Puchiyama

Hi guys, my name is Paul, from lima Peru, and i almost ready to buy. My new c class, in Peru is the C180. NOw i am driving a Honda Accord 2.4, and i think is gonna be a big step, not only for the car but for my life. is it worth it to have a Mercedes Benz? Or is all about a big branded marketing. The price extra that we pay worth every dollar?
Tks

DBOC205

It's only worth it if you can afford it and if your expectations are not aligned to the MB slogan of best or nothing. If you're expecting a perfect car simply because it's a Mercedes, you're probably going to be disappointed. Other than that, it's a nice car.

NYbenzzz

i was in machupichu last month!

i would not drive a benz with the crazy a$$ traffic you guys got in Lima, LOL. It's the freakin wild west in there at rush hour. I thought NYC was bad...........

but to answer your question, For me it is worth every penny i've spent on it. I chose my C class over all other brands mainly because of the re-design both inside and out. That's it, only for the looks.
Mechanically i am very dissapointed, but then again i did not buy this car to drive fast. i bought it to cruise around town and feel good while at it. For this purpose, it is worth my money.

NYCSoiL

It's only up to you. Somebody loves the car and somebody don't. Im regretting my purchase, i wish I'd have an option to return my lease within a week... Too many minuses for me and just a little pluses..

Mike5215

If you drive the Benz and get an immediate sense that it's something special compared to your current car, then yes. But the brand over the years has gotten diluted a bit as MB trades some panache for market share. Since my first 89 190E 2.6 thru three S Class and my current C, they're getting lighter, more complex, but less solid and beefy feeling. Used to be you could hold on to a Benz for 200,000 miles with some TLC and luck. Now you'd be insane to hold onto one past the warranty.

Puchiyama

Thanks for your comments, really helpfull. It is true, the "best or nothing" slogan is and aspiration more than a reality. Nothing is perfect in real life, everything could be better.

Puchiyama

did u enjoy Cuzco and Machu Picchu? ....
And about the traffic..it is sooo true!!! We live in hell!! I know. That it is why we need to be comfort, quiet, with good music in the car.
It is a better way to survive the jungle.

Puchiyama

Sorry about to hear your are dessapointed for your choice, i hope you find your the that fits your dreams.
Thks

Puchiyama

I already made a test drive and i had the felling that is a different car than other brands i drove. The true is that when you drive a Mercedes you find yourself a little better than drive a korean car obviusly. I will pay 39,900 US$ but i am not getting all the things that my Honda has, for example: leather seats, sunroof, start buttom, 7 speakers, etc. in short, less equipment more price but it is a Mercedes. Finally i understand, if MB in Peru, brings everything in the car will cost more than 50 grand and nobody could affort it here.
Thks

Jay_Chicago

Owning a Mercedes-Benz in South America is a quite different experience than in the USA. It's almost like showing a piece of expensive jewelry while walking on the street...and everybody notices it. Dealer service may be also quite different and more enjoyable down there since there are not many Benz owners around and they truly take care of those few lucky ones that can afford this car.

Now, while it's a not a perfect car, you'll really enjoy the new C-Class experience (like I do !!). This car's exterior design and interior is quite impressive for the price you're pay. Go ahead if you can afford it.

Mike5215

I prefer my C300 to my prior W221 S Class. The S, moderately optioned, had an MSRP of $106,000 USD, while the C, loaded was $59k. As a status symbol it's hard to beat the S, but in terms of being fun to drive and beautiful to look at (especially the interior) I prefer the C.

MTLMB

Personally, no other car in that price range beats the interior of the c class. It's a piece of art. I went from a 2011 fully loaded jetta with keyless go and push start to a 2013 c300 that didn't even have that. I never regretted it. Sometimes it was annoying that a car double the price didn't have it but still the fit and finish of the benz compared to the volks was much better

Puchiyama

It is true Jay, owning a MB in Peru means you are lucky and one of the fews.
I hope the service will be good too!
I will enjoy to seat in a brand new car.
Thks

Puchiyama

Tha is what i was taking about, my Honda has a lot more features than the C class i am going to buy, and that is why i was asking if it worth it, and crearly the answer is YES! Thanks, i think i am ready now

Mike5215

It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison based on the option lists. The Asian brands are good at loading up their cars with features that check the right boxes. But it's the execution of those options that matters too. It seems like in the Asian cars those options aren't fully baked the way they are in the high end German cars.

Puchiyama

The only thing that i dont like is the version of the c class comes with standard audio system with only 5 speakers and i've heard that it doesnt sound good and deep like the burmester.

Mike5215

It's really thin sounding. Honestly even the Burmester has some room for improvement, but it's a big step up from the Audio 20.

I had a loaner with the Audio 20 and I was able to get a big improvement using my IPhone as a source and the EQu app by Elephant Candy (2.99).

Without some EQ it's tough to get decent sound out of it. Four 4" midrange, no tweeters and one 8" shallow mount sub. Not much to work with.

