inhartwetrust

Haha this is actually exactly what I did to land on the Saddle Brown Designo with Linden wood. Then I saw Motomans review where raved about this combo in his full review, that made me believe it even more and become 100% this is the route I would go. Then I saw Knowledges photos of the combo and it validated my interior choice, for me.

If I didn't think my jeans (and moreover, my girlfriends) would ruin the platinum or black/platinum Designo, that would would right up there too. Great looking interior you have, Mike.

Graycat305

[QUOTE=inhartwetrust;6755969]Best visual I can give is this side by side...(note that I'm sticking with the Linden Wood trim, not the silver carbon fiber as pictured)











Like this?

inhartwetrust

Yup that's the interior, just can't find any photos of it in a steel grey with the exterior in frame at all.

Mike5215

That looks sumptuous. I think Lindenwood needs to be seen in natural daylight like that to be fully appreciated. It's got so much depth when light hits it. In indoor shots (like inside a dealership) it looks very close to black, but lit up (as it will be on the road) it's gorgeous. I especially like how the gloss finish accentuates the little swells around the Burmester speakers on the doors. The center console is also a real work of art. I came very close to doing a black leather with Lindenwood, but my S550 and the S430 and S500 before it all had glossy dark wood and I wanted to mix it up, because I'm a rebel.

Steel Gray is going to be no problem at all with that interior. If you look at the "black" elements in the interior, aside from the climate control panel and the touchpad panel, it's all actually dark gray anyway.

It's a bold choice visually but tasteful and I guarantee you're never going to get bored looking at it. So when's the build?

surferboy92921

I had my car in the shop for steering issues for 2 weeks now. I felt I had the run around that the since the shop manager stated they were waiting for wheel alignment specs from Germany all of the time. I finally got the car today and was told I would be shocked in the difference.......

Yes I truly shocked. The shop manager told me that each car, like an AMG has it's own spec dependent on the car height...and other parameters. Also in the electo-magnetic steering column, the sensors were out of whack to where they did not know where to center the car.

I was kicking myself when I got my new C450 for getting rid of my E90 2011 BMW...as the BMW drove so beautifully. Now the C450 drives just as good as that car....and is really planted to the road.

But I had some questions....what would the tire wear difference be like?? and also I find out that only a MB shop can do proper alignments on the C450........FYI for others out there....either it is true or "hog wash"??!!

inhartwetrust

That's the goal, do something unique and different and (hopefully) pull it off wonderfully. I am rarely wrong when it comes to design elements, I got that gift from my mom...I've always been able to mentally put together color combinations that materialize well. That's why I trusted my gut despite more than 5 people (friends and family) tell me it won't look good.

Right after I placed my order a week ago, I took my girlfriend out to the dealership to see the C450s. The first time we passed a steel grey one she said "Wow I really like the dark grey, it's gotta be my favorite exterior color. Should've gotten that color" and laughed. At that time, I had the white exterior selected and wasn't willing to think of any other options -- I was dead set on white with saddle brown. Today I sent her the above 3 exterior picture options (black, steel gray, white) and asked which she liked best, bearing in mind I wouldn't part ways with the Saddle Brown interior. She said to stick with the white bc it "will look best with the Saddle Brown", but that she "liked the steel gray exterior color the best, just doesn't think it will look good with Saddle Brown inside." As usual, I don't think she knows what she's talking about it when it comes to design elements and color combinations, so I told her "You're right, I will just stick with the white -- it will look best", then I immediately emailed my dealer and said "Let's change the order to steel grey exterior" and he confirmed it shortly thereafter.

On delivery day it goes one of two ways: 1) It will be a nice surprise for her, one I am able to pull off with her loving it at first sight in person. If I told her now, she has 2 months to internally continue to convince herself it won't look good...plus there's no surprise, so no fun. This way, she won't even think about it again until it's being pulled up to hand me the keys, and when she sees if in person, assuming it looks as good as we think it will, she will fall in love (and maybe even admit I was right...something I rarely hear her say haha). 2) She hates it and she has to deal with it.

Build date is May 21 (not sure if that's start or finish, but the dealer said to expect it delivered in the last few days of May or the first few of June at the latest).

Mike5215

Yeah my build was supposed to be 3/2, then it got bumped up for a parts delay and was supposed to be 3/20 but they actually started building it a few days before and last Thursday it was at the dealer. I'd never ordered a car before. It was really cool to see this thing I brought into existence.

So it's a lock. Steel Gray, 19" multi spoke, Nappa brown, Lindenwood ? Hey, did you drive a 450 on the 19"? Very firm. Looks great and handles like a ****, but stiff even on the Comfort setting.

inhartwetrust

That's correct, its a lock...build now is as seen below. My price will be $56,212 (negotiated 10% off plus a $2K Fleet discount).

I did not test drive it with 19's (at least I don't think so, believe they were just the 18" 5 spokes), but I spent my entire test drive in Sport+ and was never put off at all by it. I actually commented to the dealer that I didn't understand some of the complaints of Sport+ being firm/harsh...due mostly to me not having any frame of reference in a car with a smooth ride. I'll be fine with a firm/harsh ride...even with the crappy Columbus roads and potholes. I'm sure it will be rough at times, but I'm fine with that as none of my previous vehicles have had soft rides so I don't really know any different. Plus I'm only 30, so my back/body shouldn't complain about it too much

YashaR8

looks solid. In the pictures above the designo saddle brown nappa look real plush, did it feel much more comfortable than standard leather? That is, did you feel like you were paying mostly for the style/look, or leather that simply felt comfortable?

inhartwetrust

Thanks dude. I paid mostly for the look (love the luxury look of it), but I add a side by side feel test between it and the Cranberry and the Designo was a bit softer. Nothing dramatic, IMO, though.

inhartwetrust

Happy to have all of the details finalized now, here's an album of the car to be (if anyone cares, at this point we've all seen 1,000+ C450 images, but I put it together to send to my parents so figured I'd post it here too)...

http://imgur.com/a/UYqJ5

jester4

That looks great! I personally have mainly owned black cars so going with white was a big step for me!


