Almost a full year since the C-Class came out....

[myinternetsucks]

Now that the newness has worn off how do you feel about your car now? Is it the same? As with any new changes in redesign and new production, whats the best part about owning the new C-Class (W204) compared the older model (W203)?

[jrct9454]

Actually, the car has been available in the US market for 15+ months.

We took delivery in early August, 2007 - C300 Lux - 12k+ miles so far.

I can find very little to complain about - it's faster, quieter, roomier, better handling, better braking, and even easier on fuel than our W203 C. And it's solid - none of the interior noises I spent so much time chasing on our '02.

We just came back from a brief road trip that involved a lot of 2-lane roads and the occasional tight passing opportunity - I've never had a car this responsive and easy to manage in passing maneuvers - put your foot down and hang on.

So far, we have seen zero problems - nothing at all. Could hardly be happier.

[e1000]

Originally Posted by jrct9454

Actually, the car has been available in the US market for 15+ months.

We took delivery in early August, 2007 - C300 Lux - 12k+ miles so far.

I can find very little to complain about - it's faster, quieter, roomier, better handling, better braking, and even easier on fuel than our W203 C. And it's solid - none of the interior noises I spent so much time chasing on our '02.

We just came back from a brief road trip that involved a lot of 2-lane roads and the occasional tight passing opportunity - I've never had a car this responsive and easy to manage in passing maneuvers - put your foot down and hang on.

So far, we have seen zero problems - nothing at all. Could hardly be happier.

I take mild offense to these parts.

[jrct9454]

What's to be offended about?

Ours was a C240; obviously, a W203 C350 is faster, etc. But I wouldn't trade our car for yours, under any circumstances. I had the chance to buy a late-build W203 after the new drivetrains were installed in the '06s, and decided to wait. I'm glad I did.

[e1000]

Don't get me wrong, I like the W204 a lot, but there were a massive amount of upgrades done to the W203 platform over the years.

I'm not saying that the W203 is better than the W204, but a W203 C350 is faster, lighter, quicker in a slolam and the brakes are much more capable than the W204 (excluding the C63). With that said, I would like a pano roof and I think the overall design of the interior is better in the W204.

[Carsy]

Originally Posted by myinternetsucks

Now that the newness has worn off how do you feel about your car now? Is it the same? As with any new changes in redesign and new production, whats the best part about owning the new C-Class (W204) compared the older model (W203)?

We have owned our 220CDI for nearly 12 months now . Our previous car was a Peugeot 405 Turbo Diesel so cannot compare with a W203.

Only two minor problems :- 1.Rattle in rear parcel tray which I fixed myself .

2. Engine seems to labour in 4th gear at 60km on flat. (5 speed Auto).A new computer program is supposed to fix this.

The only complaint is, that to my taste the suspension is a little tight over rough tar sections which makes the ride not as comfortable as a French vehicle, but overall we are very satisfied & enjoy driving the car.

[cvx5832]

Yup, this car has been great. No complaints at 16k miles.

I'll check in again at around 50k, but from the looks of things it will be a happy relationship.

Regards,
Paolo

[chilledbenz]

Can't really say the car has been bad, its got lots of rattles and its had a few problems, one of which was on the major side, but it seems to be quieting down now after almost a full year of ownership. It's not that its a really bad car, its just blah, it doesn't do anything particularly well, it seems to just be happy living in mediocre land. Even the exterior design which I fell in love with at first is looking a bit tired. With the 2009 price increase for the C class, I really find it hard to recommend this car to someone in the market for a new car, unless they could get one with some heavy discounts. A 2009 E class (discounts readily available to put it near C350 prices) or the soon to be introduced GLK look to be better values.

[akbro93704]

I love my C300. Its quiet, solid and very easy to drive, with light steering and strong brakes. The only complaints I have is that some of the interior feels cheap, and theres a few squeaks and creaks here and there. Also, the engine and steering aren't as "smooth" as when the car was new.

BUT. I'm not going to say the W204 is a drastic improvement over the W203, especially over the '05 to '07 sport models. They were very solid, had great handling, and great brakes. Overall, the W204 just...drives different than the W203. Not necessarily better. This is just my opinion.

[dalazernet]

Originally Posted by akbro93704

........

08 VW Jetta 2.0T Wolfsburg Edition -Platinum Gray/Gray Leatherette *DSG

Do you meet behind the Dairy Twist? ;-). Seriously though, nice fleet of cars you've got there.

[oblu]

Originally Posted by chilledbenz

Can't really say the car has been bad, its got lots of rattles and its had a few problems, one of which was on the major side, but it seems to be quieting down now after almost a full year of ownership. It's not that its a really bad car, its just blah, it doesn't do anything particularly well, it seems to just be happy living in mediocre land. Even the exterior design which I fell in love with at first is looking a bit tired. With the 2009 price increase for the C class, I really find it hard to recommend this car to someone in the market for a new car, unless they could get one with some heavy discounts. A 2009 E class (discounts readily available to put it near C350 prices) or the soon to be introduced GLK look to be better values.

+1 for me. At this point the only thing keeping me from getting rid of the car is the massive depreciation ... I know everything's taken a hit but this car seems like it's been hit worse than others? I'm shopping this month for other cars, and right now my trade-in valuations are around 24-25k. 08 with 11k miles.

Even the dealer who sold me the car told me they didn't want it when I went to trade up to an E350; too many new cars sitting un-sold. And buying another car from them just wasn't enough incentive for them to give me anything for it.

