I made the decision to trade-in my 2023 C300 after owning it for almost two years. I had originally planned to keep it much longer but a few annoyances made me decide to sell it earlier than planned. I bought the car new in April 2023 for $3000 below MSRP which was a reasonable deal at that time. My main issues that made me jump ship are below:
1- Squeeks squeaks squeaks. Everything is squeaking around driver area. Both front seats and center console. I took it to the dealer at least 3 times and they tried a few things which would help for a couple of weeks but they come back worse.
2- Driver seat moving when braking. This was happening at random times and it had something to do with dealer trying to fix squeaks. Dealer always could not replicate. It was happening may be 20% of the time when braking, you could feel seat moving may be ½” forward.
3- Sunroof shattered on its own while driving. I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is a defect but I am almost sure of that. Took some push but got dealer to replace it under warranty.
4- A couple of times, the car would not start while I am at stores with all sorts of errors on the screen. I have to lock the car and wait 15 minutes and then everything is back to normal. Dealer updated software after first time but still happened again.
Now. I really liked how the car looked and how it drove, but these little things were annoying. I got a reasonable trade-in offer and decided to jump ship. In case you are wondering, I decided to buy a certified BMW 530i, used for 10 months with 10k miles. It was about $20k below MSRP so that depreciation was way more than enough to offset lost depreciation in the MB.
I made the decision to trade-in my 2023 C300 after owning it for almost two years. I had originally planned to keep it much longer but a few annoyances made me decide to sell it earlier than planned. I bought the car new in April 2023 for $3000 below MSRP which was a reasonable deal at that time. My main issues that made me jump ship are below:
1- Squeeks squeaks squeaks. Everything is squeaking around driver area. Both front seats and center console. I took it to the dealer at least 3 times and they tried a few things which would help for a couple of weeks but they come back worse.
2- Driver seat moving when braking. This was happening at random times and it had something to do with dealer trying to fix squeaks. Dealer always could not replicate. It was happening may be 20% of the time when braking, you could feel seat moving may be ½” forward.
3- Sunroof shattered on its own while driving. I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is a defect but I am almost sure of that. Took some push but got dealer to replace it under warranty.
4- A couple of times, the car would not start while I am at stores with all sorts of errors on the screen. I have to lock the car and wait 15 minutes and then everything is back to normal. Dealer updated software after first time but still happened again.
Now. I really liked how the car looked and how it drove, but these little things were annoying. I got a reasonable trade-in offer and decided to jump ship. In case you are wondering, I decided to buy a certified BMW 530i, used for 10 months with 10k miles. It was about $20k below MSRP so that depreciation was way more than enough to offset lost depreciation in the MB.
Going from C-Class to E-Class equivalent 5 series is an upgrade. Can you share your impressions on the new vehicle?
Going from C-Class to E-Class equivalent 5 series is an upgrade. Can you share your impressions on the new vehicle?
Sure. I have always preferred the size of the C-Class. Prior to the C300, I had a BMW 430 GC, Lexus IS350, a BMW Z4, BMW 335, an Acura TSX. These are in the last 20 years of so. I am in my mid fifties and my wife drives bigger cars (Ford F-150, Pathfinder, GMC Sierra, .. etc) so her car is typically what I drive on weekends.
When I decided to sell the C300, I normally started looking again at 3 and 4 series. I was not looking for crazy power so I didn't consider an M. I am also not a fan of Audi. I started looking for options in the same class as C300 and I did not have a real limit to what I was looking for. I liked the design and quality of the 5-series. However, adjusting to the size, as my daily drive, is taking some time. Also, the 5-series is more of a cruiser than a sport sedan, at least compared to the cars I owned before. I took about a couple of months till I got used to the feel and drive of the 530i.
Pros:
1- Better quality interior, even though some complain about the G60 have cheaper trim than the G30
2- Much quieter ride
3- More interior room
4- More standard options
5- Digital key is pretty nice to use.
6- Maintenance is include for first 3 years
Cons:
1- More of an older man care
2- Not as sporty feeling
3- MBUX voice interface is slightly better than new BMW interface
Other notes:
1- Interface and customization on the new iDrive is as good as the MB. However, finding many options in there takes getting use to
2- Service at dealership is cheaper for BMW than MB
3- MSRP for C300 was $50k (paid $47K). MSRP for 530i is $64k (paid $44k). I paid $10k extra for the trade in at BMW dealer so it was a fair deal for me.
