Carsy

A duel exhaust is cosmetic. Put the money in the bank for your next one !!

mmike

Just a cursory observation: Had a 2013 C250 loaner for the weekend and most obvious difference in driving compared to my '10 c300 is the turbo lag. Driving aggressively feels much different in the 250 than my 300. Once it spooled up then it felt pretty fast. Felt a little jerky when driving aggressively in the 250 compare to my 300 IMO..

Bleser

Is the M271 turbo a "standard" turbo or is it a twin-scroll unit? Says the 229 lb.-ft comes online @ 2,000 RPM which is quite low, but not quite as low as I've seen others (~1,500 RPM for some VW/Audi/BMW engines).

MDMercedesGuy

It's a standard turbo. No one can make out what model it is - the turbo and exhaust manifold are all one unit (not a separate snail), and it's quite small so it spools quickly.

The E/S switch on the C250 makes a big difference. In E, it is more sedate and power tends to swell on and off. S make a big difference in getting rid of lag and making the car feel much quicker, albeit at the expense of smoothness. The 2nd gear starts in E do a lot to make for smooth normal acceleration.

MDMercedesGuy

Another observation - the 300 seems louder in everyday driving and particularly when you put your foot down. Most of the engine noise on the 250 in everyday driving is turbo/intake noise, and the 300 is exhaust. Out on the highway, the engine in the 250 is completely drowned out by road noise, and the 300's exhaust is always audible. I'm not a fan of V6 sounds usually - but at high RPM it does make a nice sound.

My commute is about 13 miles - 10 of which are highway. My 250 usually reads about 28MPG for the trip by the time I get here - driving similarly the 300 I am in gave me 21.2 this AM.

I do like the efficiency bargraph that the 300 has in COMAND. I'm not sure if the 2013+ C250s have this as all of the 250 loaners I have had have been equipped with Audio 20 + Map Pilot.

Bleser

That bar graph is nice!

And thanks for the continued comparison notes.

As far as MPG, my guess is the C250 would get 32-34 MPG @ 70 MPH on flat ground, whereas the C300 AWD would get 28 MPG in a similar situation. Your C250 28 MPG combined seems to match what most publishers achieved during testing of the C250. I bet 22 MPG combined is typical for the C300, and is what I saw on fueleconomy.gov.

I'm not as concerned as I used to be about MPG since gas prices have really fallen, but it's just a matter of time until it creeps back up towards $5/gallon.

I am going to try and test drive a C250 either Wednesday or Friday of this week. I'm scared to do this, though, as it will make me want to get one that much sooner... and the wife will have to put the hammer down.

How is downshifting with the 7GTronic Plus? If I'm hard on the brakes approaching a corner and start clicking down the gears, does it react pretty well, or is it lazy in this respect?

MDMercedesGuy

It's okay - make sure you have it in S mode. As a disclaimer, I despise automatic transmissions - but it was a concession I made to get the engine and interior I wanted (I was either doing a 2011 RWD C300 6 Speed or a 2012 C250).

There are times when it can be caught with its pants down and it will have to think for a second before it downshifts. Manual control is okay - you might want to click down a bit sooner than you would think you should in case there is a delay, but it is at least smooth.

Bleser

Yep, that sounds like what I'm used to. My Passat VR6 has shift paddles and a 6-speed tiptronic Aisin transmission that I've grown to like but it hesitates to downshift. It'll be interesting to compare the two. I know it is no DSG, but daily smoothness is usually the greater preference.

dave405nyc

Do yourself a favor and test drive both. Only you know what you will like. I just turned in my leased 2012 C250 coupe for a 2014 C300 4MATIC. The C250 is the better handler, as it is lighter and RWD. But the turbo lag just kills me! Trying to merge onto a highway from a stop is pretty challenging; you have to time it just right. Power wise, the C300W4 is definitely much faster and has the nicer exhaust note. I don't have to deal with turbo lag either. Yes, you do lose out on some MPG for that V6. IMO, I'd choose the C300W4 over my (JB+ tuned) C250 RWD.

spyked

I'm thinking the 2012 C250 had some issues. I've seen a few people talk about turbo lag. I know there were some ECU and TCU software updates for those. I've not had any turbo lag. Only transmission lag when in Economy mode. I had an update a few weeks ago. It improved responsiveness in Economy, but it's still set up for MPGs.

I do wonder what's up with model year 2012 W204. The interior gauge graphics are different from 2013 and the engines are different. All for only one year. Strange...

If 4MATIC had a better repuation, I'd seriously consider a MY2012 C300 as a cheap used car. Old engine, all bugs worked out, no fancy DI technology, but you get the facelift exterior and interior. If only 4MATIC didn't seem to fragile in the C (and GLK).

