der_Wolf

Thinking of buying a 2015 C300 with sport package, and am curious to hear about the ride quality. A lot of people complain about it and say its not great, but not great to what? Is it really that bad?

Likewise, I know there have been some horror recalls on the the 2015 w205, but how commonplace is this? If I bought a CPO that was manufactured in July 2015, what are the chances I'll have problems, let alone lemon quality ones?

Thanks for the help my friends

Mike5215

I can't speak to the reliability issues, mine is a brand new '16 built ten days ago. The other guys who have been here awhile can fill you in.

Ride quality, however...

It's totally relative to what you're coming from. I felt the steel Sport suspension was too stiff but I'm in a very tiny minority. I've been in an S Class in some form since 2006. Nothing, except maybe a Bentley, rides as nice. So my frame of reference is a $100,000 full size luxury car... everything else feels too stiff by comparison. Do I miss my S Class? Not one bit. (And I never paid $100k for any of them. All were CPO and none were as expensive as my new C)

As a stand alone car the C definitely has Mercedes DNA baked into it and it's smooth, quiet, solid, and rides well. If you're coming from anything else in or near the compact sport sedan class you'll be happy with how the C drives.

I would stick with the standard 18" wheels that give you a litle bit of extra sidewall, and obviously most importantly, test drive the car on roads you're familiar with. The sales guy is going to try to take you on a route that's all smooth as glass if you'll let him. You need to get it on surface streets you know well, maybe in not great condition, and on the highway up to at least 75 to rule out any vibrations, pulls etc. that won't show up at lower speeds. I think 80 is really the speed that flushes out issues, but whatever you can get away with.

der_Wolf

Mike, thanks for your response, it answers my question perfectly! I knew it was all relative, but some of the guys on here make you think you're better off riding a razor scooter than a c300.... I'm coming from a 525i, albeit an e34, so I should be in a world of joy. I test drove a 2016 CLA250 the other day with all the goodies, and I found the ride to be nice, and the car a lot of fun to drive. Went from nice roads, to miserable back streets and close to triple digits on the interstate. I'm going to assume that this means I'll be in good hands in the C300.

Again, I appreciate the help!!

rbrylaw

My C300 Sport is a wonderful ride. Simply wonderful. I don't have airmatic and yet, I find the ride very comfortable. As to reliability, mine is now going on 6 months young. Thus far, I've yet to have a single problem of any kind.

StanNH

First year reliability ratings were poor, but later builds seem too be much better.

Steel suspensions on these cars are not soft, regardless of base or sport setups. Run flat tires have stiff sidewalls, so that doesn't help. They're all fine on decent surfaces, but can feel harsh on rough roads.

I have the sport suspension with the 18" tires and it is firm, but not uncomfortable. Actually, with over 10,000 miles on my car, the ride seems a bit more compliant now than it was when new.

sadpanda

Mine was a July 2015 build, and after 5months/4k miles, the worst has been squeaks and rattles (that the dealer fixed).

There's always a question of why a July build would already be a CPO. You typically only get the "2 new cars a year" crowd with more high-end models. If it was a demo car, no prob, but if someone traded it in, there's always the chance that it was a lemon.

Any chance you could swap for 17" wheels at the dealer? I went with the base suspension and 17" wheels, then switched to winter tires. The 17" wheels are the most handsome OEM 17-inchers I've ever come across, so I don't think you're losing out on looks if you go for comfort, here.

