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A bit of background first; I owned a 2015 C300 base from September, 2014 through April, 2015. This was an August, 2014 build with a VIN of under 3,000. It was equipped with the Premium and Multimedia packages, plus BLIS and the 18” 5 spoke wheels. The color was Iridium Silver with a black MB-Tex interior. Although I liked the car very much, it was plagued with a seemingly endless stream of problems. With a total of three recalls … including the replacement of the front tires … one service campaign, replacement of a poorly fit fuel filler door, repair of paint chips, adjustment of the rear bumper cover, intermittent Keyless Go operation, a sagging sunroof shade, and enduring the entire MB-Tex mess and seat cover replacement, both the dealer and I concluded that it was time to trade my C300 in for another car.
I ordered my new C300 in February and it arrived in April ... a March build with a VIN in the 61,000 range. This time around I opted for the Sport/AMG package. Although I thought the base suspension was fine, I was unhappy with the light feel of the steering and also wanted more lateral support from the seats. The styling touches added with the Sport package were nice, as was the slightly lower stance. I decided to go with a darker color, ordering the Palladium Silver rather than Iridium. I also was, at this point, uncomfortable with MB-Tex and gladly spent the extra money to upgrade to the Interior Package, which includes leather seating. Everything else was kept pretty much the same, with both the Premium and Multimedia packages, Panoramic sunroof, and BLIS.
I just passed the 1,000 mile mark on my new C300 and, I’m happy to say, the car appears to be essentially trouble free. It is tight, looks great, and feels more solid than my base C300. I do have three minor trim issues that I’ll have addressed when the car is in for service. The rear bumper cover, of course, still shows that little “step” where it meets the upper panel. My dealer adjusted it on my last C300, and I’ll have them do it again on this one. The plastic trim piece that goes from under the dash to the door sill, on the driver’s side, has popped out of its groove and will have to be snapped back in. It’s tight and I really can’t get it to snap back in, so that’ll be another one for the dealer. Also, the black plastic strip that goes around the center console is loose and moves when touched. It’s not falling out, so it’s not a big deal. That’s my list of problems.
I was relieved to see that the fuel filler door is an absolutely perfect fit now, and flush with the fender. Also, the sunroof shade is tight and exhibits no sagging. The transition from the base to Sport suspensions was, for me, an easy and positive transition. The steering definitely feels tighter now, which alleviates one of the complaints I had with my first C300. I have read many complaints here about the harshness of the Sport suspension, but I don’t find it at all uncomfortable. In fact, ride compliance is very much the same as my base was with the 18” tires. The suspension does exhibit less body roll, and eliminates the moderate understeer I felt with the base. Overall, it does feel tighter with somewhat better body control. I have also read some reports of the car getting “tail happy,” but I can’t replicate that in street driving conditions.
The engine on this car seems quieter. I’m not sure if the sound insulation under the hood has been changed, or if that’s just a variation between cars. In driving, the engine does sound less raspy and actually has a more sporty tone to it. Again, this could just be individual differences rather than any real production change. I don’t think it has anything to do with base versus Sport, since I believe the exhaust systems are the same.
My first C300 had very low levels of wind noise, with only heavy crosswinds generating audible levels of wind noise. This car is the same … there is no wind noise at all. If anything, it’s even quieter in crosswinds. The other day, cruising along at about 75 mph, I was hit with crosswinds strong enough to shake the car, but I heard nothing in the car itself. Coincidentally, the doors close a bit harder against the seals. The interior of this car is very quiet, with just some tire and road noise seeping in.
Fuel mileage has been quite good, with 27.4 being shown as an average since I first got the car. I’ve measured as high as 33.4 mpg on the highway. Interestingly, the car’s computer actually shows fuel economy that has been a bit less than measured consumption.
I’m pleased with the Interior Package, and must admit that the aroma of leather is much more endearing than the odor of MB-Tex. The extra bolstering of the Sport seats is welcome, and keeps me well planted even in hard cornering situations. Both my wife and I appreciate the addition of memory on the passenger’s seat, since we both share driving this car. It’s also nice to have a functioning headrest button, rather than a button that does nothing. I’m still undecided about the ventilated seats. I really can’t feel much going on there, so I guess the effect must be subtle. The ambient lighting is a nice touch. I do find the black lining on the Sport nicer looking than the light color used on the base and Luxury models. That lighter color was easily soiled.
So, after my first 1,000 miles with my replacement C300 I have reached some preliminary conclusions. The car looks better as far as panel fit, it feels tighter, it exhibits no rattles or squeaks, it has no wind noise at all, and it shows none of the sloppy assembly that plagued my early build C300. The two small interior trim issues are nothing, and I accept the fact that the factories just can’t get that rear bumper fit right on every car. Maybe it’s the bumper cover molding, maybe it’s the attachment points, but few seem to be coming out with a perfect fit. Luckily, it is a very simple adjustment and one that my dealer can and will do as a warranty item.
