LVSteve
Member
Skeet's thread on buying a new car got me thinking about the loaner I have at the moment, a 2025 Mercedes C300. I realized I didn't know too much about the car other than it had the de rigueur 2 liter, 4-cylinder turbo motor backed up by M-B's 9-speed auto box. Time for some research.
Turns out the body and suspension are also pretty much run of the mill, four wheels, shod in accursed runflat tires, no spare, and electric steering totally devoid of any feedback. You have zero clue what kind of grip the front tires are achieving in the curves, a very spooky feeling.
This particular car has Bridgestone Turanzas tires on 18" rims, and they are NOISY. The ride was mostly very good, with one very noticeable exception. The suspension set up was utterly bamboozled by some rippled freeway concrete here in Vegas leading to a nasty vertical shaking motion. Tire pressures were sensible, so that wasn't the problem. I wonder how the car rides on the lower spec 17" wheels, although finding a car in that spec this side of the Rockies would be an achievement, assuming any in that spec make it to the US. Car and Driver flat out disliked the ride of a test example with 19" rims. I believe it.
OK, onto the engine and transmission. I now strongly suggest that all those of a Luddite disposition fasten their safety belts and have a good shot of liquor handy. Either that or look away, as your screams may frighten the horses.
The motor is a 2-liter, 4-cylinder with a twin-scroll turbo to minimize turbo lag, pretty standard stuff for many car makers. However, M-B decided that to really kill the turbo lag, you need a 48 V (I believe) electric "on-demand" supercharger. This cranks on boost very quickly when you mat the throttle, acting far faster than even the twin-scroll turbo. Driving the thing all I can say is that the system works, if there is any lag in the boost, I cannot feel it. However, there is even more help built in.
The car has a 48 V mild hybrid system consisting of a small battery charged by a motor-generator sandwiched between the engine and transmission. This can supply short bursts of 20 hp to boost performance, or decouple the engine under some circumstances to save fuel. I have to say the economy cruising the Vegas freeways has been stellar, with nearly 35 mpg indicated on the trip computer. Considering I have been running with three passengers and keeping up with traffic, I think that's amazing for a vehicle that probably has a 3800 lb kerb weight.
The car also comes with all the modern accoutrements of huge screens and very few hard buttons or knobs for controls. I cannot give my full opinion on the interior and controls without getting a timeout, but at the basic level I find the whole thing is user hostile and hateful. Whoever thought haptic controls were a sensible idea needs locking up, for his/her own safety. If I get my hands on them there would likely be digital interfacing with a coal hammer (think about it) so they could get an idea how useless their controls are.
Turns out the body and suspension are also pretty much run of the mill, four wheels, shod in accursed runflat tires, no spare, and electric steering totally devoid of any feedback. You have zero clue what kind of grip the front tires are achieving in the curves, a very spooky feeling.
This particular car has Bridgestone Turanzas tires on 18" rims, and they are NOISY. The ride was mostly very good, with one very noticeable exception. The suspension set up was utterly bamboozled by some rippled freeway concrete here in Vegas leading to a nasty vertical shaking motion. Tire pressures were sensible, so that wasn't the problem. I wonder how the car rides on the lower spec 17" wheels, although finding a car in that spec this side of the Rockies would be an achievement, assuming any in that spec make it to the US. Car and Driver flat out disliked the ride of a test example with 19" rims. I believe it.
OK, onto the engine and transmission. I now strongly suggest that all those of a Luddite disposition fasten their safety belts and have a good shot of liquor handy. Either that or look away, as your screams may frighten the horses.
The motor is a 2-liter, 4-cylinder with a twin-scroll turbo to minimize turbo lag, pretty standard stuff for many car makers. However, M-B decided that to really kill the turbo lag, you need a 48 V (I believe) electric "on-demand" supercharger. This cranks on boost very quickly when you mat the throttle, acting far faster than even the twin-scroll turbo. Driving the thing all I can say is that the system works, if there is any lag in the boost, I cannot feel it. However, there is even more help built in.
The car has a 48 V mild hybrid system consisting of a small battery charged by a motor-generator sandwiched between the engine and transmission. This can supply short bursts of 20 hp to boost performance, or decouple the engine under some circumstances to save fuel. I have to say the economy cruising the Vegas freeways has been stellar, with nearly 35 mpg indicated on the trip computer. Considering I have been running with three passengers and keeping up with traffic, I think that's amazing for a vehicle that probably has a 3800 lb kerb weight.
The car also comes with all the modern accoutrements of huge screens and very few hard buttons or knobs for controls. I cannot give my full opinion on the interior and controls without getting a timeout, but at the basic level I find the whole thing is user hostile and hateful. Whoever thought haptic controls were a sensible idea needs locking up, for his/her own safety. If I get my hands on them there would likely be digital interfacing with a coal hammer (think about it) so they could get an idea how useless their controls are.
