Vector02

Well, thanks to a wrecked an abandoned motorcycle obstructing my lane, my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T Quatro was totaled last week. There is a 2008 C300 that I'm looking at up in Dallas, and I'm very interested in it.

What are your opinions on the W204? How's the overall quality? How are they holding up? Gas mileage true to sticker? Etc. Any info y'all can provide would be greatly appreciated!

This is the car I'm looking at. http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/833306280.html

Thanks in advance!

tanktube67

Go for the C350

RLE

I would wonder why this car is on Craigslist. Sounds like a used car lot placed the ad.

Their claim that it has a leather interior is false.

You would need to see it's service and repair history which should be blank.

Price is good, though.

Vector02

I've requested VIN and carfax and they say they'll have the report available asap. Are there other avenues I can pursue in seeing the repair and service history through Mercedes?

Can you even buy a C300 without leather???

lx Raven xl

I have W204 and my bro got 3 series which he recently bought as well.

Last night he was having a discussion with me that he is not happy with the car reliability.

From the day 1 , the 3 series software is slow. Using Idrive was not that handy as it stucks on some occasion while accessing menu. Phone connection on live call drops out if you switch the car on or off.

From 1 week he is getting an airbag fault error which has still to be fixed by the dealer , as they could not fix it without a part they had to order to the factory. he has been waiting for almost 2 months for it.

The other problem he has is the windows of back squeak while the car is on brick road. it feels like they are not holding their frame properly.

That being said he always compare the car with my car in ride quality and that's why he was not satisfied with his.

The only good thing he liked about BMW is how it handles in corners and how stiff the ride was. It feels glued to the road,


If you want the same feel in C you have to buy the Advance agility package , which makes the suspension stiffer, quick gear change in auto , and very sharp and direct in corners.

Not sure if this is available in US. But for sure in my next car i will get it . Some times I want that sporty ride feel.


I do not have any problems with the car so far, 10 months now and it still feels like new and it feels really solid.

lx Raven xl

There are only two versions in C class for the seats.

1. Semi MB TEX leather like and
2. leather seats


I could not see the pictures but if the seats are only semi leather look like then its not leather seats. its MB TEX ( i think thats what they call it ) which is leather look alike.

ayilar

I posted detailed impressions here. I ended up with a C350, and am extremely happy with the car thus far:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=204514t

syrAMG

Hey! great to hear you are getting a W204!
To be honest with you I'd rather go to a Certified MB dealer and buy one there. 11K miles for $33000+ and considering it has been used I would not recommend getting.

I've had the car for over a year now and there are no problems!
there are no error messages and no parts coming off or stalling. Both mechanical and electrical.

the quality of paint
My old car would have had a bunch of dings and chips on the lower half of the car by now, but it seems that the nano paint is doing pretty well.

The overall quality of the interior is slightly on the economical side. although
the interior does not show too much plastic, it feels very 2nd class. however it is a baby Benz so I guess it more aimed to daily life rather than to enjoy the drive in luxury.
as for the options list its pretty limited.
I currently own the C300 4Matic, so compared to a C350 I am limited of options to choose from such as rear sunscreen.

The suspension is quite adequate, however if you drive in pothole city aka Manhattan, things can be a safari ride.

The only downside which some speculate can be fixed or improved via software upgrade would be the lag of response from the throttle to the engine. There may be a 0.7 second lag in response, so the performance or
spontaneous response is absent. It can be a problem when merging into the highway.

Imperfections from a personal stand point
1.The steering wheel should be slightly smaller.
2.they need to look at BMW's 3 series and remove that ridiculous amber side lamp.
3.little more trunk space to accommodate large bags ie golf bags.
4.adaptive headlights.

nguyenmd350slk

go for the c350, get more for your money.

rb23lb

c350 is best deal

i could never deal with the weak power of a c300 after testing a rental car out when i took my car in for service...

my old 1997 volvo s80 felt way faster than the c300

Les-10

I highly recommend the C300 for ride, overall fit & finish as well as fuel mileage. Haven't driven the 350, but my other car is a 400 HP Corvette & I find the C300's power very adequate.

Vector02

Thanks for all the input!

I put a deposit down on a new 08 C300 P1 w/ AMG wheels today. I drove and loved the car, and it seems to fit me perfectly. Because the car has been used as the "test drive car," I was able to get them down to 33k. It still looks in showroom shape...

I'll keep y'all posted.

orie

only 33k? really? seems like you could have done better.

Vector02

Sticker is at $36,700 with the 17" wheels. I think 32 without the AMG wheels is pretty good for a "new" car... They charged me a full 1k for the AMG wheel package.

Should I go back and negotiate more? I was actually pleased with the price. LOL