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Maybe it's true that a lot of issues have been worked out? After purchase, I dug deeper in these forums with a feeling of dread, just waiting for my first rattle, led handle burn out, headliner sag, etc., but so far - nothin.
Wind noise - very quiet at 70+ mph. I hear wind around the left A pillar, but it's quiet enough and totally expected since I'm in a physical object cutting through the air at high speeds.
Suspension - sport suspension a little rough with 19's on run flat tires, but anticipate that improving with all season tires coming soon. There is a lot of tire noise on rougher surfaces with the run flats for sure.
Rear bumper alignment - I never would have noticed this issue had I not found it in the forums. Yeah, it could be better, but it's in the acceptable range for me.
So far no rattles in console, speakers or otherwise. This is always my biggest issue with a new car - just waiting for the rattles to appear. So far so good 4 months in at 2,600 miles. Sure, not many miles yet, but feeling good about it. We'll see if that changes in colder weather when things shrink.
Only strange things I've encountered if I had to come up with something -
1. I never manually disengage the E brake. One instance, I put the car in reverse and tried to back up and got a message that I needed to disengage the E brake. Turned car off and on again, and all fine. Hasn't happened since.
2. Tried shutting the pano roof when it was popped in the vented position and it would go down and pop up. Tried several times, and got same result. Hasn't happened since, so not sure what that was about. This happened on at least 3 different occasions. Nothing was blocking it, I was using the button correctly.
Overall, my experience has been very positive. This is my 2nd Mercedes. Traded a 2012 C250 Coupe for this and no regrets. The dealer gave me $10k off any car on the lot, so I got a good deal.
If I had to do it again, I'd buy the car in a heartbeat. I realize there have been a lot of issues in earlier builds, but maybe those are all worked out. It feels like a solid, well built car I'm proud to own. So for any new owners discovering the forums after purchase, this is a great car and you made a solid purchase in my opinion. Not diminishing anyone's negative experience with the vehicle, but my experience has been completely different. It is true what they say. Have a bad experience, you tell everyone you know. Have a good one, you might mention it here and there, and I think that's why the forums are a touch skewed with bad experiences. Mine has been all good.
My March, 2015 build has also been virtually trouble free. No problems with wind noise, rattles, speakers, or anything else. Alabama can build a good quality car, it's just their ability to do that consistently that's been questioned.
May build for me, and after nearly 3k miles only problem has been front left wheel out of balance at delivery. Wind noise minimal, bumper alignment no biggie for me, and all the gadgets work as expected. Haven't used the wipers yet as I live in a very hot, dry CA but the AC is great. Ride is stiff but not uncomfortable. Very satisfied with our car, really!
The reality is visiting any forum dedicated to a specific model is like visiting a hospital and believing everyone on the planet is sick. Typically, aside from enthusiasts or people who have issues, most people are out driving their cars, blissfully unaware anyone has any issues, because they don't have any. They're certainly not posting on a forum.
Every time I'm about to get a new Mercedes [or insert any high value item], I usually get on the forums and see what people are experiencing. One, because it helps me get through having to wait for said item. And two, because it helps me to know if there is an issue, how others have dealt with them. And yet, I've personally had zero issues on my MB cars on delivery, or in real-world use. I expect my C Class experience to be the same.
1. I never manually disengage the E brake. One instance, I put the car in reverse and tried to back up and got a message that I needed to disengage the E brake. Turned car off and on again, and all fine. Hasn't happened since.
I have to support rbrylaw's hospital comparison. I was really getting worried!
I ordered my 2016 C300 in May since the Canadian C300's wouldn't have Intelligent Drive until 2016 and I wanted it. I read the forum threads for five months and was really starting to doubt my decision after reading more and more reports about wind noise, rattles, bumpers, seats, buzzing speakers... the list goes on.
But so far (knock wood), I'm totally enjoying the beautiful interior, the build quality, the hushed environment around my Burmester sound and the comfortable ride. And the Distronic Plus with Steering Assist is performing better than I ever expected. I thought it was great following the car ahead at speed on the highway, but I drove through rush hour traffic (literally stop and go) last week. Distronic kept pace with the car ahead without excessively harsh braking or acceleration. I just didn't think it would work that well in stop and go traffic. Once I fully trust it (I still had my foot ready to brake), it'll take most of the stress out of bumper to bumper driving (which I hate).
I have to support rbrylaw's hospital comparison. I was really getting worried!
I ordered my 2016 C300 in May since the Canadian C300's wouldn't have Intelligent Drive until 2016 and I wanted it. I read the forum threads for five months and was really starting to doubt my decision after reading more and more reports about wind noise, rattles, bumpers, seats, buzzing speakers... the list goes on.
But so far (knock wood), I'm totally enjoying the beautiful interior, the build quality, the hushed environment around my Burmester sound and the comfortable ride. And the Distronic Plus with Steering Assist is performing better than I ever expected. I thought it was great following the car ahead at speed on the highway, but I drove through rush hour traffic (literally stop and go) last week. Distronic kept pace with the car ahead without excessively harsh braking or acceleration. I just didn't think it would work that well in stop and go traffic. Once I fully trust it (I still had my foot ready to brake), it'll take most of the stress out of bumper to bumper driving (which I hate).
It's great you are having a positive experience with your new C! It won't be too long before I can finally get behind the wheel of mine!
09-12-2015, 09:17 AM
