I've been delighted with my C300. My first "real" German car was a BMW, which I liked until it came time for maintenance. In my area, I had to schedule service 3-4 weeks ahead. I dealt with that for scheduled maintenance, but I ditched the car when a steering issue came up and no dealer in my area could get me in for 3-4 weeks.

I bought an E-Class that lasted me 10 years--I recently traded it in for a C300, as the E-Class was having monthly maintenance issues after being problem-free for 10 years. I considered getting another E-Class, but I couldn't stand the interior on the latest model--it looks very dated next to the C.

After owning my C300 for 6 months, I am absolutely delighted with it. The interior is very well thought out and the car is very quiet on the road. The differences between the settings on the agility control system are very pronounced, unlike my old E-Class. I'm 6' tall and when I've got the front driver's seat configured for me, I've got adequate room in the rear passenger seat. It's adequate room for 4 without being cramped and you can seat 5 people in a pinch.

The sound system on the car is fantastic and the gas milage is as advertised, if not a little better. I'm filling up this car half as much as I filled up my old car. The fold-down rear seats provide plenty of room for trips to Costco, but I can fit 2 sets of golf clubs in the trunk without putting them down. I've also had to the opportunity to put the 4Matic to use in the winter and the car handled very impressively on snow. While I was initially skeptical about the utility of the driver assistance package, I've found it to be very useful. The rear-camera implementation is very good, too--rather than the camera being constantly exposed to dust, it pops out only when needed, keeping the lens clean between uses. The panorama sunroof is excellent, too. I enjoy the glass roof tremendously.

The only problem I've had is with the tire pressure monitoring system. I had both front sensors fail on separate occasions and the dealer replaced them while I waited briefly. The rear one went bad this past week and the dealer said he'd do both of the rear ones, given the history I've had with the vehicle. Aside from that, it's been problem free for 3,300 miles. So long as the tire pressure monitoring system remains the only bug I have with this vehicle, I'll be happy. I think my dealer's service department makes a huge difference, as my prior BMW was a gigantic PITA to get into the shop.

 

^ +1

 

Haha I'm about to board a flight to Melbourne so no car washing for me...
Tell your husband, Magic Hands Cannington haha
Sounded like a hail storm this morning (Yokine area)

Yeah I am now taking my car to westpoint Star for all of my servicing etc from now on... They have truly redeemed themselves after losing my sale to Bunbury.

I debadged bluetec from mine and it was a piece of cake. Not sure about the C250 coming off just yet.....

 

The biggest difference I noticed in test driving the C300 compared to my 328xi was that the BMW transmission, at three years old is far superior to what Mercedes is offering.

Surprising really since they have an 8 speed to compete but did not decide to add it to C class till mid cycle refresh. All competitors have had sportier transmissions for awhile now.

Still considering the W205 but not till MY 2016 when they might make a few minor refinements and kick the American assembly guys in the ***.

Also, CarPlay. BMW already passed on it for MY2016 LcI F30. If Mercedes skips it again for 2016 I might just lease another BMW.

 

I had a 2012 F30 328i - manual transmission, sport pkg. I don't miss it at all. The steering sucked. I do hope BMW fixes it in MY2016. I also appreciate and enjoy the interior of the Mercedes so much more than the BMW. I doubt they will/can do much with that until the next generation 3 series. I hear you regarding automatic transmission performance. BMW definitely has the edge. I've had BMW loaners with automatic transmission and they are great. But overall, before knowing much more about BMW 2016....I'm happier, much more so, over the 328i I had. And yes, the great lease deal I got does influence my thinking a bit! But - I've had several BMW's. This is the first time in my experience that I'm more satisfied with the driving dynamics of a MB over BMW.

 

After having several issues with my 1st C300 (bleeding seats and tail light alignment), I have had no problems with the free exchange MB USA provided me.

I now have had my 2nd C300 for about three months and have about 1700 miles. Its been great. I actually really like the car more than my wife's X5 and my prior GS300. Perhaps its just a matter of needs and expectations. I use this as a commuter car to a train station. I figured I'd get something cheaper than a BMW 5 series or Audi A6. This has met those needs perfectly. In fact, I find our family using it a lot more as a weekend car than our X5. I think my x5 has more road noise and wind noise. The interior in the C300 looks nicer than all the plastic I have in the X5 and the seats are much more comfortable.

Would I get something else? Maybe. This will be great for the next 3-5 years. But it has actually increased my interest in cars overall. I'm thinking my next car will be a BMW M3, or MB C63. But I think my C300 deserves credit for actually making me a car enthusiast.

