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I've had a C300 loaner for a few weeks and I've come to like the column shifter. When you combine the ease of operating the 4 performance modes with the paddle shifters the need for a center column mounted shifter goes away. It's only there to mimic or share a spot with the manual transmission equipped cars. It's a blast to drive over the W204's bipolar transmission.
However (and it's just my rather humble opinion) I don't like the interior or exterior styling on the new C-Class. The face lift W204s had a modern and more aggressive styling about it. It was more sport than luxury and the new one goes more the luxury route. It feels like bit old fashioned, luxury car stodginess to me.
I wish I could take the trunk space, new backup camera and new agility mode and stick it on my W204.
I absolutely love the integrated shifter behind the steering wheel. Now when I see a car with gear shifter in center console I eek out in pain. The bloated inefficient use of the space.
Plus you gain more tech. The shifter is intelligent it knows when you open the car door the car puts it self in park automatically. Which is super awesome I love the feature. The shifter is now out of site and mind.
As far pano roof. I love the feature it brings in more light. I love the all black roof look as well. Defi prefer it over standard sun/moon roofs.
As far as the 4 banger. Chalk that up to saving our planet lol. Gas efficiency as changing and fast. Car manufactures just haven't had the time to figure out how to get the savings in a v6 or v8.. So for now the 4 banger is back and turboed. A lot of euro cars are moving to the 4 with turbo. Not just mercedes. If you really want the v6 consider the new c43. Or the current gen c450.
I use to be a huge BMW homer, I had a E90 328 and F30 328 but this 2016 C300 4M Sport has definitely won me over. I was going to pick the F30 330 but the exterior and interior of this car blows the BMW out of the water.
I get a lot of looks driving around in the C300, so it's definitely a head turner and the interior is VERY luxurious. I haven't regret my decision one bit and I'm glad I chose the MB over the BMW(and other luxury brands).
The column shifter took a bit of getting use to but like what everyone else said, it works and once you get use to it, it'll be second nature. I don't even mind it anymore, before I thought it was a bit strange as well. I also loaded the features up on every car and they were all comparable.
I'm currently considering a C300 and took one for a weekend test drive. I was immediately a fan and the column shifter is one of my favorite aspects. Not having it on the console makes for much smoother and aesthetically pleasing lines and a non-obtrusive appearance to the elegance of the area between the front seats. The C300 interior is my absolute favorite amongst competitor brands.
I may be closing the deal on this loaner that I test drove. Iridium, P2, Pano, Mult. Med, and blind spot. Absolutely loved this car. Right now, I have to wait till it's at least 90 days as a loaner, so that the pricing gets better. There is only one issue that concerns me and that's long-term costs/maintenance down the road (assuming I keep the car for more than 4 years or so). I tend to keep my vehicles for 10+ years. Never leased a car before, but would consider it and hope to learn more.
I had a 2016 C300 loaner for a week recently while my 2014 C350 was in for some warranty issues. It did not have premium audio, but it did have pano roof, keyless go, blind-spot monitoring. Holy terrible halogen headlights, too.
I wanted very much to love it, but I did not come away impressed. The materials quality and build quality were not any better than my dad's new 2016 GTI SE. The "heft" of my W204 was decidedly missing, the car simply did not feel special in the ways my other Mercedes products have. If I had to replace my W204 for whatever reason, I'd save some money and buy the GTI. I understand they are not competitors, but the quality of the materials and build seemed to be equal.
I have a C450, but I am also of the same mind as most here regarding the shifter. I got used to it pretty much instantly and I love it. It's so easy to use and so natural. I'm actually unsure how anyone could even make a mistake with it.
I had a 2016 C300 loaner for a week recently while my 2014 C350 was in for some warranty issues. It did not have premium audio, but it did have pano roof, keyless go, blind-spot monitoring. Holy terrible halogen headlights, too.
I wanted very much to love it, but I did not come away impressed. The materials quality and build quality were not any better than my dad's new 2016 GTI SE. The "heft" of my W204 was decidedly missing, the car simply did not feel special in the ways my other Mercedes products have. If I had to replace my W204 for whatever reason, I'd save some money and buy the GTI. I understand they are not competitors, but the quality of the materials and build seemed to be equal.
The Mark VII GTI's have impressive build quality but I wouldn't quit say it is as nice as the W205. What you are probably equating is that hot hatch feel, which the W204 with the M271 engine had. The CLA is now here to fill those shoes and the C is more up market. The only real luxury car in its class.
We have had two C Class Mercs (my wife's car) and have generally been pleased. Previous was 2009 C350. Her current 2013 is coming off lease and we looked to replace it with a new 300 thinking everything would be upgraded and excited about the great reviews for the new model. Her 2013 was Sport model with premium and multimedia, We only have 17000 miles on the car but with a 28300 buyout in Dec. does not make sense to purchase since trade value is probably closer to 24k. Taking a test drive yesterday in a 47k C300sedan we were hit by a few items (not trying to be controversial just express our sincere thoughts).The 47k list of this car was approx what our 2013 MSRP'd for.
First of all the column shifter was bizarre. I just don't get it. Column shifte reeks of 1985 Impalas not MB- what is the point? The car we drove had no multimedia so no rear camera! really? So if we want Nav we can buy a 600 chip but not have rear camera or voice nav interface. The 17" wheels looked kind of dicey and we much preferred the 18" AMG on sport package similar to what we had previously. Panorama sunroof---- we frankly prefer a conventional sunroof but it is panorama or nothing. Run flats.. not our preference after living with them on 330i Bimmer. And of course we are now looking a 4 banger turbo vs, smooth 6 cylinder power.
So at the end of the day the 'upgraded' C300 seemed more downgrade.
