Thought i would expnd on previous posts as the wife is away and i have too much time on my hands, so plenty of postings this weekend.
Styling:
Always liked the C class and it has matured well, still looking modern and sporty and certainly upmarket in my mind. Cars are becoming so well built with every new generation, so sleek and aerodynamic - you really notice it when you wash a modern car as there are so few changes between surfaces. I like the driving lights at the front. Would have picked the no cost option 5 twin spoke alloys, rather than the seven spokes fitted to mine - they are much "sexier".
Interior:
The interior for me is a massive step forward - particulalrly the new AMG style flat bottom steering wheel which is chunky and good to hold. Also thought that the previous model had a very plasicky dash with lots of tiny buttons (like Volvos, in the centre of the dash). All the buttons feel substantial and the seating position can be lowered right down, making you fell like you are driving a coupe. Electric adjustment provided is adequate and is ee no need for memory settings. Have not had a chance for a long distance run yet to decide how comfortable they are over a long distance, but they are a good compromise between comfort and sport, holding you well in the corners with decent side bolsters.
The instrument cluster is attractive and the graphics in the display are great and you can switch the speedo between Navigation, Trip, Telephone and Audio, which is great. Mine has the 12 button steering wheel and i can operate the mobile phone from it. It pairs via blootooth to my HTC mobile, although it failed several times to upload the contacts, so i got fed up and manuallly imputted my favourite contacts.
Comand:
Comand is a comprehensive system, but not without its faults and anomolies. It failed several times to copy my music to the Hard Disk "Music Register" until i burnt a DVDRW at a slower speed as a data disc - (thanks to help on this forum). SD card would probably be easier, as pointed out on this forum.
The system is quite complex but navigation works well, inputting 7 digit post codes and even using Linguatronic, although you need to familiarise yourself with the various commands (although it gives you comand lists as you progress to each step - i will eventually familiarise myself with this system with use).
It is a shame, given the technology, that Comand can not burn a CD straight from the drive and that it requires a data CD/DVD.
The navigation screen, which is seven inches across, is very easy to read and the graphics are good. Sometimes though, i have found that when inputting a post code, and trying to then input a house number, that not all house numbers are available, although this could be due to me not being given the correct postcode by my head office, as there are sometimes typos.
Driving:
The V6 is smooth and relatively quiet with a nice roar when under acceleration. Torque is immense with this engine and it would certainly leave my previous Focus ST in its dust. The torque allows rapid progress relatively serenely so you can quickly be at high speeds without realising and with so much torque available, speeding points are a concern with this car!
The suspension is firm and controlled, with an initial suppleness which smooths out most bumps and reduces the scars that litter our roads to minor blemishes, with no "crashes" entering the cabin. There is quite substantial road noise from the tyres, which Mercedes may want to look to reduce in future vehicles, but it rides on wide tyres, particulalry at the rear - 255x35x18 with 235x40x18 at the front.
Cornering is flat and feels secure and planted but there is no real feedback at the wheel, although i have had my fun cars, so i was looking for refinement and competence, rather than outright driving involvement ( i knew what i was getting in terms of handling and feedback before i ordered the car).
The gearbox is smooth although i have no idea what gear it is in at any given time - i have not really played with the paddles - they can be a bit slow to respond in manual mode - (it is not an Italian exotic) and you can feel the changes but they are subdued and kickdown is still a hoot that i may not become tired of during my ownership of this vehicle.
The parking sensors are useful in any car but they are only audible in the last two of the six segments, when the segments turn red - i am used to continous beeping and some cars have audible alerts which grow in volume, which i would prefer.
Exterior Finish:
For a £40000 car i would have expected the paint finish to be better, if i am honest. There is a significant "orange peel" effect to the paint. I have used a cutting compound to polish the car before giving it a protection wax using Autoglym Super Resin Polish, and it now gleams brightly, but the paint finish still has the orange peel effect, probably on the colour coat, rather than the laquer coat, so this is something Mercedes should look to improve in the future, in my opinion. I do like the gloss black detailing vertically between the doors and to the roof rails, rather than the plastic/vinyl i had on the Ford, which always needed attention to re-black the finish to really look good, whereas this gloss finish only needs light buffing during drying the car.
