StanNH

For those of us who own any version of the W205, it might be interesting to see what aspects of this car we find rewarding, and what things we don't like.

There are enough non-owners who seem to take joy in picking the car apart, but that's not very helpful for those who might be considering the purchase of one of these cars. It's also not at all helpful in improving the car over the coming years.

For me, I have found lots of things I do like. Likes include the excellent Burmester audio system, the interior layout, styling, seating adjustments, and fuel economy with the C300. I really like the keyless lock/unlock where a touch of the door handle is all that has to be done.

Dislikes are few, and include the inability of the fob to engage the seat memory when the car is unlocked. You have to stand there and hold the memory button since the fobs apparently don't hold the seat memory. Some of the COMAND functions regarding the radio seem overly complex, but that might be part of the learning curve I'm still working through. I don't like the fact that the odometer is a separate screen and can not be shown on the same screen as the speedometer.

I'm still reserving judgement on the seats. The lower back cushion feels very firm, even without any additional lumbar engaged. Lateral support is there, but not particularly strong. I've tried the sport seats, and they felt no different to me at all. Slightly more lateral support on the bottom bolster perhaps, but the seat was basically the same. On the plus side, I have never gotten out of the car after a long drive and felt uncomfortable in any way.

I do like the handling and ride quality of the standard suspension. It is solid through all the curvy back roads I drive on daily, and able to handle pot holes, rough pavement, and crowned roads without getting at all upset. The steering is precise, but has little feedback and is light. I have Agility programmed for sport steering on the Individual setting, and that does help a bit. On center tracking is excellent and the car is quite solid on the highway. There is a total lack of wind noise, and road/tire noise is subdued.

I do like the headlights, which are bright, focused, and throw a good beam when on high.

The turbo 4 on the C300 is responsive and capable of very decent acceleration numbers. I have had no problems at all getting on to highways quickly from entrance ramps, or passing fast on rural two lane roads. Fuel economy has already been excellent, with 30 mpg highway runs recorded.

Build quality is good, but there are panel seams that are not as well aligned as I would have expected, especially around the bumpers and front fascia. I have looked at many W205's, and the same seams are common to all the cars I've seen. I have not looked at the German built cars, so maybe the fit is better than the American built ones. Paint quality is good, but there is obvious orange peel on all the cars and colors I've seen.

So, at this point, there are only a few things I think could have been done better. Overall, I do think this is a well designed car that is, in at least some ways, preferable to competing products from BMW and Audi. It doesn't have that sharp sports sedan edge to it, but it does offer a more balanced approach that I personally find rather engaging. Time will tell but, for now, I have no regrets with my decision to buy the W205.

How are other W205 owners doing? What have been the car's strong points? What would you have done differently? Basically ... what has been your personal experience with the new W205?

floridadriver

Hi Stan, Glad you're enjoying your C! Any options you wish you had gone for, or did and could have gone without?

StanNH

The only thing I still debate with myself is the Sport package. It is a bargain for what you get with it, and I really liked the open grain Ash wood trim but, in the end, I decided against it. I have always gone for the sportiest version of every new car I've ever owned ... and sometimes regretted it, but usually not.

In this case, I've been so abused by my local roads that I really wanted to move towards a suspension that was more forgiving while still offering competent handling. Staying with the base was a conscious choice, and the setup is exactly what I thought it would be .. but I'll still always wonder if I should have added that Sport package.

Another factor for me was my ownership of a 2013 Porsche Boxster S. When I feel like having some real automotive fun, that's the car that rolls out of the garage.

Other than that, I think the Premium package is a "must have." I'm happy with the Multimedia package, but I wanted the built-in navigation which works well .... but doesn't display the speed limits for some reason.

BLIS works well, but I would have been fine without it.

Leslielp

My previous W204 was loaded so there are some things that I actually miss such as standard Lane departure warning, AC outlet and the AMG sports breaks were not as biting as in my W205.


My likes are numerous but it mostly around the driving experience. It is so different from either the GLK or the W204 that you would think its from a different manufacturer. The word "poise" and "laser accuracy" comes to mind. The cabin is so much quieter that you can actually hear your rants against the driver ahead of you
There are no squeak or cracks that I can detect not that this was a problem with the W204. The interior is breathtaking and the larger command screen really shows off the graphic resolution. The 3D navigation in built up areas is much better and accurate that on the W204, there are more colours and the buildings are correct.
Programing the Navigation on the fly/drive is so much easier now. You can say the #, street, town and it will find it. Why would you do it any other way is beyond me? Perhaps for hard to spell street names or towns.
The touchpad, and wheel all have that favorite key that takes you directly to the main menu and I believe you can adjust the order. The 2 finger swipe to access the entertainment feature with one finger swipe to change tracks is easy once you get used to it, keeps your eyes on the road.
Integration with phone is much better and the data tethering is seamless and connection is not slow. (LTE/4G).
Warning this car is so addictive to drive. I took it out several times on my first week just to drive it
The Agility select is a whole world on to its own. With AirMatic I am constantly changing it up when driving. In stop and go I tend to use the I or Sport settings to let the tranny do most of the engine breaking.
I could have ordered my perfect C300/C400 but delivery would be mid January 2015.
I was fortunate enough for MB let me out of my lease 4 months early and to take deliver of a prebuilt C300.
I have always believed that wanting and having were mutually exclusive and the anticipation of the new vehicle never lives up to the day to day. But in the case of the W205 this is not the case at all. I am so glad to drive my C300 every possible opportunity. I cannot imagine waiting until next year to have this experience.
For those who have to wait until after Xmas to drive this, well I cannot honestly say its worth the wait because there is joy to be had right now. Oh and the gawking you get from other MB owners and yes my fellow W204s included, well I can only imaging what they are thinking