I immediately sold the OEM Continentals for $400 on CL - Continental RFTs seem to be so popular with manufacturers because of their low rolling resistance (=higher MPG), at the cost of ride quality. If I go with RFTs for the warmer months, it'll be Bridgestone Driveguards. I've consistently heard that they're the best-riding RFT. Whether it's the tires or the wheels, you might be able to work out a trade deal with the dealer as part of the car purchase.

gfmohn

If you are concerned about ride quality, why are you not considering the Luxury trim? If Luxury trim is just too "old man" for you, what can I say? I really am an old man! But I can ask you (and other readers with the same concerns) what Mercedes less sporting than a full AMG model will have a sporting image even close to a BMW? Image is the only area the Sport C300 is more sporting than the Luxury C300. You will not find the Luxury suspension less sporting in most driving. (Nobody has yet detected any difference between the steel Luxury suspension and the steel base suspension.) Again, if you really are challenging curves, once again, the BMW is the original, sharper blade. So I assume you are backing off on sport, at least a little. But by not considering the Luxury trim, you're giving up not just a slightly better ride, but also (when fully optioned) a much more luxury interior. Luxury is what Mercedes does better.

The full-height side walls of the standard 17" wheels give the best protection against potholes and the best ride possible from run-flats. If the 2016 17" wheels are as good-looking as Sadpanda says, they must have changed from 2015. Those grey-painted wheels are dark enough to have an acceptable level of contrast with my Iridium Silver C300 and possibly with white cars. The "MOE" run-flats standard on the C-Class have a much better ride than regular run-flats. See the Tire Rack discussion at Mercedes-Benz Original Extended Tires (MOExtended or MOE). From the beginning, the Pirelli P7 MOE RTFs were quiet and smoothed out small bumps and broken up surfaces well. I had no trouble in the snowiest winter in the history of the Boston area. After a few months, the ride became even quieter and also acceptably supple, even to my 80-year-old wife.

At the first dealer, I asked for the worst roads in the area. I got some brutal expansion joints on an arterial highway and some really broken-up residential streets. I tested both Airmatic and Luxury steel suspensions. The Airmatic was a little better on the expansion joints and no better on the broken surfaces. Others have said it is not quite as good on small bumps. I did not test it in sport mode. I did not take it.

In other threads, dissatisfied owners are discussing how to unload their 2015 C300s, especially those (like me!) whose engines have had to be rebuilt. Those repairs do show up on Carfax. My rebuilt engine displays no problems. But one owner complained that his engine runs well and shows no problems, but his mileage is down 25%. You will not detect this on a test drive. Another complained that his engine had lost a lot power. He had the 0-60 times to prove it, but neither he nor a dealer selling a CPO car will share them with a purchaser. So I would not buy a CPO 2015 C300.

Mike5215

My first C experience was a base car (neither Luxury or Sport) on 17" wheels and while the ride really was great the visual appeal wasn't there for me.

I may be mistaken, but I believe the steel suspensions in the base and Luxury trims are identical. Sport lowers that suspension quite a bit (I believe 15mm) and that reduced travel naturally stiffens the ride.

I chose the Air suspension explicitly because I wanted the Sport body kit, interior and wheels and the more compliant ride of a Base/Luxury car on steel. For the price it was an easy choice, and if I want to stiffen it up it's easy to make that happen too. I also wanted some flexibility in the event I chose to Plus One the wheels at some point.

Ride is a really subjective thing. You need some seat time to sort it out. Although I found every permutation to test drive, it was hard to find an AirMatic car to try, but it instantly made an impression.

gfmohn

All the commenters that I have read (who have addressed the issue) agree with you. So, for someone who wants both Sport trim and a good ride, Sport styling with Airmatic is the only way to go. I have read somewhere that 80% of MB customers prefer the Sport styling. Here in the upscale western suburbs of Boston, there are a lot of Mercedes of all ages. Not many of them have Luxury styling. With the Luxury trim, I found Airmatic didn't make much difference. The $1100 option price did make a difference to me.

Mike5215

Yeah, when I was shopping the C there was a mega store in Tampa that had a huge selection, literally one of every color, and all varieties of trim except for Luxury. My sales guy said they won't bring one in as an inventory car (customer order only) and that they were rare, like a unicorn.

