2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport: COMAND 2.0

This is definitely one of the more subjectively reviewed interiors with some publications saying the materials are cheap and others saying they are nice and robust. I'd have to say I fall into the latter camp. The overall fit is quite a bit better than my 2006 Lexus IS.
 
After recently relocating to Vietnam for work and realizing in Southeast Asia there are 3 brands, Toyota and Mercedes cars and Honda motorcycles/scooters, I've had a chance to sit into one of the most popular cars here regularly (the new gen C200 Kompressors and to a lesser extent, C250's) and trust me, these cars see it all, marginal road quality, marginal fuel quality, REGULAR 105 degree temps with 100% humidity, extensive monsoonal flooding, off road excursions, and lots and lots of dust and mud.
 
Being in a few with nearly 100,000 kilometers in just a year, the interiors wear quite well and the "bank vault" analogy is much more readily apparent in this car versus the old gen C, although the tear in the Edmunds tester seems quite odd. While they may not have the rubber finish Audi and BMW love, they don't peel over time and yes, all the BMW's and Audi's peel here because of the heat and humidity. They also don't have the Lexus silver painted trim that scratches and gets shiny over time. The IS' and 3 series don't fare well here, basically because the roads wreak havoc on the shorter travel suspensions.
 
Mercedes paint still seems to outlast other brands here as well and overall, the owners have had little to no problems with their first year Cs. True, none of the cars here have sunroofs or the enormous Panorama one the Edmunds tester has. Just gives me some optimism for the brand.

The C-class paint job is nothing to write home about, as well as the 3er. Lexus has both them beat in that category. The interior fit-'n-finish in the new C is still class leading but 3er and the IS have it beat on material quality.

No way! A positive blog entry about the C-class?! That's a first!

"That center stack looks awfully cheap for a MB. In reality the material used isn't bad at all (no longer class leading but top 3) but somehow MB managed to make it "look" cheap..."
 
Same could be said about the 1st gen CTS

I just had one of my cars in for service on Friday and was given an 08 C300 Sport loner, and I must say that I have to retract some of my previous comments.
 
I absolutely loved the car in a way that I was not expecting to. It feels tight as drum, beautifully put together, and it feels far quicker than I thought it would. It also rides like a classic Benz, it isolates bumps without removing road feel and making the car feel floaty (aka Lexus). It is not as sporty as a 3-Series but feels vastly more composed at freeway speeds over less than perfectly maintained concrete. All the things I loved about the car didn't come across by just sitting in one.
 
The car definitely has its short comings, but I really liked it a lot.

Sleater-Kinney rocks. I can only hope you have One Beat as well as AHOTBO. Sorry no car comment, it's all about the music.

a positive review of the C class... but you had to compare it to iDrive to make it.
That's like asking who is more leggy, Gary Coleman or Vern Troyer.
 
Honestly, does the C class stand out in any positive way over the competition?

Cruiser, that was a great question you asked. How did this car make into the long term fleet still beats the heck out of me...

Louiswei,
 
I would have to disagree when it comes to your assessment of paint quality. While the "texture" of Lexus' might be smoother, in the long run, the far softer clear coat on Lexus' will swirl more and is more susceptible to "lifting." The thinness of the clear coat and underlying paint will typically result in more stone chips. You will find this occurs on Lexus LS' and ES' more than 5 years old. I have a number of close acquaintances in the automotive body and painting industry and they agree the paint longevity of Mercedes is among the best if not the best in the mass produced industry especially with the new ceramic infused paint.
 
Cruiserhead1,
 
I agree, if you look at the purely objective numbers, the C doesn't excel in any one category. But the way that the new C comes together as a total package is unique. I've had the pleasure of owning a Ford Mustang, Honda Prelude, Acura Integra, BMW 525i, Lexus IS250, and Mercedes E320 and feel, after putting some miles on the new C and driving all of it's competitors, it's the one I'd want to own next. Try driving it is all I can really say.
 
