Pros: Great Styling, Loaded with Technology, Great MB Service, Reasonable Price of Admission
Cons: Poor Fuel Mileage on E85 Alternative Fuel, Interior Lacks Luxurious Feel, High Price With Features
The Bottom Line: The bargain Benz gets bold new styling & packed with new technology, and it exceeded the expectations of a prior-generation C-Class owner. :)
lilviv's Full Review: SI-TEX NAV-FAX 200 FM / AM Receiver
As a current owner of the previous generation C-Class and S-Class Mercedes-Benz (MB), I watched the new C-Class eagerly before release. I had attended MB's events showcasing this vehicle (The Mercedes-Benz C Drive), and then I had test-driven one, finally prior to receiving one for a couple of weeks as a loaner car while one of mine was in service.
The car I received was a beautiful C300 Luxury Package with the full COMAND Center and an array of other options. I put several tanks of gas through it and really got acquainted with the vehicle. There were things I liked and things I didn't like . . . but I'll break my opinion of the vehicle down below:
EXTERIOR APPEARANCE: The exterior of this car was completely redesigned from the previous generation for the better. The new styling more closely mirrored that of the new flagship S-Class, and it went with more bold/angular curves. Whether your tastes are conservative or edgy, the new styling seems to appeal broadly to everyone.
The Luxury version of the C300 has the traditional grille with elevated hood ornament, and I much prefer this. I love the appearance of the raised hood ornament. People say it invites theft, but I've owned multiple MB's over the years, and one sits outside . . . and nobody's ever touched it.
The Sport version of the C300 has the sport marque in the center of the grill and no raised hood emblem . . . this is also the less expensive version of the vehicle, as well.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: At first, one thing I really liked about this car was that it used E85 (85% Ethanol, Alternative Fuel). As an alternative to premium fuel, you save generally $0.80 per gallon by buying E85. But my euphoria about this quickly wore off when the car started getting between 12 and 14 mpg on E85. I knew the efficiency was supposed to be slightly less, but this was majorly significant. On regular premium fuel, I was getting between 18 and 21 mpg. This was a significant enough change that the savings from using E85 fuel was not worth it.
PERFORMANCE, RIDE, & HANDLING: I was in a C300, not a C350 . . . so I did not hold high expectations for acceleration. But, while acceleration in the car was clearly subpar at lower speeds, at speeds above 60 mph (highway driving and passing), the acceleration was quite strong. The car was also remarkably stable at high speeds (100+ mph).
MB's are not BMW's, so I didn't expect BMW style handling out of the vehicle, either. There is a tradeoff between soft ride & strong handling. The luxury vehicle I had definitely struck a great balance. It handled very nicely (perhaps not as well as the Sport version of a 3-Series), but it also had a very nice ride. I enjoyed the compromise that was struck here.
INTERIOR: Here is my biggest gripe about this car. When you get in this car, it does not have the luxurious feel of a Mercedes-Benz. Wood is only on a very few select areas, and the majority of the dash screams that it needs wood. Instead, it is covered in cheapy plastic. And the car doesn't even feel like it has an advanced interior when the COMAND system is folded into the dash. The interior is NOT nice looking.
ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS: This surprised me the most about this vehicle. The car I had was equipped with the full COMAND system with Navigation, etc. I enjoyed this system very much. The mouse-like control joystick took a little getting used to . . . but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. Although, I can foresee many people who didn't grow up in the computer-age disliking this very strongly.
Navigation: The Navigation was fantastic. The screen was very high resolution, and it even showed which lanes turned which ways, etc. It was very detailed. It was the most modern Navigation unit I had seen, and I believe it's the shared system with the S-Class Flagship.
Music & Video: The car was equipped with Sirius Satellite Radio, and although I much prefer XM . . . this was quite nice. However, my gripe was that switching between bands (FM, Sirius, CD, etc.) wasn't always as easy as I would've preferred. It also took DVD Videos that it could play on the screen, and it played MP3's and even had a built-in hard drive. It was fantastic, gadget lover's paradise. :)
Bluetooth: The Bluetooth interface for telephone usage was great. The steering wheel controls coupled with the COMAND system made for very easy usage. It allowed storage of your contacts, etc. This was fantastic.
Maintenance, Vehicle Information, & Settings: There was a host of information available about the vehicle, as well . . . including advanced controls for all features above and maintenance information on the vehicle. This wouldn't be used as much, but it was quite nice.
ROOM & SPACE: This car wasn't as roomy as I would've liked, but it is their smallest sedan. The trunk was roomy, but backseat legroom was a hair cramped when the front passengers got comfortable.
PRICE: The entry level "price of admission" for this car seems very attractive. It's just under $30K for the entry level C300 Sport, and a couple grand more for the Luxury Version. However, that is where the value seems to end . . . once you equip it with the options you want (and often are necessary in a Mercedes-Benz) like the COMAND system, etc. . . . this car becomes horrendously expensive, and even threatens the price range of the E-Class.
While this vehicle wasn't the fastest or roomiest, the gadgetry outperformed (as it should have, given the price). It exceeded my expectations.
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