[mac911]

Had car 10.5 months. Love it more every day. I love the interior too.

The entire car continues to impress me.

[wblynch]

My only regret is not getting the leather interior.

[webada]

I still get head turns with it... or i can believe its me. :P

first mb, coming off a bmw, can't say I luv the handling but other than the dumbo ears and 1960 door pins, this car is just fine.

[webada]

oh and I beginning to think the dial pad is a fab for mb like the oval clocks on the infiiniti... never used it once!

[joshg1001]

^^ i use the dial pad like every day? voice command is useless to me. its just too slow. and i also use it to change radio stations. lol

[webada]

Originally Posted by joshg1001

^^ i use the dial pad like every day? voice command is useless to me. its just too slow. and i also use it to change radio stations. lol

sry i meant the number pad, not the dial controller!

[chilledbenz]

Originally Posted by oblu

+1 for me. At this point the only thing keeping me from getting rid of the car is the massive depreciation ... I know everything's taken a hit but this car seems like it's been hit worse than others? I'm shopping this month for other cars, and right now my trade-in valuations are around 24-25k. 08 with 11k miles.

Even the dealer who sold me the car told me they didn't want it when I went to trade up to an E350; too many new cars sitting un-sold. And buying another car from them just wasn't enough incentive for them to give me anything for it.

A quote from Kelly Blue Book on the 2007 C class sedan.

"As for resale value, the C-Class falls short of typical Mercedes-Benz expectations. It has only a slightly better-than-average projected residual value over a four-year period, besting the Saab 9-3 and Cadillac CTS, but ranking far behind the values expected of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Infiniti G35."

The 2008 models are listed as below average and is far behind the same cars listed above, not to mention resale prices aren't too far off what 2007 C class resale prices are. Thats pretty crazy considering it was a complete refresh of the car (except engine and trans) for 2008. It will be quite interesting to see what prices these cars start fetching in a few years when everyone here will start trading their cars in.

[mac911]

I don't know why these have such bad resale. They are exceptional cars. I'd rather get one than any other on that list for sure.

I think there is something about Mercedes-Benz that many people stay away from it, hurting resale. I think there is almost a feeling that Mercedes-Benz isn't for them, the name is almost too big for the company sometimes.

[joshg1001]

Originally Posted by webada

sry i meant the number pad, not the dial controller!

yes i am talking about the number pad...like the one you would find on a phone?

dont you navigate through preset radio stations with it?

[UR2SLO]

-No room for people in the back seats (leg room etc)
-Should of bought leather
etc

Most likey going to sell it and get an suv

[Carsy]

I have to ask ,how much thought & research do people put in before buying a car, does anyone sit in the back seat before purchase & check out the difference between MTex & leather. Or do we rush in & make a major purchase on impulse ?
Some folk take literally months to gather information on various vehicles to make sure that the purchase is suitable for their lifestyles.

[myinternetsucks]

I spent about a month and half of R&D, lol! i test drove the car twice. went to about 3-4 dealerships and had them compete for my biz before i bought mine.

[webada]

i'm worst, I went around bmw, lexus, infiniti and mb to test drive all. then once i'm sure i want the c, i went around all the dealerships to shop for the best price.

[wblynch]

I spent 15 minutes deciding on the car and 1 hour in the dealership on the paperwork.

I regret not looking closer but, based on our 2004 C-240 which has MB-tex with the leather inserts, I "assumed" the W204 would be the same.

It turns out the W204 not only has no leather inserts, the MB-tex is quite a lot different from the W203. My fault completely. ...oh well.

[jrct9454]

I prefer the MB-Tex, and couldn't car less about the leather. Just harder to take care of.

[UR2SLO]

Well mine was one of the first in the city. And at the time I couldn't see the difference from MB Tex and leather because there was no demo's.

Originally Posted by UR2SLO

-No room for people in the back seats (leg room etc)
-Should of bought leather
etc

Most likey going to sell it and get an suv

[Moto_Guzzi]

I spend about 3 months reading up on things, cut out Volvo=looks like it's rear chopped off with butterknife,cut out Audi=Can't make up their shape, cuts out BMW=The sound of the 6 cyl killed my ears and I don't want to race, then realize I can make a special order from MB website. 1st dealers refused order, not possible. Well one dealer accept, and 8- months later I had it..After 5 000Kms still extremely happy. It is a very small car inside, but does not effect me.

[oblu]

Originally Posted by chilledbenz

A quote from Kelly Blue Book on the 2007 C class sedan.

"As for resale value, the C-Class falls short of typical Mercedes-Benz expectations. It has only a slightly better-than-average projected residual value over a four-year period, besting the Saab 9-3 and Cadillac CTS, but ranking far behind the values expected of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Infiniti G35."

The 2008 models are listed as below average and is far behind the same cars listed above, not to mention resale prices aren't too far off what 2007 C class resale prices are. Thats pretty crazy considering it was a complete refresh of the car (except engine and trans) for 2008. It will be quite interesting to see what prices these cars start fetching in a few years when everyone here will start trading their cars in.

That's funny ... I usually have A4's or 330's. I'll admit, I'm a car hopper and usually buy something new every 12-18mo and I'm used to paying to play. Doesn't bother me.

I'm just not used to be $10 to 12 THOUSAND upside down. Bet it's close to the same for other brands right now though.

It's gotta be killing the dealerships to rely solely on cash buyers for sales. If they don't take trades, that has to cut off more than 50% of their customers.