Martinjs
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2012
- Messages
- 101
- Car
- 2021 C300 AMG Line Night Edition Prem +
My third C class (this one is my first W205, is just coming up to 2 years old.
Its a while since I posted on this site - so I thought that I would give a little update.
Its a 220d AMG line with P+ pack in Hyacinth red, 19" rims and privacy glass.
I deliberately avoided a bundle of driver aids, if you need help to stay in your own lane, then IMHO you shouldn't be driving!!!
I have covered just over 31K miles.
Faults so far have been just two of the door handle LED's that failed and these were done under warranty with no resistance. Services have been routine - rear brake pads at the last one a few weeks ago, a pair of wiper blades and tyres, (see below), thats all.
So - what have I liked and disliked over the two years of ownership.
The car was made in Sth. Africa, which initially made me a little uneasy, but I have to say that the fit and finish is as good as any car I have ever owned or driven. Given that the only failure is related to a component problem, there isn't any doubt about the way it was screwed together.
The additional 895 quid for the Designo Hyacinth Red struck me as ultra steep, but it does look wonderful and the paint finish is excellent, it also seems far more resistant to chips and scratches than my last two c-classes, (both iridium silver).
I was sort of persuaded into the 19" rims and I think they look terrific, but that means that the car was delivered with Continental run-flats. They don't have lubricant inside them like some run flats, they rely on reinforced side walls that are capable of being run without air pressure for around 50 miles or so. If I had known that these tyres would (a) ruin the ride, (b) wear quite quickly (c) be pretty noisy after about 10K miles and (d) cost more than a grand to replace, then I would have given them a big wide miss.
At the first service around 15.5k I was advised by the dealer to have my all wheel alignment checked as all four tyres were wearing more on the inside edge. They would happily do this for me (for 195 quid + plus the cost of any required adjustments !!, on their super laser alignment jig). Given that the tyres were already getting thin, I decided to run them out and get the alignment checked when I replaced all four tyres.
A few months later, I bought a set of Yokohama Advan Sport 105s, (these were fitted as standard to my previous W204 and I rated them), from Black Circles and had them fitted by my usual tyre company in Rugby 500 pounds less than the Continentals. They have the same laser alignment equipment (manufactured by Hunter) as MB use in their dealerships - just painted red instead of silver. They produced a report that showed all four wheels in the green zone for alignment - so I could have paid over #200 to MB for nothing. The tyre dealer (TW Tyres in Rugby) provided the full alignement check for free when you buy a set of tyres - result.
With a puncture repair kit in the boot, we set off with the new tyres - quite a transformation, much more compliant ride, quieter, good feel and so far pretty good wear.
Having lived through two summers with the car I really don't like the Artico plastic seats. Its about the only thing I dislike about this otherwise brilliant car. For a close to 40K motor I do think that proper leather should be available. Whilst the artico is visually convincing and seems to be durable, it's still plastic and gets a bit sweaty and sticky. MB you aren't fooling anyone really and its about time that you offered the options of proper leather and/or good quality velour type material which at least breathes in hot weather. Plenty of other premium brands offer cloth seating material across the spec range, done properly, which I'm sure MB would, it wouldn't smack of cheap skating like artico sadly does.
So overall - a very happy customer with just a few very minor gripes.
Would I have another - yes, although my next car is likely to be something like a GLC.
Worry I have is that the C, especially since the recent facelift, like everything else, is becoming a bit overburdened with technology, which is great but costs a fortune to rectify.
I think there is a market for a model line that provides all the comfort, looks and convenience features but avoids too much technology - e.g. I love my memory seats but I can live without the weight of the motors, the electronics that can go wrong and the cost of fixing them in a few years - useful if the car has multiple drivers, but for the majority, the motors get very little to do. Just one example - ambient lighting is another.
It seems that the marketing men work the specification lines so that if you don't want a lot of features then you will have to have a plain looking car - its all about bundling and extracting a bigger wedge from us.
