chilledbenz

Lol the R350 and the C300 4matic probably have the same 0-60 times, but the perception of speed is better achieved in the R due to its extra torque (oh the joys of torque, it feels like your going fast...even if your not ha ha). In reality its probably a moot point. Honestly I didn't get the C for speed, I have other cars for that, but I would like for it to have a little more for some spirited drives.

NJBNZ

+1 my thoughts exactly. If you want a fast car then buy a sports car. I don't go to the track or race my car...so my C300 has plenty of acceleration and power for daily driving. I've never once said "Wow I wish this thing had more power." or "Damn i wish this was faster."

NJBNZ

How can you possibly compare the C300 to a C63, CLS, and SL in terms of performance when all those cars are at least twice as expensive. Might as well say Bla bla bla the C300 is slow as ***** compared to the Lambo Murcielago

And I don't think the C350 is THAT much faster. I've driven my friends and wasn't impressed. I'd rather have the AWD than the slight power difference

mirage15

+1!! The C350 may be marginally faster but it really isn't that quick. Maybe it is just me but my C300 4matic has enough power for me to drive every day. I can get to 80MPH on the highway quick enough and it has enough ***** for me to kick it down and pass someone. Will I ever take it to a drag strip? Nope... It isn't what the car is for. That is why I still maintain a sport bike .

If you are looking for a car to race and can't afford an AMG / M series / S - RS, look at a STI / Evo / other ricer. They are the same price (or less) that we all paid for our C class.

You don't go to a winery and ask for a Coke... Same deal.. don't go to a C300 and ask for an Enzo. They are in completely different worlds.

FrankW

it's about a second difference passing 1/4 mile mark. not a major difference for cars like these, but if you run them side by side the difference is clear. I do however like the 350's extra torque at low end when test driving the 300 auto vs the 350 auto. that's one of the reason I went with base C350 vs a MMI C300 at the same price.

C300Kid

I'm not one for frills. I need HIDs and a good stereo and I'll be happy.

Glyn M Ruck

The trick with the C300 is to rev the darn thing. They love being revved.

kevink2

I think you are correct.

The 7.1 was listed as "est'd" for both mtx and atx in the 2008 MB catalog. A web scan showed the c300 sport 6-speed at 6.5 sec:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...mparison_tests

download powertrain chart


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phatmanrx7

I have a 400+ whp rx7 in my garage and I wouldnt consider it slow. Im happy with how much it picks up in S mode. As long as it pulls up to freeway speed or 80 and then some, and doesnt completely hit a wall, Id say its quick enough. Its no race car, but id def consider it "sporty".

bigben320e

Hence my statement about "keeping it relative in terms of MB's". So cost was not a factor. Sure those cars cost more than a C300, my point is in regards to MB's I have and/or have driven.

No knock on the C300, it is a nice car, but yes it is still slower than the C350. Preference as I always say, is what it boils down to. Your preference is to have a AWD opposed to more hp.

Derspeed

I have had some stupid fast cars in the past. Most all were modded. Most of the time, I couldn't use the power without being paranoid about getting busted. I prefer a car that handles well. The C300 handles very well, but gets better with upgrades. It is a joy to drive on the highway too. And JamesB, I too have the 6MT. I believe it makes a big difference in the car's performance characteristics. I first drove the C350 and the auto just didn't for it for me.

Also, when you are racing on a track, milliseconds mean a lot. On the streets, as much as a couple of seconds diffence in acceleration between cars means very little. That is unless you drag race at every red light. The location of the power in the band is more important on the streets.

The C300 is not painfully slow. It's not the fastest, but it doesn't suck.

STi-JDM

It's not fast, it's not super-slow either. Good enough for a daily driver.

NJBNZ

Bottom line...

acmf74

Thats exactly what it was built for. If you want to "go fast" buy a fast car.

It has more than enough for daily driving. Nice smooth acceleration, handling and creature comforts.

JulianH

No. The transmission is amazing, it has great low-end torque, smooth acceleration, and gets decent gas mileage, but the C300 engine design, while it does have a nice flat torque curve and smooth acceleration, lags a bit behind that of Nissan for example (Infinity). The engine should get better mileage for it's size, or it should make more horsepower. But the transmission makes up for it IMO. If you need to accelerate faster than a C class, then you are just wasting extra gas and putting yourself in danger by speeding. It's not a sports car. I don't even consider Mercedes to make pure sports cars, they are about comfort and luxury and smoothness... even their AMG models. I can cruise in this car at 100mph like I am going 30mph. I came from a firebird that was modded and had 350 horsepower. It jerked and clunked around, had dead spots in the transmission from 30-40 mph, got horrible gas mileage and was uncomfortable and had plastic bits falling off of the interior. Was it faster? Of course. Do I need to go that fast? Hell no. Not around here, someone will pull out in front of me and kill me. My G500 feels faster than the C-class, it hauls ***, but there really is no reason to drive that fast where I live.

I was watching top gear and they were driving some old cars. They had about 60-90 hp. This was maybe 35 years ago. The C300 has nearly 3 times that and here we are debating about it being slow.

kevink2

+1 on automatic 7-speed.

TC Lock up in all gears ... great feature that makes it perform more like an Audi DSG trans or BMW SMG, vs typical old slush-box. DSG/SMG are manual trans with automated shifting.

link to nice technical write up on 2008 C-Class, including engine and 7-speed atx:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/05/n...lass-us-debut/

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bigben320e

Good point and observation. However, with some speed junkies, they are always looking for more.

