*Warning long rant*

Perhaps this is better suited for the W223 folk who seem to only be disappointed on their side of forum, but as a W205 owner I will stay in my lane. Let me start off by saying that this is not my first MB and will probably not be my last. We’ve been a rather loyal MB family. Over time we’ve been lucky to own 2 E-Classes, 3 C-Classes, one Sprinter (Hahahahah yes jumped on that craze) and 2 SL. Up until the W205, they have been absolutely bulletproof. A complete 360 to what we experienced at BMW. Two 7 series, a 5 series and an X5 that were all absolute junk. BOTH 7 series left us stranded on deliver day and the 5 series nearly paid for itself in warranty work and left us stranded a couple times as well. Vowed never to return. After learning about the Quandt family that decision was made even easier. My experience at MB has been the opposite. Both E classes were bulletproof, with one of them flying past 200k miles before retirement. My SLs bulletproof. Sprinter bulletproof. My W204 saw hell and back in its 120k miles and was absolutely bulletproof. The majority of these cars listed were purchased new, and if not, they were nearly new with just a few thousand miles. I try and stay away from used cars as I don’t trust the history reports as I know how easy it is for dealers to tamper with them. I baby my cars as I am a little OCD about them.

Now comes the W205. My first one was a 2015 and was a lemon. I guess that one is on me. I knew better than to buy a first year, especially one coming out of that terrible Alabama factory on a brand new assembly line that has never once made a C class. It suffered from the dreaded wrist pin issue, horrible interior creaking, nasty dash rattles and a horrible vibration that was felt through the entirety of the chassis that they were never able to diagnose or fix. It was so bad that my local dealer actually banned my car from ever having warranty work done there ever again for that vibration issue. Luckily MBUSA bought back the car after agreeing that it was unacceptable. Fast forward a little bit and I decide to try my luck with a 2020. Having owned it for over two and a half years, and with my lease coming to a close in 5 months here are my thoughts:

If the title of this thread hasn’t already given it away, the bad outweighs the good.

First let’s talk exterior fit and finish. My 2015 was honestly pretty great. And my 2020 for the most part as well, minus the orange peel and soft paint. Now this isn’t really their fault. New paint regulations that were implemented shortly after my first W205 are really to blame as pretty much all car makers were all impacted pretty heavily by it in their paint quality.

Interior Quality: the creaking is night and day better than my 2015. It still exists but not to the extent where I get embarrassed with people in the car. It is also parked outside with the sun beating on it (2015 was garaged) so I’ll cut it some slack. Rattles are a different story. My 2015 had a couple dash rattles but overall wasn’t horrible. My 2020 has no dash rattles but pretty much everything else rattles. Seats, seatbelts, headrests, door panels, speakers, ac vents. It sounds like an American car from the 70s over uneven roads. I’m actually kind of embarrassed sometimes with others in the car. However when that isn’t happening, interior fit and finish is honestly very good.

That’s about where the positives stop. A couple may know how much I love this car, and I do. But it’s like being in an abusive relationship. You may love her but sometimes it’s just time to pack up and leave. I love the way it drives. It’s so light, nimble, quiet, quick and comfortable (when the road is buttery smooth). The AMG line suspension is too tough for the average Joe on our pothole infested SoCal streets, but I knew that with both W205s as I was chasing the precise sport sedan and not a wallowy boat. Let’s start with the new M264 4 cylinder. It is quieter (not by much) than the M274 in my 2015 that it replaces. It is also smoother, peppier and (maybe) more reliable(?). I say “more reliable(?)” because I’m honestly not so sure it is. Sure the M274 had the wrist pin issue and then the grenading issue but not once did I ever feel my M274 misfire. In my new one it happens all the time. I’ll just be idling at a light and the car will hiccup. It’ll send a misfire or two that feels like a mini earthquake for a split second and then it’ll catch itself. No CEL, no codes, nothing the dealer can do. Nice! Then there are the infamous warping brakes. There have been enough threads about that so I won’t dive into it. Then there’s the horrible downshifts from my 9 speed that I never experienced in any of my 7 speed MBs. There’s my mysterious (and apparently untreatable) howling from the rear at high speed that sounds like the rear end will just blow off the car at any minute. Then there’s also the (unrelated to the rear howling) front end vibration like my old one. It’s done it since new and just like my 2015 the dealer was never able to diagnose it or fix it. I’ve read of it happening to others as well so at this point I’ve chucked it up to something either with the W205 or something with the Alabama plant. Luckily it’s not bad and only happens in a small mph window so I’ve been able to easily live with it. It’s just gotten to the point where I’ve given up. I’m not chasing this car’s issues anymore. My lease is almost up so I’m just going to enjoy it until then. Out of sight out of mind.

