jlr82

I had a w203 before I just got this 2014 w204 and I notice in my new car that even in E mode and giving it barely any throttle it always starts the car in 1st gear. I called the dealer and they say that this is normal in newer models, but I hate it. I spin the tires and activate ESP in the rain at a gentle touch of the accelerator on an incline. There is no way I can drive this in even slight snow like we get in St. Louis.

I've been reading mixed opinions on this topic and wanted other 2014 owners to confirm, I've read it's 2014 and above that the shift program changed.

BlankProc

I have a 2014 C250 and I get nothing but sweet, sweet throttle lag in E.

I actually find it pretty useful in rain. In S yes, the tires spin out almost every time in the rain but that might have to do with the stock Continental tires, which are a little below average wet traction wise.

jlr82

But does yours always start in 1st?

Throttle lag aside even in E I spin the tires too easily in the rain. I actually would have bought a 4matic if I knew it would be this bad. Tires are brand new so I know they have plenty of tread. We get a lot of light misty rain that coats the roads and makes a nice slimy film which is very slick. I could deal with this on my w203 in C mode with 2nd, but it just sucks in the w204.

BlankProc

It can't be. In S, it clearly starts in first, revs and moves immediately. E has serious lag before throttle kicks in.

jlr82

Well mine is. I can count.

jlr82

Also I don't get the whole throttle lag thing, mine behaves exactly the same from a dead stop in E or S. I hear and see people complaining all the time about this but I don't see any difference in throttle response just shift points are different.

BlankProc

I am bad at the maths. Not my strength.

Re: E/S feeling the same, that can't be normal. I've driven three different W204s and they all feel quite different between E and S mode. In terms of throttle lag I only feel it off the line, basically never any other time and it's very negligible in S mode.

capt_paul

In C-mode, the car starts in 2nd gear; in S-mode, the car starts in 1st gear

jlr82

Mercedes confirmed that 2014+ C-class models all start in 1st gear no matter the transmission program selection. Case closed. They said it is not this way on all of their current models (like the E/S class in E mode will still start in 2nd), but with the C Class it changed in 2014.

Skyline45

Source? I find it hard to believe that they would change the computer management on a system only to change it back on later models.

jlr82

I used mbrace and escalated to a technical specialist. Call them and ask.