From Automobile Mag - "It's arguably the best-looking compact four-door sedan out there, and it's very probably the best balanced all-around. And trust us, you won't need to traverse ten countries to find that out. But you just might want to..."
 
From Jeremy Clarkson (I LOVE this guy)- "I liked it more than the dreary BMW 3-series... But there’s a sense in the Merc that you are driving something that’s been hewn from the solid rather than assembled... There was a time, I agree, when Mercedes stopped taking such care, but they’re back in business now. You can’t quite put your finger on why, especially when a woman from Radio Nether Wallop has just interrupted Terry Wogan to say the pelican crossing on Acacia Avenue has stopped working and you can’t find a way to shut her up."

louiswei, the C-Class made it into the LT fleet for a number of reasons. It is the best selling Mercedes model in the world, it is one of the cheapest Benzes to date, and as the company is now under new leadership the C is a great way to check to see if the quality improvements made at the top end are making their way down the chain.
 
Not to mention, if you had any excuse at all to add an entry level sport sedan to your garage why wouldn't you? Even one that doesn't necessarily stand out is still better than most cars on the road.

Linard, maybe you are right about the high quality of MB paint but I am sorry, I just can't stand the excessive orange peel I found on all new MB and BMW models compare to the much smoother Lexus counterparts.
 
When I hear or read something like "there is just something about this car I can't quiet put my hands on but it is very attractive to me" in the review I usually skip it right over to the objective test figures. I agree car buying is a very subjective process but at the end if we are looking at the cold hard objective fact, the C-class does not stand out in any category.

"Honestly, does the C class stand out in any positive way over the competition?"
 
Not a one. If ever there was a car that moved on its name/badge alone, it's this thing.

"Honestly, does the C class stand out in any positive way over the competition"
 
Meh...I'd say that aside from the CTS, it's the best looking. Then again, looks are pretty subjective, and I don't think the C-Class and CTS were built to appeal to the same crowd. I really love the aggressive face of the C300 sport because it just seems to have something that the 3'er, the G, and the IS can't replicate.

I think the C class is definitely better looking than the 3 sedan, IS and G35. The interior is also much more interesting than the boring 3 series cockpit. Still, I couldn't spend this much money on a car whose back seat doesn't provide adequate knee room, and I'm only 6'.

The C I think looks great especially with the AMG wheels. Nice aggressive stance, road presence, finish, everything seems to work here.
 
The interior....Im not to fond of the overall design and havent been since the old late 90's C class. Materials are good and its very well screwed together but the design.....its just a bit too generic for a Mercedes.
 
I will agree with the paint these cars have. Lexus paint is great as Ive owned 2, a 2000 black/black GS400 and a green/tan 1996 ES300 but the Mercedes paint is just in another league entirely.
 
My uncle owns a 98-99(?) Mercedes C43 AMG black/black (I love that car) and a 1989 silver/navy 300TE wagon. Paint on both cars is still in excellent condition and these cars ARENT garaged. So Id have to admit Merceds paint is world class.

The COMAND system may be improved but it is not standard. It's part of a $3,000 multimedia package.

Actually, you do get the COMAND interface standard which gives you a 5 inch color screen that controls among others, Bluetooth, vehicle settings, and stereo. You have to pay to get the larger screen and navigation and cd ripping functionality (which also adds the rarely used functionality of watching DVDs in your car).

Thanks for the inputs has there been any new update about the long term drive of the C300 sport? since the last one posted over a month old
thank you

Hey is nobody driving this car, or the Q7 anymore?
 
It's nice to check in on how the long termers are doing since these are our family cars.
 
And if you're having time fitting them all in, I'll gladly volunteer ... along with thousands of other readers.

Over one month and no updates. This has been in the long term test fleet less than one year!
 
Even if nobody likes to drive this car, or even if it parking in the lot or the intern drives it for errants, give some update please!
 
Its absolutely ok to say this car has been sitting in the parking lot cause there are more exciting test cars around... atleast we know its a boring car.
 
we understand its a long term review, it doesn't have to be fancy everytime....