I’m happy to see that the W206 is no longer built in Alabama but now MB’s issues seem to have expanded from there to the point that I’m considering leaving the brand. Reading all the issues the W223 guys are having when then W222 was a pretty much bulletproof platform, the trash can that is the GLE, the absolute blunder of the R232 SL release, the issues the W206 C300 and C43 are having, and the catastrophically bad new X254 GLC that are dropping dead like flies left and right just doesn’t sit well with me considering that both my W205 were dumpster fires at best from new. I mean hell they couldn’t even get the new G63 4x4 squared right! I love the new W206 despite its flaws (like gaining too much weight) and was looking forward to replacing my W205 with either the new C43 or C300 with the AMG line sport pack. I got my 2020 for a steal of a deal so dealing with its issues had a silver lining. Considering this type of deal won’t ever happen again, I’m not in the mood to deal with a POS with a three pointed star.

This brand has been is RAPID DECLINE since Ola Kallenius took the stage at HQ in Germany. MBUSA has been in need of a clean house for years (and it’s yet to happen), but as a customer I’d rather deal with lousy releases than an overall crap car. Ola has been extremely vocal about cost cutting and profit priorities. Unfortunately he rewound the clock by about 20-25 years and has brought the brand back into its Daimler-Chrysler era where all their products were crap. It’s one thing to deal with the decrease in material quality (hard plastic galore) in their new cars, but not spending the time to correctly R&D a new platform is a big nono for me. What I’ve seen recently is reminding me a lot of the old E60 5er and N54 BMW days where they rushed their cars to market leaving their customers in some of the least dependable, worst put together cars they ever produced. They paid for it in the onslaught of lawsuits that followed. Ola has proven time and time again that he is unfit. Two AMG reshufflings within a few years is not a good sign. Nor is the fact that he keeps replacing higher up executives like it’s a game. Ola seems very difficult to work with. The rumors from those who work at MB Germany say that he will replace those who don’t agree with him and that since replacing Dieter, has been mismanaging MB. It looks like those rumors are true. In fact when Dieter Zetsche stepped down, he refused to take the seat as chairman and went on record saying that he wasn’t respected and was made to feel like a burden rather than an asset. He was the one who pulled MB out of the hole caused by their Chrysler era. They could learn a thing or two from the guy who dedicated so much of his life to this brand. It seems to me that Ola and his buddies kind of forced him out. Quality, designs, reliability​​​​​, market share, customer satisfaction have all plummeted since Ola put his plans into action. I get he wants to go upmarket but cutting the cheap cars from the line up isn’t going to cut it. He needs to bring back what made a Mercedes a Mercedes as the brand has clearly spiraled out of control in a bad way. The only thing thriving has been the Chinese sector. Which isn’t surprising considering MB is now a primarily Chinese owned brand with its two largest shareholders being both Chinese. Unfortunately it seems to me that the brand is shifting more towards chasing the Chinese market with stupid gimmicks than actually building a car engineered like no other. I know I speak for a lot of us when I say we want Dr. Z back!!!

