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I sort of regret reading this thread... I ordered the C200 AMG, fully specked with all the bells and whistles and it arrives next year March. it will be my first car and it surely was love at first sight. Reading this thread with all of the regrets that are coming out though, i wonder if i made the right choice. In Namibia, driving a merc is seen as a prestige, but it would suck having to drive prestige while i know it can break down anytime as some of the members are stating here. You know what, i will let it slide... Surely the wrongs cant be that extreme..Dammit i am getting a merc and i am hoping i wont regret cos i cant think of any other brand right now. My point is, is the Benz really that bad
I use this analogy often. Coming to a forum is like walking into a hospital and believing every person on the planet is sick. The people who most often post on a forum are people with something wrong. This would give you a very skewed perception of the C Class. My experience with my C300 couldn't be any better if it tried. And the vast majority of C Class owners are out driving their cars with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
I have every expectation you'll get your new C and you'll be one of the driving their cars with no issues at all.
I sort of regret reading this thread... I ordered the C200 AMG, fully specked with all the bells and whistles and it arrives next year March. it will be my first car and it surely was love at first sight. Reading this thread with all of the regrets that are coming out though, i wonder if i made the right choice. In Namibia, driving a merc is seen as a prestige, but it would suck having to drive prestige while i know it can break down anytime as some of the members are stating here. You know what, i will let it slide... Surely the wrongs cant be that extreme..Dammit i am getting a merc and i am hoping i wont regret cos i cant think of any other brand right now. My point is, is the Benz really that bad
Matter of fact Mercedes W205 C class is a very nice car.
I think the complaints here are mostly a small spot on a clean window.
I have been driving my C200 Avantgarde package for 9 months and
like it much as a reliable car. Even though C200 belongs to small passenger car segment, the ride is comfortable and even though the suspension seems to be soft it grips the road close to the limit.
The interior of the car is luxurious. One thing is that it is necessary to
study the COMAND system in depth to utilize the functions of the car.
I have tweeters installed at an Car-Audio shop for about 120USD and the sound quality is improved a lot. If you have Burmester Option, there is no need. W205 has at least fixtures to mount tweeters while in case of BMW you have to buy plastic covers having the fixtures.
Anyway.. AMG package is nice. You have different whees, tires, suspension and real dual exhaust pipes (for gasoline engines only)
I was not so much satisfied with the sportiness of my car. But there are tons of features that are more than sportiness. Comfort and driver friendliness.
Mercedes rides well on bumpy roads.
You will like you car very much. May be not only you,.. But the passengers will like the car much more than you do.
I have a base 300 as a service loaner while my S550 AMG Sport is in the shop for a bad AirMatic strut on back order. This is my third consecutive S Class. I've test driven other cars over the years but in the end I come back to the S for the ride and feel.
My current car:
Here's my impression of the W205, after a week with it. I want one. Not in addition to the S. Instead of it. Here's why:
I love the way the 205 handles, and how solid and tight it is. The ride, while not as floaty as the S, is still very smooth, and I like the distinct personalities of the various agility modes. The tech, even in the base car, is great looking. The S is a dinosaur by comparison. The interior design and available finishes are beautifully executed. There's something cool to look at no matter where I look.
The standard seats are great. Not the massive massaging thrones like the S, but really comfortable and contouring. just as comfortable to me, especially with the thigh extension.
I also think the pricing makes it an incredible value. I can spec a fully loaded brand new C300 Sport for less than I paid in 2013 for the three year old CPO S Class. Lease payment is almost half the note on the S.
Initially I wasn't digging the T4. The S has a big, very smooth 5.5 NA 8. By comparison the 4 felt skittish and sounded a little harsh. Once I got a sense for how it rev'd I came to like it. I originally thought maybe a C450 might be the way to go, but the T4 leaves a lot of room in the budget for goodies and I'd rather have the goodies than the horsepower, because I'm old.
