c300 not so luxury
 

Is anyone else dissappointed by the amount of wood that was deleted in the new c-class. I think in the w203 the radio looks really really good. In the new c-class it look slike its sort of slapped together and its all plastiv. Its a mercedes not a chevt, why is the whole center plastic. Reminds me of my jaguar x-type.

I kind of thought the same thing myself. I'd ridden in a E Class once a couple years ago and remember there being a lot of wood trim. In doing my research for buying this car, I looked at the previous year C's (on the lot and on ebay) and noticed they didn't have much more wood then the '08 models. Yes the radio was lined with wood, but I didn't see any C Class models with wood trim equivalent to what I saw in the E Class (there very well may be, but I just haven't seen one). Even my old '97 Galant and '01 Avalon had more wood on the dash. Maybe it's their way to nudge us to the E Class line. Oh well, I still think they look better inside then the wood laden 3/5 Series which I was considering.

I, for one, am glad that Mercedes exercised restraint in the amount of wood trim that is in the W204. I think it's tasteful without being too much like a Buick/Cadillac. I sit in my C to drive, and if I wanted to be surrounded by wood, I'd go into a sauna... or the new IS350 (man, that is one wickedly slick looking slab of wood on the center console).

Disclaimer --

My pervious cars were: (1) Acura Integra; (2) Lexus IS300; (3) Acura TL. So I guess I am not one to go for one of those classic American luxury interiors. I am much happier in the W204's teutonic interior.

If i were desginging the interior i'd covered the radio portion in atleast silver metal or carbn fiber somethign besides plastiv. it just looks cheap an dunfinished. It looks like a volvo center console. lots of big buttons. not very attractive.

I look for them to do some updates for the 09 model year. They usually adjust the option packages and redo some trim bits each model year. I don't expect anything major, but I do see them adding wood trim above and below the radio controls on the center dash, that would break up the big black mass. I first looked at the Lux models because of the wood trim, but I honestly think that wood trim is getting over done, you can get a Kia with wood trim, fake wood, but wood none the less. It's not like the wood trim in the C looks all that real anyways (compared to the S). I'm not a huge fan of the silver trim in the sport, but I guess I'll have to live with it or replace it with after market trim. I wouldn't mind seeing some textured silver trim or even carbon fiber as options.

Buy a wood steering wheel, it will compinsate wood amount and bring more luxury.

I would of been all over that w/ the Lux model! I wish they would of made one for the C350 w/ their bird's eye maple (?) wood. Would been a nice addon.

I am definitely glad that my car came with the Bird's Eye Maple, rather than the aluminium trim. The AL trim is so done.......

Wish MB would have done the same thing as BMW and Audi, offering the option to choose from multiple trim materials. Not that I would have gone for the CF or the AL, since I have had both in the past. :)

Guess its a matter of taste. I think wood is done, at least the wood that I can't tell its actual wood anyways. The C class wood has never impressed, but I will say I like the Black Birds Eye Maple trim, that looks classy in a sports sedan. Your right about BMW, they offer Silver, Dark, or Light colored wood trims and don't limit them to what interior color you chose. Audi used to offer this, but have now decided they know what you like better than you and only allow you to chose the light color wood when you order a light color interior!

I dislike the color of the wood in the luxury vehicles. The black birds eye maple is so much better. But I chose not to get the sports vehicle because 4matic was more important to me so I had to settle for the brown wood color.
As far as the sports 4 matic, I didn't want the aluminum trim. I don't think the aluminum makes it look like a MB in my opinion.

MBfan21 -- not sure where you are located. In Canada, you get the C350 Sport package with the Bird's Eye Maple as standard, and the Aluminium trim as a no-cost option. I believe the C300 Sport is reversed (AL std, Maple as no-charge option).

Located in the US. Yeah the C350 sport here has birds eye black maple trim but it's not 4 matic. Canada gets all the goodies and memory seats.

You mean it had more plasticwood inside.

M

It's all about saving the rain forest.

i my eyes, C300 & C350 is same , only a engine power is different, that's my feeling:)

You're in Canada.... can't get the pano with the C300. :p:
That's partly what pushed me over to the C350.