Benz C300 Rant

I have to vent. Back this past may, 8 months ago, we bought my wife a 2008 C300 Mercedes benz, CPO with 36k miles. We looked at 328i's at the time also, but they were about $3-5k more expensive. Now I know why. Tonight was the last straw with me and this car. Since she's had the baby, I drive the car with her in the backseat taking car of the kid. If anyone is thinking about getting a C class, just pay the extra $3k and get the BMW. You'll thank yourself in the long run. Here is a list of my rants and raves about this car. Yes, we're getting rid of it ASAP.


1- Road noise. It has Honda type road noise. It's a joke how bad it is. I test drove the car, but didn't have access to a 80mph roadway. My 2003 530i with 105k on it is quieter. Even with door seals worn out and it reving at 3,250rpm @ 80. So the last road trip we did over newyears this weekend we took my 530i. Was a indeed a good choice.

2- Steering SUCKS in this car. It's too light, and even after the dealer charged me $225 for an alignment it's still not great. not even close to a BMW steering. Drives like a crappy regular car. I really hate it at high speeds. I feel like I have no connection with the vehicle. I feel unsafe. my 2007 4cyl Honda Accord had better steering than this C300 by a long shot!!! MB missed this by a mile. Steering feedback actually makes me back out of the throttle.... it's really crappy. Honda and BMW crap all over MB's steering in the C300.

3- Steering column had to be replaced under a recall/TSB. It has a rattle that the dealer can not fix. I even took everything apart one saturday... I'm damn good at rattles and alike. but I could not fix it. So I have a luxury vehicle that sounds like there is a lose screw rolling around in the column. Oh, and While I was upside down under the dash with a flashlight I see the column is stamped "diamler chrysler". That's nice. And explains why it rattles.

4- It was a CPO vehicle with 36k. Two weeks after buying it, the battery went dead. Warranty did not cover it. Hot about that... Normally I bring my digital battery tester, but I forgot for this car. And WTF is the battery not in the trunk? The batteries last longer and help with weight distribution. Batteries in the trunk last almost 10yrs. So that was one reason I didn't even pursue the battery condition. 3.5yr old car... battery in the trunk should be fine. NO. Not even in the trunk. Burned me again.

5- Interior is a sea of cheap plastic. My first impressions when I got in the car was eh, rather have my 3 series. But my wife really like the car and she's only 5'-0" so not many cars fit her well. So I let the interior slide. 8 months later seems like the plastic has grown all over the interior. It's a crappy plastic interior. Like that of a cheap civic.

6-No memory seat positions. Again. I forgot to check, and figured hell this thing has to have at least 2 position memories. NO.

7- I knew it did not have HID's factory. I did a high end, proper conversion with error resistor boxes etc. HID's still flicker. I gave up put the halogens back in.

8- MPG's are nothting to write home about. For a compact, modern 3.5L V6 7spd auto that burns 91 octane and only has 230hp I would expect 30hwy. 25 city. It gets about 22 city, 27-28 hwy. My 105k 2003 530i that spins 3,250 @ 80 gets 30. What progress has 10yrs made in MPG's? My 6spd manual 335i averaged 29.5 from FL to VA in the winter on 89 octane. Including some "enjoying of the mountain roads". Fully loaded with luggage. That car has 2 turbos, my heavy foot and 300HP. It was in the 20's outside... still got almost 30mpg on 89 gas.


It's just been a real turn-off experience with this Benz. I love my 2 BMW's. I don't know what it is... it's like coccaine. My wife finally said let's get rid of this thing for a small SUV. Came down to a X3 or new Honda CRV. Going the new CRV route. New, better gas etc.... headache free and the Honda does have nice steering and good 4cyl engines. But if we did get a luxury small SUV, I'd get the X3. I don't know what it is, but it's like once you experience a BMW and appreciate it.... it's like not even a benz comes close. I had to rant.... I drove the car home tonight and it's just the most unpleasant driving machine. Is this normal what I am experiencing toward the C300?

Gotcha brother. Sold my benz to buy an E46. Five bimmers later. Never again.

