mcbc220

Hi all, I'm a long-time lurker but a first time poster.

I grew up in California and currently drive a 1994 C220. Drove my dad's 1993 E300 before that. Love that type of Mercedes ride—solid, composed, relaxing.

I have a job in Washington, D.C. lined up for this October after I graduate from law school. I don't want to spend more money than the C220 is worth fixing it up for hot summers and cold winters and then shipping it across the country. I have some money saved up and am planning to shop for a new-for-me car instead. I'll be mainly using the car for commuting (about 15 minutes each way, I think), but I also want something that will be fun for the occasional trip out to Annapolis, into Virginia, etc. I'm looking at 2013/2014 CPO C Classes.

I have two major questions. First, I've never driven in the snow before. I know DC doesn't get that much snow but that it does snow there. Do I need AWD? I hate to compromise the handling and feel of my car the other 359 days a year, but I also don't know if I can count on having time and inclination to switch out my tires, as I'll be pretty busy the first couple years. My girlfriend, who's from DC, has an Accord that runs just fine in the snow there, which I could borrow/share on bad days. Would a few bags of sand in the trunk and Continental DWS (or another recommended brand of tire) on a RWD car be enough to get me through the other days? How does the C300 4Matic handle; will I miss the RWD every day?

Second, putting aside the between the drive question, which is preferred between the C250 and C300? I'm not terribly concerned about power since most of my driving will be commuting and I'll be coming from a 22 year old car with 141 HP, but as long as I'm getting a new car, I do want something that makes me smile. I'm also concerned about reliability. I have heard that the C300 has some transmission issues that the C250 doesn't have. Is the fuel injection also a potential problem? But on the other hand, might the C250 have some turbo issues that the C300 doesn't?

Which car do you prefer and why?

Thanks very much!

Antique-Ace

I think you would benefit from AWD in Washington DC...
http://heavy.com/news/2016/01/washin...nasblizzard/6/
January 23, 2016.

MB Marko

I got my first AWD a year ago and will never get anything but AWD in the future. i drove a 1999 c230 kompressor for a long time has that initial burst of speed like the 250 but in the long run i was more satisfied with the power in the 300 but there is that lag at acceleration not a big deal but i would of got the 350 if i could go back lol. i love how i can drive and not get stuck or spin the tires in large amounts of show. i believe if you get a car with maintenance records mainly transmission service lol you should be fine both cars will make you smile i can guarantee that

to add it handles nicely sticks to the road and to be honest I've seen one issue with the transmission in the 2012+ cars so far that has been posted on this site if I'm not mistaken

mcbc220

Thank you! I'm not a huge fan of turbos in general (having driven friends' cars with turbos—though not MBs), and I prefer the smooth acceleration of a naturally aspirated engine. Good to know that the transmission isn't that big of a deal, maybe I saw that one thread, lol. It's also a lot easier to find a 300 in the DC area, probably because the AWD is in demand there.

JWH321

I lived in Fairfax and Ashburn. I commuted to an office just off the Mall downtown in DC. I lived there 11 years till I retired.

I have never owned - or needed - AWD. I have always felt it added another level of complexity and problems. W204 AWD cars have a horrible record of losing their transfer cases. Search the issue here, it'll scare you.

While DC does get some snow, the city deals with it pretty well. The streets are usually cleared quickly and effectively. In the 11 years I was there, I missed two days of work because of weather and those days, the entire govt was shut down.

I have generally used all-weather tires. But the last couple f years, I did buy a set of used wheels and put Blizzaks on them. I put them on all four wheels. I would surely encourage you to find a nice 2wd W204 and enjoy it.

I have never been fond of Turbos. I've had several starting with a 1966 Corvair. But the newer generations of them seem to have solved most of the issues with heat, lubrication, and longevity. I have had a good range of C250 loaners in the past few years. They actually feel peppier than my V6 C300. The turbo is seamless in its operation. I still like the V6, but my next car will likely be a turbo-charged C300 four cylinder. I had a C230 that was a four that I drove well over 300k miles (all of the, without snow tires).

I hope it goes well for you. Virginia is beautiful and DC is a great "young-persons" town. Take your girl-friend shopping in Georgetown and try some of the restaurants there.

michail71

I'm not sure if any W204 AWD drivers here have spent much time in a W204 RWD. But the W204 C-Class has some amazing traction and handling even in that configuration.

People say RWD is bad for rain and snow but my car has better traction than any FWD car I've driven in the past. I'd say the W204 feels more confident than a W205. It's much easier to set off the traction control on the 2016 C300 loaner I'm driving now

Of course I'm in Florida so I never have to deal with snow.

