The local MB dealer got 4 or 5 C250 coupes in this past week so I stopped by yesterday to take a peek and to take one for a spin.

Disclaimer:
These are only my OPINIONS of the car...so don't come and argue with me about them...if you had a different experience please feel free to post about it.

The Good:
MB nailed it with the styling of the coupe. I wasn't too fond of the styling based on the pictures I saw (very accord coupe looking to me). But it person she's a beauty. The interior is a night and day difference from my car. Quality of materials and lay-out of the interior is spot on. Plus it still has plenty of room.I saw all three interior color choices. The black is very sharp and sporty looking. The black tex seats have white stitching which looks really good. The tan interior was my least favorite...but not THAT bad. My favorite was the ash (light grey). The contrast between the ash seats with the black dash and door trim looks great. None of the coupes there had the upgraded lighting package but I actually prefer the standard headlights (the upgraded headlights with the C-shaped light is a little over-done for my taste). Redesigned taillights are also very nice.

The Not-So-Good
While MB hit a home run with the styling...unfortunately the performance of the car falls short. Now I obviously knew it wasn't going to be a rocket bc it's only a 4 cylinder but I at least expected the engine to run smoothly...not so. There's a good amount of lag when you go from a dead stop. So don't expect to push the pedal in and go. Acceleration was pretty good once it got moving though...probably on par with my current C300 sport. But it runs into more trouble when the gears shift (I test drove an auto). Transitions between shifts are very choppy...the car actually jerks even at low and high(er) speeds. Doesn't make for a satisfying driving experience at all. I test drove an A5 right before I drove the C250 and the A5's 4cylinder engine is by far superior. Power and acceleration kicks in immediately when you step on the gas (no lag at all) and gears shifts are extremely smooth.

The other thing I wasn't crazy about is the pano roof (which didn't surprise me bc I had the same complaints about the pano roof on the previous model year). From the outside it looks cool...I especially like the color contrast on the white cars. But from the inside there is a significant amount of wind "echoing" (for lack of a better word) when it's open. Cracking the windows helps a little but it's still annoying IMO. Pano roof is standard so you better learn to love it.

I was also disappointed to see that the C250 coupes only have a single exhaust pipe. It can be fixed/modified but I thought it would've come with duals from the factory. MB does appear to be on par with other cars in this class though bc the A5 and the 328i coupe also only have the single side exhaust.

Price:
The one I was interested in had an MSRP of $42,200 (premium package, nav, and 18" amg wheels). The best they would do on a lease was $2500 down and $590 a month for 36 months. WAY too much for that car IMO (especially considering the choppiness and lag of the engine)...I'd much rather spend a little more and get an E350 coupe instead. I do realize that they will be priced higher bc they were just released and there aren't any incentives yet...hopefully prices drop after being out for a few months

Overall:
MB did a really nice job with this car...BIG improvement over their last attempt at a c-coupe. BUT while the design and styling are spot on...the driving experience is sub par...at least on the C250. I'm sure the C350 coupe will be a completely different story...but those will also be significantly more expensive.

 

What dealer? I'm in the Lauderdale area and am interested in checking out a C coupe for my next car. I'm surprised the 4 is laggy/choppy you'd think that Benz would have made it smooth even though it's entry level. Also, 590/month?! Tell them to look at their estimators online it claims low 400s (no tax) for a 27/month lease for that price.

 

I only sat in a black on black c350 coupe. And I was actually blown away by the interior. The steering wheel, the seats(with the white stitching), the upgraded feel of the dash. Huge improvement over pre-facelift. Exterior in person is exciting and good-looking at first glance. With the right wheels and suspension, this car looks killer. Only hung I didn't like is a "blue efficiency" badge that seems to be on a good amount of new models.

 

You guys should definitely hit up the $2000 conquest incentive. It helps your down significantly. I got my C250 with P1/Nav/Lighting (White/BlackMBTex) for 0down/$520/36mo

 

NJBNZ was the C250 you test drove petrol or diesel ??

I'm going to be test driving the 250CDI in the coming weeks and most if not all reviews I've seen/read thus far of that variant are the total opposite driving experience to what you stated above, I also intend test driving the petrol for comparison to the diesel.

It'll sure be interesting to note the differences and also differences which may exist from different World markets.

 

What is a conquest incentive?

 

If you have a competing vehicle like in my case an Audi

 

Oh my gosh this is exciting! I have a 2009 BMW 335i coupe so that's def. considered competition. Ok good thank you for this info so I can make sure I tell the dealer I'm aware of the discount.!

 

if anyone wants a good deal on a c250 or any MB for that matter.. see Ron Mangano at Globe Mercedes in Fairfield, NJ - tell him Mike S. sent ya.

He saved me, and 2 other people like $45-85 a month vs 2 other dealers in the area.

 

Nice write up. I have a c250 coupe and the lag you are experiencing is with the car in economy mode. There are two driving modes you can put the car in: (E) Economy or (S) Sport. Since this is a turbo car and different from the C300s and c350s, you will get a lot of turbo lag from 10-20mph or slow cruising in Economy mode. Per the manual, switching to economy mode does this: comfort-oriented engine and automatic transmission settings, optimal fuel consumption, vehicle pulling away more gently in forward and reverse gears from a stand still. <---Granny mode. In (S) mode (since this is a turbo car) lag is reduced and almost instant power from engine. I rarely use Economy mode unless I am doing a lot cruising.

From the first day I bought the car, I kept my car in (S) and drove hard for about 500 miles in order for the ecu to learn my driving habits. I have 1000+ miles now (had the car for a month and a half) and very minimal turbo lag in (S) mode. Also, the torque comes in fast since you get majority of it between 2500-3500.

I would go back to the dealer and test drive any of the c250's in (S) mode to see if you feel a difference.

 

Regardless of what was said above, switching from G37xS to C250 must have felt as a big performance compromise.

 

LOL true. I had a 2008 G37S Coupe in 6speed and traded for a 2010 G37xS Sedan. Both cars were modded and running 12's quarter mile. I also drove like an idiot in both cars and crashed my G37xS (not at fault accident). The c250 was a slap in my face to slow down for awhile. To be honest, I am quite comfortable with the c250 power, and the interior is light years better than any of my previous cars. Also, the quality of materials, paint and overall feel of the car is better than my previous Infiniti's.

 

Not comparing cars as I agree there's no comparison (MB vs. Infiniti), but that large gap in performace is unfortunate. However, I do understand your reasons for not going for a larger of the two engines (not even mentioning the third one).

 

Hello all, may I ask again if these C250's your all commenting on are the diesel or petrol C250

I've so far only test driven the diesel and can relate to the above change of character from normal to sport mode, is it also the case for the petrol variant ??

Also does anyone else have the auto trans issues expressed by NJBNZ ??

TIA

 

Just get a c350 coupe

 

I must admit - a nice fleet indeed.