They say never to meet your heros, and I am a Mercedes fanboy, I will not deny it. There was a point when a MB was engineered like no other. Just look at the R107, W126, R129, W140, W123, W124. From the 70s, 80s and 90s. Hell even the W204 and W212. These were all platforms old and new that were built from a block of granite. The R&D that went into these cars was meticulous and not cheap and it showed. They were the best or nothing. Will I end up in another MB? Probably. But honestly I don’t know. Nothing else really interests me, but at the same time I don’t want to be let down by my hero, yet again.

 

I hear your general concerns and largely agree. However, to be fair, the W205 predates Ola Källenius. He took over from Zetsche in 2019. While he's been at Daimler since 1993 he's been mostly in research and sales functions with a brief stint as the head of AMG before Tobias Moers took it over in 2013. All predates the W205. I think the biggest issue that plagued the W205 was the decision to manufacturer it in Alabama and South Africa, but that wasn't Källenius doing. I personally own a 2019 C63S coupe, which together with the convertible are built in Germany. Still are as 2023 is the last model year. It's actually quite a solid car I must say. Yes, I have some rattles, but that is partly due to the firm suspension. If you find the AMG line suspension rough in a C300, then you probably wanna stay away from a C63. It doesn't rattle more than previous performance cars I've owned, but feels more luxuries and more solid than those cars. Mechanically it's been largely bullet-proofed at ~32k miles, but that's mainly AMGs doing. The M177 V8 hand-built engine is at a very different level than the 4 banger in the C300, and the transmission while at the core is the same 9 speed planetary gearbox, it doesn't have a torque converter and the software is AMG's doing, so also a different level.

But back to the topic, the direction you are complaining about is definitely there. AMG is being headed up by non car enthusiast now, IMO, although they've just had another shake up as you mentioned and obviously they are under pressure by the regulations, but the new AMG products are largely a disappointed. The pig the new C63 turned out to be along with the ridiculous MSRP they want to charge for it is just laughable frankly. I did somewhat enjoy the EQE 53 at a recent AMG Driving Academy event, though. Seems like the W206 C43 and the new SL63 as the most recent models are not selling. $40k discounts supposedly can be had on the latter. I predict that many will bulk at the price of the W206 C63. The signs are already there, now that it can be ordered in Germany. Not many takers so far from what I'm hearing.

As for the regular W206, my C63 is currently in the shop, ironically partly because I discovered the headliner was not installed properly and there's a gap at the top of the rear window and it rattles if you push on it. Unfortunately, I never crawled back there during the warranty to find it earlier, but I've been talking to the service manager and expecting some kind of a goodwill. Will see. They gave me a W206 C300 Exclusive Trim w/ AMG Line package and nicely optioned. What struck me immediately and I've commented on over in the W206 forum is the cheapness of the interior. Hard plastic in areas where you touch daily, such as the door handle and the cheap, crappy capacitive touch buttons are a disaster. Half the time they trigger a different function from what I intended and even simply things like adjusting the volume is a pain in the rear. The software is also buggy. I think it still runs the version that came from the factory since Mercedes me is not activated and therefore it's not receiving OTA updates, but wireless CarPlay keeps disconnecting and it's just overall buggy. Finally connected my phone via USB and that at least is stable mostly.

On the positive side it drives quite nicely actually. Now, the C300 never made my heart beat faster. It's a dull car no matter how you skin the cat, but it makes for a nice daily if one just wants a comfy, smooth car. It kinda drives like a baby S Class even with the AMG line sport suspension. The 9 speed is super smooth. Can't feel the shifts for the most part. My only complaint is that I have to keep it in Sport/Sport+ just to drive normally. Comfort mode is just too dull and frustrating with its lackluster throttle response and 2nd gear start. The interesting thing is that the W206 C300 doesn't really have a Sport+ mode anymore. Sport and Sport+ are the same, except for sound. The sound is the only setting that has a Sport+ mode, everything else tops out at Sport. I think overall that's an improvement, because I always thought the drive modes are largely a gimmick in the regular cars. An excuse for manufacturers to castrate the normal mode in order to meet emissions and mpg targets, but then offer a "Sport" mode in which the car actually drives properly. Hence, only Sport and Sport+ are actually what you wanna use. This is different in the AMG models, where the drive modes essentially switch the personality of the car and the car drives properly even in Comfort mode. Even Sport+ in the C300 isn't anything I'd call sporty, whereas Comfort mode in my C63S coupe is already sporty.

