Lexus guy thinking going to the dark side. Really like the looks of the 2015 C300 but afraid of the reliability wrist pin issue. Is the 2016 model any better? Should I look for a C400 any engine issues on that model?
I plan to keep the car for at least 2 years need reliability I drive 30k a year so I plan to beat the car. I plan to go the CPO route.

 

 

Crap that bad huh?

 

 

I can do oil changes, brakes, fluid on my own. w205 Its just a bad *** looking car. Bored of all lexus models ive owned Es350, gs350, and is350 pretty damn bored of them.

the wrist pin issues is what scared me i can deal with little stuff. I just need a solid drive train. Cant fin much on the 15 c400 my understanding is that it was only made in 2015. any issues with this motor? is it shared with any other model?

 

Wrist pin issue is not a problem after the 2015 model year I believe. So 2016+ models will be fine. Also that only affected the M274 turbo 4 engines found in the C300. The C400/C43/C63(S) do not suffer from this issue. The interior of the w205 is absolutely gorgeous even if the exterior is a little conservative looking (for my taste).

Usually with german cars, the more gizmos and electronics the car has, the higher the chance of issues down the line. Consider getting an extended warranty if they offer it for CPO cars for peace of mind. Benz tends to follow a trickle down strategy for electronic features, so cutting edge stuff tends to start in the S class, then get into the E class and finally the C class a few years later. So for what its worth, its relatively safe to say that the C class electronics will have been tried and tested for a few years and any major kinks will have already been ironed out.

 

I say go for the benz. The comfort and performance are worth the maintenance costs for me. You can get a well equipt 2015 C300 with 30k miles for around 25K. Try finding another car with similiar performance and comfort for 25k. I can't think of one.

 

The CPO route is the way to go for someone like you (and me) that drive a lot.

The unlimited mileage CPO warranty is awesome. It goes into effect once the original warranty runs out and extending it for a year or two is fairly inexpensive. I also like the pre-paid maintenance through the dealerships. Together they provide a fixed and predictable cost of ownership without worrying about any surprise repairs or bills. You can get all of that for basically 1/2 price of MSRP in a mostly new car. Plus the pre-paid maintenance can be negotiated and can save a bunch of money on scheduled maintenance.

I enjoy scheduling maintenance, knowing there will be an MB loaner for me to use, being asked if there are any problems at all with the car, and then having it fixed without back and forth calls about prices and repair options. Not bad for a $25k purchase!
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The 2016 C300 have good reliability and the wrist pin was only an early 2015 production issue.
The C400 turned into the C43 for years 2016 and newer.

Good luck on the quest, and don't forget to have fun!

 

Amusing, don't get a C

 

If you get a model with the sport suspension (non airmatic) and any wheel over 17" you will be disappointed in the ride quality...

 

 

What these 2 gentlemen above mentioned is correct. Opt out of a C. My beast I built and had delivered is the last of its kind. The MB of today lacks in comparison to 2016 models for certain classes and years prior. If you want to spend around 25k-30k get into a used one owner w212 E550 4matic. You want regret it. I never had any issues with any Benz, my or my family owned. Hence we never bought below a E class.

 

like he said and moreover I rather have a new accord, new infinity over a c300, or 400 etc

 

I’m both a lexus and MB owner, totally get what you mean. Literally nothing beats lexus in reliablity, but they can get boring. My mother has the new LC500 that’s actually really fun to drive but still not as sporty as my SL63, it’s like a combo luxury/sport and I think it’s pretty. I replaced my daily RX350 with a 2015 c300 and I love it. I did have the wrist pin but it’s cpo extended etc not really worried. I like it, it’s really good on gas and I don’t feel like I’m sailing a boat anymore! On my RX I have almost 200k miles and not once has anything broke or go wrong. I don’t expect my c class to be anywhere near that reliable and I’m ok with that. My SL has been pretty good but it also doesn’t have many miles on it. I considered the Lexus is but I didn’t like how it looked. I wanted something German and decided on mb.

