which to buy and why 300 vs 350 it's not just the engine
 

I've been lurking on a w204 forums and it seems many people keep asking if the price difference between the two makes the 350 a worthwhile purchase. some think the extra dollars just goes to the extra few ponies provided by the larger engine. however, that's not the only difference. I will list differences that can not be added to the c300.

here are a few features exclusive to just the c350 (US market):

-black birdseye maple wood trim
-larger front disk brakes (12.7" as opposed to 11.6")
-6 split spoke rims as opposed to 7 split spoke rims
-trunk spoiler
-3.5L engine as opposed to 3.0
-rear axle ratio 2.82:1 as opposed to 3.07:1

another advantage of having the 3.5L engine could be that it maybe more "boost friendly" due to it's lower compression ratio.

according to Mercedes, the automatic has less than a 5% power train loss over the manual transmission so they felt it was not necessary to offer the manual gear box for the c350 because the gains would be too minimal.

I hope this information will help those of you that are unsure which to buy.

-DMW

You left out P1 included in the base 350 and the cute blonde in the passenger seat.

Or maybe that was just mine...

i left out the p1 because it can be added onto a c300. the cute blond thing doesn't apply to me because i'm married. or maybe that'll make my wife want to dye her hair blond. Hrmmm I just had an epiphany, I'm going to run into the living room to see if she'll be willing to dye her hair blond and get greenish brown contacts.

and apparently for 2009, the equation changes as the 350 engine get a power boost, while the C300 motor remains unchanged. will the price spread between them also increase?

I still want to see documentation on that. Only things I've read is the SLK will get an improved 3.5L but that does not directly translate into the 09's getting the same treatment. I by any means don't doubt it, but am hoping it's not going to happen, at least not that soon after my purchase.:p:

good info to know. i guess i didnt really do the research before i bought the car but im happy with the 300.

Really depends on what you want..if you want a manual transmission then your only choice is the C300. If you want 4matic your only choice is the C300, thats for U.S. cars though, Canada and other countries get different choices.

What's price difference? I think $1K, right?

it's actually a $2,288 difference to be exact (invoice). I got the number by adding the auto tranny and the p1 package onto the c300 sport to match the standard options on the c350.

An you do not get AMG 17" rims with C300. So the cost of these would have to be added to cost of the C300. The price diff is very minimal. However, as said before in the USA if you want 4matic or 6 speed the C300 is your only choice. I would never had replaced my '05 W203 for the C300.

I question a little, if I should have got the C350. It would have been about $700 more (I think they thad one maybe) with just P1, over my 300 with P2.

However, the headlamps and other things in the P2 was nice, and I don't care about the power that much, but the wheels would have been nice.

Anyway, it actually bugs me more I didn't get the iPod kit. ha-ha.

To the point - Question -

Has the 3 liter engine been around a long time? I notice they don't have the C300 in any other country, they have either smaller engines, or bigger ones yes, but not the 300. Any idea why? Is this a proven engine?

Thanks.

its the same engine as the c280 in europe This is essentially the same engine design as the 350 but just with lesser displacement and compression ratio. This is also the same engine used in the w203... so guess its a "proven" engine.

In US, the only reason to get a c300, IMHO, is if you want the 4matic. Otherwise, c350 with its included options are much better value. you probably ended up paying $2k or so for a larger horsepower... translating about $50 per horse power. NOW, whether that's worth it or not, its entirely personal.

You'd also need to add the rear spoiler and the larger engine to come to the actual price difference.

OK, I got it on P1...the rear spoiler can also be added to the C300 as well.

As for the blonde...I'm married as well. I told me wife she just came with the car...

I wasn't aware that the trunk spoiler can be added as a factory option.

Adding the engine would make it a c350 so it defeats the purpose of the comparison.

The whole point of the post was to highlight the differences between the c350 and c300 beyond just the engine. this is also definitely not a thread about which is better. As some have already mentioned, the 6spd manual and 4matic is not an available option for the c350 in the US market making it less suitable for certain buyers.

It's not a factory option, it is a dealer one. Your OP didn't specify.

The engine is the main reason why people get the 350 so you can't make a comparison without mentioning it. The other features (some of which were important for many buyers) have also been discussed elsewhere and you have highlighted them again.

The reasons why most US buyers get the 300 instead of the 350 are simple. Either they want 4matic, the Lux package or are unwilling or unable to pay extra for the 350 (either they can only afford the base 300 or save the money to throw some options into the 300).

You can believe that for 2009 the SLK350's engine will spread throughout the lineup. Same as in 2005 when the SLK350 debuted the new 3.5L V6, it was put in every "320" MB for 2006 making them "350" models. Clearly MB sees that everyone else has 300hp in this class so the C350 getting the SLK350's new engine is clearly a given.

M