Thinking of buying a W205 C300 as a fun weekend car. Does anyone know if the down shifts with paddles will revmatch, similar to the c43/c63?

 

Test drive and find out : )

 

Yes, pretty much all automatic transmissions these days rev match to avoid lurching forward when downshifting. Having said that, you won't find it particularly engaging to shift gears manually in a C300. First of all, unlike the C43/C63, the C300 doesn't have a manual mode button. The only way to put the transmission in permanent manual mode is by configuring it in the Individual mode and use I*. The C43/C63 can easily be put into manual mode in any driving mode by pressing the M button in the center console or these days even on the steering wheel via the AMG Drive Unit controls.

You can always just start manually shifting with the paddles, but that only engages temporary manual mode and it automatically reverts to automatic mode after a while. Furthermore, the C300 still automatically upshifts near redline in manual mode, whereas AMGs have what's commonly referred to as a true manual mode, which just like in a car with a manual transmission, if you miss to upshift it bounces off the rev limiter. Not that bouncing off the rev limiter is something you wanna do, but it avoids a double upshift near redliine where the transmission upshifts automatically and then registers your manual upshift as a potential second upshift.

The C63 goes a step further and doesn't just rev match, but also double clutches, because it doesn't have a torque converter. It has a wet-clutch between the engine and transmission, so that clutch opens during a downshift for a true rev matching experience that doesn't have to drag along a torque converter and put the transmission temporarily in neutral for the rev match to be possible. This means manually shifting is much more engaging, faster and crisper in a C63.

Back to my original point, manually shifting a C300 is rather lethargic. While I drive my '19 C63S coupe in manual mode at least 90% of the time, whenever I drive a C300 loaner I don't bother with manually shifting at all. It's just not worth it and rather dull. As said above, test drive one. You may also not find it particularly engaging and fun. There's quite a difference between an AMG and a regular Mercedes-Benz.