MJL21

Final decision is between these 2, test drove the acura TL, the A4, the IS250, the g37, the 3 series bmw....my decision is down to these 2

i know everyone here drives the C, so talk me into it, the maxima is a little less per month but not much that it will make a difference in pricing..also how is the C on insurance? which would be more expensive to insure for a 25 yr old driver with no points..

i like the maxima 2 sunroof, the HIDs, the backup camera, the heated and cooled seats, the heated and cooled steering wheel and the speed..but i like the benz, because well its a benz and looks nicer

what do you guys think?

C300Sport

Check out what Motor Trend thinks...if you haven't already:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ict/index.html

It's true that the Maxima gives you more...more size, more stuff, more techno goodies for the price. What you give up for that is the brick ***** house feel, the looks and the panache of the Benz. If you are a driver, go C Class...if you are an A to B kinda person, the Maxima may be for you.

I came out of a Millinia S which is in some ways like the Maxima and I am amazingly happy with my switch to a smaller, more lightly equipped Mercedes.

clover168

for the insurance is base on your driving records so nobody can really answer that question for you. mine is very cheap only 1300 CAD a year as im 25 with 6 years of driving with no ticket or any accident. the benz is so much better because its german built and its not japanese. just my 2 cents

fattysnax

Congrats on narrowing it down to 2 cars! There's a lot of choice in this price range and it can be overwhelming.

I have a C and my gf has an '09 Maxima. The Maxima is a great bang-for-the-buck car. Her Maxima is pretty much fully loaded and it still came out to be cheaper than my C with no options. Would you be getting the C with any of the packages like P1 or P2?

The Maxima has a great engine, fantastic interior materials, roomy back seat and large trunk. The exterior looks a bit chunky and the front looks awkward to me. For me, FWD is a deal-breaker for a car in this price range but that will be up to you to decide.

As you said, the Benz is a Benz. It looks awesome, very solidly built, and drives great especially on the highway. I just got back from a 16hr road trip in my C and it was a pleasure to drive (FYI, I averaged 29.8MPG on 91 octane gas). On the highway, Benzes tend to "charge" down the road with a purpose. It must have something to do with the weight balance and gearing, but it really is an Autobahn cruiser. I've never had that sensation in any other brand of car including BMWs and Audis.

If you compare the two feature-for-feature, you'll need to get all the options in the Benz and then it gets expensive. So I'd say, if you value driving/handling, AWD or RWD, build quality, and good looks, go for the Benz. If you value features, comfort, and space, go for the Maxima.

Hope that helps!

MJL21

well the benz i am looking at is the C300 premium 1, multimedia package all the works except the HIDs and rearview camera..
comes with the navi, 7in screen, woodgrain trim etc etc

they are both with 3000 dollar down, the benz is 390 a month and the maxima is 380 a month

C300Sport

Would be a no brainer for me!! The Mercedes is simply more of a car and you will look back at this in a couple months thinking "my God I can't believe I almost went with the Maxima over the C300"

fattysnax

For a negligible difference of $10/month, gotta go with the Benz. You could make a case for the Maxima if there was a big savings, but in this case... no way. Benz all the way.

Say this out loud, "I drive a Benz". Feels pretty good right?
Now say the alternative, "I drive a Nissan"
Yeah ...

TRauppius

Yeah, i realize the Maxima has a bunch of stuff for the money, and from some angles it looks fine also, but is FWD with CVT transmission which together conspire to take the fun out of driving.

Have you driven the Maxima yet? The recent Motor Trend comparitive review cited the CVT (not withstanding the floppy paddles) as droning and even alarming to some passengers who were aware of the high RPM the CVT preferes to keep the engine in the range where the CVT has the greatest flexibilty. It just does not sound and feel very sporty. It also has significant torque steer and a general tendency to understeer in turns that require simultaneous front wheel acceleration and steering.

The Nissan build quality is very good, but some of the interior materials are a bit chintzy (like those shift paddles that look like metal but are actually plastic) compared with MB.

The MB ride and handling balance is very good, with a chassis and suspension that is rock solid, quiet and stable; there are very few vehicles that are better than MB at delivering this sense of stability and control... certainly not a Maxima.

GMBZ

The MB C300, any MB, is a high prestige car. Maxima certainly is not. Just the fact the Maxima is front wheel drive would be the main reason I would not want it.

A big plus for the Maxima is the engine. It has the same engine as the G37, but a little less horse power. However, both engines are way more powerful than a C300 or C350.

If I were you I would go with the MB if you want prestige and quality and look at the G37 if you want horsepower. All are about the same price depending on options.

tyltan

Don't forget to take future maintenance and services cost into your consideration too. The Benz will cost you lots more.

MJL21

well im leasing so i dont know how much future maintenance there will be for the first 40,000 miles...

also i looked at the g37 and they want about 60 bucks more per month then the benz

alqamzi

I would go with the g37s if it was me because its faster very good quality more room.My gf have a 08 g35x she bought it brand new last year and i swear that the interior quality is better then my c63.Think about it if the quality of it better then my c63 what abt the c300!!!
Thats why they want 60 more because its better then c300 much much better.JUST MY 2CENTS

MJL21

i know its better and i know its much better..

the best offer i got was 3000 down 429 a month, that is 45 dollars more than the benz...and 65 dollars more per month then the maxima

AMGTTV8

LOL LMAO +1

I am Jeff

I'm going to be honest with you. I love my Benz, but damn it....It's missing about 32 horsepower. With that being said, you should really compare apples to at least something that looks like apples. The Maxima has substantially more HP than the c300...are you ok with that? I'm going to assume you have the panoroof in the c300, because that seems to be a selling point for you. Are you OK without the additional luxury items such as keyless go and heated/cooled seats? If your answer is yes, than by all means get the c300. What price did they quote you on for a c350?

