Looking at C220 Estate - thoughts on Tiptronic, please

[Taliska]

Hi,

Just summoning up the courage to get another car (only happens every 10 years or so) - I'm looking at a 1-2 year old C220 Diesel Auto Estate.

Question: is it worth getting Tiptronic, or not?

I do 17k miles per year - mostly on motorway or country A road. As I get older, I drive more and more sensibly - but occasionally I'm late (typically because of work) and need to get a move on. Occasionally drive in real mountains and occasionally do very long distances.

Thanks for all your opinions.

Taliska

 

[def90cars]

By Tiptronic you mean Automatic: that is no clutch pedal.

Personally I drive automatics all the time. Much more relaxing and easier.
Modern autos are often quicker and more economical that the manual versions.
Modern autos are not the slush boxes of 20 years ago.

Tiptronic is actually a Porsche invention and is often the commonly misused term for automatic cars that have the ability to shift using paddles or the gear selector.

Nearly every auto or automated manual has the function to shift "manually" although some are more effective and aesthetic than others!

I'd say go auto and don't look back.

 

[como]

Hi Taliska,
I have had the C220 with the 7-speed auto-box since May 2012. In that time I have covered almost 40,000 miles and the driving experience has been excellent. My commute is mainly at motorway speeds for the first 30 minutes and then 20 minutes of stop/start traffic getting into the city. I would agree with Tony, above, in that it is a relaxed drive when using an auto box. There have been a few threads on here about people experiencing a severe change-down in the lower gears, with this particular box. I believe there is a MB software update to fix this but if you search the Forum you will get more info on it. I have only ever experienced this once since buying the car, so I'm assuming MB have done the necessary on the A or B service. Again, agreeing with Tony I would say buy the auto.

 

[reason42]

Do Mercedes have an autobox without the flappy paddles?

 

[Derek Smith]

I had to go auto due to a back injury. This after 45 years of going manual. I've tried various auto boxes, but I have to say the Merc one is by far the best. I had a 7-speed on my SLK 350 and found it sublime.

The only problem was that it would change up on just open throttle in the middle of a corner, especially when pushing. This never made the car feel unstable but worried me. However, it is easy enough to go 'manual' in such situations. It becomes an automatic action (sorry, I love puns).

Other than that it was magic.

Fuel consumption is very good with the Merc set-up.

I drove a Porsche Boxster with tiptronic before the SLK and I thought there was a discernible hesitation in change up and down that was not there in the SLK, despite being told be everyone it was the same system. I tried two Boxsters and both gave the same impression.

On a matter which will be of no concern to anyone, autos have a significant edge over manuals when it comes to acceleration through the gears. There is no delay and there is no chance of fluffing one (let alone damaging the syncro).

If you check the official 0-60 times you will see that they are virtually identical. Road testers get faster times for the manual but they treat the mechanicals with a certain disdain.

It is win-win I think.

Many suggest there is much more control with a full manual but firstly, I wonder if these are the type who cry into their beer over the advent of automatic advance and retard, and secondly, the auto has the manual override.

I used the manual change a fair bit when I first got the SLK but within a couple of months or so this reverted to just when I wanted to hold a specific gear on a corner or, perhaps, going up a steep hill.

I went from being a martyr to my back to suddenly realising after all these years that auto boxes can be best. And the 7-speed is the best of any auto I've ever driven.

The auto box on my Focus is another thread though.

 

[Ted]

Yes.
Other than the very old boxes, all autos come with tiptronic. This is where you can easily override the 'auto' box by tapping the gear lever left or right to change up or down.
'AMG spec' adds flappy paddles to this, and there may also be some specials that include the paddles.

As has already been said, modern Mercedes autos are very very good (well they always have been) and there is no real advantage to a manual.

However there is a caveat if you have a lot of hills or mountains. Whilst the flappy paddles are great for fast down changes for engine braking or changing down for steep inclines, if you are doing a lot of wheel twirling through sharp bends, it is almost impossible to use them.

 

[Stratman]

In my opinion and that's all it is, an opinion, Mercedes make some of the world's best automatic transmissions and some of the worst manuals.

