can get, but the Bose system work pretty well. With the reduction in price of the CD changer, I'd consider one also.

If you looking to force your entertainment on other motorists and house dwelling humans than you will need to consider wasting bigger bucks on an aftermarket low frequency high distortion system.

feeling totally stupid

well, i just got a 2003 C230 k for my christmas present and all i had to do was look at the car and pick a color. well, at the end i got a white one with an auto/ touch shift whatever that means, and a 1.8 liter one......i have no idea what's even standard for the car. all i have read online are the C230s with 2.3 Liters....did i just get like the cheapest type for my model? is that bad? i don't even know what heated seats are or any type of packages that are optional. sheesh, i don't even have a sunroof. sorry if i sound extra stupid but i don't know much about cars, so i'm glad that there is a forum. thanks. i feel like this when it comes to my car :?:

hlea34, all 2003 coupes,so far, have the 1.8 liter engines. It is a new family of engines know n as the M 274. It replaces the M 111 series of engines. The new engine has very slightly less power, but it is lighter, produces less pollution and uses less gas.

There is a new coupe being released this week with a 3.2 liter V6. It's price is over $2000 more, and the only difference is the engine.

Don't feel stupid. Everyone has things to learn. Stupid people don't try to learn them.