I just purchased a W205 C300 and after having previously driven a friend's w204 C300 with the v6, I feel like the current generation has lost that sense of electric smoothness and substantial feeling from the previous gen. I've read some posts about the motor becoming more smooth after break-in, but does anyone else feel like (besides efficiency) it was a step backward? I feel that even the turbo 4 in my VW GTI is actually more refined than this motor.

 

You purchased a C300 but decided that your first post would be to critique the motor
Do people even test drive anymore

 

Yes and yes. Don't get me wrong I love the car, just wondering if there are any people with experience driving the W204 that felt the same way or if it was my own limited experience with the previous generation C-class.

 

Engine smoothness is much better with the six cylinder C400. The turbo four used on the C300 is fast, very economical, and exhibits almost no turbo lag. It's a really good motor, but simply can't match a six if you're looking for a refined feel.

 

This is my first post. I just bought my C300 on Friday and love the power coming from a TSX. If you are always driving it in sport plus than yes it can shift abruptly but most cars sport modes do that. If you drive it in the default comfort setting, I feel like the power is there when you need it and it's very smooth and strong in the torque band. I have had a tuned 2.0t a3 in the past and my C300 is much smoother. Sorry you are not having the same experience.

 

We are coming from a Lexus GS300 V6 and personally I think the I4 is just as good as the previous V6. No better but also no worse. Cabin noise is comparable.

 

The engine does get better. I currently have 10000km which is 6200 miles. You can't compare VW GTI with the C Class, The C Class is heavier and will feel a bit slow than the VW. After experiencing full break in with this car, the engine is powerful. There is slight turbo lag when you're starting from 0. When rolling you can feel the torque and I really appreciate having 272 lb-ft of torque in a inline 4.

 

I just cleared 100 miles so that's good to hear, thanks.

 

My experience coming from 2 preivous V6 MBs is that the Turbo 4 is hands down a better powerplant when it comes to getting the poinies to the ground.
Smoothness is a world ahead of the previous generation all due to the better 7GTronic transmission. In Comfort mode with Airmatic this is by far a smoother and quieter ride that the previous EClass 2011-2014. Have not tried the new E Class so can't say how it has been updated.
However if you heavy foot the W205 turbos the smoothness goes out the window in favour of torque.
I am now past my 6 month driving and it is the best MB I have driven in all aspects of the drivetrain.
Just bonus points for natural great looks front and rear....the W205 is a looker as well

 

You cant really compare the turbo 4 cylinder to a V6 N/A engine. You will see the refinement when your comparing how much better the m274 engine in the new C class accelerates compared to the m271 evo motor in the 204 c class. drive one and you will see how much more lag you have compared to the new C class. my .02

 

This sounds similar to arguments when 6 cyl engines were taking over the V8. Smaller and alternative fuel engines are coming, and will have their plusses and minuses as well. Like everything else in life, evolution and embracing change is par for the course.

 

It does get better. Intially, I thought that the 4-cylinder engine was a real come-down, compared with the 3-liter V6 of my W203 C280W4. The M272 engine was almost silent up to 45 mph, and modest acceleration produced only a slight whirr. Flooring it from a standstill produced only a whirr that was less louder in volume than it was merely higher in pitch. There was never any throb. The new 4-cylinder seemed to really throb under even slight acceleration.
I have now 1120 miles on my C300W4, since receiving it on Feb. 2. The 4-cylinder engine is definitely smoother now. The throb under even slight acceleration is still there, but it is fainter and somehow seems more distant, that is, more in the background. This thought occurred to me a few days ago, before I read this thread that brought up the issue. Indeed, I said to myself then, "I don't notice that throb so much anymore." Driving in Sport mode also seems to reduce that throb under slight acceleration, or perhaps Sport mode merely reduces the amount of time that the engine spends in the low-rpm region where the throb is most apparent.
I have the least sport combination possible: Luxury trim, 17" standard wheels, Pirelli Cinturato P7 run-flats. So you can tell I have no interest in sporting driving. But even drivers who have no interest in sporting driving face situations where they need all the performance they can get. I regularly face a driving situation where I have to go to Sport+ mode. It is where I pull out on to a four-lane highway from a wooded side road. It is like pulling out from a driveway; oncoming cars cannot see me waiting and are not expecting any side road traffic. They are coming over a slight rise in the highway at 70 mph. The rise limits my visibility to about 100 yards. It was bad enough before construction blocked the high-speed lane. Now the same 70 mph cars are coming on in the break-down lane! I have to wait for a break and floor it. The 4-cylinder engine meets the test better than the 3-liter V6 engine did. The difference may be due not only the slightly greater horsepower of the 4-cylinder engine and the lighter weight of the W205 C300. I believe the Sport+ mode also helps. Whether it helps or not, the Sport+ mode entertains me with a slight, but noticeable Braap! from the exhaust on each up shift. It reminds me of when I was young and my friends and I would make our bicycles make the same sound by pinning playing cards against the spokes of our wheels.