Personally, my CLS500 is plenty fast with 300HP. BUT..Then you have some that want a CLS55/63 (or other AMG's for the matter). Even after still, you have some that are looking for mods i.e. Kleeman, Renntech, to get more HP.

The 300HP is enough, the AMG 469HP is more than enough, but the K4 at 596HP is just ridiculous, but for people that want it, it's normal.

In regards to the C300, the car is fine. Nice car, nice interior, decent speed. My only point was that being relative to other MB's such as the C350 it is slower. It goes back to preference, the C300 would be fine as a daily driver for anyone on this forum truth be told.

benzlvr2500

hmm i see...well have any of you driven an IS250? I currently own one and think its slow as sh8t...how fast is the C300 relative to the IS250? Is there actually a sensation of torque in the C, as in when i floor it, will i get a little thrown back into my seat? IS250 has NO torque, and the more i think of it, speed isnt an issue cuz im not on the autobahn...torque is what i need in Cali highways

C300Kid

The C300 is def torquier than the IS250

babanator

I drive an 08 C300 w/ 6speed. In terms of looks and comfort the car is a 9 (would be a 10 if I had the premium pkg and navigation). In terms of performance the car is a 7. My previous car was a 99 E300 (turbo diesel), although no rocket, when the turbo (eventually) kicked in, it would set you back in your seat. A nice feeling. I never thought I would be stepping down in performance with the C300. I really question mercedes' logic with the current set of v6's - they seem to be a middle-of-the-road compromise between performance, fuel economy and powertrain longevity. That being said, I think mercedes has done great things with the W204, and realizes that they trail most other manufacturers in the entry level engine performance/fuel economy (as can be seen by their shift to lower displacement turbo-charged engines coming out in the near future).

A suggestion to Mercedes Benz North America: put your CDI engines in a C class, make it all wheel drive (...6 speed is probably too much to ask for...) and sell thousands of vehicles - performance - check. fuel economy - check check. engine longevity - check check check! No brainer? you would think...

whiteongrey

They are fast (non-limited versions) enough for our speed limits - at least 2.5 times faster than legal. Not the quickest but try 94 octane - in makes a difference in the snap dept. Current CDIs are a no go because fuel is too dirty in N. America. Current CDIs in ML are the older gen agri motors.

Personally, IMO, if they are going to limit the speed why not just re-gear the rear end so we can do 0-60 in 4 secs instead of having that ridiculous electronic limiter - a cheap and easy answer. that customers will love

jctevere

I am coming from a g37s coupe, and you don't get much faster than that for 40k. and I have a 2009 c300 4matic... I have to say, its not a rocket ship like my infiniti, but that's not what it is supposed to be at all.

I find that it has ample horsepower and I don't know if its just becuase mine is 4matic. But I love punching it from a stop. It is very quick and definitely fun to drive. Notice how I said quick though, because its not fast, thats what the infiniti is...

It will definitely beat any 4 banger like an accord or civic (provided they don't have turbo or mods) in a race.

Occasionally it does feel a bit sluggish and have a bit of lag when trying to get up to highway speeds on the entrance ramp. However, I account this to the 7-speed tranny always staying in a higher gear. When I use tiptronic the engine is easily capable of delivering the grunt work needed to propel my butt.

On a side note, maybe its just my car, but I feel like this car Really pulls within the 2500 - 4000 rpm range. I always try to keep my car around that area if I try to punch it, or when entering a highway. From 1500 - 2500 it is a bit sluggish, either because we don't have much torque, or due to the tranny.

Bottom line is. It is very quick car, but don't expect to be winning showdowns with infinitis or souped up cars anytime soon.

Its a shame Mercedes doesn't offer the c350 with 4matic in the states (and offer it with 300hp standard)... They are really shooting off their own feet there.

Edit:
+1 on the comment about the IS 250 being slow as heck. That thing can't even get out of its own way. I don't know if it is as fast 0-60 wise, but it sure feels like its barely moving. The only way I can describe it is that the IS 250's "flooring it gear" is equivalent to a regular cars or the c300 "Passing gear". With Normal Gear < Passing Gear < Flooring Gear. It just never seems like your flooring it, I was very unimpressed. But perhaps thats why their slogan is "Pursuit of Perfection"

babanator

ya, 94 octane isn't an option in Canada (fuel additives are though...). With respect to the CDI question, mercedes offers the diesel in ML, GL, R (Eclass - 212 to come 2011), it just baffles me that they wouldn't offer them in a C (the model most likely to post the best numbers for performance and fuel economy). I guess its the same reason they don't offer the G400CDI in north america - they just assume there is no market.
I do agree with you guys that the 300 is "fast enough", the only reason I was dissapointed is it seems that mercedes has regressed in terms of the performance segment the 300 represents. Case and point - I drive my sisters 01 CLK320 from time to time (215hp, 229lb-ft), and honestly, I have almost killed myself merging on the highway. By the numbers, the 300 should be in line, but that is obviously not the case. I am thinking of getting an ECU flash when it's out of warranty. Have you guys looked into it? 10-15% increase in performance ~$700

MBHellBlaze

Simple...
If you like to drive fast, it's slow. If you like to drive slow, it's fast.

Strfry

I just picked up my c300 this past February coming from a 2007 BMW 335i. I do miss the power that the 335i offered for the class of vehicle, but in the end the benz is better suited for me. Reality is, as quick as the car was, the only real practical use was to pass cars...like that volkswagon bug with the turbo commercial, lol. Besides, its nice to be able to switch between sport and comfort modes. Like most people have said it is slow off the line, but once you get into higher revs you still feel a surge of power come through. Engine aside, c-class owns 3 series .