Technology:
I am very used to the ECO stop start feature already and think it is a great idea and an amazing bit of technology, although i know some do not like it and switch off the ECO setting. I am happy to leave it on all the time. I drive mostly in ECO mode althouhg in the future i will use SPORT mode on the appropriate roads, during longer runs.
The car is packed with technology and the manual is slighltly lacking in readability, although there is some tech on the car that i will seldom use, which means it will not be second nature for me (as with many home appliances many features are unused because there are just so many settings possible).
Economy:
This car is probably capable of good rather than great economy, but this is a 3 litre V6 turbodiesel, so it will never be frugal and the performance is so readily available that even short journeys are likely to involve the odd bootful of throttle just for selfish reasons. However, my engine is new and will loosen up with more miles according to others and i have seen 34.5 mpg on a realtively short run. Longer journeys lay ahead of me so i will look forward to seeing how fuel consumption improves over 100 mile plus disances.
Conclusion:
I am very pleased with the car so far and still enjoy looking out to the drive to see it sitting there, although i am a long way from the novelty wearing off as i have only had the car a few days now. I look forward to the next drive, knowing that the car can be a rocket ship or a limousine, as required and as dictated by the right foot!
I am very fortunate to have the C350, as it was looking unaffordable until this deal came along. I would have happily taken a C250CDI and may do so in the future but it is nice to know i have experienced the V6 engine.
I am also lucky to have servicing included in my lease contract, as the costs of servicing a V6 are surely likely to be higher than with one of the four cylinder engines.
In short, if you want a refined car with great thrust when you call for it, good looks and build quality along with leading edge technology and integrated systems, and you are not looking for razor edge handling and all the compromises that go with it, i would definately recommend you try a C Class diesel. The choice of engine will probably come down to costs as having driven a C220 CDI i would be quite happy if that was the car that i could afford. I lucked into the top of the range model and intend to enjoy the next two years that i have with it.
Forgive any glaring omissions or errors as i am stil a Mercedes newbie and my experience of the car is still limited, but i look forward to getting better aquainted over the next couple of years.
Thanks to all those who post on the forum for their advice and input. Useful as ever.
Focus
Styling:
Always liked the C class and it has matured well, still looking modern and sporty and certainly upmarket in my mind. Cars are becoming so well built with every new generation, so sleek and aerodynamic - you really notice it when you wash a modern car as there are so few changes between surfaces. I like the driving lights at the front. Would have picked the no cost option 5 twin spoke alloys, rather than the seven spokes fitted to mine - they are much "sexier".
Interior:
The interior for me is a massive step forward - particulalrly the new AMG style flat bottom steering wheel which is chunky and good to hold. Also thought that the previous model had a very plasicky dash with lots of tiny buttons (like Volvos, in the centre of the dash). All the buttons feel substantial and the seating position can be lowered right down, making you fell like you are driving a coupe. Electric adjustment provided is adequate and is ee no need for memory settings. Have not had a chance for a long distance run yet to decide how comfortable they are over a long distance, but they are a good compromise between comfort and sport, holding you well in the corners with decent side bolsters.
The instrument cluster is attractive and the graphics in the display are great and you can switch the speedo between Navigation, Trip, Telephone and Audio, which is great. Mine has the 12 button steering wheel and i can operate the mobile phone from it. It pairs via blootooth to my HTC mobile, although it failed several times to upload the contacts, so i got fed up and manuallly imputted my favourite contacts.
Comand:
Comand is a comprehensive system, but not without its faults and anomolies. It failed several times to copy my music to the Hard Disk "Music Register" until i burnt a DVDRW at a slower speed as a data disc - (thanks to help on this forum). SD card would probably be easier, as pointed out on this forum.
The system is quite complex but navigation works well, inputting 7 digit post codes and even using Linguatronic, although you need to familiarise yourself with the various commands (although it gives you comand lists as you progress to each step - i will eventually familiarise myself with this system with use).
It is a shame, given the technology, that Comand can not burn a CD straight from the drive and that it requires a data CD/DVD.
The navigation screen, which is seven inches across, is very easy to read and the graphics are good. Sometimes though, i have found that when inputting a post code, and trying to then input a house number, that not all house numbers are available, although this could be due to me not being given the correct postcode by my head office, as there are sometimes typos.
