2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Rating from Andy

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Purchased this car in April. Picked the C300 4Matic Luxury model. Wanted the Blind Spot option so we had to get the Navigation which we really did not want. Although I must say the Navigation option works flawlessly. The blind spot option is not much good though. The car has to right in the blind spot area before it lights up. If I could do it over I would not get it. Have it on a Volvo and it lights up 3 car lengths before it gets in the blind spot area. Was not sure about the MbTek but after you get used to it its nice. Not as nice as leather by any means but it will not crack and needs less maintenance. The car handles great and rides like a dream. Stops on a dime. Solid as a tank. We have not had it back for anything. I love the service at ten thousand miles instead of 7500. The only thing I would change would be skipping the Blind Spot function. Other than that this is the best car we have had so far. Gas mileage is only 23mpg average but with all wheel drive I guess thats expected. Had I not got the navigation and blind spot I would have rated the value for the money a 5."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from mcampo2501

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"My new C300 is the best car I've ever owned. I was reluctant to purchase a Mercedes-Benz at first because I've always believed that the luxury lines couldn't be worth the extra money, and I'm not a status symbol guy. But I test drove a C-Class just to see for myself what the difference would be, if any. I was trading out of an Avalon, so the size scared me. After driving, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I was in such a small car. From that point on I was nothing short of impressed with every feature and function contained within. The Command system puts the whole multimedia experience at your fingertips and is incredibly easy to use once you take to the concept. I love that the navigation works while I'm driving. Having to pull over to interface with a $2500 system always bothered me in the Avalon. Fuel economy is equal to that of my full size Avalon however it's a lot more fun to drive. Believe it or not, you can feel the difference in quality when you simply open and close the doors. I don't feel like I could have made a better purchase. Mercedes-Benz may have just won a customer for life!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Glad I Got This

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I saw the redesigned C-Class when it first came out and knew that it was the car for me. However, I didn't have the money, so I've been saving up ever since and finally was able to buy the 2012 C250 sedan. Enough about me, though. The car is fantastic. It rides great, has enough power to go around, and looks fantastic. Especially the interior. I love everything from the steering wheel to the speedometer design. I got the interior in "Almond MB-Tex", and I even love the beige color in that, too. I also like the refinement in the ride while you're driving; it's very smooth. Overall, I couldn't ask for anything better (that I can afford). Beautiful car, you should definitely look into it."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from trailman

(3)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I switched from a 2009 C300 with RWD and manual transmission (now driven by my wife) to the 2012 C300 4matic. Not because I wanted it, but because someone at HQ decided that the US market is not worthy of a Mercedes with a manual transmission. What a turn-off this car is. I find the automatic transmission rather unresponsive, even in S mode, and the gas mileage is consistently 15% to 20% below of what I used to get. 28 mpg on the highway was possible with the manual transmission, but with the new car I get 23 at best. With proper snow tires, the RWD C300 performs perfectly fine in New England snow. I honestly don't get Mercedes' 'mandatory' 4matic policy. On the upside, the new Comand system leaves little to be desired. The car finally supports all the Bluetooth profiles that one can wish for, especially Stereo Audio that I missed so much in the 2009 model. I still discover new features. Alas, the single CD multimedia package sounds flat and uninspiring, compared to the Harman Kardon Logic7 system in the 2009 multimedia package. The voice recognition still provides for good entertainment of the passengers by reliably not understanding what I say. Overall, this car is not progress, and I ask myself how I ended up buying one."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Work