 

I’m aware that the W205 predates Ola, my complaints for the W205 mainly stem from the Alabama plant. My frustrations with Ola is that the W205 had weak points that other models didn’t have under Dieter, but now all the new platforms under his reign have had more than just the normal teething issues. Sorry for the confusion on that aspect. I’ve experienced European built W205s and honestly the built quality difference was noticeable. I’m also at 32k and it’s kind of sad that it feels like the car is already falling apart. I can’t imagine how these things hold up with non enthusiasts who don’t really bother to take care of their cars.

I have no problem with the harsh suspension, the car has great driving dynamics (for its class). I’ve owned plenty of sports sedans and little sports cars that have had some really rough suspension set ups so I’m used to it. I honestly never found it to ride any smoother than the C43, never got to experience the C63 so I can’t comment on that but I’m sure that’s next level lol. The sport suspension made huge differences in how the W205 C300 drove. I would not buy a base car, it feels like a boat.

They say a lot of the 9 speeds harshness is a result of it stemming from the same family as the MCT and that it’s a byproduct of it being converted to a torque converter. Fine that makes sense and I guess you can expect that level of cost cutting from a Honda. But they knew beforehand that it wasn’t the smoothest and yet still ran with it. I wouldn’t complain in a genuine AMG, but there are people in base C300s who bought the car because of the badge who were genuinely disappointed in the way the transmission acted. It’s good the new 9 speed has ironed out a lot of its issues.

I echo a lot of your thoughts about the drive modes. Eco and Comfort are unbearably laggy. S+ in mine doesn’t change much from S, it’s really just less TC but you are right that it is now just there for the fake sound. I also found that the new C300 in upgraded sport guise is not the sport sedan it once was. It definitely has gained a much smoother ride compared to the old car. Apparently enough (non car enthusiast) people complained about the harsh ride that the new AMG line suspension set up is ONLY a shorter spring designed to lower the car by half an inch. What results is something that is pretty smooth. Unfortunately it is not as sporty or nimble as the old car. The old car got a much larger suspension overhaul. I did find that the new base W206 rides a little harsher than the old base car, but the AMG-line car is softer than its predecessor. Funny how that works out. It’s also slower than the old car.

The harsh plastics are pretty bad, especially the mid-level dash area like the glovebox. Upper level dash materials are excellent luckily, nicer than anything in its class. I’d say that overall though material quality took a hit.

Good luck with your C63! I almost picked one up in 2018. It was right before the refresh and there were a couple white new C63 sedans for sale and the dealer was offering some pretty impressive deals. I knew that once I test drove it I would’ve signed the papers so I made sure NOT to do that lol! Kind of happy I did because I honestly don’t know how I’d ever replace that glorious V8. Right now if I were to get another MB after this one it would probably be the new C43. I was looking at both C43s and C300s with my 2020 but ended up with the C300 because I just couldn’t pass up the deal. I think to myself a lot that I should’ve just gone for the C43 instead.

