David.Metz

Besides, engine/power. Whats the difference?

I've test driven the C250 and there are no available C300s within a 200 mile radius of me. So I need your advice? How is the driving feel compared to the C250?

I do like the dual exhaust of the C300. Is the C300 worth the extra money? Since my dealer would have to do a dealer trade, room for negotiation will be slimmer.

Any options that are a must for the C250 or C300? I don't like the 2015 C-Class so I want to get the 2014 C-Class before they run out.

MDMercedesGuy

You'll find people in both camps here. I prefer the C250 hands down.

The C300 is a bit smoother - but I personally don't like the way it puts its power down - and in the real world it does not feel much quicker than the C250. It has a different sound - mostly exhaust growling, whereas the C250 is mostly intake noise and some turbo whine. The C250 has a bit of turbo lag and can be difficult to take off smoothly from a stop until you get used to that (S mode on the transmission helps a lot here). To me, the C300 feels like you have to dig deeper into the throttle to get the same response.

Once the turbo spools - the C250 will get up and move very nicely. Additionally, the C250 feels lighter on its feet - not being 4matic and all.

Another thing to consider is the frightening number of C300 4matic transmission failures here.

w204_Generic

Can't he get the Non-4matic transmission on the C300?

MDMercedesGuy

Nope, all C300s are 4Matic.

victort

All 2012+ c300 are 4matic. I had a loaner c250 while I brought my c300 in for warranty work, and I personally wasn't a fan of the turbo 4. The power is decent, but I prefer the smoothness of the v6. According to the on board computer, I wasn't really getting much better gas mileage either compared to the v6. But like mdmercedesguy said, it does feel lighter on its feet and more agile. Speedwise, I think it's about the same

C300CA

I totally agree with you. I had C250 loaner last week when my 2011 C300 was in for A service. Only thing I don't like C250 is noisy and rough at startup, and acceleration is not quite linear; once speed is up, not much difference I could tell.


I will not buy any 4 cylinder car of any make, not just MB C250.

w204_Generic

Oh okay, that makes more sense, because I knew I saw a C300 Non-4MATIC pre-facelift.

Anyways carry on the topic everyone.

edgalang

The question to you OP is...
Do you need/want AWD or not?

If NO then you go for 250.
If YES then you go for 300.


For me personally, my logic flow in regards to preferences goes...
Would the car be driven in snow?
NO: RWD>AWD>FWD
YES: AWD>FWD>RWD


However...if I was car shopping for someone else and finances were their primary concern, then the list will be...
Would the car be driven in snow?
NO: FWD>RWD>AWD
YES: FWD>AWD>RWD

The reason why I bring this up is...
If you are asking about the differences between a 250 and 300, and wasn't aware of the drivetrain difference (which IMO is the primary one) then you probably don't care about driving dynamics either. Which in that case...why not look into the FWD CLA250?

edgalang

Depending on where you live or how old you are (you might be passed away by then), I'm sure your outlook will be different in a few years.

It only seems more and more likely that internal combustion engines in general are going smaller in size (or none at all). I already foresee my next purchase to be an EV or a combination of.

David.Metz

I live in South Florida, so no AWD is needed. I had a C250 loaner recently. By turbo lag do you mean that it feels as though the car stalls for a bit and then starts to accelerate faster? If so then that was really annoying.

Are there really that many problems with the C300 transmission?

Pricing wise, since the C300 is only about 3500 more my payments won't differ that much. So price is not really an issue. I just don't want to pull the trigger on a C300 without test driving it and end up regretting not getting the C250 instead.

What does the C300 have over the C250? Besides more power and AWD? The only physical difference I can see is that the C300 has another exhaust pipe.

victort

Skip the 300 and go for the 350 instead

luc1f3r

Went to the dealer thinking I wanted the 250 and the turbo lag is insanely bad. I got a steal on the 300 the make price a non-factory, and went with it. The 300 feels much better to drive than the 250. That being said, I could probably stand to have the added gains of a 350 in my life.