Sure. I have always preferred the size of the C-Class. Prior to the C300, I had a BMW 430 GC, Lexus IS350, a BMW Z4, BMW 335, an Acura TSX. These are in the last 20 years of so. I am in my mid fifties and my wife drives bigger cars (Ford F-150, Pathfinder, GMC Sierra, .. etc) so her car is typically what I drive on weekends.
When I decided to sell the C300, I normally started looking again at 3 and 4 series. I was not looking for crazy power so I didn't consider an M. I am also not a fan of Audi. I started looking for options in the same class as C300 and I did not have a real limit to what I was looking for. I liked the design and quality of the 5-series. However, adjusting to the size, as my daily drive, is taking some time. Also, the 5-series is more of a cruiser than a sport sedan, at least compared to the cars I owned before. I took about a couple of months till I got used to the feel and drive of the 530i.
Pros:
1- Better quality interior, even though some complain about the G60 have cheaper trim than the G30
2- Much quieter ride
3- More interior room
4- More standard options
5- Digital key is pretty nice to use.
6- Maintenance is include for first 3 years
Cons:
1- More of an older man care
2- Not as sporty feeling
3- MBUX voice interface is slightly better than new BMW interface
Other notes:
1- Interface and customization on the new iDrive is as good as the MB. However, finding many options in there takes getting use to
2- Service at dealership is cheaper for BMW than MB
3- MSRP for C300 was $50k (paid $47K). MSRP for 530i is $64k (paid $44k). I paid $10k extra for the trade in at BMW dealer so it was a fair deal for me.
Le me know if you have any question.
Much much appreciate you sharing your impressions.
Interesting, your experience echoes an autobahn remover, they specifically mentioned this generation 5 series is not as fun to drive as the previous generation. Let me see if I can find the video.
Maybe bmw really want to build a more luxury focused 5 series than a sporty one, which is interesting given they are they "ultimate driving machine" apparently.
I made the decision to trade-in my 2023 C300 after owning it for almost two years. I had originally planned to keep it much longer but a few annoyances made me decide to sell it earlier than planned. I bought the car new in April 2023 for $3000 below MSRP which was a reasonable deal at that time. My main issues that made me jump ship are below:
1- Squeeks squeaks squeaks. Everything is squeaking around driver area. Both front seats and center console. I took it to the dealer at least 3 times and they tried a few things which would help for a couple of weeks but they come back worse.
2- Driver seat moving when braking. This was happening at random times and it had something to do with dealer trying to fix squeaks. Dealer always could not replicate. It was happening may be 20% of the time when braking, you could feel seat moving may be ½” forward.
3- Sunroof shattered on its own while driving. I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is a defect but I am almost sure of that. Took some push but got dealer to replace it under warranty.
4- A couple of times, the car would not start while I am at stores with all sorts of errors on the screen. I have to lock the car and wait 15 minutes and then everything is back to normal. Dealer updated software after first time but still happened again.
Now. I really liked how the car looked and how it drove, but these little things were annoying. I got a reasonable trade-in offer and decided to jump ship. In case you are wondering, I decided to buy a certified BMW 530i, used for 10 months with 10k miles. It was about $20k below MSRP so that depreciation was way more than enough to offset lost depreciation in the MB.
Seems that later model years have worse buld quality. I have early 2022 (first purchace from the dealer lot, got a gift bag with stuff) and I have/had none of issues listed above. Go figure.
Seems that later model years have worse buld quality. I have early 2022 (first purchace from the dealer lot, got a gift bag with stuff) and I have/had none of issues listed above. Go figure.
Actually there is the thread about same issues for 2022 year car. So, I gues it's about luck.
I bought a 2024 C300 loaner from the dealership w/6K on it. Fully loaded (including the good music system) except for the Driver Assistance package. With my 8-year-old Acura TLX as a trade in, I drove it away for $36K including tax and registration. No rattles, no problems, had it since October 2024 and am very satisfied with it. It does have road noise, but it's not a problem. I believe it was manufactured in Germany, if I am reading the code correctly.
Seems that later model years have worse buld quality. I have early 2022 (first purchace from the dealer lot, got a gift bag with stuff) and I have/had none of issues listed above. Go figure.
That would be strange perhaps, it is usually the other way around.
I bought a 2024 C300 loaner from the dealership w/6K on it. Fully loaded (including the good music system) except for the Driver Assistance package. With my 8-year-old Acura TLX as a trade in, I drove it away for $36K including tax and registration. No rattles, no problems, had it since October 2024 and am very satisfied with it. It does have road noise, but it's not a problem. I believe it was manufactured in Germany, if I am reading the code correctly.
That probably helped too. Unless you are in the USA, the W206 all are not build in Germany.
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