My wife was not impressed and we will probably look at A4 Audi or BMW.
Bottom line is we could spend 55,000 to get similar features on our previous car (less V6) but again were underwhelmed. We actually looked at the 2013 with a renewed appreciation of what it did offer. And.... I will speak for my wife... the MB color palette of Silver black, white/black grey black has become just too boring. Just our humble opinion but wanted to express it here as former owners.
i thought the same thing to get all the options of a 2013 sport c300 it's like $60k when you can get a pre owned c300 for $17-20k 2013-2014 with under 30k miles up here in the north east.
Sorry you feel that way, but as someone who had a 2010 C300, the new C300 is a significant upgrade. First of all, you're comparing the base car. News flash, cars have gotten more expensive. Second of all, all the things you think are missing can certainly be had, from rear view camera to upgraded wheels. And the rear view camera is available as a standalone option for $460 btw. I have several friends who have newer E's, C's and S class cars. All have commented they initially thought the column shifter was odd, but actually appreciate it now that they realize they get more functionality and storage.
Again, sorry you're disappointed. No car is for everyone and clearly the C isn't for you.
well of course the new ones gonna be nicer then the 2010 those still had the tiny screens and very little amenities. Compare a 2013-2014 loaded to a 2016-2017 and you will see much more capabilities for a third the price with under 30k miles and they run for 200k+ miles if not more. And for the person who mentioned 10k miles between oil changes I would check your oil every 1k miles after 5k miles to make sure it's holding up I may be old fashioned but I still do every 3k miles to keep everything smooth.
I absolutely love the integrated shifter behind the steering wheel. Now when I see a car with gear shifter in center console I eek out in pain. The bloated inefficient use of the space.
Plus you gain more tech. The shifter is intelligent it knows when you open the car door the car puts it self in park automatically. Which is super awesome I love the feature. The shifter is now out of site and mind.
As far pano roof. I love the feature it brings in more light. I love the all black roof look as well. Defi prefer it over standard sun/moon roofs.
As far as the 4 banger. Chalk that up to saving our planet lol. Gas efficiency as changing and fast. Car manufactures just haven't had the time to figure out how to get the savings in a v6 or v8.. So for now the 4 banger is back and turboed. A lot of euro cars are moving to the 4 with turbo. Not just mercedes. If you really want the v6 consider the new c43. Or the current gen c450.
Good luck with the shopping!
I agree with everything you said about the shifter. When I first saw it, I thought I would hate it. After actually using it, I now would never buy a car without it - I really love it!
BMW e89 Z4 sDrive 35i & MB S205 C200 AMG Premium Plus
Originally Posted by chad majerek
well of course the new ones gonna be nicer then the 2010 those still had the tiny screens and very little amenities. Compare a 2013-2014 loaded to a 2016-2017 and you will see much more capabilities for a third the price with under 30k miles and they run for 200k+ miles if not more. And for the person who mentioned 10k miles between oil changes I would check your oil every 1k miles after 5k miles to make sure it's holding up I may be old fashioned but I still do every 3k miles to keep everything smooth.
an oil change every 3000 miles? Don't you think that's wasteful/bad for the environment?
Having driven 'base' C300 and 'loaded' C300 loaners, my C400, the C450, C43, and C63.. the V6 and V8 cars definitely FEEL better all around. The C300 just feels light, floaty, and struggles to find the power. I'm a bit biased, but I think the C400 is the best all-around version (not that I wouldn't mind the V8). Try one of the C400 (or 450/43) before you write off the W205 completely.
As far as the C300 goes, I'll pass. It's not a bad car, but just feels too lightweight and small for my liking. It also feels a bit underpowered to me. Ironically, that same engine in the E300 feels more agreeable to me. I'm not sure what tuning differences (if any) they did. The 9G transmission also seems to be much more agreeable to me than other MB transmissions I've driven. It seems to find the right gear at the right time, with no rough shifts like the 7G does.
I still dislike the add-on look of the entertainment system display. Instrument cluster gauges feel cheap to me.
Originally Posted by ManiacGT
an oil change every 3000 miles? Don't you think that's wasteful/bad for the environment?
That's what our friends who drive Japanese cars do. It was every 3,500 miles on my Infiniti. 64+ oil changes, 6 quarts a piece on that car. So, 384 quarts / 96 gallons of oil in oil changes alone. This doesn't include the times I had to top it off mid-cycle due to mechanics not properly replacing the drain plug & washer and/or engine burning oil.
Last edited by BeachBunny; 08-23-2017 at 04:59 PM.
Thank you for a great thead!
My sunroof resently started leaking, probably after winter and sub zero temeratures.
Have had the car for two years with no problems - but have never used the sunroof - as i was told that it did not work from previous owner. (tried resetting with no luck).
After the leaks, that started showing both sides of windscreen, dripping onto seats and on floor mat, i tried the sun-roof again. Now it has started with the jumping gear noise! At least i know the motor works.
I removed the motor, but am afraid that the cables might be completely rusted and stuck - is there a way to test this?
I was thinking that i would clean it up as much as possible, with rust-remove, add washers to the gear axel as described above to push the gearwheel into place and give it a go.
My problem is that the roof is slightly loose (can be pushed up from below and down from outside) - and therefor not watertight!
Also i would like to be able to get it opned to clean the drains.
Ultimately the aim is just to make it watertight - and have considered, as a last resort, to smear a thick silicone paste between the rubber seals to seal it.
02-04-2016, 07:53 PM
The face lift W204s had a modern and more aggressive styling about it. It was more sport than luxury and the new one goes more the luxury route. It feels like bit old fashioned, luxury car stodginess to me.