The seats in the c300 are amazingly bad as well, for that reason alone the c350/c63 should be a real option for everyone.

spyked

The 250 and 300 are the same car, just different drive trains (engine and RWD vs. AWD). All packages and options are the same. Can even get both in Sport or Luxury trim (350 only comes with Sport).

And the 300 has a tail pipe on both sides (not sure if its a true dual exhaust or just a muffler and tail pipe).

doogie.1975

I agree with VictorT, skip the 300 and go for the 350.

edgalang

Then by this alone you shouldn't even be considering the C300.

You're choices should only be C250 (4-turbo) or C350 (6-NA). HOWEVER, I still think you wouldn't loose much by at least test driving a CLA250, since you don't really seem to care about the drivetrain at all.

crater64

+1 to everything here. I've had my '14 C250 for just over 3 months and 3300 miles and so far so good. I made a conscious choice to forego AWD after 14 years in Subaru wagons and nearly came to regret it. Still I've just about managed to get through this horrific winter with no ill effects.

I admit the turbo lag is worse than that in my old turbo Forester but I adapt my driving style and use the S mode judiciously. Seeing ~ 31 mpg highway and not worrying about transfer case failure has given me some peace of mind.

victort

i'm pretty sure the seats are the same in the 300 and 350

David.Metz

yeah, am thinking of leaning towards the c250 or going back in to negotiate a c350.

As far as seats go, whats your guys opinions of the MB-Tex, Leather Package or the alcantara/cloth like seats of the sports package?

Is the sports package necessary?

Also for all you C-Class owners out there, I remember seeing this on a MBZ forum before. Do you get treated less than say E-Class owners at the service department since the C-Class was considered an entry level benz? Not that it matters, just would like the know.

C300CA

MB-Tex is ok to me, not as beautiful as leather. At the beginning I thought MB-Tex would not breathe well as it's type of vinyl. From forum I heard it is not a problem. The perforation makes it breathe very well.
I never noticed I was not treated as well as E-class or other class owners.

JaredP

Victort: You may want to consider that the 2013+ C300s and C350s are exactly the same car, with the M276 3.5L V6. However, the C300 is detuned via software. An engine tune will get you up and above the power that the C350 makes in your C300. So considering only the C250 and C350 isn't a great idea.

spyked: The C300 has 2 cylinders and about 1.7L of displacement on the C250. Pretty big stretch to generalize them as the same car.

lucifer: The seats are the same

The 7G+ transmission in 2012+ Cs has none of the notorious problems of the previous 7G transmission. If you've driven an AWD car before, you know the advantages usually outweigh the cost. Doing 0-60 in 5.6 in nearly any weather is a lot more fun than the few times you slide around a corner in a RWD, IMO.

Lots of misinformation in here. If you want a 330hp sedan with great throttle response, buy a C300 and a $1200 tune from kleemann.

C300CA

I just took a look at bottom of my C300, as well as online pictures. It is a true dual exhaust from dual engine air filters all the way to two tail pipes.

edgalang

True...however there is no denying the fuel efficiency of a 2-wheel drive platform vs 4. Let's keep in mind the OP doesn't live in a snowbelt.

Also, I have yet to see a C300 validate the Kleeman tune.

edgalang

A C350 setup correctly can also achieve those numbers.

Sample 1 morning commute.


Sample 2 morning commute a few months later after a tune/chin spoiler.


Sample graph of the last 10 fuel fills (representing real-world combined average MPG for the entire tank)

victort

it's not just about the power difference. Seeing as the OP is from Florida, i'd rather have the 350 for the RWD and V6 rather than a turbo 4 and/or 4matic.

victort

I prefer the MB-Tex over leather just for the longevity of it. Mine still looks brand new after 4 years.

Doesn't matter what car you bring to the dealer for service. Money is money to them. You MIGHT just get a nicer loaner bringing in an E or S-Class