If you have a PCMCIA slot in your vehicle (S-Class, CL-Class, C-Class, GLK-Class) you need a PCMCIA adaptor to play music from a memory card. You plug the PCMCIA adaptor into the slot, then you can insert a variety of memory cards into the adaptor to access your saved music or podcasts.

This adaptor has been a little hard to find for some of my clients. Luckily, Mercedes has come out with their own. Called the PCMCIA Multi-Card Reader, it is priced at $102 and the part number is 6-7-82-3974. You should be able to order one from your local parts department.

A quick Google search will come up with cheaper readers that are meant to do the same thing, but these are meant to work with laptops and aren’t guaranteed to work with your car like the Mercedes version is. Also, I haven’t personally tested the Mercedes adapter with the larger SDHC cards so it may not read those.

Here is the information from the preliminary Dealer Ordering Guide for the 2010 E-Class Coupe. This is a preliminary version and is subject to change at any point. Pricing has not been announced.

New Model Highlights:
Styling shared with 2010 E sedan
2-Door pillarless coupe
LED tail lamps
V6 and V8 engines optimized for fuel economy
Standard panoramic sunroof!
Agility control suspension
HOLD convenience braking function
Attention Assist – driver drowsiness monitor standard
Available Back-up Camera (P1)
Standard split-folding rear seats
Standard heated seats
Standard COMAND PLUS with central controller includes:
7″ LCD screen
6 CD/DVD changer
Bluetooth

Colors:
040 – Black (non-metallic)
590 – Mars Red (non-metallic)
650 – Arctic White (non-metallic)
197 – Obsidian Black
230 – Quartz Blue (new)
359 – Capri Blue
723 – Pewter
755 – Steel Grey
775 – Iridium Silver
792 – Palladium Silver
963 – Indium Grey

Interiors:
E350 and E550:
Standard Leather: Black, Almond Beige, Ash
Premium Leather: Black, Almond Beige, Ash

Premium 1 Package:
(standard on E550 coupe)
COMAND system with hard-drive Navigation
Sirius Satellite Radio
HD Digital Radio
harman/kardon surround sound
iPod/MP3 Media Interface
6 GB hard-drive with Music Register
Enhanced Voice Control
Heated Front Seats
Rear-View Camera (new)
Power rear sunshade

Premium 2 Package:
All components of Premium 1
Bi-Xenon Headlamps with active curve illumination
Keyless-Go
Heated and Active Ventilated front seats

Sport Package:
18″ AMG twin 6-spoke
Sport Bodystyling – spoiler, exhaust tips, front air dam, side skits and rear apron
Sport steering wheel with gearshift paddles

Distronic Plus Package:
Distronic Plus
Advanced parking guidance

Stand Alone Options:
Wood/Leather Steering Wheel
COMAND with HDD navigation
Heated Seats

I now have the preliminary Dealer Ordering Guide for the 2010 E-Class Sedan. This guide lists out the standard and optional features as well as the colors. This is a preliminary version and is subject to change at any point. No pricing is available at this time but it should be comparable to the 2009 pricing. The guide was published without pictures at this point but I will post pictures of the standard and optional wheels when they are available.

New Model Highlights:
New headlamp design
Sport and Luxury version available
17″ and 18″ standard wheels
Interior ambient lighting
Agility control – suspension-dampening system
Low drag coefficient (.28)
Optimized for lower fuel consumption
Sunroof standard
Bluetooth standard
14-way power front seats with 4-way lumbar
HOLD convenience braking function
11 Airbags – New Pelvic and Knee Airbags
Attention Assist – driver drowsiness monitor standard
Available Back-up Camera (P1)
4-MATIC version will have full-leather and AIRMATIC suspension

Colors:
040 – Black (non-metallic)
650 – Arctic White (non-metallic)
197 – Obsidian Black
230 – Quartz Blue (new)
300 – Jade Green
359 – Capri Blue
755 – Steel Grey (new)
775 – Iridium Silver
792 – Palladium Silver (new)
794 – Pearl Beige (new)
963 – Indium Grey

Interiors:
E350 Luxury:
MB Tex Options: Black, Almond/Mocha, Ash
Full Leather Options: Black, Almond, Ash
E350 Sport:
MB Tex Options: Black, Almond/Black, Ash/Black
Full Leather Options: Black, Almond/Black, Ash/Black, Natural Beige/Black
E550 Luxury:
Full Leather Options: Black, Almond, Ash
E550 Sport:
Full Leather Options: Black, Almond/Black, Ash/Black, Natural Beige/Black

Premium 1 Package:
COMAND system with hard-drive Navigation
Sirius Satellite Radio with real-time traffic
HD Digital Radio
harman/kardon surround sound
iPod/MP3 Media Interface
6 GB hard-drive with Music Register
Enhanced Voice Control
Heated Front Seats (heated and ventilated in E550 and E63)
Rear-View Camera (new)
Power rear sunshade

Premium 2 Package:
All components of Premium 1
Bi-Xenon Headlamps with active curve illumination
Headlamp washing system
LED daytime running lamps
Adaptive high beam assist
Keyless-Go
Electronic trunk closer

Wheel Package:
(E350 Sport Only, standard on E550)
18″ AMG twin 6-spoke
Three spoke sport steering wheel

Driving Assistance Package:
Distronic Plus
Blind Spot Assist
Lane Keeping Assist

Stand Alone Options:
Parktronic with Parking Guidance
Split Folding Rear Seats
Wood/Leather Steering Wheel (luxury only)
Panoramic Sunroof
Drive Dynamic Multicontour driver seat, with massage
Night View Assist Plus with Pedestrian Detection

At the end of any lease there is a turn-in fee, or disposition fee, that is charged by the manufacturer to offset the cost of reconditioning the vehicle for resale. This fee has always been waived by Mercedes-Benz Financial when you go into a new lease on a new car with them.