Rating from New Mercedes C350 Coupe

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"I have only owned this a week so take that into consideration but also keep in mind that I have owned more than 20 cars over the past 20 years which I think adds credence to this review. Now onto the car. I bought a New C350 coupe in Lunar Blue with almond interior. It has the multi media package, rear camera and 18" 7 spoke AMG wheels. I ended up with this color by default. I really wanted this model and because of the lack of availability, the MB dealer had to locate one from another dealership. The first one they found that was not sold was 500 miles away. I liked the Lunar blue in the pictures I saw but when I saw different models in this color, I thought it had a bit of purple in it which did not thrill me. The first time I saw the one that they located (which is in my garage, I absolutely loved the color. Pros 1. Outstanding accelleration. I sold a 2005 BMW M3 to buy this car and was, and still am, surprised at how close the C350 is when it comes to accelleration. When you look up the specs for times from 0 to 60there is only 1/2 second difference between them. This is something I will probably never notice. 2. Exhause tone. The C350 reminds if an older V8 before all of the anti-polution came into play and choked the horsepower. I liked the M3 exhaust note, but love the C350. 3. Ride comfort/handling. The M3 wins the handling but the not by a as much as the C350 wins the ride comfort challenge. 4. Fuel economy. I got 30 MPG highway the other day and only have 500 miles on the car. This will only get better. 5. Crowd reaction. Everytime I am in this car it seems that everyone notices it. The M3 got noticed when I had custom wheels on it with a 5 inch lip in the back, but not so much when the stock wheels were on. 6. The Harmon Kardon surround sound is fantastic for a factory system. My wife owns a 2009 C300 and it is not as good as hers, but it is still very, very good. 7. Navigation with Sirius traffic. It will tell you if there are any traffic issues on the current route and you can set it to suggest a new route to avoid the traffic. BTW, I would consider the usability of the navigation system in my wifes 2009 to be one of the worst I have ever used, particularly if you want to search for a POI by name. I live in NH and I wanted to find a certain bank. I chose the spell by name selection and the first one listed was in Georgia. You cannot spell a POI and have it sorted by distance. to make matters worse, you dont even find out how far away the results are until you select it. This has been changed in the C350 so it is a much more user friendly system. Cons. 1. Engine noise at idle. The engine of the C350 has a loud tapping but this is only heard when the hood is open. I owned a Lexus ES350 and the tapping on that car was much more noticable even when the hood was down, and the colder the outside temperature, the louder the tapping. I am told this will be the case with the C350 as well. The reason given for both cars was because of the design needed to achieve both the power and fuel economy. I only hope it doesn't get too loud. 2. You almost have to slam the doors to get them to shut. I am told it is because of the weight of the doors but the drivers door is much worse than the passenger door so I don't know if I buy that excuse. 3. If you want to find any type of auto service or car dealer using the navigation you will be very disappointed. The only ones that show are Mercedes. They need to grow up and show all of the others."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Family man with daily commute

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"The C250 Coupe is comfortable, quick, and stylish. There is a bit of turbo lag if you floor it but otherwise, it is quick. I am really enjoying it and get compliments, especially the color - lunar blue. It is very difficult to find a C350 and is probably not worth the premium price."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from dennisv

(4)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"2012 Mercedes C-250 Luxury Sedan. Handles really well ? The car is firmly planted on the road ? Softer ride (which is why I selected the Luxury model) Lots of power from the 4-cyclindar engine which is clearly designed around torque. At 70 mph the engine rpm is 800 rpm less than my previous car. My list of cons is long but that does not mean I would not purchase this car again. Overall I like this car. The rearview mirror is too close to my face. They should have moved it back and down the windshield six inches and moved the garage door opener buttons above the mirror. There is a little more road noise than I expected. The engine is very quiet at cruising speed but noisy on harder acceleration. In the economy mode there is a slight lag when you step on the gas to quickly change lanes. But that could be turbo-lag. Don?t know. The windshield pillars are too thick and reduce visibility. Not necessarily bad. There is little sensation of speed. 50 mph feels almost the same as 70 mph. I?m actually driving slower now (I usually speed). My upgrade includes the Harmon-Kardon radio which is disappointing. It sounds okay but not great. They have two modes to equalize the sound, but neither are satisfactory. On 30 year old recordings the subwoofer thumps on the base notes. Very annoying. If you turn down the base to remove the thumping you lose the warmth. You?d think Mercedes would have included a 10 or 12 band equalizer considering all the other features that come with the radio. I?m going to disconnect the subwoofer and see if that helps. You may be overwhelmed with all the options on the steering-wheel and center console. But in a few days you start to learn what everything does. I would like to see a switch that ties both sides of the climate control together (maybe it exists and I don?t know about it). I don?t like knowing my side is set at 68 degrees and the passenger side at 74 degrees when I?m the only one in the car. I feel like they are fighting each other."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from New C-250 Owner

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"Previously owned a 2008 Mercedes C-300, and traded in the C-300 for a 2012 C-250. I have had the C-250 for two days and I love it! The interior is much nicer than the 2008 C-300's interior. The pickup is also much faster than the 2008 C-300. Overall, very happy so far!."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

Primary use for this car: N/A

Rating from 1st timer

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I don't have much to say but I love this car so far.... I have never owned a higher end vehicle (last car was a Nissan). The C250 is comfortable, I feel safe in it and the gas mileage is not disappointing. Some reviews complain that it is not spacious. I feel it is the right size for what I need and of course that is different for everyone. I did not shop around with other makes or models so my opinions is strictly based on this car and this car only. Very HAPPY customer!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Dennis

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"With 25 miles on the car, we took off to FL. Our first tank of gas got 31mpg into a stiff wind. After that, it was 32-36mpg with mostly highway driving. You wouldn't know there was 1800cc under the hood. It was quiet with speakers on in back, we could talk in the front seats. Glad it had a tack as I wasn't alway sure the car had started. Thought there might be some turbo lag, but none. Twice I needed to get on it intering an interstate, but even in 7th gear, got from 55 to 80 very quickly. 6th or even 5th would have gotten us there even faster. Glad we waited to get the 2012 C-class, especially the C-250."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family