Spec_Davis

i love the design and look of the W204

C300Kid

if the W204 is harsh than the W203 is beyond numb..lol

K-A

Or more luxurious, I guess it just depends on how you see it, hehe.

The W204's I've driven usually get wind noise seeping through the rear window area during FWY drives, to go along with the lack of sound deadening in the trunk as mentioned above.

Sincity

Late last December, I took my "04.5" C320 in for a "last checkup" before the exipiration of the warranty and had a C300 as a loaner. Other than styling, I didn't see much of an improvement, granted I only had the loaner for a short time. What I did notice is that my C320 seem to have more power than the C300. I still like our w203 and with the recent purchase of our C63, we gave the C320 to my parents. It only had 31k miles. I also have a 1986 190e as a DD and there is a huge difference between that and the C300!

My C63 is a whole different story.

FrankW

I have coilovers on my C32. the ride is firm but not as harsh as the W204 which sometimes feels like it's bouncing too much.

after switching out the Weltmeister exhaust for a Carlsson exhaust my C32 at 75mph is quieter than the C350.

Sincity

Plus, a nicely modded W203 with AMG Sport body kit still attracts my attention. The w203 just seems more "organic" in shape.

K-A

Wow, haha, that's says a lot.

I agree, and I've noticed that now more-so than ever. There are SO MANY beat up and "tired" looking W203's out there now that it can poorly affect my view of the car.

Then I'll see a pristine, F.L model with the AMG Package, and just turn my head. I don't care how old a car gets, if it's got an organic and smooth shape, and good overall proportions, it will age very well and be as nice as you want it to be, as long as you keep it clean.

The W204, a bit more angular and boxy, not as clean or organic, it hits you harder when you see it, leaves a bigger impression, but I don't think it'll age as gracefully.

Glyn M Ruck

+1

tivoboy

I still wish the 204 was as quiet and poised as the W203 from 2001, but I am getting to like all the other things. The wind noise at speed on the highway is really the only thing that I don't like.

Glyn M Ruck

The 204 is a damn nice car. Benz say they have improved road noise damping on the 2010 & the new mirrors are quieter although I don't know why they don't integrate them properly as they do on the CLC etc which has to help. I await comments from 2010 model owners with interest.

As I've posted before on the forum - I have a DVD of the endurance testing of the 204, both in the frozen wastes & in SA & Namibia. This huge German engineer shouts at a test driver in Namibia that the wind noise can't possibly be coming from the mirrors

BenTrovato

Styling is all personal preference. I always thought the w203 had a terrible front end with those lights. Is that the truth? Nope, just my opinion.

The w204 is more stylish and will age accordingly as long as the other MB cars share similar styling cues. As soon as MB abandons the current front end look of their vehicles, the w204 will begin to show its age. Hopefully not for a few years!

K-A

I agree on the front of the W203, I never liked the "peanut" headlights, too soft. It also has affected my views of the CLK and even SL, as they share a similar/same style.

I personally don't think that a "new" design by the same automaker determines what makes an old one look "dated", I use my own taste in the "art" of the car design. Some things are just harder to look at, even though they might pop out at you more initially. I think many older cars don't look dated, regardless of how much the newer models have changed. Also, IMO, usually it's when an automaker makes small evolutionary changes with a new model, that makes the old one look dated, big steps in new directions just look more-so like completely different cars to me.

RLE

I agree. I never was completely sold on the pushed-in-face look but swapping the lights for Bi-Xenons improved things. The W204's face is much nicer but the rear end is something else. I preferred the more traditional flat assed look of the W203. 4-door, that is.

K-A

Why doesn't M-B go back to the upright and flat asses look anyway? The new rears are just poorly executed IMO, and they all angle downward, which looks weaker from the back, and droopy from the side profile.

The face of the W203 was never my thing either, I do like the W204's face more (only the Sport face, the Luxury's face is an awkward fail), but the rear is indeed in need of some up-to-par designing with what they did up front.

Batman372

The usual arguments !!
But still one fact arround : Always the new is better.

Because simply those people spend everyday looking & invent for better perfrmance/handling/safety/styling/tech . . . . . .

ChrisBrown

+1

jaeguyoon

In my opinion look wise w204 beats w203, but that's very debatable for beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me, for the C class and the BMW 3 series, bmw always won styling wise. I've always been a BMW fan because of it, sportier and looks better. However, when i saw the new 3 series and the w204, hands down w204 beats it in styling. It's the first time I saw a C class and felt "it looks so much better than its' competitors". But like I said this is very sugbjective and is purely waht I think.

FrankW

+1 yet for myself I don't care too much about how each car looks stock as there's always certain bodykit that I like for each car that I think it looks great which I can put on afterward.

one thing remains true for the W203 is it has a better driving position then W204. driving my 204 feels like sitting pretty high up. although it's not bad, but the 203 is better.

K-A

That's funny because I thought the same thing about the 204 when I was driving it, just found the seating position to be kind of awkward but I couldn't put my finger on why, and thought that maybe it's because I'm tall?

RLE

When you use this term, do you mean the car resembles your spleen, gall bladder or colon? Or something outside?

Always willing to learn.

Glyn M Ruck

Glyn M Ruck

Yes - the 203 with Bix or clears looks IMHO great but with the old ribbed frosted lenses it really looks it's age - Yugh! I too like the new nose old tail.

To other posters - don't get me started on the crap styling at BMW during the Chris Bangle era. Thank god BMW saw the light & got rid of him. He did them no favours. He, of course, says he left. Not true!

FrankW

yet the new Bimmers are still getting more uglier by the moments. the X6, the next 5-series active touring or whatever that uglyness 5-door hatch thing is called, the new 7 with the lexus looking rear, and who knows what's next.

Moto_Guzzi

Damn, I agree fully, 25 mil test K's later and my cars has this windnoise too. For me it comes from the design of the front door windows, not sure if better rubbers will make diff, or if its translated via the windows. And it
do it from 60Km/h already. I don't hear it on the B170, but it has lots of other road noises too.

Moto_Guzzi

I would say the W204 looks Chryslerish. The only angle I don't like, is straigth towards the rear. Otherwise all other angles are supurb, especially in calcite white, now I am refering to the AMG package added. The ones without this, I am however not so sure.