MikeStarTX

Hey guys Ive been lurking on the forum for quite a bit and right now Ive made the decision to go with the C350.

I actually have a couple questions that I can ask fellow owners instead of asking a biased sales rep at the dealership.


1) What are the "maintenance and service" costs? Does the car cost a lot to maintain?
2) I saw some people say you cant control your ipod from the steering wheel can you guys please clarify this?
3)What is the navigation system like is it good? Or does it suck?
4) Please just tell me anything else I should know about the car before I purchase it.

Thanks in advance I really appreciate it!

AskDrTodd

1-dunno I got it rolled into my lease
2-you totally can with the 2011 MM package
3-pretty intuitive. good overall
4-it's quiet, handles nice, and looks sharp. get it!

C300CA

Mine is not 3 months old and its my 2nd car not for daily driving, so I am still learning.

1) Not sure but info search tells me it is expensive to maintain;
2) I just tried the iPod. I have to use center console to bring it up. Once up, I can use left side steering wheel up-down button to select the song,
3) To me the navigation is very good. I can also see what street I am on and where I am going on the instrument cluster display.

Something minor: a) the light switch dial knob lights up when outside is dark. However, the outer ring indicater (headlight, Auto, park, etc.) does not. They should all light up. The overall interior light is very good but this one is missing. b) I start to get used to the turn signal control location but sometimes I still hit the cruise control just above the turn signal.

Sportstick

1) Yes, this is no Chevy or Honda financially and the dealers take full advantage.
2) Don't know...100% on Sirius with lifetime subscription
3) If you appreciate the quality and functionality of Garmin, you will be disappointed in MB's nav. Many posts on low quality MB nav performance.
4) C Class won the JDPower IQS Award for 2010 (best new car quality in segment at 3 months-in-service).

newyorktoLA

1. Well, I don't own a C yet but I drive it as a loaner car a lot. Maintenance costs are high on my S class, approx. $400 for an oil change plus the dealer recommends that I change my brakes every 10,000 miles. I don't, but they squeak like crazy so maintenance costs are HIGH!
2. I dont know...sorry
3. The same navi in the C class is on the S class and GL. I like it because its simple, but you can't find a lot of stores in the system. So, I like it in general except for the fact that you can't find many Points of Interest.
4. Well, the 2008-2011 models have cheap dash materials (IMO). The interior feels kinda cheap, but the outside looks great I wish Benz put better materials in the C like they did for the S and GL. One of the big reasons I am getting a 2012 over a 2011 is because the interior is upgraded. The 2008-2011 models have a really crappy interior in comparison to the 2012 C or the E class or any other Benz although the ML has the same dash material. THere is a lot more plastic and FYI, leather is not standard. Rear legroom is actually pretty okay (definitely not as much as my S class, but good enough to sit in for a few hours). I like how quiet the car is (My S class and GL are wayyyy noisier on the freeways) and the C class has more maneuverability. Good luck, but if I were you, I would look into a slightly preowned 2010 E class. It is a hell of an upgrade and it doesn't have the tag of an entry benz.

C300CA

That's a shock to me. According to reviews, S-class should be super quiet, same as Lexus LS...

waiszeto

Lexus SUK !

jman350

I would agree that the navigation is NOT as good as a Garmin. I get very frustrated that I cannot type in the name of a restaurant it and it tell me a list of the ones from closest to furthest. It will come up with ones in random states.

iPod integration--I just hate that if you want to hear a specific song while you're driving, you have to scroll from A to Z and it takes forever when you have 1,700 songs and want to hear a song that starts with "S"





Besides for that, I like everything in my 2011 C350.

MikeStarTX

Thanks a lot guys!

Acapulco Bill

1) A & B service is every 15,625 miles or a year, in Mexico. Costs about the same as my Honda Accord which requires service twice as often (at lower cost each). Both cars function flawlessly, however the service winner is my Belgian-made Ford which requires its first B service at 50,000 miles (still waiting after 7 years).
2) I agree with jman350 that it would be better to have the headunit organize my 5,000 tunes in the same way as the stored phone number list, operated by the media knob. It is just downright dangerous and foolish to try and look for a specfic tune, especially driving at high speed. A workaround is to make Playlists, or just choose Genre and Shuffle. I am always surprised to hear forgotten "favorites". Again the Ford wins here as you can just verbally ASK for any song with MyFord Touch and SYNC, or logcal touchscreen selection.
3) The Garmin system is excellent, the Ford more than excellent (either verbal, touch screen or dial in), the Mercedes is still rudimentary by comparison.
4) Get the 2012, although many prefer the exterior styling of the 2011. The new 350CGI engine pumps out 15% more HP and more torque, with 20% fuel savings. It will be until 2014 before MB makes another major improvement in performance over the new 350CGI engine. If the 350CGI is unavailable, WAIT FOR IT.

And please get the Harman Kardon system. Worth every penny. Don't buy a C or E class without it.

pepto

@jman350 Same issue re GPS. I cannot for the life of me figure how to only return restaurants etc in my own State. VERY annoying when in a hurry.

Apart from that, GPS is accurate 99% of the time. Would be nice if you could input zip codes as well. On a couple of occasions, I received directions that were miles from the actual destination. Rare, but avoidable if zips could be used.