Finally caving and thinking about getting a 204! Manual vs 4matic
 

So i took my car in to MB of Laguna Niguel to have a few things done, and for a loaner i got a almost brand new 2010 C300. The whole reason i have a 203 is because i just like them better than the 204, but idk what changed in me i find myself wanting a new 204 :confused:

I like the little tweaks they've made, and although i still feel they are cheaply made, there's no rattle that factory warranty wont cover :D plus i dont know, i just want one now haha.

I decided if i were to get one i would get one with Premium 1 Package, Multimedia Package, the Harmon/Kardon system, and the spoilers, i just have one dilemma, manual or 4matic?

I love the idea of having a true drivers car, i have wanted a manual for a long time, and manual Mb's are just kick ass!! On the other hand, i live in OC and traffic is a B***H, the new auto is really smooth and alot more responsive, plus can be made alot better with a quick trip to Powerchip :)

I also love all wheel drive cars though, and i love the handling advantage, but im torn between having 4matic and a manual :nix:

I'm sorry but why would you need a 4matic living in Cali ??? If I had to do it all over again I would've opt out of the 4matic and gotten a C300 Manual but that's just me :)

i dont NEED one, i WANT one

i love my 6spd stick

You should get the manual, but why would you go for only P1 and not P2?

some cars have an awd system that was developed to enhances performance, say, the RS4. but the 4matic on the 204s is designed more towards giving you traction in snow. on dry road, there probably isn't as much performance advantage.

just get a manual.

This one is just too easy! :zoom:

Yep yep!! :)

Honestly, no automatic can replace the full rpm control you get w/ a manual. Yes, the SMG/DSG trannys are faster than any human can shift, but unless you're racing your car, it's not going to matter.
My biggest peeve w/ automatics is the start-from-zero lurch. Some cars are better then others in this regard, but there's no way to feather w/ an auto. Manual was a requirement for me, making the C350 a deal breaker, i.e. I gave up the extra HP because there was no 6spd!

However... Cali traffic *would* make me think twice about a 6pd, though!!!

So, you'll get us manual owners saying you must get the 6spd and then you'll have the auto owners saying their cars are smooth (which they are!). At the end of the day, you gotta weigh the pros/cons and decide for yourself. Deciding on the W204 to begin with was your best move. :)

I too would've love to buy the C350, but since it did not have 3 pedals and a gear stick, it was not for me.

Why does anyone living in Orange County need 4-Matic? Forget 4-Matic and buy the P2 package.

BTW, I spent 7 1/2 years driving and repairing a W203 and the W204 is superior in every way.

Sounds like you already have your mind made up then.

If it was me, I'd take manual over 4matic any day, even if I had to deal with snow - proper winter tires do more good in such situations than AWD.

Alas, the C300 is the wife's car and she prefers a slushbox.

If my wife drove stick, I would have ordered a 6 speed !

How on earth do you even find a 4matic in Cali anyways lol

My thought would be to go with the C350 for the power and just deal with the auto. The W204 4matic isn't doing anything for you in cali only robbing you of power and adding weight - unless you travel north often. Besides a manual is fun and a true drivers choice, but since the car has four doors it's not a prerequisite.

...Or you could wait until 2012 and get the MY 2013 AMG B-Class/CLA which is a smaller CLS with an AWD system developed on the MFA platform and a 400hp 3.2L V6 with a comprex supecharger? It'll have a 7-Speed DCT rather than a manual though. However since they're planning to make it a successor to the 190E 2.5-16 Evo II and take on the upcoming RS3 and BMW M1/1-Series M, i'm pretty sure that it'll be a driver's car.

Personally it really depends on what you really crave. You don't need 4matic in SoCal unlike Massachusetts, and the AWD in the C-Class is good, but it's not a performance AWD like the RS4. The manual would be fun, and i'm sure you can modify your car too and get some extra power out of it. If I were you though I would wait until the new engines come out.

Or you could buy a used RS4 or the new S4...

The C Class is pretty tractable so you will find you have to shift less in stop and go traffic than with many other cars. I have to hit the Atlanta "interstate parking lot" a bit and I can often creep along in first and never have to use the clutch as the engine is happy from about 700 RPM up.

the difference in power between the 350 with 18% - 20% drive train loss and the 300 6sp with about 5% - 7% loss is minimal at best.

I have a 6sp with a tune and eat up 350's all day...especially from a dig.

$750 tune (or any tune) + 6sp > 350 poopy auto > terrible power to wheel split distribution 4matic

not to mention, better gas mileage and the ability to wind up the gears and listen to the x pipe every single shift.

drifting and getting the ass to break loose in the 300 is as easy if not easier than in my mucho modified e46 M3 which made just about double the HP. The fact is the MB has a better band and the TQ is just there, even at 2300 rpms.

Just to add my 2 cents: manual, if you can find one.


Use of right hand, both feet, ears for engine revs, eyes for tach; all equal mo' betta.

idk, i want to keep expenses down, my 203 is FULLY loaded and its nice having, plus just knowing you have everything lol but im willing to sacrifice to keep costs down while im in school lol

dgaf imo 203 > 204 haha

if i got a 204 i would buy it from the factory so i would find mine in germany :rolf:

*JAW DROPPING* that sounds sooo sick

and i would definitely get a tune! thanks for the input!

Thanks for all the input guys!! here's my other old up though.

I really want to get one now, but in 2011 they get a fcelift, and a few more options including standard folding seats, but do the 300's get a new Turbo engine?? :D

As of this moment, the only official released engines are the 300hp NA 3.5L V6 that's coming out and the Twin-Turbo 5.5L V8 that's being put into the C63 AMG. There is talk that a smaller Twin-Turbo V6 is being made to compete with the 335i but no other official information has been released on that yet. I wouldn't rule it out though, but we'll all have to be patient for more information.

I'll post anything I find.

yeah thats all i could find too
my guess is that if they were going too put a new engine in the c300 next year it would be talked about or released by now because thats their best seller, in volume

Possibly, or they're waiting until they debut the new CLS in Paris to showcase the new engines?

i wonder if fletcher would put a clause in my lease that says if the engines change in the next 2 years i get to renew with the same terms on a new c300 haha