etlomotey

I drove the C220 cdi and C280 both in Sport Lines.

The first was the C220 cdi at one of my local dealers a couple of weeks ago, followed by the C280.

The C220 cdi was tested over fairly short distance , just around a couple of blocks and a short freeway. The engine had bags of torque with enough power to actually pin you back into the seat momentarily, almost 'GTI' like.

The C280 was my preference. This was based on an extended test drive. The dealer brought the car to my home where he took me through the car's functions etc.. in detail. He then left me to decide where and how I wanted to put the car through its paces.

The engine has a sweet snarl under revs and power is delivered smoothly and at a steady pace, in contrast to the CDI. Mercedes claims that the twin exhaust is optimised for a sporty note, and it does just that, sounds glorious and very AMG like, the lads at AMG have done a good job.
The 7 G mated to the 2996cc engine is a marriage made in heaven, The steering wheel paddle shifter is a joy to use, allowing you to make multiple downshifts for rapid progress.

The UK is known for it's less than perfect roads, speed bumps, manhole covers etc.. The standard agility setup just irons out the imperfections, and puts the sports suspension on my W202 to shame. The salesman encouraged me to throw the car through the corners to appreciate the handling. The combination of ride quality and handling is taken into a new dimension IN MB TERMS. I believe that the jury will be forever out on the 'C' versus '3er' with regards to handling, personal preference will always settle the debate for each individual. The parameter steering is a joy to use, light during parking and then firming up when required.

The car had covered just 775 miles therefore it is difficult to comment on long-term build quality. Casting my mind back to the launch of the W203, I remember leaving the dealership after a test drive with a lot of disapointment, not so with the W204. The wind noise around the mirrors is present from around 70mph (110kmh), but push past 100mph (160kmh) and it seems to settle down to an extent.

I enjoyed every second of my drive which went on for nearly 3 hrs

I liked it so much I ordered one for delivery in September 07 as follows:

C280 SPORT (7G as standard)
PALLADIUM SILVER
18" AMG WHEEL UPGRADE
LEATHER
PANORAMIC ROOF
COMMAND APS
HARMAN KARDON
PARKTRONIC
INTELLIGENT LIGHT SYSTEM
BLACK BIRDS-EYE MAPLE

Including the standard UK Sports specification.

I also opted for the factory collection programme. This is in place of the usual collection from my local dealer.
For the same price as local delivery, I get a flight and overnight hotel accommodation in Bremen, Germany, pick up from the airport upon my arrival to the hotel, and then pick up to the factory for a guided tour, followed by the important bit, 'THE HANDOVER'

I will get you folks posted and send some pics when I pick my car up.

Curb Zone

 

Mirage77

Congratulations. I can see you love the car a lot.

cawimmer430

Awesome Eugene, just awesome!

I'm quite jealous now. I've been seeing a lot of W204's around lately (most in Avantgarde (Sport) trim) and they look stunning. Once your car arrives, we'd love to see some photos and if you feel like it, some more detailed observations etc.

Congratulations once again.

atuv

congrats man u got one of the best looking sedan in the world right now

dOmInIX

Awesome! Congrats, the car is really nice!

mrkc77

[quote=etlomotey;203389]I drove the C220 cdi and C280 both in Sport Lines.

The wind noise around the mirrors is present from around 70mph (110kmh), but push past 100mph (160kmh) and it seems to settle down to an extent.


First, congratulations on your purchase and a nice write up on the review.

I have a question about the wind noise, how annoying is it? 110km is our speed limit in Ozzie freeways and if I'm keeping to that speed, is the wind noise bearable?

Thanks

Alwing

Congratulations etlomotey!
Good choice of options!
We're all looking forward to your and delivery, detailed observations and photo's!

cawimmer430

I've also driven the W204 C-Class and the wind noises at that speed aren't annoying - you just hear them. At around 140 km/h, they're a little louder though and some people might find that a bit annoying. The good news is that the cabin does a very good job of keeping most exterior noises out, so there's the a good chance that the cabin isolation quality is keeping most unwanted noises out - including most of the noise generated by the mirrors.

DC_insider

Congratulations on your choice but you should get the Dealer to double check the availability of the wheels and the panoramic roof as the factory has warned of possible delays for cars ordered with those options. This is due to higher than anticipated demand. The restriction on availability is expected to last until October.

Mr. Mercedes

[quote=mrkc77;203577]It most certainly would be! A Mercedes after all is about cruising comfort, and they're designed for the Autobhans.

Curb Zone