C300 Loaner
 

My car was in for an "A" service and to have the headlight low beams raised since they were too low for my taste. I was given a C300 loaner to drive. I was not impressed. The car did not feel like a Mercedes nor did I appreciate the iPad pasted on the dash. My 99' C280 was a vastly better car which my daughter still drives with a 130,000 miles on the clock and it still drives extremely well. Needless to say I was happy to get my E class back.

It is expectable, and I think it was made for purpose. Indeed I really liked previous generation of C class (based again on a loaner experience), and I even thought to save some $$$ and take C instead of E. I guess MB got the clue and immediately corrected it making C crappier.

I was also given a C300 over the weekend after dropping off my E350 to have the rear spoiler as part of the purchase deal. Soon as I drove off the dealer, I immediately missed my E350. The "iPad" screen makes the car looks so cheap and ugly. The acceleration of this car was a joke. I was not sure what type of gas was in the tank as it was a loner. Perhaps that was the reason. I do like the auto-folding side mirrors which comes in 2015 model. MB would need to go a better job is designing the interior and getting rid of that fugly screen.

Over the past couple years, I've been given the C300 and C250 as loaners... hate them both. The C250 was a little better, because it was peppier and surprisingly quick for a 4-banger, but that's it. Couldn't even hear the turbo spool... what's the fun in that? The C definitely feels cheaper than the E, in everything from the seats, to the dash, to the buttons, and that stupid design-afterthought iPad screen.

I expect (perhaps too optimistic on my part) that the loaner experience should be more of an extended test drive of the current model year cars, like a "Maybe it's time for you to upgrade" thing... not so with MB. And since I'm not too enamored by the looks of the current gen MBs anyway, getting a 2015/16 loaner just makes me like my 2011 even more.

Ditto on the stupid ipad dash. Also, the C300 is less than average from my drives with it as a loaner several times. My wife gets a loaner when the Genesis is in for service and has been given a Hyundai Sonata loaded with all the goodies. The Sonata is nicer, smoother, and quieter than the C300. However, the Sonata does not have enough power same as the C300.
The Germans need to get it together on their lower priced cars.

1+ to that. I will gladly accept an S class AMG as loaner. :).
I also feel that it is unfair to bash C class loaner for what it is. It is at a lower price point than E class and is a smaller car too. Obviously the comfort won't be at par with E class. I feel the noise and vibrations much more in C class too. It is good car for its price. I would take an old E class any day over the new C.

A new brand?
 

Perhaps time for DAG/MB to come out with a new brand for lower priced vehicles. After all the marketing for CLA and GLA is that you get an MB at a low price, comparatively speaking. Used to be the marketing for the C.
Ironically, Hyundai is going the other way with creating the Genesis luxury brand with the G90 and G80.

Th C and CLA has been a disaster for MB
 

The CLA has received terrible reviews for performance and fit/finish, and the C and CLA rank at the bottom of almost everyone's list for reliability.

Pretty much agree to all points above about the C. I had a C300 loaner and that little engine was way too noisy and the car was not well sealed from NVH. Lots of road and wind noise gets through to the cabin. I can only imagine how much worse the CLA is. The E is like a vault once you shut the doors.

That is true. But everything is relative to what car you are currently driving. If you are returning from an S class, obviously an E class loaner feels like a POS. I saw some similar threads in the W222 section recently. All these cars are at different price and luxury levels. That has to be respected in order not to get frustrated. :word:.

It depends.

My 14-yr old 2003 C240 is almost as quiet as my 2-month old E350, not to mention that even after 204,000 miles the transmission shifts smoother than on my E class.

True except it is not good when a Hyundai Sonata can compete with a Mercedes C class and is quieter and has equal build quality. Note my post about loaners.

We had a C300 for a couple weeks while my wife's E250 was getting a new transmission. It certainly wasn't as nice as an E Class, but certainly nothing to complain about.
The nav screen is a matter of personal taste, and the back seat a little tight, but still a decent vehicle. If I were younger, I might be driving a C Class.

That is only partially correct. Hyundai's are nice cars when new but do not age as well as a Mercedes. The quality of materials is also different. (I've had Hyundai's too :smash:). If you go by the number of features only, yes a Hyundai may be better than a C class. But that's not everything. It's like saying that Sonata is better because it has more space then a C class.