OvOMitch

I second this. I own a C250, and when I've had C300s as loaners, they feel so heavy and somewhat sluggish unless you really get on it. As others have said, stay away or be very cautious on 4Matics, as they are notorious for "whining" transmissions, which ultimately fail. Best wishes on the car search.

michail71

People seem to have mixed feelings about the new 2.0 turbo. I'm rather liking it in the loaner I have now. But what I think is really selling me is the 4 performance modes coupled with the paddle shifters. It really fixes the issues we suffer with on the E/S modes. What I think people blame on turbo lag is just the ECU/TCU programming.

The concept of lag goes away on a W205 C300 in Sports + mode. And then there is the lever switch with a nice tactile feel to seamlessly switch modes on the fly. It's the best of manual and auto combined.

However, this same engine in a GLA feels rather crude and unrefined.

I think our 1.8 turbos would be amazing with the new transmission and management system.

I'm 3 weeks in with my service loaner and there is no signs the dealer will ever give my car back.

c300white

4 Matic will definitely deal with snow better , and handle well, but is a bit heavier and if you read the forums people have issues with the transfer case and diffs. If you are under CPO - maybe you don't need to worry about that much.

C300 rwd is solid and smooth, yes dws tires will help, but not as much as snow tires. With traction and stability control plus abs you should be ok for light snow. (Front wheel drive is generally considered better due to more weight over drive wheels). Letting tire pressure down a bit can also help.(just don't drive too fast like that)

C250 - drive one and compare. Gas mileage is better and mid range torque is good - if you floor it acceleration is good - but hardER to modulate the throttle and not as smooth as a v6.

mcbc220

Thank you so much! Thanks to all who have responded. I looked up more threads about transmission and related problems on the 4matics and I'm sufficiently scared off. I don't want to worry and I certainly don't want to be on the hook so early on in miles for transmission problems. Not in a Mercedes. My next problem, I guess, is finding a low mileage C 250 in the DC area--there aren't very many certified ones, and th ones that are either have higher miles than I'd like for their age or aren't in colors I want. Patience is key, I suspect....

michail71

Options are tough too as the late model, low mileage ones are lease vehicles. About all you can get are navigation, backup camera, Comand with premium audio, heated seats and driver's memory seat.

Not a bad set of options but keyless go, ILS (basically smart HIDs) and all the driver assist goodies are near impossible to find.

mcbc220

Thanks to everyone for the advice. One more question. I am going to start test driving some cars soon, and I am wondering in anyone here can comment on comparisons with the 320/28i. I have always been wary of BMWs because I've heard reliability horror stories, but I won't be putting on too many miles and thought it might be worth checking one out now--if there were ever a purchase to try one, this would be it. I also come from an ethic of "buy a great car and hold onto it," though, so I hope to be able to keep this purchase for about 8 years. Never had any problems with a Benz, plus I love the vaultlike feeling.

c300white

The older e46 bmws drove better than mercedes - steering , brakes, handling (I had both) but after 2005 they got progressively worse to the point the current models with electric steering have lost a lot of the bmw feel ...

Yep - bmw is notorious for cooling system issues - but mercedes also had expensive issues like ignition switch. If you are under CPO ... You are fine .. Else plan to budget $$$$ for maintenance. Go drive the 328i and see how you like it ...

MB Marko

i would not buy a BMW ever! a few of my friends have 328's xdrive's they said the repairs are more expensive than the MB's and have to go to the shop every 4 months or so. they do drive hard but it seems they always are in loaners plus there not to old either 2011 and a 2012. one is at about 90,000km on the 2011. the 2012 was bought at 20,000km 2 years ago and he's the one having most of the issues he drives 20,000km a year above average BOTH are going to trade in their cars by the end of the year and not buying BMW's again.

i hope to keep my w204 for 10 years I'm coming to year 1 of ownership and I've had one issue coved by warranty it was a stupid vacuum pump not even a big issue. knock on wood thats the only issue i have for 9 more years hahaha! minus normal wear and tear.

michail71

Most reviewers seem to like the BMW better from a driving perspective. I went looking for both at the time I got my C250.

With out any logic behind it I liked the C250 more and I wanted to like the BMW more. Part of it came down to the BMW costing a little more when optioned the way I wanted. But they did seem to be available with far more option choices than C-Classes were.

A big factor for me came down to styling. The Mercedes just had a consistent, everything goes together look and feel. Where the BMW seemed to have an older interior build style with various components just being thrown in together.