NYCSoiL

That's what i felt the first time i test drove it. I thought that i loved it.
But when it's started rattling and creaking the next day i picked it up from the dealer i knew that i made a mistake and all reviews that i read about Mercedes being cheap *** were right.. I have this car for 27 days and it rattles as hell. My wife still have 2015 Sonata that is 2 years old and still in like NEW condition with zero rattles, better build quality and absolutely no issues over two years of ownership. And it was one of the first 2015 model sonatas (new generation). My Genesis Coupe lasted me 1 year without any rattles and creaks and it had very stiff track tuned suspension with low profile tires. And NYC roads. Please tell me why do we have so many topics here about W205 being a rattle box? Right, germans are cheap and think that they have already build a name and reputation. Oh, hell no!
I don't understand how come i can't call from the steering wheel in Mercedes, or why do i have to keep the AC ON all the time. With AC being OFF and set at 61F it blows HOT air! . Burmester sound system is completely crap, my OEM iPhone headphones give more base. And many more inconvenient things for me. Again, its just me and i don't like germans cars. BMW has an outdated interior, Audi is way too boring in design for me, Porsche is the same crap as VW (ugliest cars ever IMHO). Im not gonna say anything about French cars (i had Peugeot, Reno, Citroen). Yes, I'm from Europe and moved to the US a while ago. For me, i'll go back to Korean car as soon as Genesis drops G70. Btw, did any of you seen the Genesis G90? Mercedes is far away in any way. Once again, I'm not saying to not buy the Mercedes, I'm just sharing my experience and my mistake. Expensive mistake..

All this is just IHMO, don't judge me hard

tmoneyC450amg

For someone who hates his car you dropped alot of money down the toilet with your mods on a lease

Mike5215

Right? Didn't you just do a plus 1 on wheels and a drop? I think that was you.

Look, I've made the mistake myself of an impulsive lease of the wrong car (for me). An Audi. It sucks. All that money, hated the car, and potentially stuck with it for years. Brutal. Luckily after three months (and I had it listed on LeaseSwap in the first month) my wife discovered she loved the thing and took it over, and I traded her car on a nice used Benz for me. Lesson learned.

But if you're in an environment where road conditions are poor already why compound that by taking the compliance out of your suspension, and then be surprised when, after altering the car beyond its original design limitations, it now behaves undesirably?

Hyundai/Kia? They were the first automaker to offer a 100,000 mile warranty because they had to. Quality was so poor (and at that time so were their customers) no bank would finance them anymore. The cars would break down, the owners had no funds for repairs so they'd just walk away and let them get repossessed. Hyundai eventually created their own finance company and offered 100k warranties because they had to.

They're much better now, of course, but visit any forum, foreign or domestic, and you'll find a segment of that population who hate the car. Go back a generation or two on a model and every thread is a plea for help with some issue or another. There is no magic car that's cheap, well equipped and perfectly reliable in the opinion of every owner.

My advice is to others is to shop carefully. If your car rattled on the drive home I guarantee it rattled on the test drive a few hours earlier. It's easy to get swept up in the adrenaline of a new car buy and miss stuff that might bug you for the next 36 or 48 months.

Turning the suspension into a brick isn't going to make the car rattle less. My advice to you is, as cool as your car looks, I'd put the suspension and wheels back to stock, and get the car into the dealer to address the rattles (or chase them down yourself. Just had to do mine this weekend. Took about 20 minutes and some 3/8" foam tape.)

Sell the mods, replace the run flats with conventional rubber, and put some money into upgrading the audio. If you're into music you'll enjoy the car much more, plus if it rattles you probably won't hear it anyway. I'm serious. The only reason I realized I had rattles this weekend was that I happened to take the car out with the audio off.

Arthrodesis

Are you seriously comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes?

And if you think it's an expensive mistake then you probably should not have considered one in the first place.

Wait until you need to take it in for a $200 oil change, you will really hate it even more then lol.

NYCSoiL

Well, exhaust was ordered the same day i got a car and i don't want to cancel it because they are custom build to order.
ECU tune and wheels i did to fix issues that i didn't like - jerky transmission and ugly 18" wheels with poor (for me) tires.
I'm stuck with this car for 2 years and i did something to at least like it.
Again, I don't hate it, it's a great car but just not for me.

NYCSoiL

I'm not lowered, lowering spring is not a proper mode. It's the same thing as Civic with a straight pipe and underglow neon lol. Selling the mods? Nah, they make me like the car

You're probably a billionaire if $65k car is not an expensive mistake.
They gave me a free service package, so i don't have to pay $200 for oil change. I guess...

NYCSoiL

C'mon guys, why so much hate? Are you work for Mercedes that you need to defend a brand? I learned my lessons and sharing my experience. Don't tell me what to do and don't be rude please. Yes, i like Hyundai and i don't care what people think. How many time I was asked what car i was driving, while i had my Genesis. Nobody trusted me when i was telling them it's a Hyundai. Yes, Accent might be a poor car, but it cost $14k! It's good that I've tried a Mercedes, always was wondering why do people so possessed. I didn't find what i was looking for. I'm glad that you all are.

Mike5215

Okay. It doesn't sound like you like it. It sounds like you want to set it on fire for the insurance money

Anything you can do with mods to improve the driving experience and make the lease go by faster is good, as long as you don't end up throwing good money after bad.

Agree the 18's are homely and show too much sidewall, but I drove a few on 19's and they're really stiff. I got Air on my build so I could plus one the 18's at some point.