micropower99

+1000000 lol

Ron Jr

Something I noticed on the 08 Lux loaner I have today, when I stomp on the gas the nose lifts a little it doesn't on my sport. BTW both are c300 with around the same mileage and both on S.

Glyn M Ruck

Softer spring rates on the Lux allows the rear to squat a little on acceleration

Glyn M Ruck

+1 - Wacky

RabbitDad

Strange, I saw some (what I thought were) 2009 Cs at a (European) motor show and only the AMG Pack ones (= US Sport) had the hooded dials. The Avantgarde, Classic and Elegance did not.

Reason I figured they were 2009s was because they all had the new 'BlueEfficiency' mirrors.

Anyway, I like the hooded dials and have an Avantgarde on order, so hoping for the best (although to be honest I didn't mind the flat alu panel on the Avantgarde I test drove either).

Glyn M Ruck

It is strange. Even their websites around the world are a mess in this regard.

I guess MBSA made a decision on the spec of the cars for this market which has always been different to the USA. e.g all AMG's here have always been full house with Bi Xenon headlights et al as standard. In the US they are/were an option. On W203 you guys did not get Parktronic, Distronic & Linguatronic. Here these were readily available. Most cars here have leather. MB Tex is unheard of as is cloth.

Another interesting thing is in the past South Africa has always used the German promo literature & books they hand out. For W204 they are now printed here a show the local spec on the cars. Standard the cars come very well equiped with most things now standard that were options on the W203. All cars here have the new mirrors.

Ah well - we pay for all of this. I guess for the US they are looking at lower sticker prices to be competitive. Having the plant here allows for these decisions.

acr2001

Gyln, you sure the "leather" you get over there isnt MB-tex with leather inserts like we have here? The MB-tex can fool you VERY easily. Not sure if the W204 still has the leather inserts (I would think it does?), but the W203 does. If the portion of the seat you sit on is perforated and the rest isn't I believe that means you have leather inserts w/ MB-tex on the bolsters and sides / back of the seat.

Glyn M Ruck

No - South Africa has always been a full leather market - It's even our own leather. In fact for BMW we produce most of their leather for the globe & probably 50% of Benz's. Some older Classics came with MB Tex - used to be liked by farmers. This market has never had the combo's. That is an American thing. Here it's perforated leather with leather. I can take some pics of my 240 if you are interested. I've always been surprised in America where over the years you've had a variety of combos of leather cloth & MB Tex - This is only done for the American market - why? who knows - To keep the sticker price down? Cintoman - Paul Mendes & I have discussed this often. He is building a huge database of VIN numbers & their configuration.

(I have lived in both Dallas & Marin County - Bay Area - so I have a reasonable knowledge of that market.)

Glyn M Ruck

AND - MB Tex does not smell like leather

Aggressive

I would agree with this. The US spec for 09' did not get the new mirrors. None of the US spec 08's had memory seats( I think)

ChrisBrown

I agree. I had a Lux loaner here that was the black/grey combo with wood and chrome accents, and it was stunning. Lovely combo. Beats the aluminum any day.

veightkiller

+1 they are all the same imo

ismeto

+1

acr2001

LOL, so the lux feels cheap huh? I think some of you guys just have the Sport, so automatically the Lux is garbage. It's pretty sad that you think that way. I like the sport, except that I prefer the less hyundai-like wood trim. . Some of you guys will say anything no matter how factually wrong it is.

You do realize that the luxury costs MORE than the sport, right?
Must be due to the cheaper material they use in the luxury model.

C300Sport

C300Kid

Or maybe it's because the luxury model forces the buyer to get an automatic transmission and wood trim. When the auto and wood are added to the Sport its exactly the same price as the Lux..


Having said that, im not sure why he thought the build quality was worse in the lux, considering it's the exact same car.

acr2001

The suspension is also different. But you're right, afaik, they are otherwise identical. Like most people I prefer an auto, but I can understand why you would want a manual too. I just cant understand it for a car that you use for your daily commute. In that respect luxury makes sense with an auto and sport makes sense with a manual. Either way you're screwed if you want 4Matic, which at this point I couldn't imagine driving a car without. Even in the rain the difference is huge. Even on a dry road if you're driving the way I sometimes like to! I used to think wood trim was lame too, but then after sitting in different W203s with wood vs aluminum I quickly changed my mind. Carbon fiber definitely beats em both!

C300Kid

Oh i know the suspension and a few other things are different, I just meant they're the same (quality wise) since its the same car.

I like the 6 speed a lot and never would have bought the car if was auto-only. I'm a kid though, we love our manuals.

4Matic is nice, but in Texas it certainly doesn't snow and it doesn't really rain all that much either. I'd rather have the manual tranny.

As far as the wood vs. aluminum, I like the dark grey wood the best of all, but i think the reddish brown wood trim common in most C-Classes is tackier than the aluminum.

RafaHim

I have the lux... and, honestly, after testing both, I found in mine a smoother ride than the sport, but even then, it wasn't a HUGE difference... at least not in the c300s... it's pretty much the same... maybe if we were comparing the 350 to the lux 300 then it would be something, but definitely not in the sport v lux 300... IMO

Glyn M Ruck

For crying in a bucket. You have 5 wood trims to choose from. Eucalyptus (stunning), Bird's Eye maple (dark & stunning), Laurel (tired) Olive ash (Classic only), Burr Walnut (America's favourite & tired)

My Choice & South Africa's generally - Eucalyptus - class!

seminole_kev

I just recently purchased a C-300 Luxury (in fact, my first post here on this forum). Both the Sport and Luxury models are very similar, but the changes in appearance certainly do target them at different buyers. Which, as long as the changes do not cost MB too much to produce/support separately seems like a smart move.

I'm a bit more conservative/old-fashioned in my tastes, so the Luxury appealed more to me. I'm still one of those that prefers wood to aluminum for interior trim (My old Jag sedan is practically a shrine to the use of wood in an car interior LOL).

For whatever reason, the C-300 (at least in "Luxury" guise) reminded me more of what Mercedes did in the 80's, which is a time that I really liked the kind of product they turned out. Maybe not as luxuriously loaded out cars at that time, but very solid, well built. Whether the new car proves to be that will yet to be seen, but at least at this point it feels that way.

Just in case the above came across a certain way, I am not disparaging the Sport in any way. Just noting that they're obviously targeting different groups of people with the same vehicle with mostly subjective, styling/trim differences.

*oh, and in reference to an above post, I happen to like burled walnut. ;-). For whatever reason, the lighter woods and Birdseye grays for example don't click with me.

Glyn M Ruck

I'm also more conservative and you must have what YOU like.

I'm restoring a 1965, wire wheeled 3.8 S Type Jag at the moment so I know what you mean. All that walnut with biscuit Connolly hide looks great. BTW the car is BRG

See sneak peek.

seminole_kev

Nice! Mine's a '67 Mk2 sedan with the 3.4 L engine.

Glyn M Ruck

Wonderful - I'm keeping mine under wraps at the moment because we are fitting the new interior. Connolly, lambswool headlining & Wilton carpets. Fully restored wood. New wiring loom.

We sand blasted the body & started from scratch - a labour of love. I want to put her in the concours once to have it rated, then I'm driving it. No cars on trailers for me.

Ron Jr

Noticed anouther minor difference between the sport and Lux. In the lux there is an insert with a netting on the drivers side of the trunk. the sport has a hatch and the first aid kit is hidden in there, so where is the lux's first aid kit?