I actually like the C-Class steering over the BWM. It's just so responsive.

I think the new W205s have actually gone down hill in style. They went for more of a traditional luxury design. The facelift W204s were very modern and sporty. Also, I prefer the steering feel in the W204 over the W205. I've been driving a W205 C300 for close to a month and I'm getting sick of the interior and want mine back.

I visited an independent Mercedes/BMW shop and the owner told me that he doesn't get to see many C-Classes except for maintenance. But the BMWs and Audis keep him busy with oil leaks and mysterious issues. He even drives an Audi so I trusted his word.

But really, they are all good cars.

mcbc220

I completely agree. I don't care for the W205. It looks too "bling-y" and overstated from the outside, and equally overdone on the inside. Mercedes to me is always about understated luxury—well-crafted, thoughtful interiors and deceptively simple exteriors that age well. The new C looks like it's trying too hard to communicated "luxury" and "wealth." I much prefer the straightforward, intelligent, welcoming look of the W204. I hope that the W204 has the right amounts of sportiness and comfort; it's the car I want to like best.

michail71

LOL, I've been driving the W205 loaner around for a while and I'm always getting compliments from the young thugs, G's and hip-hop millennials. Guess I could safely drive it through the hood and get some respect. It probably helps that it's a shiny black color. That kind of adds to the gangsta bling.

Unfortunately, they did a great job with the agility modes and the transmission. I will miss that when (or if) I get my car back.

mcbc220

Haha! The W205 in black with the sport grill is particularly blingy, I think. (As an aside—what they were do to the luxury design this time, I don't know. It doesn't look good to me, at all, with the ugly hubcaps and vented grill.) How are the agility modes in the W204? My dad had a W203, and the "S" mode felt so electronic and fake that I would usually leave the car in "C".

Also, may I ask what's wrong with your W204 at the moment? I hope you get it back soon!

michail71

I love the agility modes! That is something I will miss. Instead of feeling like the car is always trying to second guess you the agility modes are spot on. I can't tell much with the steering wheel but the the throttle response and shift points are great. The car gets very aggressive and responsive in S+. S is aggressive and responsive but more willing to upshift (S+ will usually stay down on a lower gear) and a little easier on the down shifts. C is very comfortable but won't hesitate if you give it throttle. E gives you that stuck in the sand feeling.

It's also easy to operate as it's a toggle switch with good tactile feel. And when you switch it the Comand screen changes color. So you can tell in your visual periphery which mode you are in. It's the next best thing to a manual transmission.

I wish I could drop that system in my car!

I've mentioned it a few times on here but my car is in for a navigation issue. It starts in Metric system and switches to US after 5-30 minutes. At first they thought I was seeing things, then they thought it was a configuration issue. I had to explain to 5 people it doesn't have settings for that. Then they tried a reset.

After all that they sent it to the engineers and software developers in Germany for a solution. They sent over a software flash to the dealer which did not fix the issue. Then they recommended replacing the controller unit. Which they started on 4 days ago.

So it's turned into a big international effort that the manufacture is spending thousands of dollars on. Had I know it was this big of a thing I'd have just lived with the problem and taken the opportunity to get to know the metric system.

dieseldoc

I love my C250. I preferred it over the 300. We get occ snow in Dallas no big deal. I am waiting for a new GLC300 I ordered for my wife to come in. I did not order it with 4matic.

tekfoc

funny that you bring up the GLC the 4matic on this car has a redesign compact transfer case.
problems with the old transfer case have probably been addressed.

michail71

Back in my car again. I feel so much better in the W204. I can't really explain it as the W205 is supposed to be a better vehicle.

But I do miss the agility modes. Also, I will miss the back-lighting on the headlight switch. Such an idiotic decision that they left that off for so many years on all their models.

Alfadude

I wonder if that is as idiotic as not having audible backup sensors or reference lines for the rear camera. Nowadays even a lot of the more basic economy cars have that. Or the shifting algorithm that will drive you crazy. There are so many things to like on our cars, but the weird quirks like these really leave you scratching your head....and felling frustrated. But, I guess pretty much every car out there has something that will drive you crazy.

michail71

LOL, yes. I agree with you on all those points.

I got used to the newer camera. This one looks so narrow and blurry in comparison. Like it was developed in the 90s.

mcbc220

Glad to hear you got your car back! I'm also glad to know that the W204 is in most ways the more satisfying C to drive. I wonder how hard it is to find an Indy who'll do the ECU changes discussed in the other thread today. It sounds like a potential fix for one of the only major weaknesses on the model.