likely the filter is a MANN version, as most MB filters are...
It amazes me at how folks spendmoney for automobiles, then complain at the costs of PM. If you cant afford it, simple, don't drive.
Its one thing to wory about being screwed by the dealer... another thing to buy a car and then worry about every last dime spent on an oil change...
FYI, my saab dealer sells a DIY M1 0w-40 and hengst energetic filter combo (for my 04 saab 9-3), that ends up costing me less than if I went to wal-mart and bought the bottles of oil there. Plus, this way I get all the correct washers and o-rings. Dealers arent always misleading and not truthful... And for the majority of the public, with commodity cars and little to no real care, the dealers are probably actually doing folks a service, though many see it as trying to extract excess amounts of cash.
JMH