So I got a 2015 C300 as a loaner today and boy what a disappointment that was. The car doesn't even compare my older e350. Yes, the new C has some cool new features like the folding side mirrors and agility control but the rough shifts and suspension are such a let down. I do love the LED lights in the door handles tho....nice!! lol The tablet as the display is uglier in person than I thought IMO. I would def go for the older E!!

 

There is no substitute for wheelbase. Driving any E after a C and you will know the differeence. Drive an S after driving an E and you will have the same experience. That's how they get you.

 

I actually traded in a 2013 E350 coupe (C207) for the C400. it's hard to compare the two, as they are vastly different cars. Each has its benefits, and I knew I was impulse buying with the new C. The coupe had only had one minor warranty repair, and it was only to lubricate the panoramic roof. I think the W212 is an amazing looking car - both pre and post facelift. If I were shopping right now; however, I would purchase the E in any form. It's nearing the end of its run, and most of the quirks have been dealt with long ago. My next car will probably the first year of the new E, and I'll live with the consequences of having to own the latest model once again.

 

Just FYI, some S-Classes are assembled in Mexico. Nothing wrong with getting something from Mexico. Most Volkswagens are assembled in Mexico as are many American cars and trucks. Doesn't mean there is anything wrong with them.

 

I believe that the S Class cars assembled in Mexico are only sold there and in Latin America. Is this correct ?

I have owned and driven VWs, made both in Mexico and in Germany. IMO, the German made cars have better overall quality and fewer problems. A thorough reading of VW forums would confirm my impressions about the Mexican made models.

Recently, VW had to delay the introduction of its Mexican made MK VII Golf due to QC issues with its initial production, as did Honda with its new Mexican made Fit.

Of course, these kinds of problems are not just occurring in Mexican plants: look at the sloppy assembly of the US made C Class and the Hungarian made CLA ! Mercedes-Benz outsourcing from Germany is not doing its reputation for quality automobiles any favours.

 

I'm very interested in this statement you have made and would very much appreciate it if you could tell me where you got this information. I have never heard of S Class cars being made ANYWHERE other than in Germany.

 

I too haven't heard of any S class manufacture outside Germany.
Mainly DB builds commercial trucks. It does have an assembly plant with Nissan where Infinity vehicles are built.

 

What I heard is they're for the the Latin and Asian markets.


Most S-Class models, including the W221, are built at the Daimler AG plant in Sindelfingen, Germany and at the Mercedes-Benz-Valdez plant in Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico. Founded by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft in 1915, the Sindelfingen plant also produced the model 600 "Grosser Mercedes" and past generations of the S-Class.[31] Previous S-Class models (such as the W126) were built in different locations ranging from Stuttgart to South Africa, but with recent models (such as the W220) production has been concentrated in Sindelfingen and Santiago Tianguistenco. In February 2007, DaimlerChrysler Malaysia's (now, Mercedes Benz Malaysia) plant in Pekan, Pahang began production of S350 (model W221) vehicles and is currently assembling S300, S350L and S500L.[32] In all, some 2.7 million S-Class vehicles have been produced in the past forty years.[33]

 

Much appreciated, thank you!

 

I did a bit of further looking today when I had time and confirmed you views but it looks like the Mexican production goes to central and south American markets and not to the US or Canada.
Do you have info on that?

 

My dealer just took my wife's E350 away to replace the wood trim(some pieces faded)...and left me a new c300. wow is that thing pathetic. I've been a fan of MB for awhile, but I can't imagine how they get people to pay a premium price for that vehicle over a toyota.

on a high note, my wife announced today "tell them to keep it!". She wants my E550 so this would free me up to trade the E350 in on ...oh dare I...a CLS63? currently cpo's out there for more about $20k off of sticker with less than 14kmi.

 

Was given a 2015 C300 4Matic as loaner today. I have to agree that the E Class not only handles a lot better but simply feels more rigid than its baby brother. The fit of the many interior components were not as good as an E Class, however, I was keen on a lot of the finishes. in summary, I'd go with a older E Class over a new C Class even though there were many features of the C Class which I liked that are not available on a 2013 E Class (not sure if they are available on a 2015)...they include the following:

1) Multi-View Rear View Camera
2) Displaying of song track/artist on the odometer
3) Agility settings which included Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual (customizable)
4) Folding Mirrors
5) Interior design (seat settings, lock/unlock button design with the door handle, silver trim everywhere)
6) I actually liked the bigger Command/Navigation screen (the placement could be argued however I didn't mind it too much)

If I were in your position, I'd buy the E Class mainly for the better handling, extra space, overall higher quality built vehicle, and it's safety ratings.

 

so to sum it up: this topic is filled with opinions from e class drivers who are butt hurt that their ancient car is not only being replaced by a new E within the next year, but also hurt that the new C is better and more refined than their E.

so far ive only read miniscule, and quite frankly ridiculous comparisons of the C vs E. so the E is more "rigid" or "rides better" than the c? is that the best you can do? the c has a better interior by a nautical mile. full panoramic roof, the latest design language, burmester sound system, interior ambient lighting, 3 inch increase in leg room, the latest tech, newest version of Comand, far more fuel efficient, etc. but i dont see anybody talking about that. wonder why..

and i love when people make fun of the C's "ipad screen" when their E class has a screen the size of a thermostat display. actually if you wanna call the C class screen an "ipad" then i think its only fitting we call the E class screen an "ipod". ancient, discontinued, old, low res, small, and replaced by something newer and better. Sounds familiar. screen aside, the antique interior of the E class is so dated at this point that i would feel "old" sitting in one. in fact i did sit in one before deciding on the C and it was not even a contest in my opinion. oh and for the record my new C was more expensive than a 2014 E, so dont even give me the whole "you're just mad because you cant afford it" spiel.

ill admit that a basic, bone dry w205 C class isnt anything to drool about, but try spending a week in a c400 with almost all interior options, pano roof, leather seats, etc. and then hop into an ancient E class and tell me which is better. i hope "being more rigid" is a strong enough selling point for you, because thats probably the only thing that it beats the new w205 at.

i have a friend who drives a 2012 7 series and he admits my c400 interior is much nicer than his car in every way. car and driver also recently awarded the new c class with the title of "best interior under $60,000".

moral of the story is you should form your own opinion by going to the dealership and seeing for yourself.