 

Yes, I agree, the suspension in the W205 C300 left a lot to be desired. I had base C300 loaners with the standard suspension and they essentially drove like a drunken sailor. Made worse in the GLC 300 due to the higher center of gravity and I had a C300 coupe loaner once which has the sport suspension standard and it was unpolished and harsh IMO. The AMG suspension used to be harsh, too, in the PFL C63, but one of the best improvements in the FL C63 is the revised suspension. The damping is sublime for a car like this. Where on the highway the C300 coupe suspension made me bounce around in my seat, my C63S in Comfort mode is almost S Class smooth, damping the road imperfections to the point where the body barely moves at highway speed. The contrast was astonishing actually. Yes, on a rough surface road it can throw me around, but it actually gets smoother the faster I drive. Such are the benefits of adaptive damping I suppose. The W205 C43 suspension on the other hand was a known sore spot for many owners. It also got a bit better in the FL. The W206 still has the selective damping suspension, which is not adaptive, but it is definitely much better sorted now. I'd have to take a W205 with sport suspension and a W206 with AMG line to one of my canyon roads to judge the dynamics, but the W206 also has rear wheel steering now, which aids the dynamics.

 

Hahaha yup a drunken sailor is the best way to put it! Unfortunately MBUSA in their infinite wisdom isn’t offering RWS on US spec C300s. The reviews of the new C43 with it say it does wonders for its dynamics. Motortrend only had good things to say about the chassis dynamics on the new C43.

I remember when I picked up my 2020, the salesman told me that they reserve the C300 AMG line loaner cars only for the C43, E43/53 and C63 type cars because “non-enthusiasts” were complaining that they drove too harshly and often had blowouts. It’s rather common in SoCal on our pothole infested roads. I’ve luckily never had a blowout as I am very vigilant when it comes to those.

I remember all the complaints pre and post facelift of the C43 suspension, it’s good to hear that they really dialed it on the C63. On my car at 65 +/- 5 mph the car doesn’t feel settled at all, like you mentioned. It loves 75-100 though. Stable like a freight train. It gets better with speed. Unfortunately at 87+ the rear end starts to make a horrible booming noise making it not very pleasant. Not that I normally drive those speeds anyway.

When the W205 C300 first came out it actually received a good amount of praise from magazines like car and driver and MotorTrend for being pretty good at being a sports sedan. MB had nailed that aspect. They commended it for having done a better job at an electric steering rack than BMW was able to offer with the F30. While a lot of F30 reviews were negative they were positive for the W205 in terms of sporty dynamics. It was short lived when they released the C450 a year later which kind of redefined this class IMO. Sure there was the S4 long beforehand but it was never all that impressive. The C450 IMO is really what paved the way for that type of car and is now why we see the M340i and all other cars that’ve come forward. The C300 was also lightest in its class at only 3400 lbs dry. The W206 C300 has gained way too much weight imo, it should not weigh 3800 lbs.

I just went a canyon run because why not and it reminds me why I like this car despite its numerous flaws. It’s obviously no C63 but for what it is I think it does the job really well. I drove the G20 3 series plenty of times including the M340i and I didn’t not like its dynamics. It felt heavy and uneager to take a corner. Steering was numb, overly artificial and had horrible on center deadness. Even my friend with an M340i agreed that the overall chassis dynamics of my car are superior, so have others who have driven both my car and his (unsurprising considering it is basically a 330i with an I6). Although they would still take the BMW for one obvious reason, the B58. MotorTrend just recently called the M340i a muscle car for the autobahn for the way it drove. Not necessarily a raving review for the once king of the sports sedans. Although my friend’s Guilia would destroy either of these on a backroad, anyone who’s ever sat in one knows why they don’t sell. But at the end of the day while I like the way my car drives, it doesn’t stop it from driving me nuts and that’s something I don’t want to experience for the third time in a row, especially when I plan on paying a whole lot more. I’d honestly rather sacrifice the sporting edge of my W205 if it meant that the new W206 was well sorted which it doesn’t seem to be.

 

most cars you mention are currently all first year models... i've been driving mercedes for some 20 years now, first year models have always been horror show models.
i have always been buying my cars when the model was 3 years on the market. never been let down by mercedes, BMW on the other hand... but they are just crap in general.

