This girl I know recently picked up a 08 C300 4matic but I am not sure her car is AWD. She was stuck in very little snow today (with a little ice underneath) and when hitting the gas to try and get unstuck, I only saw her rear wheels spinning

Any idea how to check for sure? The car was in a rear collision before she bought it - is it possible it is not a real 4matic and they just put a 4matic trunk lid on it and sold the car saying it was a 4matic?

should the front wheels spin also?

 

The easiest way would be to look under the front and see if the front wheels have driveshafts going to them.

 

You can also try a VIN lookup:
http://www.neoriginal.ru/cat/mb/

 

I see your in Canada, so chances are the car is 4matic, I'm pretty sure you can only get 4matic C's in canada.

 

Not true at all

 

4matic models have added features.
I don't remember all of them but one of them includes a heated windshield washer fluid reservoir.

 

My c300 is RWD and the car was purchased from Canada