 

There are S Class drivers, E Class drivers, C Class drivers, etc. Every model can't be the newest kid on the block. The fact of the matter is that the W212 is a larger, heavier, safer, more solid car than any C Class, with most every "bug" worked out over it's many years in the line, AND, it's still made in Germany. If those things are important to you, go for a nice, tried and true, solid as a rock, utterly safe and dependable W212. If having the latest interior doo-dads is your thing and you are comfortable in a smaller car, go for the little C Class, as it appears to be a nice, entry level car. I really don't see it as a difficult decision. W212 all the way. My wife just loves her 2010 and a new 2016 is on the way.

 

+1 It all depends what you are looking for. I drove a C class for many years and enjoyed it and now drive the E class and enjoy it for different reasons. The E class is a better road car/cruiser by far though.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear in my initial post. I also agree that the new C Class' interior leaves something to be desired for current E Class owners. It is very nice! However, that doesn't change the fact that it is much smaller than the E (even though it's fairly larger than the previous C). That may not be important to some though. For me, that's a big deal.

Regarding the handling, that is where I was the most disappointed in the new C. Even in Sport Plus it felt very loose....much more unstable than my E which feels very tight. Also, at complete stops, I could feel a slight vibration (engine I assume) and the vehicle only had ~4,000 miles. In summary, my E handles much better (even though it's much larger...wagon) and doesn't vibrate at full stops). Once and if these issues are resolved, the C would be a vehicle one should consider if they are looking for a compact luxury vehicle. However, I do think it's overpriced.

 

The vibration you felt @ stops was likely the ECO. I've been in a new C300 all week while my 550 is at the dealer. ECO works ok, but takes a little getting used to. Actually not a bad car at all, only complaint is it lacks power. Handling and road manners are pretty good IMO. With that said, I'd take my 5 y/o E over this C in a heartbeat. Would like to try the C400 to compare tho. Cheers

 

Maybe, but the vibration he felt could simply be fact that he was driving a 4cyl car.
The reason why ultra luxury cars have V8/10/12s is not only for power its also for comfort.

When sitting at a stop the time between the 4 engine ignitions will be more noticeable to someone who is used to 6 or more.

I don't think ECO has anything to do with any perceived vibration.
ECO only cuts the engine off when stopped and that's all it does. ECO slows the rate of fuel injection when you accelerate and the transmission will always seek the higher gear. It will not and should not have any effect on how the engine runs.

 

This is a very dumb thing to post.
The fact that your loaded C400 costs more than a no option E350... LMAO.
How about you try to find a loaded E400 and tell us what is the price difference between that and your C400.

Anyway I do agree that a new, modern, and updated C class with a warranty is much better that a old, outdated E class without a Warranty.

But at the end of the day, a C class in still a C class and it sits a Class below and equally equipped E Class. In the same way that a E class is a Class below the S class... And yes... any BMW will always be a Class below MB.


The upcoming new generation 7 series is a disgrace when you try to compare it the S class. I have a very strong feeling that the new W213 will put the next gen 7 Series to shame.

 

Agree on all point.

 

I think C400benz made some good points.

I drove a C300 the other day and was very impressed. The interior is very modern and a complete departure from the W204. The "iPad" screen may not be to everyone's taste, but it was very nice to have a decent large screen. The new navigation system was excellent, and the graphics etc. are light years ahead of the W212 implementation.

I agree that the "full" panoramic roof is excellent, and I loved the clever use of the interior space for the back seats. There is virtually no shelf behind the seats. Rear legroom seems good.

The 4 cylinder engine was commendably quiet, and overall sound deadening was good.

A few complaints: the ride was harsh, and would become annoying long term. The space for the driver's legs is narrow, and gets progressively narrower closer to the pedals. The quality of materials isn't quite as good as I expected. They look good though.

Based on this evidence, the W213 could be a fabulous car.

 

A comparably equipped "E" will cost more than a "C." If it didn't, DAG and MBUSA would go bankrupt as the "E" costs more to build.
As for the infotainment screen, it is not the size that is the problem, but that it is stuck on as opposed to being made an integral part of the dash. DAG did this as a cost saving feature, not to be modern or up to date or for any other reason.

 

sorry man...maybe you're the one who should drive an E class for a week and then go back to the C...I drove the C for a few days and it feels like a camry to me. a v-6 would have helped, but it sure wouldn't improve the cars ride. I'll be replacing my(wife's) E soon, I sure as hell won't be looking at the C class. not a serious vehicle IMO.

 

He said vib was at complete stops, which is what I'm noticing in my C300 loaner and in my case it's for sure the ECO STOP/start

 

And I'll follow up by saying that after 5 days in the new C, I can not wait to get my ancient 2010 E back. If they offered up a straight up trade, I would quickly, and I mean quickly decline...just got the call from the dealer now it's Monday to get my car back. Oh well it's good to have a loaner even if it is a cute lil C class. My wife and her friends love it!!