 

I too came from Lexus, and I regret purchasing the 2015 C-300 every day. The ride quality is terrible, and there is much more noise than a upscale or luxury car should have. The car has also stranded us several times, and my wife does not trust the car and will not drive it.

 

I agree with Cali4niadriver and until recently owned a 2000 Lexus RX300 with 106K miles. The Lexus was super reliable with the usual wear and tear maintenance.

This past January, my mother-in-law gave us her 2015 C300 4matic (January 2015 production) with 12K miles. The issues I'm having is the oil/coolant smell coming to the cabin. Right now, the work around is to leave the AC with the recirculate on all the time and the dealer blowing me off. I ordered a Philips GoPure Compact 200 Car Air Purifier. Hopefully that will help with the smell. Also, I may have the wrist pin issue. Apart from these two issues, I really like the car. It's faster and handles way better than my previous 2006 Acura TL.

My wife shares the same sentiments as 7Fd4epzQ "wife does not trust the car and will not drive it".

 

Here's a history of my recent past cars.

2012 kia optima sx (had it for 2 years and 9 months and put 80k miles)
2015 genesis coupe ultimate 6spd (put 60k miles on the car in 2 yrs and 6 months)
2010 infiniti g37s coupe (owned it for only 4 months)
2012 bmw 535i (owned it for about a year and put 10k miles)

after all these, i ended up with my 2015 c400, which i bought at the end of april in 2017 with 22k miles on the car. Since then, i put on 32k miles on the car and here are the things i had to do so far:

-bviously oil changes (using mobil 1 0w40 every 6k miles)
-transmission fluid service done at 50k miles
-brake pads werent worn all the way down but the fronts were warped so i had new front rotors and ebc redstuff pads put on both front and rear
-about to do spark plugs soon
-had the transmission software updated since the transmission was jerky when im slowing down (when it downshifts from 3rd to 2nd). It still does it but not as bad.
-free navi update
-both front axles were replaced under warranty since the cv axles were clicking

after i bought the car, i found out my car was previously a cpo vehicle so i bought 2 yrs/unlimited mileage warranty for 2500. As far as rattles and creaks, it is different from a car to another car but yes i do have some to a certain extent. However, i have my music on 99% of the time so i dont hear anything. This is the fastest car i have owned so far but the only drawback for me is the car is a little too small. When i had the 535i, the size was perfect. Trunk was huge and even when i had the car loaded with people, everyone was still comfortable whereas the c400 isnt. If the size doesnt bother you, this could be one of a good candidate. Other than that and the jerky transmission at times, i think its a good car overall. It has more than enough power and when youre just cruising on the highway, you get 28-30mpg, which is great imo. My genesis coupe was getting only 23mpg at best if i set the cruise at 80mph whereas in my c400, i easily see 27-28mpg.

now, if i had the chance to go back though, and if the size didnt matter, i would spend just a little more for a c450. If the size did matter, i would most likely have chosen a w212 e400 4matic or even a w212 e350 4matic. Most likely w212 e400 haha

 

If you want a quiet car, stick with Lexus.

 

My Lexus 470 had the hydraulic height adjustment go on it.You could hear the pump working to raise the suv,but it stayed all the way down 95% of the time.Every road bump felt like you were in an iron-axles chariot.

I was told that the design was such that the whole unit had to be replaced.Two years ago the cost would have been $3500.

I traded it in.

 

 

My neighbors ES350 airbags activated in an 8 mph parking lot incident. Blew out the windshield, and destroyed the entire dash. It also bowed the roofline a bit. Ya. 8 mph.

 

 

Those damn takata airbags.... 😂

 

Right.
That's why we have a Lexus NX200T that me and my wife plan to keep it for long.
The C43, I'm just leasing it and will return the keys after 45 months.

One SUV, One sport Sedan. One keeping, One playing,
Perfect combination.