 

Just want to say thanks for all the commentary, opinions and information in this thread.

This was an excellent read with my morning coffee!

 

AzurSL, I'm sorry for your difficulties and I certainly acknowledge your frustration, It does concern me that the recent cost cutting might be heading MB back to the terrible late 1990s/early 2000s quality issues. I'm also concerned about the axing of the more affordable models because it'll reduce MB's customer base and I think might make the company more ripe for a takeover although I have no idea at this point who would do so. I don't see BMW dropping the 2 series or Audi dropping the A3 any time soon and I think this will put MB at a disadvantage. It makes me love my 1991 W201, (Bruno Sacco's best model) all the more because it was built during the time when MBs were built to a standard and not a price. Back then people were willing to pay more for an MB because of the legendary MB quality. I have to agree with superswiss that not all of it is Ola Kallenius's fault. I also have to point out that MB is selling more cars than ever. Having been raised by an aviation and automotive engineer with German ancestry. I also miss Dr. Z. He was an engineer and all he did to get MB back on track came from his engineering perspective. I also respect Dr. Z's bad feelings because I think they're well founded. I think renowned engineering companies need to be headed by engineers and not marketing experts. If it's any comfort, Boeing is now dealing with the same issues. My engineer father is rolling in his grave that the new Boeing CEO is a marketing expert and not an engineer. I also have to say that the other car companies all have their quality issues as well, too numerous to list here.

 

Yes, but while some of these models are first years some aren’t. And even some of these first year models are using tech that should have been proven by now. The S class has been out for a while but yet we still read of non stop issues. The GLC is a C on stilts and based on the W206 which was unveiled over two years ago in Feb 2021. The GLE has been refreshed and still probably the worst put together MB. I agree that first years are traditionally not the greatest which is why I waited a whole 5 years for my 2020 and yet they still couldn’t get it right.

 

Hahaha thank you Keith!

 

As a fanboy it hurts to see what they’re doing to themselves. It’s like they didn’t learn their lesson 20 years ago. I guess history really does repeat itself.

I completely agree, back then you paid the premium for the MB quality. Unfortunately they’re trying to get back to that time in history where their cars cost a premium over their direct competition but they are doing so while making a sometimes inferiorly made product. The good old days of MB was when the engineers ran the show and they say that ended in the 90s. I don’t agree. MB said they never spent as much time or money on a simple refresh than they did for the W212 refresh in 2014. That is why I say cars like the W204 and W212 are some of the last true MBs. I owned both and they were absolute tanks that reminded me so much of my R107 from 1986. The W222 S class went through hell and back in R&D testing and MB was proud of it using it as marketing material when it first came out. “The Best Car in the World,” pulling a page out of the W140’s book. They nailed the W222 and it will go down in history. They are trying to go upmarket to they are axing the A (best seller in its class) and B class (who cares) (but not the CLA, GLA or GLB ) but they are failing to actually make a car that deserves to be 10k more than it’s direct competition.

Yes while it’s not all Ola’s fault I think the majority of MB customers who at one point were over the moon and are now very unsatisfied would agree that a lot of our frustrations stem from the direction he is taking the brand. The cost cutting is hugely apparent. His focus that seems to be solely on the Chinese market is alienating other markets. Sure it seems to be working with the young NON-car enthusiast crowd in the US who are non-stop buying the new W206 but even young people don’t want to deal with the issues MB is facing. While the W206 complaints aren’t really that prominent on MBWorld they are pretty much everywhere else on the internet and they all stem from unhappy young MB buyers who are having all kinds of tech issues on a car that came out 2 years ago now. The new GLC is apparently having a hard time selling because of how bad the issues are with it. Not exactly confidence inspiring for a first or second time MB buyer. It looks to me like Ola strategy is aiming for an “immediate success” rather than something long term. They’re making cars that are flashy with all this tech and cool lighting, which I think is cool too, but they are missing the part where they’re supposed to focus on quality and making a well sorted product. And while it didn’t hit them initially, the cost cutting and profit prioritization is already showing it’s cracks only a few years later and it begs the question, how bad will it get before they make a change?

