2008 Mercedes Benz C300: Rear Seat Headroom

Aren't you meant to slow down over speed bumps? What car in this class has big rear seat head room in the back anyway? Ever seen the back of the Lexus IS? It's smaller than a Corolla.

wobbly_ears, that is Vehicle Testing Coordinator Mike Schmidt. As far as I know, he never played third base for the Philadelphia Phillies.

I know its kind of off topic... But where can i get an Edumnds.com jacket like that!
 
Otherwise, The rear of a Cclass is still more than my moms old miata. She recently upgraded to a Z4 and the difference in space is almost scary!
 
-Cj

Oh Schmidt.

I just can't see spending 40 large for a car the size of a Corolla - this car is fine but maybe just not for me.
 
For that money I'd rather be driving a Chrysler 300C SRT-8.

I took a long look at the new IS (AWD version) - coincidentally, I was looking to 'upgrade' my wife and I's current model Corolla.
  
It never happened. We sat in the back of the IS and said - 'no way.' It was just as bad as some of the neck-pinching Pontiac back seats that I've had the displeasure of being in.
  
I still found the IS nice to drive and the interior is truly gorgeous. Our Corolla back seat/rear room just destroyed it though. I agree, the new C can't be nearly as bad as the IS, can it...?

It always puzzled me - why do cars get less comfortable, room-wise, the more they cost? Don't wealthy people have friends? Family? I just don't get it...

If the Chrysler 300C SRT-8 has the same interior material and build quality as those entry luxury sedans and comes with a 300HP+ V6 then heck yeah, my hard earn 40k will be Chrysler's to take.
 
In the real world, that's not exactly the case...
 
texases - of course wealthy people have friends, but usually they also happened to have more than one car so they don't have to use their daily driver for hauling duties. It is just not fair to compare these entry luxury sedans to the suchs like Corolla and Civic due to the RWD vs. FWD difference. Also, I would probably guess that most people who own this kind of cars usually don't have rear seat occupants in more than 90% of the time. I am 26, single, like sporty cars (okay, fast cars) with luxury touches but also want the versatility of a 4-door sedan over a 2-door coupe because it is my only car. I use it as my daily driver, it's usually only me and my girlfriend in the car and 99% of the time the rear seat will be empty. Due to those reasons I just can't think of any other cars execpt entry luxury sedans that'll fit my need the best.

You just described a BMW 335i Sedan, Louis! :o)
 
I kid.²

Yes Loren I just did. I also described a Lexus IS350, Infiniti G35 and MB C350 in that same process.
 
I would be driving a 335i now if BMW is willing to outsource their interiors to Lexus...

How about a Subaru Legacy GT spec. B while we're at it?

I like the Legacy GT spec. B, but it is a little (just a little) too big for my taste. Also it doesn't have RWD (no need for AWD) and not luxurious enough.
 
Also, I prefer NA over turbo or super charged engines. The MSRP for one is about $35K and that's not much different than what I paid for my IS350.

You guys forget the 3 midsizers in this class:
Lexus ES350
Infiniti G35 sedan
Cadillac CTS.
 
The BMW, Merc, Lexus are the 3 baby cars supposedly in the same class.

Not that the ES is a sports sedan, but it makes my point - same chassis as a Camry (with many improvements, of course), but the stylists took out about an inch of headroom and two inches of legroom in the 'Lexusification' of the Camry. I have no problem with small cars being small (C300, 325i), but why do this to the ES? Style over substance.

Why get a sedan if the rich folks have other cars to take the family and friends around?

The luxury sport sedan segment is not about backseat room. Yes, the A4, C-Class, 3-Series and IS are similarly tight. Louiswei, you described me almost exactly, lol (and I actually went for the 335i Coupe). The back is more than fine for my needs. I don't think the typical Euro/sport sedan buyer is looking to regularly cart people in the back like your typical CamCord buyer might. I don't understand why Americans seem to have to be able to fit a 55 gallon trash can, a fat person, a tuba and a 25 gallon tub of cola in the back seat of their car everywhere they go. The day the backseat of the 3-series can fit that comfortably is the day I lose interest in it. The smaller the better.
 
Texases, both the Camry and ES are MASSIVE cars in my book. I believe the current ES is now bigger than the first-generation Lexus LS400. I had a rental Camry not too long ago and it just seemed absurdly enormous to me.

"You guys forget the 3 midsizers in this class:
Lexus ES350
Infiniti G35 sedan
Cadillac CTS."
 
Billt9, you forgot the Acura TL and TL Type-S. Even though their "old" they are still at least competitive.