 

Reading these posts is not so reassuring when I have spent so much on a car and am still awaiting delivery! let's hope I have another experience

 

The way I'd put it is that it's like going to a really nice restaurant and being given a fantastic plate of delicious, desirable food. Everything is perfect and you are blown away. Then you find a caterpillar in the salad. It puts you off the steak you're half way through.....

I love the looks, the seats, the way it drives, the intelligent LED headlights, the technology it has and the promise of it getting better.

It then gets spoiled for me by speakers that fart, the satnav that tells you to turn left when it actually means 'take the third exit' etc. It's my first Mercedes after years of Audi. I paid quite a bit more than an Audi would have cost and, whilst I love the core car, the shine has been taken off the owning experience by multiple dealer visits due to shoddy and avoidable mistakes at the build level that the dealer seems to be getting no help from MB in fixing. None of them have been major things but, because there is no clear timescale or guaranteed fix for any of them, they make you look at the perceived quality of the entire brand and question it. This may be unfairness on my part but, speaking as I find, it promised perfection and delivered something that COULD be perfect but just isn't. It is a ship spoiled for a ha'peth of tar right now.

 

I love this car!

 

I have no problem at all with this car, esp. after coming from a Lexus. One thing I've noticed about the W205 forum as a whole is that a lot of the people here think that because they have that MB symbol on the grill that they are buying a perfect car. There is no such thing and no matter who builds it if you get a first year car there will be some growing pains. Stan had a very legitimate gripe and MB took care of him. There does however appear to be a lot of petty griping on this forum. More than most of the ones that I subscribe to. My suggestion to some would be don't buy a first year run.

 

mikbar2, I think you give good advice regarding buying a new model the first year, particularly if I can add, in a new facility. I don't agree that there is a lot of petty griping on this forum. Bleeding seats, misaligned tail lights and bumpers, excessive wind noise would seem to be a few of the complaints that go beyond what would be expected of a new model in its first year. Some, like Stan have received extraordinary service while others concerns have been marginalized by MB.

 

Based on previous experience, I expected some first year issues. I did get a little more than I bargained for with my first C300, but the dealer really came through in engineering an equitable deal for a trade and a new car. MB-USA also helped out and I walked away pleased.

I'm not a kid, and I have owned many different sports cars and both Japanese, German, and Swedish vehicles over the years. I track my Porsche about twice a year, and have attended a few driving schools, as well as a winter driving one. I only say this to point out that I have had a varied background with car ownership and driving experience.

When I decided on a C300 I expected neither a hard edged sports sedan nor a cushy and floaty luxo cruiser. I wanted an all-around competent, AWD compact sedan that offered driver amenities, competent handling, a comfortable and stylish interior, and a reasonable ride. I deliberately chose the C300 for its better fuel economy and more than adequate acceleration. Even at the lowest point with my oft serviced first C300, I always admired the design and engineering of the car ... it was the execution that seemed lacking.

I understand that there are issues that MB has not addressed in a timely or forthcoming matter. But, these are not universal issues and we have no idea if they are, in fact, as common as some may think. Of the four different W205 sedans I have spent some time in, none have exhibited any of the current slew of complaints.

My March, 2015 built C300 Sport is almost flawless. The two "big" issues are the need for a minor adjustment of the rear bumper cover and the re-fitting of an interior plastic trim piece that popped out of its groove. No wind issues, no Burmester issues, no Comand issues, no great complaints about the transmission.

The problems that do occur SHOULD be easily handled by the dealer as routine warranty items. This, I think, is where the problem lies. No dealer should tell his customer that excessive wind noise is part of the car's design. That's just nonsense, especially since most body shops can fix this type of problem. The same with distortion in the speakers ... it should be an easy warranty fix. When dealers tell a customer who just spent big bucks for a new car, regardless of the brand, that there are no fixes for reported defects, it's pretty certain that that customer will look elsewhere for their next car.

I'm lucky in that I have a superb dealer who listens to my complaints and deals with them. I've never heard a "they all do that" from them ... ever. When I showed them the misaligned bumper on my first C300, they looked at it, agreed it looked bad, and promptly fixed it. No drama.

While there are some here who genuinely don't like the W205 for whatever reason, most of the complaining is really about the inability of some dealers to step up and take care of their customers. This is, of course, linked directly to MB and the guidance they give to their dealer network in dealing with reported issues.

