puzzled

I now drive a 2001 E320 4Matic. I like the styling of the of the new C300 4Matic. I am ready for a new car becuase I want something new and my exteneded warranty ends in September. With the cost of repairs for MB so high I am afraid to own one of these puppies without a warranty. I've already replaced the compressor and engine mounts and some sensors. I've more than paid for my warranty I'm wondering if I could be happy with the smaller size of the C compared with the E. I don't want to wait for the new E and don't want to buy the last of the current design. I also don't really want to spend 60K on a car. As I age I am watching my pennies more.

Has anyone else here made the switch from an E to a C? How's that going?

Part of me says to wait for the 2009 Acura TL but I prefer German cars. My MB dealer has always treated me well and is a mile from me. And yes I like the star.

Thoughts?

Derspeed

Before buying my C Class, I never owned an E, or any MB for that matter. They are not all that small in my opinion. I think it's a lot of car for the money. My experience has been good with all of the German cars I have owned. With the exception of one older VW (Mexican built), the reliabilty of my European cars has been outstanding. I am not into a lot of the gizmos and gadgetry that cause so many headaches for people as their cars age, so I keep that stuff to a minimum. The only other car I have owned that feels as tank-like as my C Class, is my Volvo; a car I'd hate to part with.

tmehanna

I own both, the C's interior looks very spartan and feels cramped compared to the E's, seats are also flat and a lot firmer in the C. The E is a more refined cruiser and there is no sensation of speed. 100 MPH feels like 60. You won't find this isolation in the C, but it handles and corners a lot better than the E, steering feels a lot more direct. Overall, the C is more fun to drive but it doesn't deliver that feeling of luxury you get in the E and it's mostly because of the seats, interior decor and reduced dimensions, and even though they have many common qualities, ultimately, they are very different cars. I know this isn't very helpful, but this is my personal experience. On the other hand, everyone I know who switched from an E to the new C - and was happy with their E - ended up selling the C and buying a basic E.

artemW204

I also own both and to be honest, I haven't even touched the E-class for more than 2 weeks. I'm totally in love with my new C, it feels lighter and quicker and its also much better in the snow than his brother (RWD vs 4matic). The E-class is more of a luxury yacht where as a the C is a very stylish ski-doo

radiance

I've driven the E class before, but do not own one. The C class feels more agile and sporty compared to the E class. Where the E class is more of a luxury + comfort cruiser.Go test drive one to get the feel and see how you like it !

wmhjr

I was planning to purchase a new C for my wife. However, the lack of essential available features eliminated the C from any consideration. I've purchased a new E for myself, but we're going to something other than a MB for her. The C is too much smaller than the E to downsize. I love the exterior of the C, however!

oblu

Everytime I see one, I wish I'd spent the extra money to lease an E ... the MF from mbusa on them is pretty good (residual sucks though). Coming from a 3 series, the C class is substantially smaller inside (width and rear seat leg room) but it's not unpleasant.

The seats are killing me though; I don't have much padding back there any more and after about an hour it feels like I'm sitting on a wood plank. There just isn't any give to the seat cushion. I'm used to firm german seats (have owned lots of BMWs and Audis) but these go beyond firm to the realm of stiff.

My only real complaint when I was looking at the E is that the interior just looks and feels old. And what's up with there being no arm rest in the middle? If I did it again, I'd do a short lease on a current E350 sport package and wait for the 2nd year of the redesigned E.

puzzled

All of these responses are very helpful to me. Thank you all! I have test driven the C300. It is in my opinion more fun to drive than the E-class but there is less of a feeling of spaciousness. And the interior with MBTEX seats to me looks kind of cheap. The lack of memory seats on the C bothers me as other people park my car all the time.

The E looks very dated, especially in terms of the technology. I can't see buying an E now ahead of the 2010 redesign. I could risk it a year or so without a warranty but I would really prefer a new car before then.

Other cars tempt me (Acura TL, GS350, Infiniti G35x) but there is just something about the three pointed star. I am not sure what I will do.

webada

If you get an E now, be prepared not to compare urs with the new E when it comes out in about a year.

When i was looking at the C, the dealer actually pointed out that I can have the E with just few k more (pretty much loaded c, p2, mm). So alot of discounts there... but that's because a redesign is about to hit.

so you were told.

Untertürkheim

You can order the C300 4M with P2, MM, and leather, plus there will be more options and features for MY09 (like the sahara-beige/black interior from the Saks edition, wood instead of aluminum, among other things).

Just do ED, and you will see what is available for 09.

puzzled

That's helpful but that will probably cost $50,000 -- a lot for that car in my opinion. I am having a hard time seeing the C as a good value for the dollar if the buyer likes options. The media/nav costs $2,900.

mingo

for the cars you are thinking about, i say skip the TL it is a pretty big transition going from a e-class into a TL. The TL doesn't feel that luxurious to me IMO compared to the other cars you are considering. the g35 offers a lot for its price, if you like gadgets that might be the best bet for you. But if size is a concern for you as well as interior, go with the GS. i have driven the TL, Sat in the GS, and have a 2007 g35S in my possession. the G35 is a very snappy car, the throttle response is great, and the rev matching shifting is great too, but it's still no mercedes benz.

puzzled

Thanks for your feedback. I agree that the interior of the TL isn't very luxurious. It has leather seats but the leather looks shiny and not very nice to my eye. The size is fine for me, however, and I love the exterior. The wide turning circle is a negative as I do a lot of city driving.

