delirium

I have a C350 and got a C300 as a loner car.

The C300 feels faster off the line & when in motion because it is more responsive when the pedal is pushed.

My C350 is smoother/quieter, but it feels like it has lag similar to turbo lag, the response is delayed and then it starts moving & then you can tell its faster than a C300.

C300 also gets much better MPG numbers.

Anyone else feel this performance delay issue on the C350?

tlbenzc350

Yes I do feel the lag in the C350 especially in S mode and it very annoying other than that I love my vehicle, however in C mode the lag is not as bad.

bigigg

maybe your 19" wheels are affecting your acceleration..

delirium

I thought about that, but I remember the lag being there before I got the wheels. I have lived with the lag for awhile now, but after the C300 loner, I can really tell the difference.

lkevinl

Hey, does C mode vs. S mode affect the tranny? I have a C300 Sport with Adv. Agility Pkg and there is a "Sport" button. I thought this only affects the suspension. Does it also affect the tranny shift points?

prettyboy23

this actually only affects the shifting of the gears. and as for a lag, i have a C350 myself and dont really feel any kind of lag.

NOTE: im coming from a weak is250

Azn_C300

Did you get the latest ECU update for your C350? Was supposed to significantly reduce throttle lag. Maybe the C300 loaner had updated software while your C350 hasn't been updated yet.

delirium

While the car is at the dealer I asked them to check all the software & make sure its up to date. They checked for downloads on the "ME" control module but no updates were found. Is there any way for me to know if I have the most recent version?

My car is out of factory warranty in about 200 miles so I'd like to know quickly.

ldtCapitan

Provided the ECU updates aren't the issue, sometimes loaners seem faster because people beat the crap out of them. We have an adaptive transmission so because you treat your car a bit lighter, it's used to light acceleration. Maybe when you get your car back, ask the dealer to reset your transmission to its "learning" phase.

lkevinl

Not so fast. Read this article:

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...y-control.html


My "Sport" button is at the bottom of the center stack and I don't have a "C/S" button by the shifter, it is an "M" button for manual mode. I have the advanced agility control package so I believe my "Sport" button is controlling suspension, not transmission. Maybe it controls both? Anyone have a definitive answer?

laneshift

The lag with Mercedes seems to be consistent with the some other models. I test drove an SLK 300 today, it had to hit 3k or so rpm's before it would really get moving.

lkevinl

This page shows exactly what I have in my 2010 C300 with Adv. Agility Control:

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cont...ssis.0007.html

It mentions both suspension and transmission. This is good to know... I thought it only controlled suspension. I wish I could confirm it's functionality by way of a US source!

lkevinl

OK, this post clarifies...

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w204...ml#post3376227

My C300 Sport has the Adv. Agility Control which, in addition to the center stack Sport button and Manual mode button by the shift knob, has paddle shifters.

BlackjackM

So if you flick the shifter left or right, or use a paddle without hitting the "M" button does it ignore you? In other words, is the "M" button basically a lock out for manual shifting? That wouldn't seem to make much sense..

snarlingchicken

I have the same issue. My car takes a second to respond when I press the pedal down. IF there is a new ECU flash, I'd better go get it.

lkevinl

The Sport mode button on the dash changes suspension and tranny shift points. I played with this on the way home tonight...

I can still use the left and right of the shifter and the paddles. It shows D1, D2, D3, etc.

When I press the M button near the shifter, the display changes from "PRND" to "M1234567" with the current gear highlighted. I'm not exactly sure the difference here.

On my bimmer, when in "D" mode, if you used the paddles or shift knob, it would go into a auto/manual mode and you could change gears, but if you stopped, it would change back to auto/"D". If you were in "DS" mode, the more aggressive tranny mode, then if you use the paddles or shifter, you'd go into manual mode and stay there until you went back into regular "D" mode.

I'm wondering if using the paddles or left/right while in the non-Sport mode will do something similar. This seems to be poorly documented!

Ausmbtech

Yes the c350 won't feel like it has much of a performance difference from the C300 due to the different diff ratio's.
The c300 has a 3.07:1 ratio and the C350 has a 2.82:1 ratio so the reduction in torque for the smaller engine wouldn't be as noticable and may even make it feel a bit more responsive at lower speeds but out on the highway the c350 would feel better.

BlackjackM

Just guessing here, but maybe if you hit the M button you will be locked into Manual mode ie it won't change itself back to automatic, but if you just tap the shifter or the paddles it will revert back?

I much prefer how the BMW system worked- everything was done through the gear shift with no sport/comfort small button. I hate being in C and taking off from a light only to start in second gear, but I also hate having it in Sport and cruising in a lower gear than what's optimal for MPG. So I end up fiddiling with the button endlessly and it's annoying. With the Bimmer I had before you could just move the shifter back to D and you'd be all set.

earlybird

I realize that this discussion is about vehicles with automatic transmissions, but I own a manual C300 and I have never been disappointed with its performance. Many times I am amazed at how quickly traffic on the highway falls behind in my rear view mirror. You just select the appropriate gear, touch the pedal and the car goes like crazy. I am sure that other C300 manual drivers are surprised when they read about C-Class automatic owners complaining about the performance of their vehicles.

A couple of days ago I had a GLK350 loaner, and the response from the automatic transmission was sooooooo slow. I had to push hard on the gas pedal to get it moving at a quick tempo. (Perhaps, it was just me, since I not accustomed to driving automatic cars).

OneOfaKindTrini

Get a Sprint Booster.

lkevinl

When you press M, you're definitely locked in Manual mode, even if you click through with paddles to 7th it stays manual. On in the non "M" mode, if I paddle shift, I'm not sure if it goes back to Auto on its own, haven't seen that happen yet, but if I click to 7th with paddles, it switches back to Auto mode.

QuadBenz

In M mode, you control what gear the car is in. If it says "3", you're in third.
Shifting without putting the transmission in M mode essentially limits the highest gear the car will use. Ex: When it says "D3" you're telling the car that it can only use gears 1, 2, and 3. It will shift through those gears on it's own.

lkevinl

Wow, didn't know that. What would be a typical usage of that mode? Even if you were doing short bursts of speed with some steering in between, the car wouldn't go into upper gears anyway since you're slowing on the turns.

It makes sense that setting it to 7 turns off the mode then. Will it go back to regular mode on it's own after a while?

delirium

This makes a lot of sense, because I can feel the power and sometimes it just needs to downshift to feel it. I guess the problem is that the gearing is not really towards performance.

I got my car back and it is definately faster once its in the right gear, I think the lag is due to the car staying in a higher gear to save fuel?

delirium

Also i think that the fact that the C350 is smoother (engine feels smoother) it feels like you arent moving as fast as in the C300 where the engine makes more noise & stuff which makes you feel like ur moving faster.