I went and heard a Burmester system in a C today. Holy crap, that's a really nice system. I'm a total audio snob (I put $5k into the S's terrible Harman Kardon system) and I wouldn't change a thing in the Burmester.
So, for what it's worth, from an avid S Class owner, you've got a great car in the new C Class. I'd enjoy it and let the small stuff slide. That's what I plan to do when I get mine built.
I have a base 300 as a service loaner while my S550 AMG Sport is in the shop for a bad AirMatic strut on back order. This is my third consecutive S Class. I've test driven other cars over the years but in the end I come back to the S for the ride and feel.
My current car:
Here's my impression of the W205, after a week with it. I want one. Not in addition to the S. Instead of it. Here's why:
I love the way the 205 handles, and how solid and tight it is. The ride, while not as floaty as the S, is still very smooth, and I like the distinct personalities of the various agility modes. The tech, even in the base car, is great looking. The S is a dinosaur by comparison. The interior design and available finishes are beautifully executed. There's something cool to look at no matter where I look.
The standard seats are great. Not the massive massaging thrones like the S, but really comfortable and contouring. just as comfortable to me, especially with the thigh extension.
I also think the pricing makes it an incredible value. I can spec a fully loaded brand new C300 Sport for less than I paid in 2013 for the three year old CPO S Class. Lease payment is almost half the note on the S.
Initially I wasn't digging the T4. The S has a big, very smooth 5.5 NA 8. By comparison the 4 felt skittish and sounded a little harsh. Once I got a sense for how it rev'd I came to like it. I originally thought maybe a C450 might be the way to go, but the T4 leaves a lot of room in the budget for goodies and I'd rather have the goodies than the horsepower, because I'm old.
I went and heard a Burmester system in a C today. Holy crap, that's a really nice system. I'm a total audio snob (I put $5k into the S's terrible Harman Kardon system) and I wouldn't change a thing in the Burmester.
So, for what it's worth, from an avid S Class owner, you've got a great car in the new C Class. I'd enjoy it and let the small stuff slide. That's what I plan to do when I get mine built.
I LOVE this post. My boss has an S550 and I've driven it. I'd take my C300 Sport over the S. And I went from an E350 Coupe to my C300 and there's simply nothing about the E I miss.
Yeah, I knew I was in trouble when I found myself making excuses to take the C out. Going to have to work on the wife a bit. Luckily she's not crazy about the S. Too much like an old Mafia guys car, and she almost never drives it.
The C on the other hand she gushed all over the minute she got in it. Loved the interior. So congrats, Mercedes, for figuring out how to make an interior functional AND pretty enough for the ladies.
OK, here is what I hate. First let me say that I like the car on the whole, and I think it is fun to drive. But mine has some really big flaws. I will be taking it in next month for the first scheduled service, and I will try to address some of these things. I have talked about these things before on this forum, so this is actually a repeat. I have had two other MBs, but the ride in my C300 is the worst of any car I have ever driven - any car. It's like I am driving on solid rubber tires. Just driving down the road in my neighborhood at 20 mph, my head is whipping back and forth over the small road imperfections. On a bad road the ride is actually painful. This might be in part because I ordered the car without sport suspension, but the VIN search says that I actually do have it. I rented a new Malibu for a week recently, and I caught myself subconsciously preparing for the pain of upcoming bumps in the road, only to be surprised by the smooth ride. Not the same class of car - I get that, but boy what a difference. Also the transmission is incredibly jerky both in up-shift and down-shift. Also the worst I have ever seen in any car. Again the Malibu was silky smooth. Like I said it is a fun car to drive, and if I can fix these problems next month at the service, I will be very happy.
Yikes! Not good. I have a base car with the regular suspension and she's smooth as silk, and my frame of reference is an S.
Absent an AirMatic suspension there's not a lot of variables or things that might get out of adjustment to stiffen the ride. Theoretically a strut could fail but that would be obvious (and noisey).
Have you checked the air pressure in the tires against the OEM psi on the door jamb sticker?
Yikes! Not good. I have a base car with the regular suspension and she's smooth as silk, and my frame of reference is an S.