As much as I was initially thrilled with my first C300, I slowly grew to dislike it intensely as the list of problems continued to grow. I have a really good feeling about my new C300 Sport, and it is set up exactly as I wanted it. I simply have no complaints at all. I have owned, over the years, several BMW’s and Audi’s, so I’m no stranger to German cars. I would have to say that this car goes a step beyond the competition, and is arguably the current class leader in the compact luxury/sport sedan segment. In spite of the slew of complaints being voiced on the forums, this is an inherently solid design with advanced electronics and excellent ergonomics. Having said that … Mercedes does sometimes seem to march to the beat of a different drummer. One could reasonably ask why MB has never linked its key fobs to the car’s memory. Or why there are no specific warnings if a door is open … just a puzzling warning about the transmission not being in Park. The car has its idiosyncrasies, to be sure, but I guess they’re part of the somewhat unique Mercedes character. It’s getting to the point where other cars feel weird, so I guess all this stuff eventually becomes the norm.
In any case, based on my admittedly small sample, I’d have to say that the US build quality is improving as production matures and is probably approaching, if not already equaling, the build quality of both the German and South African facilities. For the sake of W205 sales, I hope I’m right.
Can you clarify what you mean about the black lining in the sports version?
I was referring to the headliner material, which covers the roof area and goes down the A-pillars to the dash. In the base and Luxury versions, that's a very light .... almost white ... colored fabric. In the Sport/AMG, the material is black. It looks good and is essentially maintenance free as far as showing dirt.
I’d have to say that the US build quality is improving as production matures and is probably approaching, if not already equaling, the build quality of both the German and South African facilities. For the sake of W205 sales, I hope I’m right.
My production date was April 6 - build quality is so far top notch as expected. Thanks for the review,
I am also at 1k miles, nothing to complain about, everything I researched and ordered was as expected, including the Airmatic, which is very nice.
Interior;
I was not sure about the black interior as many pics of the red looks very good, but I made the right choice for me. The black headliner is very nice, I have it on the CLA as well, give the car sporty feel to it. Open pore is very forgiving and elegant, the technology/gadgetry nerd heaven - although I have not been able to crack the engineering mode, like on my CLA.
Exterior;
Palladium is very nice, very conservative, elegant IMO. Other than the grill, I don't plan to change anything yet. SP does make the car look a bit more aggressive than the non-SP (not much) and the suspension is a dream compared to my other MB and previous BMW.
My production date was April 6 - build quality is so far top notch as expected. Thanks for the review,
I am also at 1k miles, nothing to complain about, everything I researched and ordered was as expected, including the Airmatic, which is very nice.
Interior;
I was not sure about the black interior as many pics of the red looks very good, but I made the right choice for me. The black headliner is very nice, I have it on the CLA as well, give the car sporty feel to it. Open pore is very forgiving and elegant, the technology/gadgetry nerd heaven - although I have not been able to crack the engineering mode, like on my CLA.
Exterior;
Palladium is very nice, very conservative, elegant IMO. Other than the grill, I don't plan to change anything yet. SP does make the car look a bit more aggressive than the non-SP (not much) and the suspension is a dream compared to my other MB and previous BMW.
I didn't get Airmatic, but I am pleased with the steel suspension on the car so no regrets.
I was also torn between the red and black interiors but, for some reason, my wife just didn't like the red. I've had several cars over the years with red leather interiors, and I guess she was just sick of it at this point. So, black it was. It does look classy and she's happy, so that's the end of that debate.
I am pleased with the look of the Sport package ... nothing dramatic, but it does add a sharper line to the car. I do like the Palladium more than the Iridium Silver I had before ... it seems to highlight the creases of the body even more, although Iridium was quite nice. And, I must admit, those AMG wheels are the easiest wheels to clean I've ever had. Your 19's look fantastic, BTW.
I'm really happy I made the choice to get rid of that first C300. It never stranded me and ran fine, but it always seemed to find its way back to my dealer's service department. One final irony was a letter I got from MB-USA several days ago, informing me of yet another recall on that car. Not my problem any more.
2022 GLE 350; 2016 BMW 428i gran coupe; 2014 Audi Q5 tdi
Stan - thank you for your review.
I would like to hear about your experience with the wheel/tire combinations on your two C300 cars. My wife and I went on our first test drive of the C300 sport last weekend. The car we drove had 19" alloy AMG wheels with high performance tires. I found the set-up to be a bit noisy. How are the 18" wheels on your car? What tires did you get on your car?