Bleser

Quick question guys/gals:

In this review, there is mention of a 'sport button' above the shifter that firms up the dampers, adjusts steering/throttle response, etc. They say this is part of the "Dynamic Sport Package". However, in the mbusa.com configurator, I don't see this (just a "Sport Package"). Was this a pre-2014-only option? Has the sport package been simplified for 2014 or is the swap between "E" and "S" that I see on the shifter the same basic thing?

If this was dropped for 2014, then I might be seeking a 2013MY when the time comes...

Also, does anyone know if it is possible to flash the 7GTronic Plus transmission with the "rev-matching downshift" feature of the Sport Plus Package that is optional on the coupes?

bryantr

Formerly having an IS with a very strong engine I used it less than expected. I say go for the better handling and general use advantages of the 250.

MDMercedesGuy

The Dynamic package is an SPC option. It is not advertised on the website or in the brochure, but it is available. There is a 1 time SPC charge of $250 over the cost of the option if you order an SPC option (rear sunshade, dynamic suspension and a couple others).

Edmunds lists them if you try to build a C there.

Bleser

Thanks for the info. I've never researched a car that edmunds.com exposes more option packages than the manufacturer's website or documentation does.

This has peaked my interest to try and find out how commonly equipped this suspension/transmission/steering setup is. Browsing photos of new C-Class' on cars.com is the only way to confirm cars with it.

It seems on the 2014 models, if you get either the "Dynamic Handling Package" or "Dynamic Sport Package", the sport button appears on the dash and the button next to the shifter goes to a button that switches between E-M-S (instead of just E-S).

Pictured here:


It sounds like reviews of this package are very positive, but I wonder if it would really complicate things if you ever wanted to lower the car. I'm betting if I plan on lowering at all, I should skip this setup, but the transmission / steering tweaks you get with it seem very worth it.

The more I learn, the more I find the combo I'd end up buying is going to super hard to find; the lighting package is a must and limits me greatly straight away; then the panoramic sunroof is becoming more of a must and limits me that much more. If I add the DSP to my list... I'm probably going to be searching through a population of < 100 cars!

Bleser

Could you point me to a thread or resource that talks about how/why the 4MATIC setup is "fragile" and has such a bad reputation? Is this only before certain model years, or on all 4MATIC setups?

spyked

Too many threads to gather on this site and others. Just google it. I don't know the answer as to WHY it fails. I do know that, at least, in the C and GLK, the 4MATIC unit is part of the transmission. So, if something that would be serviceable in another AWD system fails in these cars, you MUST replace the entire transmission. Can't "service" the 4MATIC unit. Minimum $6000 repair. And I'm seeing too many reports.

I DO know that the reports have been for the 7G Tronic with 4M. The new 7G Tronic Plus...maybe it's been improved in that regard? They improved a lot of internal parts on the new 7G...perhaps the internal transfer case is beefed up too?

In your case, you want the sportiest model possible obviously, so you'd be getting the C350 anyway. No 4MATIC available unless you get a coupe. Also, if you get a coupe, all you need to look for is the lighting package and Sport Handling pack, since the panoramic roof is standard.

I hate to say it....you are going to have a VERY hard time finding the car you want.

Bleser

So I finally got a chance to drive a C250 yesterday. Overall impressions:

1. Lots of torque down-low. Really has that push-you-in-your-seat feeling from lower RPM, which is very nice and useful in daily driving.
2. More 'turbo-whine' than I expected to hear. Not a bad thing at all, but I could hear it straight away.
3. Really runs out of breath at high RPM. I think this is almost just that low-end surge/grunt dissipating as you move up the rev band. Just the nature of the beast.
4. Odd that the transmission doesn't have have a 'manual mode' on the gear selector (without the SPC sport pack); just start yanking on the paddles to engage that.
5. Shifts were fast, but downshifts appear to be no better of a situation than my current car, which was disappointing. I guess I expected this as it is not a dual-clutch and doesn't claim to be super-fast shifting. This was a very short test drive so I'll have to take a longer drive to get a better feeling. Not a deal breaker, but for a car I'm buying a year from now and will own for another six years, I need to like the transmission.
6. Didn't feel 'sluggish' in E mode as I've ready about. Felt fine for daily driving.

I ran out of time before I could hop in the C350 they had in stock (and they couldn't find the keys), but I plan to drive that next. Based on the C250 experience I expect that to feel very much like the car I'm driving now (except RWD of course).

I'm thinking at this point the color/options I want are going to better dictate the powertrain I end up with, but I think they are probably all good choices for various reasons.

Anyone know anyone with the Kleemann tune for the C250? C250 with 245 HP / 279 lb-ft would be pretty amazing.