I'm interested in purchasing either a C300 or C350 both 4matic, and probably either a 2013 or 2014 model.

I was hoping to get some feedback from this forum on these models before my purchase. I've owned two Honda’s up to this point and both have been pretty reliable and haven't required any major repairs so I'm hoping for the same from a C300 or C350.

My main question is are these cars reliable?

Do they have any weak points that I should look out for when purchasing a used one?

Any major safety recalls or mechanical recalls that I should be aware of?

Any issues with rust or body work?

Any maintenance that I should do more frequently to extend the life of a weaker component? For example if the transmission is a known weak point, investing in a magnetic drain plug and changing the fluid more frequently than is required could help.

I also tend to do a lot of my own maintenance, are these cars reasonably maintenance friendly? I see some people buying pumps to pump out the oil, which seems ridiculous to me, does this car have a drain plug?

Are there any good places online to get genuine MB parts for these cars at a good price?

I'm also looking for something sporty and fun to drive. It'd be nice to have a stick, but I think both of these cars are automatics with a sport shift. Is the sport shift reasonably responsive and fun to use? It'd be awesome to have Formula 1 like paddle shifters but I'll settle for something that shifts to what I want somewhat quickly.

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks for the help.

 

With the exception of the transmission service the routine maintenance is an easy DIY on these cars. But I don't think the pump is a ridiculous device for home DIY and I've done countless oil changes on my own cars. I'm much more willing to help out friends and family with oil changes now that I have a vacuum pump. If I had my own lift I'd probably use the drain plug.

For one there is a panel that needs to be removed from the bottom and these ares are very low to the ground. It saves you having to take that off and put back on. Also, no need to use ramps or jacks and get under the vehicle. It's also very clean with little chance of any spills. The only down side is you don't get under there to do inspections.

The auto transmissions aren't really so great in this series. They have a mind of their own but there are several ways to tame the transmission and take some control over it. The sports mode is good but there are times where you just wish the car would up-shift if you keep it in sport mode. If the car doesn't have paddle shifters you can add them with a steering wheel swap for around $400. I did that and have been very happy with the mod.

 

I am from Japanese cars also. What I really like about the Benz is the refinement it gives you when you are driving. It's quiet and solid. However, the benz are definitely over engineered cars. They do many things that I still don't quite understand what the heck are they thinking. They put things on the car not because they need it, just because they can put on it. The mechanical part is fairly straight forward but not as simple as Japanese cars. But the electronic part is way too complicated. You will be surprised there are tons of modules that control every little thing. When they fail, they will cost you couple hundred to replace every time. They didn't make a car that will run forever. They simply made a car that give you refinement while graving your money to fix here and there. The staggered tires setup with ridiculous pressure setting is one sample that they want you to change tires every 2 years.

The W204 tranny is pretty weak and slow. The power on the C350 is also sub par. The good thing is these used benz are relatively cheaper than the 3 series and IS.

If you are not very hands on and ready to work on it, I suggest you to go with something else. The new midsize sedan in the range of 20k such as Mazda 6 is very good now days. Even you are very handy, please be prepare for higher cost of maintenance. Just the cabin air filter will make you wonder why the heck they make it so difficult to remove when compare to a Honda. Also, brake fluid flush every two years versus every 3-5 years; strut replacement at 50-70k mi versus 100kmi or never; plus tires and brake pads etc. I treat it like I treat the Japanese, I tend not to believe what the service schedule recommended.

For W204, I would save more, consider an AMG C63, and plan to work on it. The bad boy C63 is high maintenance but it gives you great reward. Otherwise, I will spend the money on a new Mazda, Honda or Subaru.

If you still prefer a C300 or C350, try to get the facelift model with navi system. That is the easy way to add backup camera.