Great review. I picked up my C300 April 28. Car was built Feb 14 2015. So far none of the issues you had. I made sure to check for the sagging sunroof shade after reading your original thread lol . So far i have 800km (500miles). Car drives great. I do feel a little kick on the tranny when is sport mode for the first gear. Not sure if this normal.. we'll see in time
Happy it all worked out for you.
I would like to hear about your experience with the wheel/tire combinations on your two C300 cars. My wife and I went on our first test drive of the C300 sport last weekend. The car we drove had 19" alloy AMG wheels with high performance tires. I found the set-up to be a bit noisy. How are the 18" wheels on your car? What tires did you get on your car?
I have no experience with the 19's. Both my C300's came with the Continental ContiSport 18's on them, and a long term C300 Luxury loaner I drove came with the 17's. I also spent a winter with Goodyear UltraGrip Ice WRT 18" snow tires on my car. All except the snow tires were run flats.
I could hear no real difference between the 17" and 18" run flats. The non-run flat snows were noisier, which is to be expected. The Continentals are not particularly noisy, but some road/tire noise is audible in the cabin, especially at higher speeds. It's hard to judge how much of that noise is the tires and how much the road surface, since the levels do vary depending on the roads. Overall, I consider the interior noise levels to be fairly low.
Before you judge the 19's, make sure you travel over different roads to make sure you're not actually hearing a noisy road surface.
I hit 1k this past week. Put her in SPORT + for the first time and floored it. I was amused at the fart between gears. Quick for sure. Car has many personalities depending on the agility you select.
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Not the 335i 6MT in my prior car fast but very capable and sure footed. I have gotten use to the info screen -- I thought that was going to be a difficult feature to warm up to due to its placement. However, I think I like it now. I wish I could say the same for the Burmaster
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A bit of background first; I owned a 2015 C300 base from September, 2014 through April, 2015. This was an August, 2014 build with a VIN of under 3,000. It was equipped with the Premium and Multimedia packages, plus BLIS and the 18” 5 spoke wheels. The color was Iridium Silver with a black MB-Tex interior. Although I liked the car very much, it was plagued with a seemingly endless stream of problems. With a total of three recalls … including the replacement of the front tires … one service campaign, replacement of a poorly fit fuel filler door, repair of paint chips, adjustment of the rear bumper cover, intermittent Keyless Go operation, a sagging sunroof shade, and enduring the entire MB-Tex mess and seat cover replacement, both the dealer and I concluded that it was time to trade my C300 in for another car.
I ordered my new C300 in February and it arrived in April ... a March build with a VIN in the 61,000 range. This time around I opted for the Sport/AMG package. Although I thought the base suspension was fine, I was unhappy with the light feel of the steering and also wanted more lateral support from the seats. The styling touches added with the Sport package were nice, as was the slightly lower stance. I decided to go with a darker color, ordering the Palladium Silver rather than Iridium. I also was, at this point, uncomfortable with MB-Tex and gladly spent the extra money to upgrade to the Interior Package, which includes leather seating. Everything else was kept pretty much the same, with both the Premium and Multimedia packages, Panoramic sunroof, and BLIS.
I just passed the 1,000 mile mark on my new C300 and, I’m happy to say, the car appears to be essentially trouble free. It is tight, looks great, and feels more solid than my base C300. I do have three minor trim issues that I’ll have addressed when the car is in for service. The rear bumper cover, of course, still shows that little “step” where it meets the upper panel. My dealer adjusted it on my last C300, and I’ll have them do it again on this one. The plastic trim piece that goes from under the dash to the door sill, on the driver’s side, has popped out of its groove and will have to be snapped back in. It’s tight and I really can’t get it to snap back in, so that’ll be another one for the dealer. Also, the black plastic strip that goes around the center console is loose and moves when touched. It’s not falling out, so it’s not a big deal. That’s my list of problems.
I was relieved to see that the fuel filler door is an absolutely perfect fit now, and flush with the fender. Also, the sunroof shade is tight and exhibits no sagging. The transition from the base to Sport suspensions was, for me, an easy and positive transition. The steering definitely feels tighter now, which alleviates one of the complaints I had with my first C300. I have read many complaints here about the harshness of the Sport suspension, but I don’t find it at all uncomfortable. In fact, ride compliance is very much the same as my base was with the 18” tires. The suspension does exhibit less body roll, and eliminates the moderate understeer I felt with the base. Overall, it does feel tighter with somewhat better body control. I have also read some reports of the car getting “tail happy,” but I can’t replicate that in street driving conditions.
