hpilot

Well I just got back from my 7500 mile cross country tour. The odometer read 400 miles when I left, and 7900 when I got back. I really got to know the car well during this trip, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts.



Here is what I liked:

I had no mechanical problems at all. The car showed remarkably little wear and tear for such a long drive. Even the tires still look mostly new. The seats were very comfortable for me, but then I have always loved how I fit in a Mercedes cockpit. The NAV System seldom made a mistake that a little common sense could not correct. My ETAs were always very accurate for the 500 miles per day that I averaged. Voice Control was almost flawless. I was very impressed. The HUD was indispensable and also worked great. I sure am glad I got it. My fuel mileage was 31-36mpg on the highway at about 75mph. That was actually much better than I expected. The Blind Spot Detector saved my butt quite a few times. The Burmester sounded great, and the Bluetooth Phone also worked flawlessly. I also didn’t burn any oil – I was kind of worried about that. I thought the steering was fantastic – the best I have ever seen. This car handled mountain driving very well. Even at 11,000 ft it never slowed down. The cruise control was very handy in maintaining a set speed on the steep descents. All in all, the car did a great job.

Here is what I did not Like:

Here in South Florida we are blessed with pretty smooth roads almost everywhere. I didn’t realize until I got on the terrible roads in other parts of the country (Colorado Springs has the worst roads I have ever seen – really, really bad!) how bad this car rides when the going gets rough. My biggest regret is not getting the Air Suspension. I have never been in a car this bad before – it’s downright painful! Wind noise was definably there at speeds above 60mph. I guess the good news is that the road noise usually drowned out the wind noise. I don’t know how anyone can say this is a quit car at cruising speeds. I didn’t realize how small this car really was until I had to carry two friends in the back seat. It was a real tight fit, and getting in and out with the small doors and low roof line was a chore. Also I can’t get in or out of the driver’s seat without moving my seat back quite a bit. Otherwise, unless I can become a contortionist, I will hit my head on the top part of the A-Pillar. Of course that means I have to re-adjust my seat every time I get into the car – a real First-World problem I know. Other than these items, I have no real complaints.

Memorable Events:

Actually my biggest safety threat was not from the other crazy drivers on the road, but rather the wildlife. I had a bird strike while going 70mph directly on the windshield. Surprisingly the windshield was fine, sadly the bird was not. The scariest moment of the trip happened when a full size deer jumped over my hood while I was traveling at high speed on a very busy six lane Interstate. It was daytime, and it just ran from the median to my left. It happened so fast, there was nothing I could do to avoid it. I still don’t know how it did not hit my car. It must have hit the large truck to my right because when I looked in the rear view mirror, I could see it lying on the side of the road with its legs flailing. Very sad, and very scary. I don’t think I could have survived a direct hit on my windshield. It was incredibly close.

Final Thoughts:

Although this car is far from perfect, I really enjoyed using it on this long drive. I don’t think I’ll do it again any time soon, but maybe with my next new car someday. I guess the best testament is that even now I try to come up with reasons to go on errands just so that I can take it for a drive. I don’t think I ever saw another 2015 C300 on the road, so I felt kind of special. Happy motoring…

hans007

don't have a mercedes yet, but i like long drives too.

i used to make the LA to sF drive maybe 6 times a year. friends would say "why would you drive so much and on the 5 where there is no scenery" . and i'd be like, well its just me, the road, my car and some music. nice place to think.

hell sunday i'm driving to vegas to meet up with friends who i think are all flying in from LA.

drivers drive. doesnt even matter what the car is, but better when its a nice one.

Carsy

A good report,thanks.

A higher profile tyre would make the car a lot more comfortable on poor roads. You should try a loaner & see.

ManiacGT

Nice post. I think I'd have been mostly asleep for weeks after driving that distance but it does sound like fun.

Galahad

Great post on what have been a fantastic experience, thanks for sharing

MASSC450

Great post...thanks for sharing!

So you thought the ride was rough over bad roads...and you have 18" wheels, stock RFTs, and the Sport (486) suspension?

hpilot

I don't have sport suspension. They are 18" wheels. I never had low profile tires before because I thought the ride would be bad. I decided to try them this time mainly for the better look. When you add in the run flat tires, it is just not a good ride on bad roads. On my last Mercedes I put on oversize high profile tires, and the ride was incredibly smooth. It just didn't look as cool...

CO2010

Great post! Just curious, is it recommended to change your oil after such a long trip?

StanNH

I had a long term C300 Luxury as a loaner and, even with the standard 17" tires, it wasn't much more compliant than my C300 base with the 18's.

MASSC450

Oh...one other question hpilot...

How did the paint on the front of the car fare after this long trip of yours? Do you have some sort of 3M or Clearbra paint protection applied on your C300?

hpilot

The normal oil change interval is 10,000 miles, or when they computer calls for maintenance. All this highway driving is actually much better on the oil and engine than just city driving.

laz81

Thanks for sharing hpilot. Sounds like an amazing trip. Thats definitely a nice way to really get to know your car.

hpilot

I have no protection. I did a lot of defensive driving when I could - like staying as far away from trucks as possible. I got three very tiny paint chips on the lower front. I can fix these easily with some touch-up paint. Of course this could happen even when just driving in the local area. I am very "****" about my cars, but I decided to just enjoy it this time no matter the "cost".

Waynezworld

Nice report. I drove m C400 from NY to Vancouver to San Francisco, It was a fun drive and it was done in the winter, The car handled the drive with 4 people very well. Only bad moment was a rock hit the windshield when we got to Cali and broke the windshield.

l3it3r

Colorado Springs roads ARE the worst. Especially near the Olympic center, and downtown by the Hilton Antlers hotel.

Sounds like a great road trip. I won't be doing anything like that in this car, but I have made many cross country trips in the past. The seats aren't that difficult to get in and out of though. I'm 6'4" and I don't have any problem hopping in and out.

hpilot

Ironically being taller probably helps with getting in and out because your normal seat position is pretty far back. Being shorter, mine is much further forward, hence my problem.

What I found amazing in Colorado Springs was that even most of the parking lots are just as bad as the roads...

amiliasamson

Awesome trip! Thanks for posting and more mileage to come!