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I'm recently divorced from Medford OR. my ex-husband used to do the car shopping and i'm feeling a little loss as this will be my 1st new car purchase.
I have a budget of $50,000. I'm looking at a C300 and an A4.
What are the options that are must haves for this car? I know it starts at 39K or so based on mbusa.com. If you have my budget how will you option/customized it?
Is 4wd important here in Southern Oregon? or is the standard version ok?
Also what are your opinions on the new A4? I think it's cheaper and much loaded in terms of features but I don't know have any other info about Audi other than that.
My husband is a BMW guy and I really am not looking at that brand as it reminds me too much of him
Thank you!
Last edited by hazelsia; Apr 18, 2017 at 05:19 AM.
AWD depends on the weather you get. If you get snow or ice it will be helpful. But keep in mind a two wheel drive car will perform better with winter tires than an AWD with all season tires. AWD does not help you stop sooner in bad weather. That is dependent on the tire.
So you have a few options here. Often times a dealer will only or mostly carry AWD.
The A4 looks like a good option. But I think once you sit in either the Mercedes or Audi you'll know immediately which you prefer. Also, you may prefer one navigation system over the other.
In terms of options, it all depends on what you want. 50K can get you a well optioned C300. But the options list is long. So you should really take your time to go over all of them.
A USAA Membership will get you a few grand off your best negotiated price. Also look at dealer loaners, they are very well maintained and a great value. We got our 2016 C300 with 8000 miles and less than 5 months in service for a little more than a 26% discount.
Originally Posted by hazelsia
Thank you! What kind of discounts are dealers now giving for the C300?
AWD depends on the weather you get. If you get snow or ice it will be helpful. But keep in mind a two wheel drive car will perform better with winter tires than an AWD with all season tires. AWD does not help you stop sooner in bad weather. That is dependent on the tire.
I don't know about that statement. Living in New England just about my whole life, and owning RWD, FWD, and AWD cars, I'll take an AWD car with regular old A/S tires over any RWD car with snow tires when traveling on snowy roads. For the inexperienced Winter driver's out there, the rear will still want to kick out more with RWD, and the front end will plow more since there's no power to the front wheels.
I agree with you about stopping though, that is definitely tire dependent. But have no fear with the C300 4Matic hazelsia, even with the stock A/S tires, the car does great in the snow/rain.
In terms of options, I'd definitely go with the panoramic roof, leather interior, and the "Sport Package" with "Sports Suspension" for looks & handling since you like BMWs (test drive one though in case you feel the suspension is too stiff)...it comes with the 18" AMG wheels & A/S tires. I also went with the COMAND & Burmester sound systems. Oh, and get the intelligent light package too!
But like unr1 said, $50,000 will get you a well optioned C300 4Matic Sport. As for discounts off a purchase, I wouldn't do anything less than 10% off sticker on a new 2017 C300 they have on the lot.
Good luck!
Last edited by MASSC450; Apr 18, 2017 at 10:55 AM.
I don't know about that statement. Living in New England just about my whole life, and owning RWD, FWD, and AWD cars, I'll take an AWD car with regular old A/S tires over any RWD car with snow tires when traveling on snowy roads. For the inexperienced Winter driver's out there, the rear will still want to kick out more with RWD, and the front end will plow more since there's no power to the front wheels.
I agree with you about stopping though, that is definitely tire dependent. But have no fear with the C300 4Matic hazelsia, even with the stock A/S tires, the car does great in the snow/rain.
In terms of options, I'd definitely go with the panoramic roof, leather interior, and the "Spork Package" with "Sports Suspension" for looks & handling since you like BMWs (test drive one though in case you feel the suspension is too stiff)...it comes with the 18" AMG wheels & A/S tires. I also went with the COMAND & Burmester sound systems. Oh, and get the intelligent light package too!
But like unr1 said, $50,000 will get you a well optioned C300 4Matic Sport. As for discounts off a purchase, I wouldn't do anything less than 10% off sticker on a new 2017 C300 they have on the lot.
Good luck!
Spork package, that's a new feature, is that on MY 2018 🤣
If I were building a C for my wife with a $50k budget.
Base, 18" wheel package, Pano, Premium 3, Park Assist
I left out the Sport appearance package, and the Driver's Assistance package. Presuming you could get at least 10% off MSRP you could add in Drivers Assist (Adaptive Cruise, Steering Assist, Lane Keep Assist, etc) by changing from a Premium 3 to Premium 4 package.
Last edited by Mike5215; Apr 18, 2017 at 10:56 AM.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Does premium pack 2 have nav? Or do i have to jump to Premium 3 to get nav?
P3 or higher for the nice HD based navi. Navi also comes with COMAND online, which includes a larger screen, HD music storage, etc. Otherwise you can do a P2 and add Garmin navi for $600. IMO the small screen and Garmin cheapen the cabin too much.
Thank you all. I think i might get it with premium 3.
What do you guys think of the a4? Is the a4 as reliable as the mercedes?
I've seen both in person and both are equally impressive.
A4 is a very good car indeed. The ambient lighting in that is much better than in C class. I also like the S-tronic over Mercedes 7 and 9G. It all comes back to price and your initial gut feeling when you sit and drive.
I say, go for distronic in some way (I can figure why the packages are built this way), but some sort of assistance package. And tinted windows, black roof liner etc.
Thank you all. I think i might get it with premium 3.
What do you guys think of the a4? Is the a4 as reliable as the mercedes?
I've seen both in person and both are equally impressive.
