rabodzey's Full Review: SI-TEX NAV-FAX 200 FM / AM Receiver
Mercedes vs BMW - a strategic fight
I am a big BMW fun and was very happy to see its sales surpassing those of Mercedes Benz (MB). You may have noticed that MB had a very different strategy from BMW. MB came up with a whole range of low-end entry-level vehicles like C230 whose starting MSRP was $25,000. MB was trying to enter the mid-range thinking that its stronghold, luxury, is well-protected. This was a time when BMW did a very smart thing - they came up with 325 and 330 whose MSRP were in higher 30s.
Mercedes missed the period when consumers stopped following the momentum developed by MB brand and started to switch to better designed, more aggressive and prestigious BMWs. As a result, MB lost its stronghold to BMW and devaluated its model row by selling cheap cars.
C300 - The Last Hope
C300 was developed to fight back and regain control over luxury sector. MB got rid of cheap entry-level model and broght in a 3,500 lb gorilla for $35,000. The weight is 200 lb more that that of 330 and C230. This 6% difference may not seem to be a big deal, but for comparable horse power, it feels a lot heavier than 330i.
Anyway, coming back to the point: C300 is a direct competitor to BMW 3 series and is designed with very similar characteristics. One major difference is that MB has a standard 4-wheel drive and has softer suspension. This suspension is a key differentiator between BMW's near-sport rigid ride and smoother solid C300 ride.
Technical characteristics of the car
I do not want to spend too much time on tech specs as you may easily find them here: http://www.mbusa.com/models/features/specs/chassis.do?modelCode=C300WZ&class=08_C
but the key numbers are as follows:
- Net power 228 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Net torque 221 lb-ft @ 2,700 – 5,000 rpm
- Acceleration 0 – 60 in 7.1 seconds
- Fuel economy EPA estimate
City: 18 mpg (17 mpg with 4MATIC option that I had)
Highway estimate: 26/25 mpg (manual/automatic).
Obviously MB had no idea about fuel prices surge and is not concerned about environment. But who cares? You do not buy these cars for their MPG.
The ride and experience
I had a chance to drive 325 and 330 in the past and wanted to try C300 on the road to compare. First thing I noticed is folding mirrors - a great idea in my neighbourhood. Please keep in mind that I am not a big pro in cars and trends, so I may list obvious things, but I do not have them on my old Camry.
What sucks?
The interior of C300 Sport is plastic and looks spacious and solid. Variety of different control buttons are located all over the dashboard. One very annoying feature of this car is cruise control lever. This little thing sticks our right next to a turn signal switch. It may not seem to be a big deal, but I always managed to press the wrong one.
Another annoying feature is a multimedia joystick controller. It drove me nuts! It was not very intuitive and I had to look at the screen, at the joystick, rotate it and drive at the same time. Apparently MB people foresaw that and duplicated controller on the driver's wheel. Stupid idea! Multimedia screen is inside the speedometer and way below the windshield. Same story - I have to look for the buttons all over the wheel, press them impatiently scrolling the icons, look way below windshield and still be able to see something on the road! Very dangerous.
It is possible that you may adjust to that with time and automate your actions. Then this won't be such a hassle, but I am certain that there is a more clever way of building controls.
I did not have much time to look through all minor details of the car, but I do want to stop your attention on one more flaw. For almost $4,000 you may buy a multimedia package that includes fancy speakers, CD changer and GPS. Well, this fancy GPS does not have touch sensor screen! You can buy these for $150 in RadioShak nowadays! That would have made driving a whole lot safer and more pleasant experience. But no, you have to scroll the joystick wheel to get your directions...
What's good?
Well, these were all annoying, but minor features. Obviously there are a lot of great technological solutions I cannot spend time on. What is really important is a ride. C300 gives you way smoother and luxurious ride than 330 or 325! You can feel the power of 228hp engine when you press the pedal, you can feel the tight sporty acceleration, but it is not rigid. You do not feel every pebble on the road, instead you feel a have a very solid ride you enjoy.
The driving experience is a key here: you want a sporty car - buy 330, you want a luxurious experience with sporty design - buy C300. You also have a triptonic and sport mode on automatic transmission, but I did not feel much difference between regular and sport modes.
Another important advantage on C300 is a 4-wheel drive. It is especially relevant to New England's weather conditions and certainly sets C300 apart from major competitors whose cars generally come with only 2-wheel.
I can talk a lot more about different pluses and minuses, but I will stick to 80/20 rule and leave you a chance to try new C300 for yourself.
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