2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Luxury Sedan

Pros

Build quality

Cons

Split Rear folding seat not standard

Purchased As New

Has P1 package and Ipod kit. Unbelievable build quality. Biggest disappointment is lack of rear folding seat as standard equipment. It is available only as an option in the P2 package which is a $2,000+ extra package. Fuel economy is decent. Pickup is amazing and transmission is very smooth. Car is so well insulated and solid; with windows closed road noise is virtually undetectable. Car makes a nice statement; luxury edition grill and hood ornament compliment the overall sporty body style. By far, the nicest car I've owned in my 21 years of driving....read morehide

Pros

Classy & Stylish, Panorama Sunroof, Heated Seats!

Cons

Need more optional exterior/interior color options, Sits too low

Purchased As New

I just purchased my 1st new 2010 MB and it will be available for pickup from the factory in Germany on 5 October 2009!

I have wanted a MB for some time now and I purcased this one as a gift to myself for retirement. For now I have only test driven and I can't wait for my red-carpet pickup day! I really appreciated all the feedback from the reviews it gave me insight on what to be aware of with my new MB....read morehide

Pros

good on fuel, easy around curves

Cons

Needs more head room

Purchased As New

I bought mine in April '09. I have not had any problems with this car. The only thing I would change is the black interior because it gets really hot in the summer. I recommend everyone to take one for a test drive.

Pros

Solid feel, ride, quietness, power.

Cons

Odd key-fob design...trunk can open while turning on the ignition. Wiper stalk barely visible

Purchased As New

Beautiful, distinctive car with excellent overall performance. This is my 3rd C-Class and, undoubtedly, the best ever.

Pros

Comfortable ride, good looking design, engine, COMAND multimedia system, steering wheel controls

Cons

So-so fuel economy, reliability issues are disappointing, some low quality pieces, rear seat comfort

Purchased As New

About five months ago we traded in our 2007 Audi A4 after a horrible experience. The C300 is a much better car all around. The interior is the only thing the Mercedes gives up to the Audi because the Audi has one of the best interiors in this class. The dealer tried to talk us up to the C350 but we felt it unnecessary and the price unjustified. Power delivery from the 3.0 liter engine is very smooth. Transmission can get a bit rough when it tries to think you next move but is usually smooth. So test drive it for a long time before you fall in love. The ride is excellent; quite solid feeling and damped. Steering is also connected. As good as a BMW. The COMAND system is much better than the idrive from BMW and the MMI from Audi, both of which are headaches to operate.

The downsides would have to be the so-so fuel economy. At 14.8 MPG city driving, I can't say that is wonderful. So far we have had multiple reliability issues stemming from electronic gadgets- the COMAND display, ABS brake controller, both front rotors were resurfaced due to warpping ( the dealer said this is from heat and water but I never had this problem before) and the cruise control is non-operable, still after two times being replaced. Also, the quality of the dash and interior is low for a Mercedes IMO (power seat buttons are loose!) They should work on interior quality. Other than that its an average car, at a fair price, so the next time well take the time to shop around and consider the BMW 3 series as well as the Cadillac CTS- both of which have better reliability ratings and have tremendous awards for driving and quality. My advice- skip the C....read morehide

Pros

Beautiful, great ride, increased power, comfortable

Cons

none that I've found yet

Purchased As Not Purchased

After reading the reviews here, I'm completely dismayed and think some of them are bogus. Surely they aren't talking about the same car...
I leased a new C300 less than a week ago. My previous car was a 2006 C230. So I went from the sport sedan to the luxury one - for those of you who don't know there is a difference! So while I can tell you about handling/ride/power, etc., after less than a week, I can't give an opinion re: reliability - YET. But in my personal opinion, it IS a Mercedes and that itself is quality. This coming from a girl who said she'd never buy a foreign car...
I have the P1 package in my car so I have the heated seats, etc. It feels like MORE car than my old one. It is slightly bigger. There is noticeably more room inside than in the 2006 model, it looks more aggressive, FEELS more aggressive. The increased HP is appreciated! I drive 22 miles each way from home to work & have been averaging 28 mpg. That is highway. It's closer to 20/21 mpg when I'm NOT on the highway or sitting in traffic. I haven't road tripped YET, but I did get my 2006 model up to 34 mpg on the road so I'm looking forward to breaking this one in.
The electric telescoping steering wheel is cool. I love the iPod kit - since I don't have a disc changer in this car, that makes all the difference for me. The display and menu options for that & the Sirius satellite radio are great too. There are some things that I haven't played with yet, but the car is truly a pleasure to drive.
This car has a smooth ride, handles incredibly well - I love to drive on curvy roads fast & it eats the curves up & wants more! I am still getting used to the brakes, they are a bit more touchy than on my old car. But I attribute that to it being new & me adjusting.
They added a compass to the rearview mirror which I'm glad for. The back seat is larger than in my old car. I had my Mom back there checking it out for me. She was comfortable - said the seat was a little hard, but then it was in my old one too. Up front I feel completely cradled by the seat and really hate getting out of the car because I am so comfy. I'm also glad that with this version, all 4 tires are the same size! In my old one the back 2 were larger so no rotating.
I'll modify this in a couple of weeks when I'm more used to the car and can opine re: some of the options I haven't used yet, but I don't think my opinion will change - I LOVE THIS CAR!...read morehide