Absent an AirMatic suspension there's not a lot of variables or things that might get out of adjustment to stiffen the ride. Theoretically a strut could fail but that would be obvious (and noisey).
Have you checked the air pressure in the tires against the OEM psi on the door jamb sticker?
That just blows me away. I would have to stretch reality to infinity to describe the ride as smooth as silk. The Malibu was smooth as silk - not even close in the W205. Yes, short of taking the car in for maintenance, I have checked everything. I keep 35 psi in the tires.
Yikes! Not good. I have a base car with the regular suspension and she's smooth as silk, and my frame of reference is an S.
Absent an AirMatic suspension there's not a lot of variables or things that might get out of adjustment to stiffen the ride. Theoretically a strut could fail but that would be obvious (and noisey).
Have you checked the air pressure in the tires against the OEM psi on the door jamb sticker?
The door sticker will give pressures for the maximum load, while the fuel filler door sticker gives normal operating pressures. Using the door sticker as a reference, which is commonly done, will leave you with very overinflated tires.
That just blows me away. I would have to stretch reality to infinity to describe the ride as smooth as silk. The Malibu was smooth as silk - not even close in the W205. Yes, short of taking the car in for maintenance, I have checked everything. I keep 35 psi in the tires.
Mine is extremely stiff too, and my car is one of the ones that came out of the factory with the jacked up comfort suspension!
OK, here is what I hate. First let me say that I like the car on the whole, and I think it is fun to drive. But mine has some really big flaws. I will be taking it in next month for the first scheduled service, and I will try to address some of these things. I have talked about these things before on this forum, so this is actually a repeat. I have had two other MBs, but the ride in my C300 is the worst of any car I have ever driven - any car. It's like I am driving on solid rubber tires. Just driving down the road in my neighborhood at 20 mph, my head is whipping back and forth over the small road imperfections. On a bad road the ride is actually painful. This might be in part because I ordered the car without sport suspension, but the VIN search says that I actually do have it. I rented a new Malibu for a week recently, and I caught myself subconsciously preparing for the pain of upcoming bumps in the road, only to be surprised by the smooth ride. Not the same class of car - I get that, but boy what a difference. Also the transmission is incredibly jerky both in up-shift and down-shift. Also the worst I have ever seen in any car. Again the Malibu was silky smooth. Like I said it is a fun car to drive, and if I can fix these problems next month at the service, I will be very happy.
Man, we must be driving two totally different C Class. While I can certainly feel the road (as I would want and expect) in my C300 Sport, it's by no means jarring. I find the drive very smooth and not even close to what you've described. And the transmission is also very smooth shifting. If your car is that painful to ride in, I'd trade it.
When you push down on each corner of the car with your body weight, does it push down smoothly and rebound right back? (It should). Or is it rock firm? You should feel increased resistance as you push down and it should rebound in the same way.
Is it possible they accidentally left any suspension shipping blocks in the struts/springs when they delivered it? Has it always ridden hard?
When you push down on each corner of the car with your body weight, does it push down smoothly and rebound right back? (It should). Or is it rock firm? You should feel increased resistance as you push down and it should rebound in the same way.
Is it possible they accidentally left any suspension shipping blocks in the struts/springs when they delivered it? Has it always ridden hard?
Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't know about the suspension shipping blocks. I will bring it up when I go in for service. It has ridden hard from day one. The C300 I took on a test drive before I bought my car rode smooth. I remember remarking about it to the salesman. That is why I didn't order the sport suspension. It seems they installed it anyway. I expect a big fight on this issue.
Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't know about the suspension shipping blocks. I will bring it up when I go in for service. It has ridden hard from day one. The C300 I took on a test drive before I bought my car rode smooth. I remember remarking about it to the salesman. That is why I didn't order the sport suspension. It seems they installed it anyway. I expect a big fight on this issue.
