...without having to add a bloated multimedia package for ~US$3500. Safety gear (which will soon be required equipment anyway...) should not be dependent on gee-whiz media capabilities that many drivers may not want. I don't need the curving back-up line indicators, or lines showing where the car is going...I'd just like a simple picture showing the immediate vicinity of the rear bumper. Our pedestrian 2006 Prius did that, many boring rental cars I've driven do that...we were surprised that this car doesn't without many other bundled options.
Backup camera as standard equipment on all trim levels
- Thread starter andyferg
- Start date
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padamson1
Well-known member
I got mine as a separate (single) option. However it was $460 which I thought was kind of a rip off.andyferg said:
JupiterRed
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2014
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- 60
It is very common of German manufactures to make the sticker price very low and make one add all of the common options into a car to get a desirable setup. The Japanese manufactures have very few options, just different trim levels for you to pick from, and then the American manufacturers give you so many customization options and packages that you need a computer and a psychic to figure out the best combination of packages.
I would like to see the industry move to a combination of Japanese trim levels + some assortment of options from the next highest trim level available for one to order. I think that would make it easier for consumers.
In the case of the B Class, how about a base model. Another with all the driving features, and a top model with all of the interior trims and driving features. They you can pick any of the 3 with some select options from the model above.
Interested in knowing what others think?
I would like to see the industry move to a combination of Japanese trim levels + some assortment of options from the next highest trim level available for one to order. I think that would make it easier for consumers.
In the case of the B Class, how about a base model. Another with all the driving features, and a top model with all of the interior trims and driving features. They you can pick any of the 3 with some select options from the model above.
Interested in knowing what others think?
Opinion on options.
This is a running battle I've had with Nissan and their Leaf for years. Any electric car manufacturer needs to separate options related to the uniqueness of the electric car and the fluff options. For example: Don't bundle an upgrade on the onboard charger (3.3 Kw vs 6.6 Kw) and LED lighting in the same package. The same thing with the DC/DC quick charge option. Don't bundle it with navigation/back up cameras, etc. This situation exists with almost all the companies producing electric cars.
2012 Mitsubishi I-MIEV
ES model, silver with QC
16000 + miles
Former lessee, now owner.
This is a running battle I've had with Nissan and their Leaf for years. Any electric car manufacturer needs to separate options related to the uniqueness of the electric car and the fluff options. For example: Don't bundle an upgrade on the onboard charger (3.3 Kw vs 6.6 Kw) and LED lighting in the same package. The same thing with the DC/DC quick charge option. Don't bundle it with navigation/back up cameras, etc. This situation exists with almost all the companies producing electric cars.
2012 Mitsubishi I-MIEV
ES model, silver with QC
16000 + miles
Former lessee, now owner.
There are solid reasons for bundling items, although the intention is not to allow the buyer the most granular customization possible at any cost.
If enough people bought or ordered option-less vehicles and purchased the desired parts to effect an installation of the options that are instead desired, you can believe that they would alter their marketing mix via the equipment in the bundles. It's no longer the muscle-car era of car retailing, and this just doesn't happen.
As it is, the options for the B Class are relatively inexpensive portions of the entire purchase price, so it's less inhibiting than it could be to simply add each package necessary to contain the options that you do want (as well as some that you don't particularly want.)
I have had serious reservations for years about accepting a vehicle with drivers' rearward vision so restricted such that a camera was even desirable, and if I've got complaints about the camera they would have to do with the vehicle even needing one. When it came time to decide whether or not to include it - no contest, we got it, despite the entertainment system package that I could argue isn't an upgrade worth having.
In this region, the Mercedes Benz dealer was the first dealership of any brand that we visited that would entertain the idea of searching for or ordering a car with our desired specs and equipment. The fact that ours was a lease decision made it a bit more acceptable to choose one from existing inventory that was fairly close to our wishes.
If enough people bought or ordered option-less vehicles and purchased the desired parts to effect an installation of the options that are instead desired, you can believe that they would alter their marketing mix via the equipment in the bundles. It's no longer the muscle-car era of car retailing, and this just doesn't happen.
As it is, the options for the B Class are relatively inexpensive portions of the entire purchase price, so it's less inhibiting than it could be to simply add each package necessary to contain the options that you do want (as well as some that you don't particularly want.)
I have had serious reservations for years about accepting a vehicle with drivers' rearward vision so restricted such that a camera was even desirable, and if I've got complaints about the camera they would have to do with the vehicle even needing one. When it came time to decide whether or not to include it - no contest, we got it, despite the entertainment system package that I could argue isn't an upgrade worth having.
In this region, the Mercedes Benz dealer was the first dealership of any brand that we visited that would entertain the idea of searching for or ordering a car with our desired specs and equipment. The fact that ours was a lease decision made it a bit more acceptable to choose one from existing inventory that was fairly close to our wishes.
tomt
Well-known member
For vehicles built after April 2018 all this foolishness will disappear as rear view cameras then become required equipment on all vehicles.
