Yeah. "Comfort" on the 450 means slightly less torture. Not knocking the car, because it goes like a raped ape and sounds great doing it, but if you're used to an S like I was its too big a stretch. Compared to an S, a C300 will already feel quick and sharp.

I actually drove 5 hours to buy a C450, had it overnite and got to drive it on highways and surface streets, but ultimately decided against it based on ride. This was on 19" run flats, which alone are very stiff.

If your heart is set on the C450, get it with the 18" wheels and replace the run flats with conventional tires. That'll help.

 

Would you say that the C450 (on 18s) in comfort is like driving with the standard suspension on the C300 sport on 18s?

Thank you for you help!

 

Its hard to say since I didn't drive them back to back but that's a safe bet. I also wasn't crazy about the persistence of the exhaust note in the 450. I love how it sounds when you get into the throttle, but on the highway it would be nice to be able to get away from it. Even cruising in 7th it's a constant. Generally the 205 is a noisier cabin environment than a 220 or 221 (obviously) to begin with. Nowhere near the insulation levels. Is there a dealer with a C450 on 18" you could drive?

 

Maybe. Mercedes Benz of Manhattan is right next to me, they are the only Factory dealership in the country, I'm pretty sure they have everything in stock.

 

Yeah, I'm sure they must. My tiny local store usually has at least two in stock.

 

The C450 with 18" rims on Comfort is very smooth. In fact, even in sport suspension settings its a comfortable ride. When you dial in the combination of settings in Sport+, well then you have a stiffer, rocket ship like ride.

My wife went from a Mercedes E wagon to the GLK SUV to the C450 and could not be happier. I just wish she'd let me drive the car once in a while.

 

I'm getting very different views from everyone. I'm confused. Looks like I'm getting C43/C450..

 

Because ride quality is entirely subjective and usually relative to your personal frame of reference. Gotta take the car(s) out, preferably on roads you're familiar with, both surface streets and highway if possible. (They're usually stingy with test drive miles on 450s. Buyers want them as fresh as possible.)

 

Are you basing your assessment on city roads with small potholes and bumps?

 

You can get more luxurious features on the 300 in the US. For example, the 450 doesn't offer a heated steering wheel or ventilated seats. That was a big surprise to me. I assumed the 450 had them as standard equipment, but found out they were left off the options list because they were not available at all.
I ended up ordering a 450 without the interior leather pack, and the msrp was about $4k more than 300 with leather. But for me the decision was easy as only one of them offered red seat belts.

 

For me the reason why I got a C300 and not a C450 is because I already have a sports car. So I wanted something quiet, comfortable and decent on gas. If I only had one car I would have splurged on the C450.

 

Gotta drive one and decide for yourself. You know what is and isn't acceptable in ride quality for you.

 

Hell I thought the C450 with 18 inches was comfortable and I only drove in Sport + the entire time, haha. Guess I'm retarded, or just completely numb.

I ordered 19s and I don't intend to change them (run flats) until it's winter time and I get 19" snow tires. I don't foresee it being a problem at all, for me.

 

Glad I came across this thread. I am a long-time member here but have not posted in a very long time. I am looking to get a new car by September and I have narrowed the search between a C 300 Sport 4Matic and a C 450 (or, by the time I buy, a C 43). I briefly thought about the brand new E class, but I am uncomfortably outside my sweet $53 - $57k range. Plus, I find the new E design a bit bland compared to the Cs (my subjective views).

Anyway, I am torn deciding between a somewhat well-optioned 300 and a dirt-base 450. My highly desirable options on the 300 are:
- 19 inch wheels and night packages (I intend to go with a black car)
- lighting package (who drives a Mercedes with halogens?!)
- Panorama roof
- red leather interior (in love and lust with this since the very first C class pic) which unfortunately makes me add Package 2
- and driver assistance package (I will likely have a 120-mile daily commute with a future job and moving situation)

These bring me to an acceptable mid $55k range MSRP.

On the 450, I probably would go for only the following:
- Night package and 19-inch wheels (same style as available on the 300)
- Panorama roof
- Red leather interior

These bring me to a borderline $59k MSRP

My questions to those familiar with both of these: Is the 450 worth the basic specs and slightly higher price for what it offers? Is it as comparatively rough as they say to the point it gets annoying and droning on the highway? I will drive Michigan and Ohio highways. Also, are there any options people found irresistible when shopping only to realize they don't have much use for? On the flip side, are there any options people neglected only to regret not getting them later?

I am seriously split on this. Finally, to add more torture to myself, is anyone seriously considering the new E?

 

I absolutely love my 450 and traded a 2011 c300 sport. The difference is night and day, and the term droning is misleading. At some speeds, often less than road noise, there is a low frequency rumble or growl! It is not intrusive and reminds me that a slight tap on the throttle will take you up to 100 before you are aware of it.