The spread between sport and comfort shouldn't be as dramatic as what you're describing, even if it did get ordered incorrectly. My loaner 300 is a base car on 17's, so I'd expect it to ride soft. If I end up buying a C300, I'll get the AirMatic just to have some play in the firmness.
One's perception of the ride comfort of the C-Class is very subjective and highly dependent on the types of roads you're on. I have owned both a C300 base with 18" tires and a C300 Sport also with the 18's. I also spent about three weeks in a C300 Luxury loaner with 17's.
All give a fine ride over relatively smooth surfaces, but I found all to be somewhat stiff over rough roads. None of these cars had very compliant rides, and all were harsh over the worst pavement. Having said that, the ride was never punishing and the loudness of the run flat tires contributed to the perception of a hard ride under bad conditions.
My own take on this is that no steel suspension C-Class has a very soft or forgiving ride; all are firmly sprung and can get unsettled on really poor roads. I don't think most cars are much different on those same bad roads, but I would never call any of the C300's I've owned or driven particularly smooth riding cars, regardless of which steel suspension setup they had.
(My comments apply to steel suspension cars only. AirMatic is a whole different suspension system.)
One's perception of the ride comfort of the C-Class is very subjective and highly dependent on the types of roads you're on. I have owned both a C300 base with 18" tires and a C300 Sport also with the 18's. I also spent about three weeks in a C300 Luxury loaner with 17's.
All give a fine ride over relatively smooth surfaces, but I found all to be somewhat stiff over rough roads. None of these cars had very compliant rides, and all were harsh over the worst pavement. Having said that, the ride was never punishing and the loudness of the run flat tires contributed to the perception of a hard ride under bad conditions.
My own take on this is that no steel suspension C-Class has a very soft or forgiving riding; all are firmly sprung and can get unsettled on really poor roads. I don't think most cars are much different on those same bad roads, but I would never call any of the C300's I've owned or driven particularly smooth riding cars, regardless of which steel suspension setup they had.
(My comments apply to steel suspension cars only. AirMatic is a whole different suspension system.)
i tend to agree with you, my mothers steel sprung ml350 is ROCK hard. my dads steel sprung e350 is like butter, and mine is in between. you would think the ml would be really supple because of all the suspension travel
One's perception of the ride comfort of the C-Class is very subjective and highly dependent on the types of roads you're on. I have owned both a C300 base with 18" tires and a C300 Sport also with the 18's. I also spent about three weeks in a C300 Luxury loaner with 17's.
All give a fine ride over relatively smooth surfaces, but I found all to be somewhat stiff over rough roads. None of these cars had very compliant rides, and all were harsh over the worst pavement. Having said that, the ride was never punishing and the loudness of the run flat tires contributed to the perception of a hard ride under bad conditions.
My own take on this is that no steel suspension C-Class has a very soft or forgiving riding; all are firmly sprung and can get unsettled on really poor roads. I don't think most cars are much different on those same bad roads, but I would never call any of the C300's I've owned or driven particularly smooth riding cars, regardless of which steel suspension setup they had.
(My comments apply to steel suspension cars only. AirMatic is a whole different suspension system.)
My standard is my S, on 20s, AirMatic usually on Comfort (unless I'm feeling frisky). I'm driving the same route and roads to take my kid to school that I've travelled for the last three years in the S. It's a mix of smooth asphalt, a washboard patch here and there and a run up the Interstate.
The C suspension is definitely busier, especially at highway speeds, owing largely to the much smaller wheelbase. Rebound is gentler in the S. Handling is better in the C. This is a base C on 17's, not sure which steel suspension it has.
I wouldn't characterize the ride as stiff. I drove an M3 recently. Now that car is really stiff.
I must be used to driving BMWs because even with the Sport (486) suspension and 19" AMG wheels, my 2015 C300 4Matic still rides softer than my wife's 2014 328i xDrive (with 18" A/S run flats).
Before buying my car, I test drove a 2015 C300 4Matic with the base (485) suspension and 18" wheels, and I thought it was way too soft.
12-15-2015, 12:39 PM