In terms of bang for the buck, since ride is such a key issue, I thought $1,100 was a bargain. Especially when they get $3,000 for essentially a larger infotainment screen and navi, and $3,000 for Drivers Assist. Both nice packages and all but no fun if you feel like the car is picking up every pebble on the road half the time.

MASSC450

I love the ride my 2015 C300 Sport 4Matic with the 19" AMG wheels & steel springs offers. I felt the Airmatic wasn't necessary, especially for $1,100...

Can't wait to remove my stock Winter 18" AMG wheel & A/S tire set up...it's still snowing here in Mass!

Mike5215

That's all that matters. Sucks about the snow though. It's 70 and clear here.

LateC300

i just had my car reviewed by The Smoking Tire (Matt Farah), and he loved the ride. sport suspension and 19s with the crap tires still ran the short canyon road in the same time as a cls63 and a 500whp GTO despite being "slow as hell" lol

LateC300

tires are really crap from the factory, those run flats are terrible. i was carving back down the mountain after the video shoot and i had almost no confidence in the tires. the car was sharp as hell, but gotta put some meatier tires on there for a more compliant and confident ride

Mike5215

That's friggin awesome. I had a new 2005 GTO with an M6, bone stock though. The C450 reminded me a lot of that car. I think the 0-60 numbers are nearly identical. Although the 6.0 liter LS2 had a phenomenal exhaust sound. Nothing like the sound of a big NA V8. In the twisties though I'd rather have the C450.

gfmohn

Link (or other reference)?

nvestr

C450 here with 19's and I find the overall ride to be fantastic. A C300 will be less stiff, especially with the 18's. There are certainly floatier cars out there but I was really expecting a lot worse before I ever drove a C450. It is stiff, but comfortably so, somehow. Deep potholes will punish you for not avoiding them, but regular road imperfections are taken nicely and quietly.

Mike5215

Not sure if it makes a huge difference but the 450 does get a version of the C63s electronically variable shocks with selectable ride firmness. The C300 without Air is a straight steel suspension.

nvestr

Sorry I did not know that - I thought C300 with Sport package came with a relatively similar technology (but less aggressive)...

Jay_Chicago

It's an awesome ride! Test drive one and you'll see. I've tried BMW 328, Audi A4, Lexus ES350, Infiniti Q50 and none has beaten a C300 ride in my opinion.

PS: also got the Sport package

Mike5215

Well the good news is you got a C63 suspension and probably paid $20k less! When MB slaps a "Sport" designation on a non AMG car it's all cosmetic. Usually a 4pc body kit and wheels.

LateC300

hehe once Matt posts up the video, i'll link it here. should be by the end of the month. that CLS63 was NASTY! long tube headers and no other exhaust mods, stock cat back...it was SO LOUD. we heard it miles away in the canyons

Jay_Chicago

Agreed !! The C300 Sport gives you the look not the performance.

topsider

also the "agility control" gimmick of the standard suspension is bogus. there is allegedly a valve in the shock that opens and closes depending on the road and body movement. there is no difference in feel at all in any way. My dad has an e350 sport which is lower than my car and weirdly way more comfortable, and in the corners it feels like the wheels are on sideways. where as my mothers ML350 feels like its suspension is made of granite, there is zero give going over bumps. you would think with the higher ride height that that would be super comfy and the E would be rough - complete opposite.

my car is somewhere in the middle comfort wise of the E and the ML - over large speed humps it has the cushion of the E and over small pumps in the road the rock hard firmness of the ML.

P.S. my car was also one of the sports that was built with the raised comfort suspension..

Mike5215

Yeah, a strut with "agility control" is still using passive damping. Something about how a normal strut has progressive firmness, but the valving on the AG strut allows it to react and rebound quicker in certain conditions.

I like the non sport steel suspension set up. The loaner that got me thinking about the C had it on 17" wheels and I loved the way it rode and handled. If could have gotten a Sport with a comfort suspension I probably wouldn't have gotten AirMatic.