 

Please don't take my old soft S Class sense of ride quality as a dig on the 450. I also felt the S63/S65 221 was too harsh. The S600 was more my dream 221. Big power and everything else luxury and comfort.

AMG cars charge an enormous premium for horsepower. They're also true performance cars, for better or worse. There is no escape. It's an AMG 24/7. So if you crave that power and like the exhaust sound and firm ride, get the most well equipped 450 your budget can handle.

On the other hand, if you prefer some luxury and amenities, putting the same money will get you a loaded C300. I had the same dilemma and drove 5 hours to buy a 450 on 19". I had it on loan overnight and decided to take it on an interstate, and I'm glad I did because the exhaust droned, and the car transmitted every expansion joint into the cabin. Some of that was the plus one wheels, and the run flats didn't help either.

I ended up spending $60k on the C300 and I love it. Every single option but AWD (Florida) and roller shades. For me, AirMatic transforms the car. I've managed to use all of the other options except Park Assist and for what they cost, worth every penny.

I was torn between a nice 450 I could have had in January, or a C300 build but the long test drive in the 450 immediately resolved the conflict for me. You have to take a 450 out on roads you're familiar with, set aside the emotion and envision living with the car for several years.

 

The four cylinder is a turkey. The car does not drone, it rumbles.

The c300 is for guys that think they have made it, and haven't. The 450 is just pure fun, a driver's car.

 

It rumbles at idle, roars under load, blips on downshifts and like most performance exhausts, drones at highway speed. The 4 does not have a great exhaust note no matter what it's doing, but it has plenty of low end grunt and it's nearly silent when cruising. Neither engine is a bad choice, just a question of where a buyer wants to put his money. If I had the option I'd have picked a C400.

 

Listen, if you're driving a C Class of any kind that isn't a 63 and you think it means you've "made it", it's time for your friends to stage an intervention.

You realize you're driving a car with the thinnest excuse in Mercedes history to get an AMG designation, and you think the C300 guys are "posers"? Hilarious.

 

Thanks for your responses, and I hope others keep coming. I am a "car guy" but mostly adoring from afar. I do appreciate power and tight suspensions but know that a performance car can get a bit long on the nose for me. I have spent time on highway (90 percent of my use) with a C7 corvette and a r230 SL 500. I also happen to think an S class is way too big for my preferences given some past experience. Some occasional experience with the 212 E class has also completely turned me off to thst model/size class. So I know I like the C size. I am taken with the new C from a design perspective and, with the right color combination I think it can be amazing. By the way, I would be coming from several years of mid-size Asian models. So I kind of get the idea that the C 300 will not leave me wanting. However, it is the incremental nature of these cars that kills me. So I go spending a nice ***** of change on a car and then find myself thinking: "for five grand more I could have had a twin turbo v6 and another 120 horses." It is this kind of reasoning and fixation with incrementally pushing myself that has helped me be successful at work but really a mess when it comes to shopping decisions. So, I am really hoping someone chimes in decisively in favor of the 300 (which my rational self says is the no-brainier for me).

Ha ha to the "making it" comments above. In my mid thirties now I am far less concerned with appearances and the status symbol than I would have been in the past. In fact, my car choices Over the years have been deliberately "vanilla" to fit a certain culture in my firm and circles (investment advising for regular to moderately high net worth individuals).

 

I feel ya, believe me. If I could have gotten the horsepower without the racket, and Air so I could have some wiggle room on the ride quality, I'd have been willing to go another $10k. It sounds to me like you really want the 450, and you'll regret settling for a 300 unless you can affirmatively rule out the 450 first. Have you been able to drive one yet?

 

I think nothing of the kind. It's just a fun car.

 

The four cylinder engine is a piece of crap. Buy the 450 and have fun-it's a fun car.

 

Damning with faint praise. The 450 gives you a tuned transmission, too.

"The C300's 241-horsepower turbocharged engine is more than adequate for luxury buyers, but thrill seekers will want to opt for the 362 horses found in the C450 AMG, a car that splits the difference between the comfortable ride of the C300 and the sometime abrupt feeling found in the pricier C63 AMG." -- Kelley Blue Book
"The 2.0-liter mill delivers maximum torque from 1,300-4,000 rpm and in situations ranging from heavy traffic to spirited mountain driving it had more than enough power to entertain." -- AutoWeek (2015)
"[W]e'd have no problem recommending the smaller-engined C300 to the vast majority of buyers. With the 2.0-liter engine's immediate torque providing great throttle response, it's absolutely adequate for enjoyable daily use, especially given the significantly lighter weight it brings (3,417 versus 3,737 pounds)." -- MSN Autos (2015)

 

while most post on forums are enthuaists, not everyone need 300+HP.

if someone putts around in traffic in a dense city most of the time but want all the trimmings, C300 is fine.