I'm no Mercedes fan but a little research would have saved you a lot of complaints.

How can you not know about the seat memory?

25 mpg city? My BMW with 230 HP gets 21 in the city.

All reviews say the C series has poor steering.

The recent LCI totally redid the interior. It's a known flaw in earlier models.

Battery in the trunk has nothing to do with longevity. Both my M3's batteries died a little more than 3 years into it. That's just typical battery life.

Personally, I'd rather have the battery up front. If 25lbs is make or break for handling, well, the car has bigger problems...

Bottom line, CPO or not, it's a 4yr old German car.

Thanks for the hilarious story, at your expense. One point in time, my local BMW dealer had both 328i and the C280 for test drive comparison. The first thing I noticed when driven them back to back was the gearing. The BMW had much more sporty gearing, like it was designed to be driven. Even though both cars were competitive luxury compacts, the BMW catered to a different type of drivers, probably like you and me. With that, I wish you good luck in dumping that C300 by now.

Edit: 29.5 mpg in the 335i for a long trip is sensational. I don't even get that with my 330i, of course it has 144K miles on the ODO now. Also, I had my car for over 12 years. I'm on my 3rd battery, including the OEM.

^ Yeah I know some research could of helped out... but the wife really liked it and it was a few $k cheaper. Oh well lesson learned. It was going to happen sooner or later even if we had the 3 series. C300 or 328i are not family road trip cars. But we would probably keep the 328i until we "had to have" a CRV. My 530i and 335i get awsome mileage if you drive them correctly. Both are stick shifts. That seems to be the key.... STICK.

What!?! Really!? I love the look of the 08-Current C classes and planned on trading my 7 for one sometime in March..

^ Good luck bud. I'll sell you mine/wife's. It's 9.9/10 condition. Dark grey/blk Auto 44k. $20k flat it's yours. if you were being sarcastic Raf out loud.

Originally Posted by FLE39

^ Good luck bud. I'll sell you mine/wife's. It's 9.9/10 condition. Dark grey/blk Auto 44k. $20k flat it's yours. if you were being sarcastic Raf out loud.

probably because the 7er is worst.

Originally Posted by FLE39

^ Good luck bud. I'll sell you mine/wife's. It's 9.9/10 condition. Dark grey/blk Auto 44k. $20k flat it's yours. if you were being sarcastic Raf out loud.

Woah! Message me some contact information.

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

probably because the 7er is worst.

Haha no kidding! If we want to talk about a problematic car I can sure contribute..

C300 is not problematic at all. It's actually our best family car. We just need a small SUV now with the kid and I'm not fond of the Benz steering or road noise. That's basically it. I'd rather be driving my 335i or 530i. Now if we talk about repairs, problems, float etc.. C300 cleans my clock.

We still have a 2013 C300 4Matic in Canada with a direct injected 3.5L 248HP V6 for the same price as a 328i. I wished that BMW went this route instead of the N20.

The C-Class has been much improved along the years. I don't feel like owning one but it appears to me as very good car.

^ I agree, very good car, mine was older (2008) and they have been improving it. I'm sure i'd be much happier with a 2013 C300. But we need a small SUV now. Just makes sense. Ended up with a 2013 CRV today. EX-L. very nice and roomy.

Originally Posted by Saintor

We still have a 2013 C300 4Matic in Canada with a direct injected 3.5L 248HP V6 for the same price as a 328i. I wished that BMW went this route instead of the N20...

So, I am thinking about the C350 4Matic. I like the F30's steering the best vs A4 and C class, but BMW is pricing themselves out of the market. Dollar for dollar you just don't get as much from BMW now.

What do you think of the 2013 C class's handling?

If they didn't change anything from 2008? I'd say it's light, but very odd at hwy speeds. you need to really drive it. I could never get used that steering on the hwy. Around town it's great.

Originally Posted by ed325i

So, I am thinking about the C350 4Matic. I like the F30's steering the best vs A4 and C class, but BMW is pricing themselves out of the market. Dollar for dollar you just don't get as much from BMW now.