If by your question you're asking if it's worth looking specifically for a car with the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel, all the autos have manual override. Some have it on the lever, some additionally have it behind the wheel. I suppose it depends how much you want to pretend you're an F1 driver, or how often you think the car will be in the wrong gear.

All just opinions, naturally.


Welcome to the forum by the way

 

[def90cars]

Do Mercedes have an autobox without the flappy paddles?

Loads, and even the ones with paddles can be operated via the lever too (in my experience).

Flappy paddles was really in relation to Aston's Vanquish which could only select through the wheel.

 

[Taliska]

Many thanks for your feedback!

Shows my lack of knowledge about Tiptronic... The MB website shows used cars that are Automatic and Automatic with Tiptronic.

I had (possibly incorrectly) assumed that the "Automatic" would just not have the flappy paddles, and the "Automatic with Tiptronic" would have flappy paddles.

I'm moving from a manual to auto box - done nearly 30 years on manual and nearly always drive auto boxes when abroad (gearstick in the right hand is so damned awkward).

So it appears from your feedback that all the auto boxes have the manual override on the gear lever. I guess that means that they all have a 'manual punch up or down one gear' function on the gear lever? (Is that normally left to right action?)

Would that function really be the "Automatic with Tiptronic" that they are referring to? Or do you think it's just the flappy paddle business?

Does anyone think that the flappy paddles are worthwhile?

Many thanks!

Taliska

(Still feeling a little confused, but hoping that clarity will come in due course.)

 

[Stratman]

I think the confusion arises in the definition of 'Tiptronic'.

By and large Joe Public equates Tiptronic with flappy paddles, as far as I can work out Mercedes calls the left/right manual change Tiptronic.

You're correct in saying that a left or right movement changes up or down a gear, in addition moving the lever and holding it there will force a change to the highest or lowest gear possible for the current road speed.

 

[def90cars]

My advice it don't worry about the specifics of the paddles/levers/tiptronic - just decide if you want to enter the 21st Century and go "auto".

The features described by you and others are pretty much on ALL autos with the only exception being whether the paddles are there too (they do nothing extra!!)

 

[Taliska]

Just in case anyone looks at this post and wonders what the answer was...

As far as I can gather:

All the 2013 C220 Executive SE auto boxes are Tiptronic - that means left + right action on the gearshift lever.

All the 2013 C220 AMD Sport autoboxes are Tiptronic (as above), plus they have the flappy paddles which does much the same as the gearshift lever.

2013 C220 Executive SE auto boxes don't have an option for flappy paddles.

Only one opinion gathered on flappy paddles: bit of a novelty at first, then not used.

Confusion on the used website arises because "dealers don't always put the details in correctly".

Taliska

 

[tali]

I had a Peugeot 307 with Tiptronic - just a gimmick really.

 

[IanMSpencer]

Actually, I like the paddles as I drive with both hands on the wheel so the rare times I want to override the box on my C220 CDi AMG Sport it is quick and easy with the paddles rather than hunting for the shift which I never touch while driving. Now they've finally put the indicator and cruise control in the right place it makes it quite easy to find the controls. The only control I don't really like is the rear wiper which is a bit fiddly.

The nice touch on the shift is that if you want engine braking for hill descents you need to be down in 3rd or second which is a lot of clicking from 5th or even 7th but holding the paddle drops it straight into the right gear which happens to be the best overtaking gear too - though the torquey engine and responsive box don't really need help for overtaking. I decided that it was hopeless trying to use manual override mode as there are too many gears to work through in casual driving.

When you want to return to drive, just hold the up change and you are back where you want to be without want to be. Works same on shift and paddles.

So the paddles are not a must have, but I find they suit me.

Basically, a standard Merc C class being driven normally on the public roads doesn't need any help aside from steep hill descents ( even then the cruise/limiter can hold the car back) so worrying about controls to override it is a bit pointless

 

[def90cars]

......(even then the cruise/limiter can hold the car back) so worrying about controls to override it is a bit pointless

Agree with your other comments but have to disagree with this.
I find the cruise is perfect at maintain speed. On down hills it will downshift and even apply the brakes if required.