The engine on this car seems quieter. I’m not sure if the sound insulation under the hood has been changed, or if that’s just a variation between cars. In driving, the engine does sound less raspy and actually has a more sporty tone to it. Again, this could just be individual differences rather than any real production change. I don’t think it has anything to do with base versus Sport, since I believe the exhaust systems are the same.
My first C300 had very low levels of wind noise, with only heavy crosswinds generating audible levels of wind noise. This car is the same … there is no wind noise at all. If anything, it’s even quieter in crosswinds. The other day, cruising along at about 75 mph, I was hit with crosswinds strong enough to shake the car, but I heard nothing in the car itself. Coincidentally, the doors close a bit harder against the seals. The interior of this car is very quiet, with just some tire and road noise seeping in.
Fuel mileage has been quite good, with 27.4 being shown as an average since I first got the car. I’ve measured as high as 33.4 mpg on the highway. Interestingly, the car’s computer actually shows fuel economy that has been a bit less than measured consumption.
I’m pleased with the Interior Package, and must admit that the aroma of leather is much more endearing than the odor of MB-Tex. The extra bolstering of the Sport seats is welcome, and keeps me well planted even in hard cornering situations. Both my wife and I appreciate the addition of memory on the passenger’s seat, since we both share driving this car. It’s also nice to have a functioning headrest button, rather than a button that does nothing. I’m still undecided about the ventilated seats. I really can’t feel much going on there, so I guess the effect must be subtle. The ambient lighting is a nice touch. I do find the black lining on the Sport nicer looking than the light color used on the base and Luxury models. That lighter color was easily soiled.
So, after my first 1,000 miles with my replacement C300 I have reached some preliminary conclusions. The car looks better as far as panel fit, it feels tighter, it exhibits no rattles or squeaks, it has no wind noise at all, and it shows none of the sloppy assembly that plagued my early build C300. The two small interior trim issues are nothing, and I accept the fact that the factories just can’t get that rear bumper fit right on every car. Maybe it’s the bumper cover molding, maybe it’s the attachment points, but few seem to be coming out with a perfect fit. Luckily, it is a very simple adjustment and one that my dealer can and will do as a warranty item.
As much as I was initially thrilled with my first C300, I slowly grew to dislike it intensely as the list of problems continued to grow. I have a really good feeling about my new C300 Sport, and it is set up exactly as I wanted it. I simply have no complaints at all. I have owned, over the years, several BMW’s and Audi’s, so I’m no stranger to German cars. I would have to say that this car goes a step beyond the competition, and is arguably the current class leader in the compact luxury/sport sedan segment. In spite of the slew of complaints being voiced on the forums, this is an inherently solid design with advanced electronics and excellent ergonomics. Having said that … Mercedes does sometimes seem to march to the beat of a different drummer. One could reasonably ask why MB has never linked its key fobs to the car’s memory. Or why there are no specific warnings if a door is open … just a puzzling warning about the transmission not being in Park. The car has its idiosyncrasies, to be sure, but I guess they’re part of the somewhat unique Mercedes character. It’s getting to the point where other cars feel weird, so I guess all this stuff eventually becomes the norm.
In any case, based on my admittedly small sample, I’d have to say that the US build quality is improving as production matures and is probably approaching, if not already equaling, the build quality of both the German and South African facilities. For the sake of W205 sales, I hope I’m right.
Hi Stan, small world isn't it? LOL I find it quite amazing that I came here to read about the new W205 C300 only to find I am still following you around the internet. And I am NOT stalking you.
As it turns out, we are looking at possibly buying a new C300. We have a 2013 C250 which is a good car but we are actually downsizing and going to trade the C250 and the SUV in on a new car. The other option is to just keep the 2013 C250 which is actually a pretty good car in it's own right.
Anyway, just wanted to stop and say hi. Good review and glad you finally got the new MB your really wanted.
Hi Stan, small world isn't it? LOL I find it quite amazing that I came here to read about the new W205 C300 only to find I am still following you around the internet. And I am NOT stalking you.
As it turns out, we are looking at possibly buying a new C300. We have a 2013 C250 which is a good car but we are actually downsizing and going to trade the C250 and the SUV in on a new car. The other option is to just keep the 2013 C250 which is actually a pretty good car in it's own right.
Anyway, just wanted to stop and say hi. Good review and glad you finally got the new MB your really wanted.
Thanks, Marty. Good to see you on yet another car forum!
I think the new C-Class is a fantastic vehicle, but it is also plagued by some very avoidable QC lapses at the Alabama factory. My new one is turning out to be very solid, but that first one was anything but. At this point I would recommend the car, but would also strongly suggest waiting for the introduction of the 2016 model year. That should have a few more features and a few less bugs.
05-07-2015, 11:21 AM