What do you think of the 2013 C class's handling?

Haven't tried one. But I assume that it must not be bad and the gap with the newest 3-series is not what it is used to be.

I just priced a lease 36mo / 72000km (Canada)
2013 C350 Sport 750+txs
2013 335i Sport 930+txs

Ouch. BMW is greedy. With the high cost of the 3-series, maybe it is one of the reason why BMW USA sold an insane quantity of 5-series last month, 8385 more than any ....competitors for 3-series!

Originally Posted by ed325i

So, I am thinking about the C350 4Matic. I like the F30's steering the best vs A4 and C class, but BMW is pricing themselves out of the market. Dollar for dollar you just don't get as much from BMW now.

BMW is using their brand image to make more money. They are much more expensive than the equivalent Audi A4 (why would I buy a 335xi when I can get a more special S4?) or MB C Class, yet the 3 series still outsells both month after month.

Wow I would have to disagree And agree with some parts of this thread. I have an e46 coupe and we leased a c300 last march so almost a year ago.

There is no road noise what's so ever in are 2012 c300. This thing drives like butter, it's smooth and easy to handle. Sometimes if you grab the steering wheel wrong it does jerk. Then mpg are not half as good as my e46( we get anywhere from 19 to 29 in the c300 )

The bad, if you don't put your foot to the ground it takes forever for it to speed up. ( it's supposedly to keep it a smooth ride while speeding up ) The car is fully loaded but the buttons are oddly placed, and the navigation has got me lost multiple times. Its a very tight squeeze if you are tall both in the back and front seats. I also feel like I'm always sitting on the roof per say, I put the seat the whole way down an still feel like my head is to close to the roof for comfort.

As for road noise we have a 07 Honda pilot fully loaded as well( for when we get bad weather and need to grocery shop ) and it's noisy and no matter what tires you put on that thing it's always that bad. This car is nothing like that at all. It's quite quiet in my opinion. The c300 handled amazing in both rain and snow over the past month or two.

I would still choose my e46 any day over are leased c300. Yet this is my moms daily driver so for her needs she loves it. I however am waiting arrival of a new 3 series BMW and with my job we get great discounts on Mercedes and I still went BMW.

The c300 is amazing on long trips if you have time to screw with the navigation and your seat. My sister hates being a back seat passenger in the c300 you can't really see out the front due to being so high up in the back seats.

Everyone will have there own opinions and each year/model tend to ride and drive differently. Buying used is a risk that you take, you have no idea how the previous owner took care of their car.

^ I agree, but the new Accord and CRV have much lower road noise than the typical Honda line up has had over the past few years. You have a '12. I had a '08. I'm sure they made some changes along the way. If I had to b a new F30 Vs C250 I may end up with the C250. B/c the 3 series has come down in some aspects and C class has come up. so maybe now they more head to head. I'm comparing my '08 C300 Vs a 2003 530i 5spd manual sport pkg. with 105k on it. And my '07 6spd manual 335i. Both my older BMW's killed the C300 in every area except reliability, looks and trunk space.

Originally Posted by FLE39

If they didn't change anything from 2008? I'd say it's light, but very odd at hwy speeds. you need to really drive it. I could never get used that steering on the hwy. Around town it's great.

May be improved with the facelift from a couple of years ago?

We have a 2013 GLK350. Aside from understeer, it drives fine for a car of its mass and height. The engine is great.

Originally Posted by BMW750IMMIA

What!?! Really!? I love the look of the 08-Current C classes and planned on trading my 7 for one sometime in March..

+1. Other than the trading in my 7 series.....lol

Benz engines I think are awsome. It's like a Honda from Germany. Seems like a real low maintenance platform. Vs the BMWs.

Originally Posted by Saintor

We still have a 2013 C300 4Matic in Canada with a direct injected 3.5L 248HP V6 for the same price as a 328i...

How much does maintenance cost on your C300 4Matic? Just want an idea of running costs. Thanks.

My BMW trunk battery died after 3 years.
What sort of loss are you going to take on this MB?