 

Yeah, it amazes me that executives still continue to go down the path of cost cutting, even though historically, this strategy pretty much always ends in hurting the brand. I do somewhat understand it, because they are all competing against Tesla, which seems to get away with building crappy quality cars. VW is now dealing with the fallout from Herbert Diess' hard-on for Elon Musk. Diess went on a cost cutting spree, because he thought quality no longer matters seeing that Tesla is able to sell cheaply put together cars at a premium. So the Golf 8 and all the ID models are terribly cheap designs topped with a dumpster fire of software and the brand took a massive hit. Customer satisfaction dropped something like 40%. Worst in history in the car industry or something like that. Now the VW engineers are scrambling to fix all the wrongs and regain customer confidence. I actually had a Golf 8 rental for a few weeks in Europe recently. While it still drove like a Golf thankfully, the interior and infotainment system was an absolute disaster. It was sad to look at it. My parents owned almost every generation of the Golf, but they drew the line at the Golf 8, so I'm very familiar with it over the years. The Golf 8 is a sad state of affairs, and I fear that's where MB is currently heading. They are losing their core customers hoping to steel Tesla customers that care more about gimmicks than quality.

 

Yup I remember reading about the mess going on at VW. At least they have the ***** to do something about it. I hope MB doesn’t end up having to mess up as badly as VW before some action gets taken. But then again MB is dominating the Chinese luxury market so I guess it’s all ok for them

 

no wonder Dieter went to competitors (just kidding)

anyways not defending MB but the vibration might have to do with four cylinder being unbalanced to begin with assuming your previous cars all at least had a six cylinder?

The rear noise you are talking about, been there done that and still here, that rear differential whine is super annoying I agree and I am still dealing with it to see if it ever gets fixed, alongside with driveshaft pulsing vibration.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c450-c43-...-thoughts.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/c450-c43-...ise-issue.html

I am sorry to hear about the M264 giving you misfire issues, I was surprised to hear that because that is the first case I heard for this engine on the forum.

What is this transmission downshift issue you are talking about, does it happen when cold or when warm, what are the gears you are experiencing this and what kind of feeling is it? Does it jerk, clunk or something else?

Apparently from what I read even on this forum, BMW has became the old Mercedes in terms of reliability, forum members here especially mentioned the current generation 3 and 5 series paired with the I think it was B58 inline-6 engines being the reason why it is reliable.

 

Oh ya forgot about the Boeing 737 MAX

 

Let's hope MB is reading this thread and NOT going VW's route.

 

Let's hope so. VAG just ousted the Audi CEO for failing to deliver and letting the brand lag behind. For now I think MB and BMW are reaping the benefits of VAG falling apart, but I have a feeling that BMW may be the ultimate winner of VAG failing and MB's current strategy backfiring eventually. The AMG E Performance models are alienating existing customers and it's not clear who the new customers are that are gonna buy them. The C43 is apparently not selling, neither are the new SL and the EQ models. During the pandemic, Daimler boasted that they were going to keep inventory low and prices high even after the pandemic and basically make higher profits selling fewer cars, but the tides have already turned. Large discounts are back to move inventory. Not looking particularly good for them so far.

 

Yes. MB needs to rethink their strategy, and fast!

 

the unbalanced 4 cylinder is the conclusion I came to although it doesn’t make much sense considering I’ve been in other 4 cyl MB with no vibration issues. I just read yesterday of the X253 GLC dealing with vibration issues that are known to MB and they claim it’s a software issue but no one really knows. I’ve given up with the rear booming noise, hopefully MB can figure it out before putting my car up for sale when I turn it in at lease end. The transmission issue is the same that C, E, GLC, GLE, S etc owners have complained about when downshifting. Hot or cold, doesn’t matter, it will kick u in the butt whenever slowing down.