Age as well
 

Hyundais age as well as MB's. They also have a warranty that is twice as long. MB's age as well as they do because MB mandates so many parts replacements over the 4-8 year period. Very expensive parts. Hyundai, and most other manufacturers, do not require this.
Of course, people tend to take better care of MB's.

I certainly agree with that statement, Hyundai do not age well. A friend at work has a 5 year old Hyundai Santa Fe that rattles like a 20 year old Oldsmobile. It has more leaks in the engine than the Holland dam. Almost every piece of interior material is either worn or damage. I have seen 20 year Mercedes that are in better shape.

It is my opinion that although brands such as Hyundai have the same "named" features as the upper market brands (MB, Audi, BMW, Lexus, etc.), the higher-end cars age far more gracefully than their lesser-priced competitors. I've been driving cars and watching the auto industry for over 50 years, and that is still my opinion.


Case in point -- my brother-in-law had his E500 in at an independent body shop for some work. He ended up with a brand new Genesis for a loaner. That Genesis had the "leather seat" option, much as many of our MB's do. Unfortunately, over the course of the 3 months he had the Hyundai, the welting on the leather seats began to show wear. When he returned the loaner he remarked about the wear. He was told "Well, all of our Hyundais have done that." Is your MB leather showing wear after 3 months?

this thread turned out to be another "hyundai is better than MB thread" much like "i hate the ipad screen on the C dash". its getting old gentlemen. the C will come up with a new look and a lot of yous are still whining about the ipad on the dash.

if you like hyundai better, buy it and move to their forum, if you dont like the C, stfu and stick with your E. try lurking at the S forums to know where you stand.

beejAMG - am I supposed to feel like I've been spanked? I think not. I thought we were having an adult conversation here.


I already know how everyone else is seen in the S forums, but so what? The same thing happens in every auto-related forum where there is a hierarchy of models. That's the old "mine is bigger than yours" thing, and I just don't pay any attention to it.


If you don't like what I wrote, just say so, and I'll consider what I want to do in response. I can assure you, though, that I will not even imply profanity (stfu. . . really?), as I do not feel that this language adds anything to the meaning of what is said.


If you feel that I've taken the thread off topic, you may be right, and if so, I apologize. Personally, you would never convince me to own a Hyundai, but for some people, that car may be the better choice.

^who ever said my post was about you?

im talking about those whiners who keeps saying, "oh **** they gave me a C for a loaner, what a ****box, i cant wait to get my E back blah blah blah"...if you cant leave your E, why not stay with it whilst getting serviced? maybe help out the technician or something. just be thankful they gave you a car you can use for the day and didnt make you walk to the bus stop.

It is really hard to talk with my foot in my mouth. . .


Sorry for taking things wrong. I read the email of your post without re-reading the context. Lesson learned.


{I'm going to go into the other room for a while until the redness of my face dissipates.}

no appologies needed mate.

its just that this thing gets too old already. everytime somebody comes in for a service, this forum is the first place they go to whine about how bad the loaner car is and how they cant wait to get their car back. i didnt mind this thread for a while but it just keeps crawling back up. waste of bandwidth

I have two Mercedes, a 2005 E500 and a 2011 E63, and I also own a 2011 Hyundai Genesis V8 which I have put 178,000 miles on. The Genesis has been more reliable and less expensive to maintain than either of my Mercedes. My Genesis has never used oil or had an oil leak. I love the way the two Mercedes drive, handle and ride but they both developed oil leaks which I understand is common with Mercedes valve covers. Also, IMO the C300 is not the same quality as an E class. I think what is happening in the auto industry is the quality of all vehicles is better and there is less of a difference in build quality between volume manufacturers. Of course the higher priced vehicles have higher quality interior materials and possibly more sophisticated electronics. Even GM is building better cars these days compared to six years ago.

good on you mate. now why dont you sell both MBs and keep the hyundai? seems like the most logical thing to do after what you said.

C will always be inferior to E, much like the E will always be inferior to the S.
what im trying to say here is stop whining about the stupid ipad on the dash with the C. everytime somebody mentions that, its like you all jump in and start typing about how much you hate it. its almost 2 years since it came out, we get it already. you dont like it. who cares, you dont have one anyway?

besides, what are you guys whining about? you get a free car, free petrol, free coffee and a muffin...what else do you need, a chauffeur and masseur?

I, for one, wouldn't mind the latter two options. Might even go for a mani/pedi at that point. Will have to research which dealerships provide those services...