So, based on my own experience, I'd have to say that the W205 is a car that will appeal to many people looking for a state of the art compact sedan. I am totally pleased with my new C300 Sport which has, so far, been essentially trouble free. I also agree that if MB really wants to increase its penetration into the BMW/Audi market niche, it has to really look at how its customer and dealer support structure is organized. Especially given the early QC issues at the Alabama plant, it may be time for a complete restructuring. Poor customer service can only make a good car look bad.

 

If this is the case...poor customer service at the dealership as one of the main problems...perhaps we here at MB World should start a sticky thread with the list of dealerships that gave either excellent or poor customer service.

I for one would like to know the MB dealerships that should be avoided due to a poor track record.

 

Excellent idea and it may even wake some dealers up if they see the negative remarks on an open forum.

 

After having a 1999 BWM for 6 years I am impressed with German quality. Since my wife and I are retired we want a comfortable car with a great ride and a great interior. I special ordered mine and took delivery first of May. I did drive a 3 series and a caddy but they rode too stiff for my back (spinal surgery). I got the 2 litre and I am very impressed with its performance. First local driving tank yielded 24mpg. Cabin very quiet at 75mph and normal conversation was a breeze. Sound system quite impressive and overall build quality is excellent. It will be a car I'll keep for a long time. At my age probably the last car I buy.

 

GREAT CAR !! GREAT COMPANY !!

 

We had a 2011 W204 and it was a 4yr lease that was up this month, back in March we did an early turn in and got the new C300 RWD, got a loaded Sport, the car now has about 2500 miles on it and we have not had any issues.

Being in the aftermarket side of the business I see more and more how the factory is trying to make cars with more bells and whistles and it definitely shows how the car makers are trying to stay ahead of their competition.
Me personally I think Audi, BMW, and Lexus are nice cars, but they are not a Mercedes-Benz...hands down Mercedes is striving to make every car in their line up feel like the best!
I could never own or be impressed with a Lexus, to me the interior feels like the Nissan Maxima my parents had back in 1982...that was nice back then, but in 2-3 years time those cars all look like they were from 1982!

Out of the box these cars are much nicer for the money, looking at the price of our C300 W204 which was a 2011 Luxury model, so no sport body, but loaded interior with Nav, DVD, back up camera etc. Car only came with 17" wheels and had a MSRP price of $46k. Now if we wanted to dress the car cosmetically we would have invested in $4-5k for wheels and tires, and another $6-10k in aero and exhaust.

Our new W205, had an MSRP of $50k, came with 19" wheels, has the complete multimedia package, upgraded speaker system, Pano roof, sport body, AMG floor mats and the larger brakes. Out of the box this is a nice car that you really don't need to do anything to it, however this is where the aftermarket still survives because as they build so many cars that are alike, people are still always going to want to personalize and make their car different! So thankfully for my business people still want to be unique and it is helpful that the dealers do in fact add so much to certain models because it also leaves open the option for people to dress up the models that don't come fully loaded.

Like any new model there are going to be a few cars that have some issues, but I think all in all that the new C class is a great car and I would recommend this car and my dealer Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach to anyone looking for a new Mercedes-Benz!

Definitely a satisfied buyer, after painting out the trim and brakes and swapping the wheels and trunk spoiler I am pleased with the look and how the car drives.

Jim

 

I love my car, no major issue whatsoever; small bumper aliment but need no correction. I bought the car as an everyday car that is good looking inside and out; comfortable, reliable with advance technologies. After 3500 miles, it's exactally what I got.

BTW, looking back it may be a blessing that my delivery date was moved back a month from 12/2014 to early Jan 2015, prehaps it avoided the MB-Tex issue. Don't know for sure but that's what I'm hoping.

 

We took delivery on Jan. 3rd and have had no issues.

 

Love my C400, no complaints at all. Fit and finish is perfect on mine

 

Nice car! If you don't mind me asking what % tint do you have on your windows? I like how they are not too dark but dark enough.

 

Hi Madmax, sorry for the delay; we tinted the car with Medium all the way around. There is enough light that come in the windshield and with the pano roof that the cops don't seem to hassle us...knock on wood!

Plus my wife drives the car quite a bit and she hates having the window tint too dark, so Medium all around works.

Jim

 

Had the car since june 2014. had my shares of issues. The only issue not solved is the jerky transmission. still - love the car.

 

I just found an interesting note about the W205 on an online auto site. According to a report on iseecars.com, the 2015 C-Class has one of the highest first year trade-in rates in the industry at 7.4%. I wonder how much of that reflects MB-Tex settlements.

 

What am I getting myself into!