My 2009 Audi TT had a "steel gray" type of color though and I did like it very much, especially when it was freshly waxed. I would have loved to order your interior on my build, but sadly the wife and I decided that with 2 young kids, and coming from a Honda Odyssey to this was going to be murder on the interior...

Mike5215

Damn. And with your discounts you paid less than I did for my little ol' 300 and got Nappa to boot. Damn! So now the waiting begins. I think it's the same feeling chicks have when they're pregnant. All they think about is getting their hands on the baby. They look at sonogram pictures of the baby while they wait for the baby. They clean up a special area of the house for the baby, They imagine playing with the baby and giving it baths. If the baby doesn't arrive when it's expected they get stressed. What if something is wrong with the baby?!

Then there's the long, painful delivery process. Then finally the baby comes. Luckily the baby is worth the wait. The nice thing about the car is you can get rid of it before it turns fourteen and becomes a mouthy little ***** that smells bad and eats all your food. But I digress.

tmoneyC450amg

Good job. You robbed them! Congrats

inhartwetrust

Thanks dude, and good call on the kids -- my plan is to sell this/trade it in before I have any myself. Otherwise, they will be bound to riding in mom's car only

I love white cars, always have (hence my current ride being white), but I need a little change this time around.

lmao that is absolutely hilarious, but also absolutely true. I've already scrolled the album three times at work today...end of May can't get here soon enough.

Thanks, T!

Xtrema

I know you have locked your choice already but didn't you have choice to see it in person?

I was all set for Iridium Silver by looking at web photos for months until I saw it in person side by side with Steel Grey and my mind switched.

Took me almost 2 Sundays and almost 15 mins each time to see the color under 2 different lighting (sunny vs overcast) to made my decision.

inhartwetrust

I went to the dealership today at lunch (and took my two direct reports with me to get their thoughts), so I've seen it in person. There was only one car on the lot with the Saddle Designo interior last week, and it was in a white C300, which was now sold and not on the lot...so 0 cars on the lot with the Saddle Designo today for them to see. So, I've gotta use my imagination, tuck my sack back, and take a risk on ordering sight unseen.

Both the guys that work for me said to stick with the white for the brown interior, and thought the black looked best overall -- they said "the brown Design interior isn't common, there's not even any of it on the lot, so that makes the car different enough on it's own". While they are right, the white exterior is just too common -- for good reason, as it looks great. I showed them how dirty the black exterior was just from one brief rainstorm last night and told them that black wouldn't work for that very reason. All in all, I did a lot of standing and staring at the two colors (grey and white) side by side, and I have to admit that in all honesty I like the white the best overall as an exterior color. BUT, it is too common and from an ego standpoint I will LOVE it when I get the steel grey with Saddle Designo and prove to everyone how phenomenal it will look together. It is a combination that I have yet to see posted anywhere, which I love, and I will feel much better about the car (and in turn love it even more) knowing that it's mildly unique rather than just one of a million with the white/brown.

Mike5215

You can't trust a couple of suck-ups to configure a luxury high performance automobile!

There's no way you'd live with yourself if you compromised on your admittedly bad-*** color palette. White? Rental cars are white! (Apologies to any Polar or Diamond guys. Trying to help a brother out.)

No. It's Steel Gray and the brown Nappa. Don't sweat the potential clash interior vs exterior. You rarely are looking at both at the same time, and Steel Gray isn't going to clash anyway. It hasn't been posted anywhere because nobody's had the cahones to do it.

Hell, there was a Cardinal Red with brown Nappa and Lindenwood at the store I got my 300 at and even those two colors worked. Kind of. Okay, it made me throw up a little bit to be honest. But Gray will be beautiful. Personally I'd go Paladium but Gray will still be beautiful.

topsider

i recently had a loaner c300 when my car was in for service that had saddle designo, it looked good, exterior was white

Mike5215

Wow! Nice loaner fleet. I wonder if that was a customer order that didn't pan out. What GM orders that interior for an inventory/loaner car?

topsider

not sure, ive seen several loaners at my dealer with designo. most are loaded sports that they then sell after 5k miles for huge discounts

splunge

I had same decision 2 years ago with Diamond Silver and Capuccino leather and its worked out perfectly . I think your combo will be amazing - stick with your decision or you will regret it !

cl3

I just was just on the MB site. Wanted to build your exterior/interior combo to see what it would look like compared to mine and the Steel Grey Metallic isn't even on the screen to select. I wonder if MB is already limiting color selections for special orders on the c450?

Maybe they want to sell off what's already in the pipeline and they're gearing up for the c43?

inhartwetrust

Thanks boys, glad everyone here is on board with my choice -- no one else in real life is, haha.

Steel Grey should be on the site? It was on there last night, and I just changed my order yesterday.

tan70ri

The Palladium Grey is now also missing from the build configurator. Heading to the dealer this weekend to order. Sure hope they aren't scaling back color choices!