michail71

I'm sure the guy I found wouldn't know how to do this but might be able to if I could provide the parameters. I could see most shops would hesitate to mess things like this and put them out of factory spec.

I can really feel that throttle response lag now after being in the newer model.

mcbc220

I wonder if tuning shops would do it? The problem I suspect is finding someone who's knowledgeable and has the necessary equipment, but is also willing to mess with factory spec.

Haffster

I've had both (both 4M). The C250 was great, but felt a tad bit short. When the lease expired, I got a nicely equipped C300 (2009) and have had it for several years now. I drive about a 100 km every day, never had a problem (except for a blown fan motor, covered under CPO warranty). It's a great car and I love driving it. I also have a 2012 E350, but the w204 is my daily driver.

My advice would be to go for the C300 - and don't worry too much about the 4M. You can get unlucky with anything, but this is worth it. Not that you really really need the AWD, but when the other option is RWD and you live in Toronto, I'll take the AWD. For the most part, it drives like a RWD and it's great. Unless you are a very skilled driver, I wouldn't take a RWD out on slick roads (some of my friends pack the trunk with sandbags to help it, but that's them). The best compliment I have for this car is that I see absolutely no reason to change it.

Do keep in mind the 2 cardinal rules for winter driving: AWD only helps you get out of a situation and winter tires help you in braking.

spyked

I live in the DC area and I had a 2013 C250 that I loved. It was the luxury version so the tires were a little less sporty than the staggered set up in the base C250s. I had no problems in snow. I got a GLK 4MATIC now and, as you would expect, snow is not a challenge at all. I actually look for unplowed hills just to see how it would do. As always, 4MATIC doesn't help with braking at all.

My point - the C250 would be totally fine for a DC area car. They are cheap now used, and get decent MPGs too. That M271 engine has been around FOREVER too, bugs have surely got to be worked out by now.

Many people like the F30 BMW range more than the W204, but you have to see for yourself. The W204 drives like a proper Mercedes...solid, heavy, and good quality. The BMW feels light and a little less expensive. Whether its good or bad...the MB feels the same at 10 mph as it does at 85 mph - very solid and confidence inspiring.

Good luck!

mcbc220

Thanks everyone for the advice in this thread! Spyked (and any others who know), how different is the handling between the luxury and the sport? I'm going test driving next week, but I can't find any luxury trims in my area to test. I drove a 2008 w204 sport for about five minutes in 2008, and my memory was that it was a lot bumpier than a "normal" Mercedes without appreciating much difference in handling—but I also didn't have the chance to explore what the car could do or adjust to the different suspension. I am perfectly happy with the road feel in my W202 (non-Kompressor model), but I would ideally like to marry that to something that feels a little tighter in the corners and sportier overall. However, since I'll mainly be using this car for commuting or highway trips, everyday ride quality is pretty important.

Also, can anyone comment on buying out-of-state CPO?

Haffster

http://daveknowscars.com/2014/04/12/...luxury-models/


Detailed article on the differences - my experience bears this out (my c250 was luxury and c300 is sport). Differences are mostly visual/cosmetic - the relative stiffness of the sport is noticeable but not night and day different.

DameMD

DC winters are not that bad. We get one big snow storm once a year and most businesses are shutdown when that happens because DC can't handle a foot of snow.

I owned a 12 c250 coupe before owning my current 13 c350 sedan and I can tell you first hand that the c250 had enough power and maneuverability for daily driving in DC. There is turbo lag in the c250 and using (S) sport mode reduced it a bit. You can always get an ECU tune from about every tuner company on this site that will fix the lag and give you instant throttle response. My c250 was modded nicely and I missed that push you back in your seat turbo pull from 0-40 WOT sprints. The stock tires and suspension will be good enough for you in the rain here and small snow storms we get. I can handle DC Winters in my C350 which has a lot more power than the c250 I had which is also RWD and lowered.

Now, if you were comparing the 14 c300 with the de-tuned c350 m176 motor, then I would say get the c300. Otherwise I think DC city driving you wouldn't know the difference.

The only reason I got my c350 sedan was I was able to get a super good deal in 2013 and I wanted all the options available minus the panorama roof. My c250 coupe only came with P1 package and command.

mcbc220

Thank you, all! My other problem is finding a low mileage CPO in the DC area. There don't seem to be many out there. It looks like I'll have to be open to getting one in Atlanta or Charleston and driving it up…

Haffster

One thing you could try (worked well for both my cars) is to call up a couple of dealerships, talk to the CPO sales rep and tell them what you're looking for. I would call them now and then and within two months, they called me as soon as the car I was looking for came in (before they had even done the CPO on it). Both my cars were driven under 30k KMs (about 18k miles), nicely optioned lease returns. It works for the dealership because they have a ready buyer for the CPO within days of putting the previous owner in a new car. Also, both cars were serviced at the dealership and had all the records.