michail71

Parting shot :'(

For some reason yesterday I spontaneously traded in for a relatively loaded 2018 Mustang GT Premium pack. I have to say the engineers on this car/ mode year l have done an amazing job. Out of most of the cars on the market it seems to have captured much of what I liked about the w204 while modernizing it at the same time. The W205 never captured me, especially at the price point for modern features.

There are little touches though I miss, such as the brake hold, simplicity of the cruse control and premium quality of the owners manual. But OMG, the 460 HP, instantaneous shifting 10 speed trans, usable backup camera and not out of date navigation system make up for it.

I find myself still mashing down on the brake pedal to engage that hold though or wondering why cruise control requires more than one step to activate.

IconicMB

Congrats? You did the opposite of what I did two years ago, when I got my Benz. I had a heavily modified 350z (last dyno run it was just over 500 crank HP), and loved the car, but one day I spontaneously traded it in on the Benz. Didn't regret it at all until about 3 months ago, when I started to get the itch for more power, manual transmission, and rear wheel drive

Needless to say, once I get married in July and we buy a house, I will be getting a project car to fill that void. Until then, I will personalize my Benz and make it the nicest DD I can.
Good luck with the Mustang. They are really nice cars. A friend of mine has a brand new 2018 GT Premium, and he loves it.

Ariesfamous

A mustang? Lol.

Adi-Benz

Not sure why people say this, when it's a sports car that (can have) better mpg, obviously has more hp, and interior is gonna be a bit better than our w204's.

Grats on the new car, have fun with it!

michail71

Thanks, I did expect a jab or two. I think people judge them on past model versions. The changes on the 2018 model are nice as well. I was surprised myself when I started looking. It has a combination of the better materials and fit you find in the W205 with more the rugged sporty style we have in the W204. I think the car's designers have had a heavy European influence.

I got a little tired of some of the outdated tech on the Mercedes side unless you spend a small fortune.

What I miss so far is:
* Turning radius
* Simplicity of the cruse control
* Brake hold

But 460 HP and crazy fast/smooth 10 speed transmission make up for it.

michail71

I've never had an impractical car before. I'm still finding the roar of the exhaust a bit embarrassing when the throttle opens up. The neighbors all came out and where trying to get me to drag it down the street just to hear it.

Ariesfamous

I looked into it. New mustang looks good.
10 speed is really sweet.
Generally I like Fords.
I had a really nice done out limited f150 I absolutely loved.
The 6.2. Was good times and never let me down.

bowenxue98

How fast is the new transmission? Is it comparable to the new C43 amg? How much faster is it than our current 7g tronic plus in our W204's? How about the handling? Is it really a straight line car can it take corners or even go on the track?

dennish

yup, I'm thinking about a Mustang or Kia Stinger V6

michail71

I can't speak to the C43 as that's way out of my reach.

It shares the same trans as the Camaro ZL1. The power band stays very smooth and most indication I have to the shifts are just seeing the gear number go up on the IC. Manual shifts with the paddles are considerably faster than one would be able to accomplish on a manual.

Handling wise the Mustang is smoother and the C-Class feels more nimble. I just drive to work But from what I've read the Mustang has become a good track car. I think the engineers have been trying to build a track car without the having the drag race crowd notice. I'm sure the C63 would win but I would love to see The Stig do a C63 vs. the '18 GT.

bowenxue98

Interesting. How would you say this car compared to the W204's? I've got a C350 2014 coupe and this thread gave me the idea of trading this in for a 2018 Mustang. Is it better than a C350 coupe in terms of handling and performance of transmission, etc? I don't really care about horsepower more handling since I take my C350 to the track often.

tommiett

I like the Mustang.... The looks and the sound of the V8. HP is not my thing, but a V8 would be a requirement for me to buy one... Just for the sound.

Enjoy it!

MB Marko

no wayyyyyy!!! that mustang is a beast!!! I test drove a fully loaded 2018 Shelby, let me tell you that thing was a fun ride. I hope you have better luck with it than the Mercedes. post some pictures.

michail71

LOL, I'm not trying to influence or sell anyone.

But The transmission is in a whole other league. But that and the wonky throttle response were one of my w204 annoyances. The Mustang GT doesn't seem to try second guess you and give you an economy response first. They did fix this in the w205 but I'd still give the better feel to this 10 speed. It just seems to be able to stay a step ahead of you. Around half the Mustang GTs on the lots are the manual transmissions. Being a lifetime manual driver I think people could be missing out on these modern transmissions. On hard track driving with some good skill the manual could be a benefit but otherwise the auto is the way to go.

Just after some easy driving the mustang feels heavy and soft (in a good way) compared to the C. It sticks hard laterally but has good vertical give. They have fluid magnetic suspension system as an option that I've heard good things about. The turning radius sucks, lol. But I've not driven any other cars that have a Benz type turning radius.

I'm still too new with this vehicle to judge it as a track car. But I get the feeling it was engineered to do more than drag race.

michail71

Yeah, I kind of baby it but pushing it isn't really needed. The 2018's have a tuneable valve system. I only punched it once so far after the neighbors kept insisting.

I didn't think I'd like it so much but I find myself getting annoyed by the radio and turning it off.

michail71

Thanks! My sales guy really tried to push me to the ecoboost model first. I guess they just sell those easier and don't want to tarnish the first driving impression. I drove that after the GT and it was a "nice car".

As far as luck goes I think my issues were mostly dealership related. The dealerships around here are used to a high volume of $100K+ cars coming through.

Adi-Benz

Honestly if you have a facelift c300 but don't have it tuned, you're missing out. 330hp on 91 octane is not bad at all, a bit extra at 93.

Of course can't compare to a gt lol, but the AWD is a great combo.

michail71

Yeah, I had regretted not getting a C300 and going that route with the tune. I was trying to be practical at the time as I had just gotten off a Stage 2+ VW GLI.

I once read somewhere that people were happier with their cars if they didn't take practicality into their purchasing decision making.

michail71

There are some more things I miss. The feel of the wiper controls and turn signals. Mercedes has a level of simple, intuitive design and driver interaction that you don't find in other brands.

Touch screens have their pros and cons but I think the Comand type controllers are the better way to go for driving.

michail71

The Ecoboost with the performance 1 & 2 packages would likely be a better option in that case. It's lighter, bigger brakes, etc.

bowenxue98

michail71

I looked up the weights and the turbo ecoboost is around 3500 to 3600 lbs. The GT and is 3705 lbs. I would have expected a bigger difference.

Adi-Benz

I definitely would have considered a c350 4matic coupe, I love the w204 coupe seats. The 4matic and a tune on that would make it a helluva car.

Both really big upgrades from a c250. Which also reminds me, the 12+ mustangs are pretty capable in winter driving if you get winter tires.

hyperion667

New car thread.....no pictures........boo.

CGC

Congrats on the new ride! I had an Ecoboost as a loaner last month, I was actually blown away by how nice, up to date and fun to drive it was. I can only imagine the GT is grins all the time with that kind of power!