Six Month review - C250 (U.S. spec)

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Jun 27, 2013 | 01:59 PM
  #26  
Quote: It's not really about being reckless...it's just a desire for a certain "feel", which I find different even between the C and the new 3 (although I agree that the new 3 is a bit bloated....the 2 should be better). And, it's not necessary to push to the limits to have the experience. For me, this is almost like food and wine...there are just certain sensory experiences which are more or less pleasing, and which some folks react to and others don't find important. If I see a traffic circle up ahead, I want that to be as much of a treat as when I order a particular favorite at a fine restaurant.

By going to Eibach antisway bars, strut tower brace, and Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires, I did move the C from where it was by design intent to be more entertaining, but I still find the current 3 further ahead. The new 2 is probably high on the shopping list to undo some of the sins of the 3.

I write this with mixed emotion, as I have the best new car dealer and service department in my entire life with the current Mercedes Benz, and my car has been outstanding for quality and comfort....but, with the dropping of the manual trans at MB, I have to look elsewhere anyway.
i love that traffic circle analogy! The new 2 will probably be pretty good and make up for what the 3 lacks I will say.
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Jan 11, 2015 | 08:38 PM
  #27  
Spark plug/Ignition Coil Issues
Quote: I'm at 15 months and can't agree more. I've had some teething problems with the car, but at the end of the day it is worth it more every mile I drive.
  • Backup Camera intermittenly working - took 2 visits to trace it to a bad plug in the trunk wiring harness
  • Consistent shift flare on the first shift after the car is parked for more than 4 hours (was supposed to get this looked at yesterday)
  • My kickdown switch is currently inoperative, was supposed to get this looked at yesterday but had to cancel the appt.
  • 2 weeks ago had a loss of power incident with an SES light. It was traced to a badly gapped spark plug (from the factory) on #4 as well as a loose coil on the #4 cylinder.

Over my last 3 tanks, I have managed to average 31.8 MPG without really trying - it's been 95% highway driving, but I am beyond thrilled at how well it is doing.


Sorry, new to the forum. Purchased a 2013 c250 for wife Jan. 2014. it was a CPO with only 12,000 miles. Welllll? Here I am 1 year later, car now has 25000 mils on it and were experiencing serious issues. Sept. 2014 car started flashing "Check Coolant Levels" which was followed by the above mentioned spark plug and ignition coil failure. Oddly enough, it was also the #4. Car started shaking like it had the flu .


Car is under warranty, we got it fixed no problem. Fats forward two months later and only 2000 miles since being fixed, "Check Coolant levels" light comes on, followed by.. yup you guessed it, Spark plug failure/Ignition coil #4. WTF? Needles to say, dealer got to see how upset I can get. Well, now January 2015 and it's been about 2 months. Yup, "Check Coolant Levels" is starting to come on and off again and car is noticeably driving a little rough. I suspect Spark Plug and/or Ignition Coil are about to fail again.


Anyone suffering from same issues? I'm tempted to trade up to an E350 in hopes that the V6 runs smoother. I live in So. Cali so extreme heat is not an issue right now. This has me wondering why the coolant is burning off so fast. Please Help.
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Jan 12, 2015 | 05:28 PM
  #28  
For me, simply rear wheel drive, turbo spooling and MB handling does it for me.
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Jan 12, 2015 | 10:48 PM
  #29  
Nothing bad to say about my base C250 sport sedan after year and a half, ~12000 mi. Fun to drive, great looking, as practical as luxury cars get, and driving a near new Benz for a few hundred bucks a month. No problems here.

I'm not the kind of guy to tune a car, or want a manual transmission. I learned driving stick and wouldn't mind a Porsche with one someday but traffic sucks around here and nothing compares to an automatic in bad traffic.

I just like to take care of the interior/exterior appearance and condition and let the pros go under the hood. I like how the dealership welcomes me by name when I come in through the RFI, and the service is quick, friendly and fast.

It sounds cheesy but until I drove one of these things I never knew having a car could feel like an "experience," because all I could afford was old Hondas and Acuras, just trying to get them to work to the next $10 oil change. Driving a Benz makes driving fun, and you're always happy to climb in it in the morning to go to work. I've driven BMWs and Audis and it just isn't the same to me.
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