Driving:
The V6 is smooth and relatively quiet with a nice roar when under acceleration. Torque is immense with this engine and it would certainly leave my previous Focus ST in its dust. The torque allows rapid progress relatively serenely so you can quickly be at high speeds without realising and with so much torque available, speeding points are a concern with this car!
The suspension is firm and controlled, with an initial suppleness which smooths out most bumps and reduces the scars that litter our roads to minor blemishes, with no "crashes" entering the cabin. There is quite substantial road noise from the tyres, which Mercedes may want to look to reduce in future vehicles, but it rides on wide tyres, particulalry at the rear - 255x35x18 with 235x40x18 at the front.
Cornering is flat and feels secure and planted but there is no real feedback at the wheel, although i have had my fun cars, so i was looking for refinement and competence, rather than outright driving involvement ( i knew what i was getting in terms of handling and feedback before i ordered the car).
The gearbox is smooth although i have no idea what gear it is in at any given time - i have not really played with the paddles - they can be a bit slow to respond in manual mode - (it is not an Italian exotic) and you can feel the changes but they are subdued and kickdown is still a hoot that i may not become tired of during my ownership of this vehicle.
The parking sensors are useful in any car but they are only audible in the last two of the six segments, when the segments turn red - i am used to continous beeping and some cars have audible alerts which grow in volume, which i would prefer.
Exterior Finish:
For a £40000 car i would have expected the paint finish to be better, if i am honest. There is a significant "orange peel" effect to the paint. I have used a cutting compound to polish the car before giving it a protection wax using Autoglym Super Resin Polish, and it now gleams brightly, but the paint finish still has the orange peel effect, probably on the colour coat, rather than the laquer coat, so this is something Mercedes should look to improve in the future, in my opinion. I do like the gloss black detailing vertically between the doors and to the roof rails, rather than the plastic/vinyl i had on the Ford, which always needed attention to re-black the finish to really look good, whereas this gloss finish only needs light buffing during drying the car.
Technology:
I am very used to the ECO stop start feature already and think it is a great idea and an amazing bit of technology, although i know some do not like it and switch off the ECO setting. I am happy to leave it on all the time. I drive mostly in ECO mode althouhg in the future i will use SPORT mode on the appropriate roads, during longer runs.
The car is packed with technology and the manual is slighltly lacking in readability, although there is some tech on the car that i will seldom use, which means it will not be second nature for me (as with many home appliances many features are unused because there are just so many settings possible).
Economy:
This car is probably capable of good rather than great economy, but this is a 3 litre V6 turbodiesel, so it will never be frugal and the performance is so readily available that even short journeys are likely to involve the odd bootful of throttle just for selfish reasons. However, my engine is new and will loosen up with more miles according to others and i have seen 34.5 mpg on a realtively short run. Longer journeys lay ahead of me so i will look forward to seeing how fuel consumption improves over 100 mile plus disances.
Conclusion:
I am very pleased with the car so far and still enjoy looking out to the drive to see it sitting there, although i am a long way from the novelty wearing off as i have only had the car a few days now. I look forward to the next drive, knowing that the car can be a rocket ship or a limousine, as required and as dictated by the right foot!
I am very fortunate to have the C350, as it was looking unaffordable until this deal came along. I would have happily taken a C250CDI and may do so in the future but it is nice to know i have experienced the V6 engine.
I am also lucky to have servicing included in my lease contract, as the costs of servicing a V6 are surely likely to be higher than with one of the four cylinder engines.
In short, if you want a refined car with great thrust when you call for it, good looks and build quality along with leading edge technology and integrated systems, and you are not looking for razor edge handling and all the compromises that go with it, i would definately recommend you try a C Class diesel. The choice of engine will probably come down to costs as having driven a C220 CDI i would be quite happy if that was the car that i could afford. I lucked into the top of the range model and intend to enjoy the next two years that i have with it.
Forgive any glaring omissions or errors as i am stil a Mercedes newbie and my experience of the car is still limited, but i look forward to getting better aquainted over the next couple of years.
Thanks to all those who post on the forum for their advice and input. Useful as ever.
Focus
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