At the same time, it’s a genuine Mercedes with a lot of safety tech in the base model. Equipped for comfortable long-distance cruising, you’re closer to $40,000 than $30,000. Why? To make a serious tech car, you need three packages, each $2,300-$2,500, to get an iPod adapter; navigation; and adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and blind spot detection. Add shipping, you’re at $38,000, and you’re still sitting on vinyl seats.