Funny enough, my friend with the M340i that I mentioned in this thread earlier actually dealt with some pretty bad oil burning and random CELs. He got rid of it not too long ago. I just heard yesterday that his brother just traded in his F82 M4 as it was towed into the dealer with 45k miles needing a new DCT. They have been a loyal BMW family for two generations but are now also walking away from the brand.

My BMWs never had a moment of reliability, but at least the dealer was always able to fix the problem. My MBs have been pretty much bulletproof until my W205s and the dealers have been incompetent to say the least. I guess the issues I’ve had between the two brands have been different. The BMW’s issues would leave you stranded, those with MB have been annoyances (minus the M274 in my previous car). I would never trust any of my BMWs to make it on a cross country trip. I would have full confidence in my W205 to make a to and from cross country road trip. I just wouldn’t want to get stuck in traffic with this transmission that kicks me in my back, wouldn’t want to get stuck driving at 65 mph as the vibration would annoy the crap out of me, wouldn’t want to get stuck on a bumpy road because this thing will rattle itself to bits and I wouldn’t want to drive through a state with speed limits at 80+ MPH because the rear booming noise would give me a migraine. I feel bad for whoever ends up with this basket case after me. I don’t see this thing making it to 60k miles without the next owner pulling his hair out.

 

Fully agree with everything, although I think the SLs issue stem at its price point. People seem to want them, even 911 guys are ditching Porsche for the car, they just don’t want to pay as much as MB is asking for. They SL sells at the right price, not at 200k. But overall from AMG to EQ this brand is falling apart. You know it’s bad when you can lease and EQS450+ for less than a nicely equipped C300. They got cocky and are now dealing with the consequences of their actions. Something the best way to learn is to get humbled.

 

Hmmm I see, if you driven MBs with four-cylinders and don't experience vibrations then it is fair to say it is not normal.

The transmission shift issues which gears exactly?

The other vibration you talked about is from the steering though, which a software will improve it I can't say it solves it though, that vibration issue was introduced in the facelift of the X253 weird enough, as the pre-facelift didn't have steering issues or concerns so it was even more strange that MB "fixed" something that wasn't broken on the facelift.

I see, well, reason why I mentioned BMW was because many forum members here claimed they had been more reliable and had no issues for those who had it as a second car but still a daily driver (so switching between MB and BMW on a daily basis) your experience however is different to what I read and therefore gave me a big pause.

 

The transmission issue is most prominent when going from third to second. It does happen from both fourth to third and second to first although not as much as third to second. I’ve gotten good at regulating it and predicting it. I let off some brake pressure right when it’s about to downshift as a way to smooth it out. Works pretty well, but it’s rather annoying to have to think two steps forward when driving a Mercedes of all cars.

Yeah I was reading that whole thread on the X253 forum yesterday. I could not stop facepalming. The idiotic decisions MB has been making blow my mind. I don’t see why replacing that perfectly fine steering rack was something they really needed to do for the facelift.

 

I see, was any software update requested at a service appointment during the time you have this vehicle (so since new and now), if so did it changed things, did you request to have the transmission manually adapted (stand still adaptation).

I guess they changed things for the sake of changing things, I really hope someone from the inside chimes in on what was really different.
Forum member streamliner also dislike the E-ABC replacing Magic Body Control and the pop out door handles.

 

Never had any steering software updated, the first I ever heard of something like that for a vibration issue was with the GLC forum. I have had two software updates done by the dealer. One for a battery control module and the other for the transmission which like most people did absolutely nothing. I have been following Stream’s complaints. I do really like the W223, but there is no denying the masterclass that was the W222. I’m sure it must feel like a let down.

 

Sorry I meant transmission. Was a manual adaptation (Standstill and/or Forced adaptation) ever performed? I heard that fixes the jerking downshift for some folks.