It is just been announced that this fee will now be waived if you lease or finance any new or used vehicle with Mercedes-Benz Financial! This change in policy will save you about $595 at the end of your lease. Beginning May 18th, the waiver will be done automatically. Until then, you will need to contact the lease-end department directly to request the waiver at 800 737 6222.

Thanks Mercedes-Benz Financial!

“Mercedes-Benz, defying a worldwide decline in auto sales, is preparing to expand its U.S. assembly plant.

The plans, which have not been formally announced, include a $290 million investment at the Vance, Ala., factory that will allow Mercedes to build more vehicles.

News of the initiative emerged when Mercedes requested and received property tax and sales-tax and use-tax abatements from the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority.

“We are positioning ourselves for future products,” spokeswoman Felyicia Jerald said. She declined to identify what product might be added.

The Vance plant is already German parent Daimler AG’s sole global source for the Mercedes M class, R class and GL class. The expansion would begin within 60 days.”

Via – Automotive News

– Update — This car is not available anymore. I just sold it.

We just purchased a 2010 GLK350 4matic for our pre-owned department.

Artic White
Black MB Tex
Premium 1 Package
Multimedia Package
Appearance Package
Trailer Hitch
1700 miles
In service date: February 9, 2009
Original MSRP was $44785

Sale price: $40,900

Or, for an extra $1000, we can make it a Certified Pre-Owned Car and it will have an extra year of warranty on up to 100,000 miles. A 5 year, 100,000 mile extended warranty on a new car would cost more than $3000!

I had a great time at the Atlanta Auto Show this year! I enjoyed meeting a lot of enthusiasts and it was an excellent opportunity to check out the competition. I was able to see the new 7-Series, the Q5, the Lexus RX, a VW CC that caught my attention from its commercials. I do have a couple of free passes left if you are near Atlanta Classic Cars and want to go to the show this week.

These pictures are of the Lexus RX and the Honda Odyssey interiors. The Lexus RX interior has always been a little strange to me. I really don’t understand the gearshift sticking out of the dashboard. The column mounted selector in all of the Mercedes SUVs seems to be a more efficient and attractive solution.

A customer e-mailed me last week to ask if the iPhone cradle they saw on Ebay would work in their car. Even though I had written about this part when Mercedes announced it I had never actually used one. I had my parts department order one for me and was able to test it today.

This cradle is designed to plug into the MHI port in most 2007-2008 vehicles and the 2009 S and CL. Any car that would use a bluetooth adaptor, what I call a “puck,” could use this cradle. This cradle is NOT compatible with the 3G iPhone. The 3G iPhone is too wide to fit into the cradle. There is a rumor of a 3G version but it doesn’t seem to be avaliable in the US yet. So, you plug the cradle into the car, synch the bluetooth and you now have a bluetooth adaptor that will also charge your iPhone as opposed to the normal puck that does not charge your iPhone. That seems to be the main benefit.

The instruction booklet also states that “If your vehicle is equipped with an iPod Integration Kit, it is possible to access the iPod functions of the iPhone in the cradle via the COMAND system…after an additional connection between the cradle and the iPod Integration Kit has been installed. A competent installation by a qualified specialist workshop must be performed for the connection of the iPhone Cradle to the iPod Interface Kit.” What that means is that you can’t just plug it in and start using it as both the phone and the iPod. You would have to take it out of the cradle and plug it into the kit to play music unless you pay the labor (and parts?) at the shop for them to re-wire it.

Also, I thought the plug on the side of the cradle (show above on the left) looked familiar. It is the same plug that the Multimedia Interface Cable or iPod/MP3 Adaptor Cable uses to plug into 2009 vehicles with the NTG 2.5 COMAND system (2009 ML, GL, R, E, SL, SLK). If you unplug the Multimedia Interface Cable and plug in the iPhone cradle you can access the iPod functionality of the iPhone and stay connected via bluetooth (shown below). This is not an improvement. You can already plug the iPhone directly into the Multimedia Interface Cable and do the same thing. The instruction booklet makes no mention of this extra cord on the side. Strange.

So, in summary… You cannot use this accessory with the 3G iPhone. You cannot use it with a 2008 or 2009 C-Class (no MHI). It is pretty useless for a 2009 ML, GL, R, E, SL and SLK. If you use an iPhone and would like it to charge in the car and you drive a 2007-2009 S or CL or a 2007-2008 E, ML, GL, or SL you might like it. Please consult with your parts department to definitely determine compatibility.

The 2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Auto Show kicks off this weekend at the World Congress Center. I am scheduled to work in the Mercedes-Benz area on Saturday the 14th from 4-9pm. Come by and say hello if you are in the neighborhood!

Unfortunately, Atlanta is not considered one of the BIG auto shows and we will not have any of the upcoming 2010 Mercedes models on display (except the 2010 GLK which is already in showrooms). I am looking forward to checking out some competitors while I am there. Look for my photo comparison of the similar dash layouts in the updated Lexus RX and the Honda Odyssey minivan.

Blue equals Green at Mercedes-Benz. From our fuel sipping BlueTEC diesels to the new S400 BlueHYBRID and now BlueEFFICIENCY, Mercedes is very focused on being environmentally friendly. BlueEFFICIENCY is a term that Mercedes-Benz is using to describe a push toward making current vehicles more energy efficient and reducing emissions without sacrificing comfort, safety and style. From using recyclable materials to being more aerodynamic, Mercedes-Benz vehicles can be greener even while burning fossil fuels. This video shows a few of the measures that went into developing the 2010 E-Class using BlueEFFICIENCY principles.