Audi has done very well in reliability studies the last few years, but historically, its reliability has been awful and even now, there are some stories on this forum about members whose Audis had really surprising issues under 50k miles. However those are just anecdotes so take them as such.
Mercedes has had some issues with the roll-out of its new models, but the C class is in its third year and should be pretty good as far as luxury German cars go.
I'm recently divorced from Medford OR. my ex-husband used to do the car shopping and i'm feeling a little loss as this will be my 1st new car purchase.
I have a budget of $50,000. I'm looking at a C300 and an A4.
What are the options that are must haves for this car? I know it starts at 39K or so based on mbusa.com. If you have my budget how will you option/customized it?
Is 4wd important here in Southern Oregon? or is the standard version ok?
Also what are your opinions on the new A4? I think it's cheaper and much loaded in terms of features but I don't know have any other info about Audi other than that.
My husband is a BMW guy and I really am not looking at that brand as it reminds me too much of him
Thank you!
If you regularly run down to Ashland or if you ever cross the Siskiyous in the winter months get the 4-matic, you'll be glad you did.
Are you buying or leasing? You should read up on negotiation beforehand. Mike5215 has written up an excellent article on negotiating a car purchase. It's the last link in his signature line. It's one of the best buying guides I've seen and I've read quite a few. http://www.carbuyingsite.com
The A4 is a nice car too. I would suggest cross shopping similarly equipped A4 and C300 models and pitting the dealers against each other.
You should be able to easily get 8-10% as a standard discount below MSRP for either the Audi or the Mercedes. If the dealers near Medford won't budge email dealers up in Eugene and Portland/Metro and down in Redding.
As a side note I would really encourage you to get Distronic. If you aren't familiar with it you should look into it. But it's on the highest premium package. They may change that for 2018 models and make it available as a stand alone with premium package 1 or 2.
I'll take an AWD car with regular old A/S tires over any RWD car with snow tires when traveling on snowy roads.
I wouldn't. The RWD will have better traction than the AWD which means better handling and stopping. But I can understand people feeling more "secure" driving an AWD in bad weather.
An AWD system can detect individual wheel slippage and compensate, and all four wheels can have power (and braking) applied independently to keep the car pointed in the direction you want it to go. It's the preferred configuration for traction and handling in wet or snowy conditions. A FWD car, which pulls rather than pushes, and has the weight of the engine over the drive wheels, is also more predictable and easier to handle in the snow. A RWD car is most at a disadvantage in inclement conditions.
You are just muddying the water and are not helping the OP.
For snow and ice:
AWD >FWD>>RWD
Rear wheel drive will always be harder to control in winter weather. Careful tire selection can mitigate this slightly.
you're wrong but okay. And I'm not talking to the OP anymore I'm talking to you.
edit: I'm not going to debate AWD vs two wheel drive. You can believe what you'd like. My understanding is that the tire has the most significant influence on safety in bad weather, not the amount of wheels you drive with. If I'm wrong please source your information.
I would assume that you have visited local dealerships, and driven the models you mentioned. That said, how did you feel you were treated when you went to look at the dealerships? I'm prejudiced towards M-B so be aware FWIW! 4Matic is the way to go with the weather around Medford. According to ODOT AWD with All Season tires are allowed to operate without chains when the roads are restricted as long as you carry chains. If you decide on a C Class, get a few prices online, and then go deal with M-B Medford. This worked for me on two occasions last year.
Maybe this will help a little. 1st time Benz owner as of this past December... 2014 one owner off lease C300 4matic Sport Sedan.
1st... I live in central NH in what the weather folks call the "higher terrain". My 31 mile commute can often flip between rain/mixed/snow based on elevations. The current 4matic system with stock tires... not bad. With snows... it is a tank. And when I say tank, I traded in a Eddie Bauer Explorer (running on snows in the winter) for the 300. That being said I am not sure what you are coming out of regarding your current vehicle, but these cars sit pretty low to the ground compared to something like a Subaru or a SUV/Crossover. Snow depth and snowbanks can be a little more shall we say 'interesting' ;>
2nd... Lighting. Not sure what is standard on the model you are looking at but the traditional halogen headlight offering is terrible in fog or any precipitation. And the standard 'fog light' is a bright red light on the back of the car. Please consider at least an option package that provides the HID headlights.
3rd... Costs. I drove both a C300 model with an AMG appearance package inc/the 18" AMG style rims/tires; then a Sport with the stock 17's. Ride is noticeably harder and the costs for tires is significantly higher with the 18's. Snows were even more pricey. I also found that insurance between a comparable A4 versus a C300 was ~300 or so higher on the A4. BTW if you do go the snow tire route at some point, better to buy a 2nd set of rims and run all 4 of the same size/width tire so you can rotate them at least front to back. C300's have a staggered width setup. I hope this helps.
The C300 gets attention from being pretty which is where the A4 differs it just doesn't come off as something special on the road and it has that amazing tech package with virtual cockpit.
Consider air suspension if your city has potholes , my c300 is just a pain to drive I'm getting rid of the run Flats for conventional tires so I'm hopeful lol
The panoroof was a nice surprise to have I would recommend it plus upgraded burmester with the litghing package
Please. I lived in Buffalo for the first twenty five years of my life. My kid brother still lives up there and every driver in his household has a Subie, because nothing else can climb his driveway in the winter. I'm pretty sure he's heard about "winter tires" (he's a mechanic) but next time I talk to him I'll let him know just in case they want to trade in the Subarus for a bunch of Camaros, for maximum traction.
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