Quadcammer

How is a used entry level mercedes going to pay itself off in the long run? Its a car, it depreciates, requires repair, and parts/labor are expensive. its not going to pay anything off.

Rewarding yourself for hardwork is great. Then again, at 17, it seems more like entitlement.

A bank balance is security. Like most people your age, you seem to not realize that based on averages, your life will in fact be very long. Who is paying for your school tuition? Your housing? Food? Insurance?

You can either splurge on slightly nicer car and not take advantage of the compound interest and investment potential of that $7,000 (not to mention repairs/parts/maintenance) or buy a run of the mill honda that will require very little and put that $7,000 into your small business.

MDMercedesGuy

It's a compact... what do you expect? It's not competing with large cars...
It rides comparably to anything else in the class.
Have you even set foot in a 2012+?
MBTex has been around for 50 years, is more durable than leather and requires much less upkeep. To the untrained eye most couldn't tell that it isn't leather. The E comes standard with it, are you going to try to call it a non-luxury car as well?
Your point? People can order what they want on the car - that's part of the point. If you want to point out features, remember that a lowly C250 can be equipped with a few features that your soon to be 2 generation old S Class doesn't have.
Subjective - particularly when talking about the C350. Any C is hardly underpowered.
Perhaps we do...

This begs the point, why are you in the W204 section... shouldn't you be in the W220 section discussing its depreciation and lack of reliability?

Sportstick

This part I agree with. In the market research I've done, this has been a consistent finding. There are many different definitions of luxury, ranging from the mere brand name, to the seat material, to the preferred chassis calibration, to size, to a relative comparison to what you've owned before. One person's luxury is another's basic. There is no correct answer, and most folks are remarkably inflexible about recognizing someone else's definition, so this debate will go nowhere.

Quadcammer

indeed. any car that I cannot stretch out in the back seat is no luxury car. Whats one of the benefits of flying first class vs. coach? space!

Which is a class filled with non luxury cars. Just so you don't think I'm picking on MB, I don't find a 3 series bmw or audi a4 to be luxury cars either. They are ho hum entry level vehicles.

Of course. The interior materials in the 204 c-class are embarrassing.

this 2012: What is that? you guessed it, rock hard plastic.

Wow, thanks for the history lesson on MBtex

its vinyl. Yes, its more durable and requires less upkeep. A g-shock is also more durable and requires less maintenance than a A. Lagne & Sohne.

Ask Bentley whether its customers have had requests for pleather.

The E-class has degraded itself to a slightly bigger C. With V8 power and a higher level of trim and size, its moving at least in the right direction.

The point is, luxury cars have a high level of standard equipment. If you are proud of the fact that your C-class has optional features that were not available in a car released in 1999 (yes, 14 years ago, before ipods were introduced), then I guess you have much lower standards. Then again, give me a shout when your c-class has a leather dash, door panels, parcel shelf, alcantara headliner, reclining rear seats, auto-close doors, etc etc.

I stand corrected, the new c350 does in fact have some decent power.

Eh, saw this post in the new posts sections and found exactly what I thought I would. People saying "you only live once" and "well its an MB, not a honda", and folks, such as yourself, who get awfully upset when someone doesn't think their car is the big deal they think it is.

The w220 section is boring. An occasional airmatic or abc post, and some youngster who wants to put 26" wheels on it. As for depreciation, what do you think will lose more money over the next three years: a 7 year old s500 or a new c250?

Sportstick

I rest my case. 100% subjective and absolutely correct....for him. Arguments to the contrary are equally valid. Even this complete abandonment of the term "luxury" by one industry source is reasonable, as is the segmented spectrum of entry, mid, and large.

http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/performance.htm

Call them whatever pleases you as the car is still the same.

snowmuch

Its labled as entry level luxury sedans (automakers). I agree the interior in our car is bad but its still falls in this segement.

Acapulco Bill

Some corrections to the posts by Quadcammer:

1.- Latest reliability study by Michael Karesh of True Delta (truedelta.com) give, overall, an excellent panorama to W204 reliability. Here is his post, and we should all thank him for his efforts and unbiased auto reviews:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post5646762

2.- C Class interior materials are far superior to current BMW and Audi offerings, however are not quite as nice as my 10 year old Ford (built in Belgium)

3.- No more V8's for the new E, the E400 V6 replaces the E500/550 (except the AMG)

4.- A compelling reason to purchase a W204 is it's safety, especially for the driver in a major crash. Twice as safe as a BMW, and three times as safe a Honda/Toyota (statistics from US Highway Department deaths per vehicle). If you OWN life isnt worth an investment towards its preservation, then it must really suck.

MDMercedesGuy

I gotta say, the last time my chauffeur drove me in my C... oh wait, I bought it for myself to drive...

You mean the plastic around the climate controls and infotainment system... the same grade of plastic used in your S class?

My dad owned several W220s - it is not much different than a W204.

