snowmuch

The 335xi is about $74,000 with every package, shipping, tax etc.

C350 4m is about $67,000

C63 is about $80,000


For the extra $6000 ill get a c63 instead


(Canada prices)

sicsun

That's why i went with the c350 4m too. The 335 xi cost more and the financing rate is @ 4.8 to benz 1.9

wonderd

the c350 does not come in 4matic sedan

sicsun

It does in Canada.

snowmuch

Big turn off is that Canadian c350 4m does not have paddle shifters.

jctevere

Technically the 2013 C300 4Matic is a C350 4Matic in the United States. The C300 has a new 3.5L direct injection engine (the same one used in the C350) but is detuned (less HP/TQ).

Mercedes-Benz has been known to De-Tune their engines to create an artificial distinction between models. Prior to 2012 the C63 had the same 6.3L engine as the E63's with the 6.3L engine, but were rated at lower HP/TQ. Aftermarket tunes unlocked this power, and MB eventually came out in 2012 with a "Performance Package" which unlocked the extra power (that was there the whole time). Most likely because the E63 began to carry the 5.5L Twin Turbo engine that year... Tricky! :P

wonderd

Sounds like a bunch of BS!

Anyways I am going to the bmw tomorrow to inquire about a 335i x drive 10k per year 36 month lease.

Anyone have any tips for me?

(asking for tips for a bmw on a MB forum )

Sportstick

Quad or dual?

Seriously, at this level of spending, don't decide based on a few dollars either way. Drive the car and let your gut tell your head what to do. Once you get beyond the Accord/Altima, etc. level of similarly sized cars which meet basic transportation needs, this becomes about pleasing yourself. So, if you have the money to be in this arena, let your heart be your guide!

Samaral

+1.

victort

good choice! the new 3 is beautiful and is a brand new model, whereas the C has been around for 5 years now and due for an update

jctevere

If there is one thing I am known for on this forum it is certainly not spreading false information, besides maybe Sportstick's opposing view of mine on winter tires

But here is a link to an official article if you don't want to take my word for it:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/11/2...tuned-3-5l-v6/

With that said, I'm sure the 335 is a great car that also has tons of power. As far as getting a great lease deal, here are a few things to keep track of from dealer to dealer to see which is a better deal.

1) The residual percentage is a number that changes slightly month to month which is the value the car is projected to retain at the end of the lease. So if its 70%, you will pay off 30% of the purchase price in your monthly rental charge.

2) The money factor is the APR or loan rate given for the vehicle. This number is what can greatly vary month to month and ends up determining what is a great deal or a good deal.

3) Something to also keep your eye on is the selling price of the car. Many dealers try to get away with selling the price at MSRP by using dealer incentives from corporate to make a deal seem better. Typical Mercedes incentives are loyalty bonuses or bonuses from switching from a competing brand. These incentives value model to model, sometimes it is a better deal to get a sedan over a coupe or vice versa because a considerable amount of more money is given.

4) If you visit various dealers, always try to keep the lease terms the same for comparison simplicity. I tend to "run numbers" on the same mileage and

Sportstick

Yes, you're right about 99% of the time....the other times, we're discussing winter tires!

wonderd

I got the 335xi for 536 per month with 3413 upfront

snowmuch

That's a very nice deal. Do you know if the m sports package is coming to the 3 seris any time soon? I heard they're getting better suspension and brakes. The 335 I test drove got ****ty brakes and the suspension feels like I'm on a roller coster

wonderd

Yes you can get the m package on the car. You can double check at bmwusa.org they have the build your car option. i got the sport series so the suspension is tighter but I want the car to actually feel comfortable in comfort mode so I did not get the stiff m sport suspension.

jctevere

What were the terms if you don't mind (mileage, months, MSRP). Curious to know what they run on a lease...

wonderd

10k 36 months at 44855 (200 below invoice) 3300 below msrp

jctevere

Not bad, but I guess the residual is pretty low? For comparison my 2012 C250 Coupe was a 24 month lease, 12k miles per year, $44,100 MSRP, $2,500 total due at signing (this includes EVERYTHING, taxes, fees, 1st month payment) for $299 per month (including 2 years pre-paid maintenance). I did have numerous incentives and dealer discounting to get this deal. I've always wanted to try out BMW but everytime I go in the dealers are unwilling to work on any numbers and/or have crappy money factor APR or residuals making leases too expensive for me to just be able to try BMW out when I'm not in love with their vehicles.

Also, my guy at MBUSA got back to me today, you can't get Paddle Shifters on the C300 4Matic even with the sports package... The website is inaccurate and they will be fixing it. With that said, I have complained to him about the absence of this as well as an official C350 4Matic Sedan offering. He has passed both suggestions on to the Product Planning team, so here's to hoping they get added in future models.

wonderd

Would be cool if these options became available all because I spoke up and voiced my opinion. I think these options would increase sales.

jctevere

Got more clarification today from MBUSA on the issue of paddle shifters:

"Sorry for the delay, here is the answer from our C -Class Product Manager.

Q1. Why can't you get paddle shifters on the 4Matic model?
A1. You can get paddle shifters on the 4MATIC Coupe, and specifically on the C350 4MATIC Coupe model, in fact - it is standard equipment. With regards to the C350 Sedan, please see the response to question number two - there was not huge demand for this feature from US market owners/consumers on the Sedan.

Q2. Why not offer a C350 4Matic option?
A2. We constantly clinic, poll, interview and survey US owners, consumers and customers - the vast majority were not interested in a C350 4MATIC on the current generation C-Class. However, the trend appears to be changing and if there is enough US consumer demand - we will bring over and sell this variant/model in the US market.

Q3. Any reason why MBUSA has decided not to go this route, even though MB Canada has had the C350 4Matic available for years now?
A3. Different markets have different customer requests and needs and regional strategic positioning, Canada being a cold weather winter country imports this model variant because the Canadian consumers are interested in this variant, we do extremely well with the C300 4MATIC we offer in the US market and currently (on this generation) do not have sufficient customer/consumer demand."

You can be rest assured that I recommended they make paddle shifters available on the C300. I explained how if you want a sedan and need 4Matic, you are unable to get paddle shifters. I also mentioned that if they didn't want to make it standard, it should, at the very least, be put into C300 4Matics that get the "Sport Package"...

RLE

Really. What about this one just the other day in re:engine vibrations.

Originally Posted by jctevere:

It is indeed normal. This is because the lifters are activated when it is cold out - keeping your idle RPM's artificially high to warm up the engine and catalytic converters. You will notice that it is up above 1,000 RPM's when you feel this, and then the issue goes away when the lifters settle and the RPM's idle at their normal 750-900 ish range.

papashango

I think the new 3 series are very ugly when sedans are compared. Pretty much the ONLY reason I went with the Merc sedan. The 335i coupe was quite a bit more expensive and didn't have the incentives that Benz was offering and that was the other most important reason. I've always only had BMW's and this is the first Benz in the family. My next one is either going to be a c63 amg coupe or a m3 coupe. Just don't know when. I think I still prefer the looks of the c63 over m3, even though I've always had a thing for m3's.

Mtl20v

To be honest.. The 335xi isn't much faster than the 305hp c350. It just feels sportier.

snowmuch

I think car and driver got a 4.5s 0-60 for 335 while the c350 is 6s(official) 0-60. So it's only a bit faster

Pete7874

A bit? I would say that's quite a bit.