Tape decks in cars as late 02 confused
Discussion
I remember the day that dad bought home a shiny brand new CD player to our lounge now only being very young at the time I don't remember the year but I'm guessing mid 80s so why were manufactures still putting tape decks in cars nearly 20 years later. I've just seen a classified for an 02 merc where the dealer has listed it as a selling point. Verging on a rant here I'm off to lie down.
mdm1uk said:
I remember the day that dad bought home a shiny brand new CD player to our lounge now only being very young at the time I don't remember the year but I'm guessing mid 80s so why were manufactures still putting tape decks in cars nearly 20 years later. I've just seen a classified for an 02 merc where the dealer has listed it as a selling point. Verging on a rant here I'm off to lie down.
What's your point?Grenoble said:
mdm1uk said:
I remember the day that dad bought home a shiny brand new CD player to our lounge now only being very young at the time I don't remember the year but I'm guessing mid 80s so why were manufactures still putting tape decks in cars nearly 20 years later. I've just seen a classified for an 02 merc where the dealer has listed it as a selling point. Verging on a rant here I'm off to lie down.
What's your point?
It was a marketing ploy to get more money out of punters in the early 2000s. We bought a new MINI in 2002 and as standard it came with a tape deck. You had to pay extra to get a CD player. I think CD only became standard in 2004 or so!
Much like MINI today - to get bluetooth costs ££££ compared to the off-the-shelf stereos with bluetooth.
Much like MINI today - to get bluetooth costs ££££ compared to the off-the-shelf stereos with bluetooth.
Probably not worth getting upset about but ...
By the late 90s, no one wanted a tape deck... so they'd either pay extra to upgrade the stereo, or buy the next model up in the range, meaning more revenue and virtually no extra cost for the manufacturer.
Of course, some cars are bought by old people/cheapskates/fleets and ended up with the tape decks but from the manufacturer's perspective, that was more than offset by the opportunity to upsell.
Eventually though the crappiness of the tape deck would have scared off more buyers than it would have persuaded to upgrade, so they moved to standard CD players. (But often still no Bluetooth/USB support even though a chipset and USB port must cost about the same as one meal in the factory canteen).
By the late 90s, no one wanted a tape deck... so they'd either pay extra to upgrade the stereo, or buy the next model up in the range, meaning more revenue and virtually no extra cost for the manufacturer.
Of course, some cars are bought by old people/cheapskates/fleets and ended up with the tape decks but from the manufacturer's perspective, that was more than offset by the opportunity to upsell.
Eventually though the crappiness of the tape deck would have scared off more buyers than it would have persuaded to upgrade, so they moved to standard CD players. (But often still no Bluetooth/USB support even though a chipset and USB port must cost about the same as one meal in the factory canteen).
mdm1uk said:
Grenoble said:
What's your point?
Sorry I should have put a question mark at the end of the question. The question being why did it take so long for them to switch to CD players? 
BorkFactor said:
I have a tape deck in my car, and my last one had one as well. I think it is brilliant for playing your MP3 player / iPhone / whatever through - much better than these FM transmitters. And cheaper!
Definitely this. I'm on the lookout for another car at the moment, looking for one with a tapedeck so I can link my MP3 player through it. In cars where the stereo is integral to the centre console, after-market stereos just don't look right.
mdm1uk said:
I remember the day that dad bought home a shiny brand new CD player to our lounge now only being very young at the time I don't remember the year but I'm guessing mid 80s so why were manufactures still putting tape decks in cars nearly 20 years later. I've just seen a classified for an 02 merc where the dealer has listed it as a selling point.
Verging on a rant here I'm off to lie down.
This was a rant? Verging on a rant here I'm off to lie down.
Don't forget, plenty would have a tape deck upfront and a 6/10 disc autochanger in the boot.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff