CPanda

Saw one from my way to work, and we ended up going the same route...The new C300s are rather rare here in Boston Metro area, and especially the Luxury version! It looked great, and I took a glance to see who was driving (a middle aged white guy in work dress).

Now I really wish the Lux didn't come with wooden interiors, god I really hate wooden stuff. (Is it just because I'm 21 years old and Wood is soooo last century?) I think people really need to get over the idea of fibrous plant tissue as "luxurious" .

trial0r

i like checking out the luxury models i see on the road, but i'm very happy i drive a sport.

Flame3g

+1 yeah i really think sport is the way to go

MB_FTW

I bought my C300 Lux 4Matic based solely on the wood trim. I actually preferred the aggressive exterior of the sport, but i didn't like the aluminum trim. It's just that I feel that all Mercs should have wood trim. In the end it came down to this: I'm going to see the interior a lot less than the exterior, so I should chose to go with the interior I like. After all, its not like the Lux looks bad from the exterior anyway.

I hope I don't get flamed, because they're a lot of sport model owners on this forum. I just think that MB cut corners by adding aluminum, it wouldn't have been to hard to have Birdseye Maple in all the sports and Burl Walnut in all the luxes. (I'm not sure if i got the diff woods' names right, i might've switched up around)

Btw, my dealer told me that the Sport models outsold the Lux ones with a 4 to 1 ratio. I thought that was interesting.

norcal5

We all have different opinions & tastes. Its all good

chilledbenz

I went into the dealership looking to buy a Lux model but after seeing how bad the wood in the C300 looked and the fact that the Sport model looked so much better, I went with the Sport. I did however love the C350 wood and attempted to order it on my C300 Sport after reading about how to do that on this board, but it was a no go and got rejected. I am liking the silver trim now though, easier to keep clean, for some reason on all my cars that have had wood trim I always see dried water spots on it (hoping they came from when I had the door open durring a rain shower lmao)

CinOttawa

in canada we get birdeye maple in both the c300 and c350 sport....so you can still get your fill of 'fibrous material' in the sport w204

mac911

I could live fine with the birdseye black in the 350, but the ligheter woods like in the 300 luxury isn't my personal taste. I think every merc should have the option not to have that. I used to like it in the mid-90s, but not anymore. Just me though. I know others think it's great, and thats great!

will_w204

That's so funny; I'm 32, and I guess I am old-school; the only Mercedes that should have side-skirts and aluminum trim is an AMG car, otherwise, it's a poser car. Does this make me old? I am most likely going for a 300L and not S, simply because I LIKE the look of the wood, the 4-spoke wheel, and the lack of aluminum. I just don't think aluminum belongs in a Mercedes; I also love seeing the hood star, and the way the Lux looks like a baby S-class. If I wanted a BMW, I'd buy a BMW.......it's great that MB wants to attract 21 year old buyers with aluminum pedals similar to what you might find in a WRX or a Maxima, but to me, the only C that looks like a real Mercedes is the Luxury.

I grew up when the 500E was the holy grail, and had the muscle to back up the bodywork. Otherwise, the 500 SEL with double-paned glass and reclining rear seat (and a hood star!) was something to drool over

narky

Personal opinion, no offense intended, but I think the hood star looks corny. Too much old school in a modern car for me. Only R-Rs look right with an upright hood ornament, I think. I much prefer the flat hood emblem on my car. But I do like the lux grill better, because that's the shape that I associate with a Mercedes grill. To each his own...

will_w204

Eh, Mercedes cars have had hood stars for 100 years. I don't see how they weren't corny for 90 years, and then suddenly became corny between 2000-2008.

I'll stick with Gottlieb's and Karl's old-school ornament

That said, if my repeat-salesguy decides he wants to make a serious DEAL on a Sport model, I can be sold for the right price

narky

To clarify: I think the hood ornament does look great on certain cars. However, it is, to me, a very last-centry kind of design element that belongs only on equally "old" looking cars. Like the Rolls-Royces and such.

As I said, I see things one way and others see them another way. But the current M-B designs, especially the w204, look far too 21st century to have an upright hood ornament.

CPanda

Personally, I am probably going to get me the Sport and then install a custom painted (probably black) Luxury Grill and keep the flat hood emblem.

That's the only way I see it as getting the best of all worlds..