I have to agree with the above poster...being able to say "I have a BENZ" is a great feeling, but only if it is a BENZ that you didn't have to compromise on.

I'm actually shocked that you couldn't get a better deal on the g37. Have you considered looking at other dealerships? Good luck with your decision.

snarlingchicken

I was looking at the Maxima too. What made me decide against the Maxima was the overall cost. I was looking forward to heated AND cooled seats as well, but it only came of the Premium model was ordered, and I really wanted to opt for the sport model. Same goes for the panoramic sunroof, which I don't really care for, but still, I like my options well spread. Another main factor was the CVT transmission. Not sure about you, but I like the shifting of gears that a car goes through during high RPMs when flooring it. I dislike the fact that it holds it at around 5k-6k RPM. :/

Another factor which I forgot to mention is the fact that the C class is rear wheel drive, compared to the maxima's front wheel drive. Now I know that in basic day to day driving, it really doesn't matter, but the road feel and cornering feel a lot more crisp in the C. But on the plus side, from what I hear, Nissan did a good job of eliminating Torque Steer in the Maxima.

Pros of the C class IMO would be....the interior. I find it to be quite simple, and I'm not sure about you, but I'm a man of simple pleasures. The COMAND control system is rather easy to get used to, and I assume since the dash/audio controls are similar to that of the G37, it's smack dab in the center console right in front of the screen. The fact that I had to reach all the way forward was somewhat of a drag for me. (Yes I'm lazy, which explains why I like simple things :P). Another thing would be the build quality. Call it what you will, but I feel...safer....ish...in the C than the Maxima. Sure the C is the cheapest of the MBZ group, but it's still built like a tank. Not sure if you're one to notice these things, but the sounds of the car doors closing are rather enticing for me in this factor. When a C class' doors close, it's a deep THUMP, which sounds rather secure and heavy. The maxima's was a bit lighter, and wasn't as deep. It's just a random, somewhat pointless quirk, but a quirk I found to be a contributing factor.

Pros of the Maxima would be...IMO, the interior quality. I like the seats, which are to me, a bit more comfy/soft than that of the C. The MBTex in the C is quite solid, and doesn't really stretch or sag over time (which can be good), meaning that it's not quite as forgiving when your body molds itself to the seats' contours. Also, the nav/backup camera are greater than that of the Mercedes. Others also prefer the Bose stereo that Nissan/Infiniti use over the Harman Kardon sound system of Mercedes.

That's....my...review...of sorts. Haha. If you get the chance to, go test drive both. I think that will be the ultimate determining factor. Before I got my C350, I was absolutely set on the IS350. However the test drive completely ruined my views of the IS350 since the car was as numb as a child's cheeks after being injected with novocaine at the dentist. There was so little road/acceleration feel. It all comes down to how you feel while driving the car inside it. You'll be with the car for a few years I assume, so you might as well choose the one you like best.

Haha. I concur. Unless the Nissan happens to be a 370z or a GTR. :P

mr inkredibul

You're on a benz forum so everyone will say benz. That maxima is a beast tho and if it didn't have a Nissan nameplate it would have moved hire in my choices. You can add springs and sways bars to the Maxima to handle better and Nissans are made really well. The Maxima is a flagship sedan so you get everything.

I think what matters is how much do you want the "Benz" name cuz thats what you are paying for. The MSRP for my 350 was 10,000 more than a comparably equipped g37 sport sedan. But I liked the design and pop-up nav of the Benz more.

I am Jeff

I'm not too fond of the pop up navigation because I bought my car and I plan to keep it a while. That thing worries me....I would rather have a stationary screen and have them add touch screen, than to have pop up.

C300Kid

lease? those are pretty good prices.

mr inkredibul

You have pano and keyless go too then? Cuz the maxima does.

MJL21

thanks guys for all the input.. i just went to test drive the benz and maxima again, i like the benz feel more, it is a tank and much quicker, the maxima is more powerful but i like when i step on the pedal it MOVES and that is a big thing to me....the 1 flaw in the benz is the pop out navi that thing is hideous but i love love the outside of the car i always have... but here is the problem i am literally clueless when it comes to mods on a car.. for example

i want HID fogs, that is a must, on a black car to have them on during the day looks hott

i want it lowered, and i want rims

nothing too fancy but just classy looking

id be willing to pay someone on these boards if they live in NJ to install the HID fogs for me

jctevere

I find it comical that I too was torn between the Maxima and the c300... In the end what won me over was size, Maxima was huge and a pain in the **** to park and maneuver, looks and name brand recognition undoubtedly go to to benz, though the maxima looks good too. The Maxima has a weird CVT transmission that I don't like, not to mention its front wheel drive so that when you get on it, it pulls to one side.

Get the Benz, you won't regret it!

MJL21

thanks yeah i like the AWD on the benz...

raceway

Maxima has CVT, that is a deal breaker for me.

The constant engine noise without changing rpm when it accelerates is killing me..

RLE

I saw a new Maxima just yesterday and from the rear it is a handsome car but then as I passed it (of course) I saw it's buck-toothed face. Bah.

If you parked a Maxima and some similar sized Acura and maybe an ES 350 and an Accord, all in white and side by side, I'll bet from 500 feet away you couldn't tell the difference. The Mercedes would stand out.