So there it is two years in and, like my previous two Mercs - a good experience - you get what you pay for .................- most of the time!!!
Its a while since I posted on this site - so I thought that I would give a little update.
Its a 220d AMG line with P+ pack in Hyacinth red, 19" rims and privacy glass.
I deliberately avoided a bundle of driver aids, if you need help to stay in your own lane, then IMHO you shouldn't be driving!!!
I have covered just over 31K miles.
Faults so far have been just two of the door handle LED's that failed and these were done under warranty with no resistance. Services have been routine - rear brake pads at the last one a few weeks ago, a pair of wiper blades and tyres, (see below), thats all.
So - what have I liked and disliked over the two years of ownership.
The car was made in Sth. Africa, which initially made me a little uneasy, but I have to say that the fit and finish is as good as any car I have ever owned or driven. Given that the only failure is related to a component problem, there isn't any doubt about the way it was screwed together.
The additional 895 quid for the Designo Hyacinth Red struck me as ultra steep, but it does look wonderful and the paint finish is excellent, it also seems far more resistant to chips and scratches than my last two c-classes, (both iridium silver).
I was sort of persuaded into the 19" rims and I think they look terrific, but that means that the car was delivered with Continental run-flats. They don't have lubricant inside them like some run flats, they rely on reinforced side walls that are capable of being run without air pressure for around 50 miles or so. If I had known that these tyres would (a) ruin the ride, (b) wear quite quickly (c) be pretty noisy after about 10K miles and (d) cost more than a grand to replace, then I would have given them a big wide miss.
At the first service around 15.5k I was advised by the dealer to have my all wheel alignment checked as all four tyres were wearing more on the inside edge. They would happily do this for me (for 195 quid + plus the cost of any required adjustments !!, on their super laser alignment jig). Given that the tyres were already getting thin, I decided to run them out and get the alignment checked when I replaced all four tyres.
A few months later, I bought a set of Yokohama Advan Sport 105s, (these were fitted as standard to my previous W204 and I rated them), from Black Circles and had them fitted by my usual tyre company in Rugby 500 pounds less than the Continentals. They have the same laser alignment equipment (manufactured by Hunter) as MB use in their dealerships - just painted red instead of silver. They produced a report that showed all four wheels in the green zone for alignment - so I could have paid over #200 to MB for nothing. The tyre dealer (TW Tyres in Rugby) provided the full alignement check for free when you buy a set of tyres - result.
With a puncture repair kit in the boot, we set off with the new tyres - quite a transformation, much more compliant ride, quieter, good feel and so far pretty good wear.
Having lived through two summers with the car I really don't like the Artico plastic seats. Its about the only thing I dislike about this otherwise brilliant car. For a close to 40K motor I do think that proper leather should be available. Whilst the artico is visually convincing and seems to be durable, it's still plastic and gets a bit sweaty and sticky. MB you aren't fooling anyone really and its about time that you offered the options of proper leather and/or good quality velour type material which at least breathes in hot weather. Plenty of other premium brands offer cloth seating material across the spec range, done properly, which I'm sure MB would, it wouldn't smack of cheap skating like artico sadly does.
So overall - a very happy customer with just a few very minor gripes.
Would I have another - yes, although my next car is likely to be something like a GLC.
Worry I have is that the C, especially since the recent facelift, like everything else, is becoming a bit overburdened with technology, which is great but costs a fortune to rectify.
I think there is a market for a model line that provides all the comfort, looks and convenience features but avoids too much technology - e.g. I love my memory seats but I can live without the weight of the motors, the electronics that can go wrong and the cost of fixing them in a few years - useful if the car has multiple drivers, but for the majority, the motors get very little to do. Just one example - ambient lighting is another.
It seems that the marketing men work the specification lines so that if you don't want a lot of features then you will have to have a plain looking car - its all about bundling and extracting a bigger wedge from us.
So there it is two years in and, like my previous two Mercs - a good experience - you get what you pay for .................- most of the time!!!