You completely missed my point here... moving on.

Again, missing the point. I cross shopped my W204 with CPO W221s. Leather dash and door panels are nice (and had I went for leather, my door panels would have been leather - as it stands an untrained eye can't tell, and I could care less.) The difference wasn't enough to justify the price difference to me.

Not upset at all - you didn't pay for my car, so your opinion doesn't really matter to me. You're demonstrating an unwelcome elitism that rarely peeks its head over on the W204 side of the house where people seem to care about driving and less about status.

Considering your 7 year old S500 is closing in on losing almost double the $45K MSRP of my car over its life, you car doesn't have far to go. Once the next gen S class comes out, your car will take an additional hit in value...

Quadcammer

well, if I only drove around with myself in the car, you might have a valid point, but my friends and clients do not wish to be crammed into a compact rear seat.

no, I mean the dash, the door panels, etc. FWIW, the standard interior materials in a 220 are pretty crappy too, same goes for the 221. Let me enlighten you as to what my 220 has for dash materials:




I must have, as you missed mine. Let me simplify. Vinyl does not equal luxury.

Given your unfamiliarity with luxury cars, you are not understanding. I am not speaking of the little airbag cover. I'm talking about the wrapping of the door panel in leather.



You're the one calling your entry level car a luxury vehicle. Seems like you are the status seeker.

well, since I can afford the depreciation and thoroughly enjoy the car, I don't really mind. Must be all that luxury.

snowmuch

^^ I still have no idea why that guy is here to brag about his interior it looks like something that old man would like. Nothing sporty like the c class.

TexFinn

This thread sure went downhill in a jiffy.

Sportstick

I'm amazed once again at how emotional the word "luxury" is for some! is cow skin and wood "luxury"? I guess for our visitor it is, probably along with an automatic transmission....to me, that interior just looks old, like something my granddad would have liked....and I'm 59! No woodgrain for me, thanks. If someone has to carry clients, perhaps the appearance of status and room move to the top of the list when choosing a car. My car is for just me and my wife....I am fortunate to be able to have a "personal" size comfortable yet sporty sedan with a stick from the world's leading automotive engineering company among my choices, as smaller is clearly more entertaining than trying to maneuver such a large mass! But, forget the labels, everyone....just go buy the car you like and let the semantic arguments go. They prove nothing and go nowhere.

Quadcammer

lol, thats why I bought a real sports car as well, not a little sports sedan.

Quadcammer

c-classes are sporty, kinda.

luxury, they aint.

CisternaChyli

I dont like the woodgrain that was pictured above...but the Burl Walnut Wood trim that you can get in the newer MBs, is very nice. My dad has it on his 2013 C250 and it just makes the car so classy; i actually like it better than the standard Aluminum trim the car comes with. I am a young guy too, yet it just makes the interior look more spiffy

MDMercedesGuy

There aren't enough and emoticons to convey how I feel about the direction this thread has been dragged into.

Back on topic from an outsider trying to come in and make himself feel good about his purchase...

MikeCeltic, if you want the car that you have worked hard for - go for it. You won't regret it.

snowmuch

I don't get your logic at all. MB made the c class based on luxury and sporty as well as market for one. Yet you tried to compare the interior and leg room with a s class. I don't want to say this but your personal opinion does not matter to others at all...

RLE

I see you drive an eight year old S-Class so why are you here giving opinions on the C, anyway? Replaced one of those air struts yet?

Glyn M Ruck

Comparing a W204 with a Bentley is outrageous. US W204's are built/spec'ed down to a sticker price. The lowest in the world outside Saudi where you can even buy your Porsche without air bags if you are miserly.

You get what you pay for with steadily diminishing returns for your hard earned buck.

Sportstick is dead right!

Sportstick

Thanks, Glyn, for your continuing support!

I think what happened here is that we had a seagull......it flew by, flapped its wings, screeched....dropped a load....and flew away. And, this one, apparently, had a "big back seat"!

Glyn M Ruck

Acapulco Bill

Actually considering a 2006 S55 (0 to 60 4.6 secs) which can be purchased for $13k, to run around in, while the V12 gets an extended going over (electrical problems). Has excellent build quality although with all the electrics extended reliability is anyone's guess.

But in answer to MikeCeltic's dilemma, you should ALWAYS get the "car of your dreams" whatever the $acrifice within reason. The C300 will ultimately be a better purchase. For all the hard work it will cost, at least you should smile every time you fire up your vehicle.

Glyn M Ruck

Exactly! ~ Every Benz I have ever owned has put a smile on my face to drive, calmed me down & provided pride of ownership.

If the brand does not do that for you & you don't like the Benz values then buy something else.

LILBENZ230

I don't understand the harping about the interior materials in the C. The materials quality is just fine and seems like it will last forever. The facelift 2012+ seems to have improved on this even more.

victort

I think the term luxurious is subjective. So if you think your car is luxurious, then you have yourself a luxury car