I've always loved Mercedes for the look/sportiness they offer and have always seemed to be ahead of the other German manufacturers in terms of build quality. I fell in love with them a few years back when I rode in a buddy's E55 AMG. Was very impressed with the mix of power and comfort. I've been into sports cars for a long time and have lately felt like I just need to get something a little more timid and comfortable... So the other day I drove both a new 2011 C300, fully loaded with the Harmon/Kardon Multimedia Package, and then drove a 2008 at a used dealer down the road with exactly the same setup just a different shade of silver.
**POSITIVES**
First I'd just like to say that I love the way they look and they're a very smooth ride, as any luxury car should be. Mercedes is one of the sportiest looking luxury brands around to me. A perfect mix of class and aggressive looks..but that's about where it stops for me.
**NEGATIVES**
INTERIOR: This first thing that I'm extremely upset by is how cheap their interior has become. Hard plastic dash, hard leather seats that feel like they belong in a 10+ year old mitsubishi or nissan. Steering wheel just felt cheap as well. Sound system was mediocre.. especially when compared to the Mark Levinson Surround Sound system that comes in the Lexus models. Navigation not being a touchscreen was also extremely annoying. Too difficult to navigate around the screen.. This is one of the main features I find annoying in the Audi and BMW models as well. I feel like it takes more of my attention off the road trying to dick with that stupid knob and the buttons. My girlfriend and my dad were with me when I went to the Mercedes dealership and they were forced to sit in back and when we got out, both complained that their backs were hurting and there was hardly any leg room..
PERFORMANCE: Extremely underpowered, like unbelievably slow. Trying to merge with traffic on the highway took a bit.. felt like I was back in my girlfriends old Sunfire that she drove when we started dating.
FUEL ECONOMY: Averaged 17-18mpg.. awful. May as well buy a prius.. same performance, nicer interior, and better gas mileage.
At the end of the day I thought, you know maybe I should have looked at the E-class instead but it's about the same story, just more leg room in the back. I'm horribly disappointed with what BMW and Mercedes are offering anymore in their base model cars, especially when you look at the price. $47,000 was what the dealer wanted for their C300.. made me chuckle considering I could go over to Lexus and get a GS for that price, AWD, with air conditioned seats, more leg room, faster, touchscreen, back up camera, better surround sound quality, parking assist sensors, air-ride suspension, far nicer interior, better resale, and better reliability, better gas mileage, LED interior lighting, and cheaper maintenance, less road noise, etc. I really wanted to get a Mercedes but it looks as though I'll probably never buy anything from them that doesn't have an AMG badge on it.
**POSITIVES**
First I'd just like to say that I love the way they look and they're a very smooth ride, as any luxury car should be. Mercedes is one of the sportiest looking luxury brands around to me. A perfect mix of class and aggressive looks..but that's about where it stops for me.
**NEGATIVES**
INTERIOR: This first thing that I'm extremely upset by is how cheap their interior has become. Hard plastic dash, hard leather seats that feel like they belong in a 10+ year old mitsubishi or nissan. Steering wheel just felt cheap as well. Sound system was mediocre.. especially when compared to the Mark Levinson Surround Sound system that comes in the Lexus models. Navigation not being a touchscreen was also extremely annoying. Too difficult to navigate around the screen.. This is one of the main features I find annoying in the Audi and BMW models as well. I feel like it takes more of my attention off the road trying to dick with that stupid knob and the buttons. My girlfriend and my dad were with me when I went to the Mercedes dealership and they were forced to sit in back and when we got out, both complained that their backs were hurting and there was hardly any leg room..
PERFORMANCE: Extremely underpowered, like unbelievably slow. Trying to merge with traffic on the highway took a bit.. felt like I was back in my girlfriends old Sunfire that she drove when we started dating.
FUEL ECONOMY: Averaged 17-18mpg.. awful. May as well buy a prius.. same performance, nicer interior, and better gas mileage.
At the end of the day I thought, you know maybe I should have looked at the E-class instead but it's about the same story, just more leg room in the back. I'm horribly disappointed with what BMW and Mercedes are offering anymore in their base model cars, especially when you look at the price. $47,000 was what the dealer wanted for their C300.. made me chuckle considering I could go over to Lexus and get a GS for that price, AWD, with air conditioned seats, more leg room, faster, touchscreen, back up camera, better surround sound quality, parking assist sensors, air-ride suspension, far nicer interior, better resale, and better reliability, better gas mileage, LED interior lighting, and cheaper maintenance, less road noise, etc. I really wanted to get a Mercedes but it looks as though I'll probably never buy anything from them that doesn't have an AMG badge on it.