When you say the G35 is no MB, I am curious about what you find lacking more precisely. For my part I think the C is a much better looking car than the G35 on the outside. Inside the G35 is beautiful in my opinion and the gadgets are first rate.

I love gadgets but my research shows you get practically nothing for them when the time comes to trade the car in or sell it privately. That makes me wonder just how badly I want them -- or more precisely how much I am willing to pay for technology that will soon be outdated. If I really want to keep up I think I would need to get a new car every 3 years. As I only drive 8,000 miles a year I would be turning in cars with a lot of life left in them.

What I like best about the E is the ride -- for me it is not too soft and not too firm (Goldilocks )

The Lexus GS is a nice car and a real option as well. Or I could just keep my E and drive it for a year or so after my extended warranty expires and see if I like the new E, which I expect I will.

All the thoughts here are helpful to me. Thank you, all.

tanktube67

Acura is coming with a new redesign TL model for 09

PHYBENZ

I would say wait for the new E.

tmehanna

+1, specially that he seems to keep his cars long.

gnma

Hi,

u mentioned u are not interested in the current E class, but before you make any decision, if you have not done so yet, please test drive a CPO E500.

Pricewise, should not be much different from a brand new C, power/luxury/space wise, well let us know... Good luck!

puzzled

Keeping my E for a while is an option. My hesitation stems from my experience with a 1978 E-class that my father bought new and he then gave to me. I had it until 1991 when I bought an Acura Legend. I paid a lot of money on repairs including a new transmission, electric fuel pump, radiator, compressor and other items. I never knew when I would have another major expense and ended up traumatized by it. It really was worse than a car payment. I am not faulting MB but repairs on an MB are expensive. The parts alone cost a lot of money. I had no problems with my 91 Legend beyond minor things. In 1996 I bought an Acura RL. It was a boring car but very reliable. In September of 2000, I bought an 01 E-class. It is the most enjoyable car I have ever owned but not the most reliable. It has failed to start twice -- the first time in the first year of the car and the second time last year. In each instance it was electrical -- a small part was needed.

I understand that a new transmission costs 6 to 7 K these days. I remember paying 3K for a rebuilt transmission for the 1978 E-class. So I thought I'd get something new before my extended warranty runs out in September -- for emotional reasons as well as economic.

syrAMG

IMO If you are using your current E-Class as a solo or couple drive, I would recommend a C-Class.
however if you commonly ride with 3 or 4 passengers, it will be very tight in the back.
I am 6ft4 so there is hardly any leg room in the back.

The overall plushness of the car is very similar to the E-Class.
However the overall ride is very shakey. and you will loose some luxuries ie: memory seat, reverse wing mirror tilt, auto steering adjust, and rear leg room.

again IMO the Mercs now-a-days are not built to last long and I too would feel hesitant if I had the car for more than 6 years and without warrenty.
I'd say newer is better, however if you are not 100% satisfied with the 2008 C-Class, you can save up a bit more to get the redesigned 2009 E-Class.

MB_FTW

Don't settle, you're spending your money and you shouldnt make compromises. If you can't decide, wait 'til the new E comes next year. It's better than settling for less and regretting it.

But if you must choose now, I would go with the G35 or the GS. In my opinion the drive and gadgets of the G35 are great. But if your main concern is size, then go for the GS. The TL..... don't even think about it.

tmehanna

I am not sure what kind of mileage is on your current E. If it's something reasonable, around 100K, I would take my chance and keep it another year or two, specially if there has been no serious reliability issues so far - failing to start twice in 7 years is no biggie - but if it's close to 200K, I wouldn't take the chance. The current E class is a great car and it is worth considering, The fact that it is due to change at the end of 2009 doesn't make it a worse car, but if you're going to keep it another 7 years, why drive a discontinued car for 5 of them? SyrAMG also made a very good point: rear legroom in the back of the C is minimal, I am 6'2" and even my 7 y.o. doesn't have enough legroom behind me.

RLE

<<Keeping my E for a while is an option. My hesitation stems from my experience with a 1978 E-class that my father bought new and he then gave to me. I had it until 1991 when I bought an Acura Legend. >>

This puzzles me since there was no E-Class in those days. What was the precise model number? BTW, I owned a '78 300D.

norcal5

Good background info & I empathize with you. Most major decisions involve trade offs. You'll have to prioritize based on your needs/wants and go from there. Good luck.

puzzled

I actually still have the official MB window sticker. The car was a 280E. The sticker price was $19,490.00, which was a lot of money for a car in 1978. The sticker says "Engineered Like No Other Car In The World."

puzzled

My E has only 64K miles. This isn't a lot but time does matter in my opinion and repairs are very costly. These cars just aren't among the most reliable. I don't know any Lexus/Toyota owners who had to have their cars towed in twice in 7 years. Even my service advisor at my neighborhood MB dealer doesn't recommend I buy another one. He acknowledges that the quality is getting better but still doesn't approach Lexus/Toyota. He drives a Toyota and hears MB customers all day say their other Japanese cars are more reliable than MB. In my opinion reliability isn't everything but still . . . it can be an expensive proposition without a warranty.

The variety of opinions here is very interesting and helpful.