Pros

Stunning good looks; panoramic roof; much better than last generation in driving feel and control

Cons

Rough ride w/ spt pkg; horrible fuel economy; sub-par interior; poor reliability; cramped back seat

Purchased As New

I was able to buy a new 2009 model on a steep discount as all dealers are giving cars at discount due to the bad economy so my advice is bargin with the sales people and you could knock off $7k or more as I did. Mine is a C300 model with the optional sport package from the dealer. Although it enhances the look significantly. the ride quality suffers greatly. The interior quality is poor. Too much cheap plastic and screws that were never fully fastened for a $41k car. The COMMAND system 2, although significantly updated and easier to use than iDrive, is still a relic from yesteryear. The trunk area is large for a vehicle this size but encroaches on the rear seat space which is better suited for small children and shopping bags. The overall interior design is nice however. Gas mileage is horrible. The EPA quotes 26 MPG highway, but even with the cruise set at 55 MPH, I have never seen above 23 MPG and never seen above 17 MPG around town. The reliability has been less than prime- 4 times in three months it has visited the dealer for various problems. The biggest issue and first issue had to do with the malfunctioning climate controls which blew out only cold air and only towards the feet. This required a full day's work and they loaned a car to me during the repair. At roughly 3k miles, the multifunction power seat ceased to operate. At 11k miles, the 7 speed auto transmission which is generally smooth, was replaced due to faulty pressure plates. Finally, at 13k miles, my wife noticed a clattering noise from the engine. The dealer found the cylinder head needed to be replaced. Everything was repaired quickly and we were given a service car so we had use of a vehicle at all times. They also washed and detailed the car upon return each time at no charge. The customer service at Mercedes is excellent. We had a lenghtly discussion with the service manager about our situation but he assured us these are quite common problems and we do not have a lemon. In any event, we will not be looking to get another Mercedes when this lease is over....read morehide

Pros

Great Fuel Econ, Nav, Interior, Ability to switch between Comfort & Sport setting.

Cons

Everything broke down. (Was a lemon though)

Purchased As New

I ordered my 2008 C300 Luxury in April/May or 2007, recieved it (imported it from Saudi Arabia) around July/August 2007. The first in the U.S. Fully loaded (which may describe the bugs) but IT IS TRUE ABOUT FUEL ECONOMY. When i finally returned it as a lemon, i was averaging usually 30mpg and up to 32.1 mpg WITH 26,000 miles. (i drive alot) also has a flex-fuel system and can run on E85 Ethanol (approx 106-116 octane) when you purchase Luxury or C350 model or optional in the C300 sport. but the Pano roof is AMAZING every mercedes owner should get it. I personally liked my c-class better then my '08 S550. Especially with a body kit and nice wheels. and when in sport mode, it really gets up and goes. The only cons is the availability of options. BMW offers almost every option on even the 1-series. for the c-class, there is no Parktronic option, Disctronic, keyless start, or power trunk closer like all the other MB. Great trunk space but slightly small back seat. can but shouldnt seat 5. VERY simple Navigation and sound system sounds WAY better then the s-class. 4-cylinder kompressor would be great for this model (like 05 and older models) that got 35 mpg. Problems i encountered (keep in mind it was a lemon) was cruise contol failure, car not turning over when turning key, pano roof grinding metal, speakers create loud long beep when exterior mirrors folding in (known mercedes issue, but no fix), tire monitor failing, Nav freezing and resetting itself, Nav only offers "Turn by Turn Guidence" in certian areas and leaves you to find the rest of the way, power windows went out, should come with XM instead of Sirius. Bottom line, Needs more options, fuel economy is great if you actually put some miles on it, is known as a reliable car (i worked at a dealership so i know), is known to have sunroof problems, also auto mirror problem, and great sound system w/nav (that plays DVD's). And altough the interior has alot of plastic, it looks good, especially if you get the wood trim. i highly recommend the P2 package with Xenon lights with dramatically increased visibility. I plan on buying another one even after my Lemon experience. My favorite Mercedes ever. This car will be my permanent everyday driver....read morehide

Pros

Very Smooth, excellent look

Cons

I have to fill up my tank more often

Overall I really loved it, I'm always excited to drive it and getting a lot of good compliments . I'm just happy to have it.

Pros

Looks good. Navigation OK. HK audio is nice.

Cons

13.3 MPG Poor seating. Plastic on everything. Feels cheap for a MB

Seats are flat and uncomfortable. Trunk is big, space subtracted from the back seats. Engine makes more noise than power. All the plastic feels cheap, think Chrysler. Very narrow space around driver's feet. Brakes should be much better than they are. Windows are very small and door sills are high, feels like riding in a Element. Sport suspension can be rough but appropriate. This thing rides stiff with no benefits. Comand system is ok. The sticker claims 18MPG, one person, no gear, around town the average was 13.3MPG. MB didn't use Bose, the Harmon system is much better. The 300E is the lowest priced MB, but we are still talking $35K +. Try again guys.

Lexus, Acura, Infinity or BMW all offer better choices....read morehide