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am i the only one who bought a w205 without tesst driving it?
Long story short: i was too busy with work, i had to do all negotiations over the phone with 2 dealers. once i got what i wanted, i went there traded my g35 and drove out the c300 the same day.
don't get me wrong, i did plenty of research online before leasing this over a RC350, IS250, A4, A5, M2, 428i. none of the other choices had an interior as elegant, modern and luxurious as the C class.
i'm in my mid 30's, so i guess i wanted something quiet and nice.
on my way home i was OVERWHELMED by the overall design and cabin quietness. But when i got into the highway and punched it................wtf the sound of a civic, LOL.
no really, i do not regret my purchase at all. even without test driving it beforehand.
Same here and I'm glad I didn't ! Took me like 30 days of constant adjusting to get seat right engine sound wasn't an issue since I could hear nothing with music,drove it mostly in eco for a few weeks cause the power kept catching me off guard
Also what else was I going to get ? The A4 wasn't out yet / a4 interior is no match when it showed up.
I was a little more methodical. It was replacing an S Class so I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be disappointed after the novelty wore off. First I had one as a loaner for a couple of weeks and loved how it drove. Then I decided to do a build and get exactly what I wanted. The engine...eh. Hard to go to a 4 after the last five cars had 8's and the last S had a custom exhaust but when the non AMG C has only one engine choice, whadda ya gonna do?
Now that new E400 Coupe with the TTV6...That's a contender when the C comes off lease.
Last edited by Mike5215; Dec 14, 2016 at 07:57 PM.
I was about the same, I saw it online, instantly knew I loved the look inside and out. Sent my wife to test drive and drop a deposit if she thought I'd like it. First time I drove it was an hour before it was titled mine the following day. Very happy.
.....did plenty of research online before leasing this over a RC350, IS250, A4, A5, M2, 428i. none of the other choices had an interior as elegant, modern and luxurious as the C class......
I'm a bit like you....know what I want, do extensive research, and don't need to test drive. Didn't need do so for an '06 G35 coupe, nor '09 C63, and though I normally don't give in, my sales rep insisted on driving the C450 (same rep as the 63).
It actually reminded me of the G35/G37 loaners I love running hard while the coupe's getting serviced, except with a more solid, better feeling chassis, more power, way more luxurious (I know, duuuuuh), among other things; just a better car overall.
But no, I don't believe it's truly necessary all the time. You're not crazy.
I had a W204 I wanted to replace. Went to my dealer and there were a few C200s on the floor but none with the options I wanted. To get a C200 with my specs would have been three months and I wanted the car within a fortnight.
Ended up buying a C250 that had just arrived on the ship. All the options i wanted and not a single test drive. They arranged delivery within 5 days of the ship docking in SYD.
on my way home i was OVERWHELMED by the overall design and cabin quietness. But when i got into the highway and punched it................wtf the sound of a civic, LOL.
Drove a C300 a while back for like 10 minutes. It was a base model and I was like it is just ok.
Decided I wanted to get in on these good C450 deals. So I negotiated without driving it. Got to sit in the car and look around it but never drove it until I took delivery. I don't regret it one bit.
Im in a C300 Sport loaner now. The engine at idle is a little busy "ticking noise" and under acceleration reminds me of a rental Corolla I had a year ago. Smooth engine though.
I thought I wanted a 450, found one five hours away, gave them a deposit over the phone and drove up the next weekend. Hated it. The exhaust note hit me like a 2 cycle chainsaw. Rode like a truck (19" run flats and it happened to be 30 degrees out which didn't help)
The dealership let me take it overnight and the next morning it had warmed up and I took it on the interstate. The C450 needs at least one more gear so at highway speeds the engine can relax and you can escape that unrelenting exhaust drone. The suspension bucked on every expansion joint and I never felt like the chassis settled down. The power was fun in short bursts but I had a feeling that would get old.
I ultimately passed on it but since I liked my sales rep and planned on spending $63k on what would have been a moderately well equipped C450 I ordered a fully loaded 300 on 18" with AirMatic and still came in under $60k, and got $6k off of that.
For me, the ideal C would have been a 400 on AirMatic, but I enjoy the hell out of the 300, even with the underwhelming exhaust note. It's plenty quick in Sport mode and you can't beat the ride quality on air.
There is no "wrong" choice. That's why Mercedes offers the C in so many flavors.
Ordered my first Benz (C400) in April 2014 before any W205s were available to drive. It was delivered in September 2014. I got to see the show car at the NY Auto show, but couldn't even sit in it. I took a chance. After dealing with the early build issues and driving it for more than 2 years. I'm very happy. The combination of Airmatic and the V6 power are perfect.
Just changed my W205 for a C205 but got both (on lease) without test driving. I test drove a Lexus IS300h and I was really keen on it but then the C220 came up and my partner had such a good deal on it. (He does the shopping, I do the driving :p ).
When the guy dropped it off I had to ask him to show me how it worked, I'd never driven an auto before either.
I think with it being such a huge upgrade from my previous car, I don't think I could've gone wrong.
I bought one last weekend without test driving it. I knew I wanted a C300 after doing lot of research online. Figured out what I wanted and sent the configuration to a few dealers in the area and bought from one who had exactly what I wanted at a very reasonable price.
I do not regret my decision. It is a really nice car with very impressive interior and exterior.
Before I jumped into the C400, I was looking at 2014 A6s. Found one, a 3.0T with the tan interior...online, love it. I drove like 45 mins to see and test drive it. The test drive confirmed that an A6 wasn't for me...too big and I didn't feel connected with the car. I'm not posting to bash Audi, just to say that a test drive was critical for me.
Of course...I post this, after posting above that I didn't test drive my C400, my wife did...guess I was confident she knows me well!
I didn't test drive. There were no C450's in Utah at the time I was shopping. I test drove a c300 just to get an idea of the car but after getting the 450, the 300 is no where close to it in any way. My decision to purchase the car without seeing or test driving (something I never thought I'd do) was based on research. I watched a few Youtube video's and read some reviews on it. Everyone that has driven this car loves it, and after my first mile driving it, I knew I had made the right decision.
Last edited by sean1.8t; Dec 18, 2016 at 01:55 PM.
I drove the heck out of my 2017 C300 sport sedan before I got it. Was coming from having 7 Lexus vehicles and wanted to make sure I was making the right decision as far as responsiveness and comfort of the seats. I had a 2015 Lexus RC 350 fsport that I loved, but the lowness of the car was killing my prexisting back condition that started acting up as soon as I got the car. I did extensive test drives in my c300 before pulling the trigger. I really am enjoying it and I find it much quicker and responsive than my RC ever was.
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engine sound wasn't an issue since I could hear nothing with music,drove it mostly in eco for a few weeks cause the power kept catching me off guard 
