C-Class W205 Vs W206 C-Class

[Mr. Mercedes]

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

 

[J.E]

Does the W206 come with embarrassingly noisy wipers just like the W205?

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

 

[PHYBENZ]

Impressions of build quality and plastics?

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

My father's S-Class went in today, more on that later, so I requested a W206 as a loan and they were kind enough to accommodate despite the car being release just over a week ago.

* The new C is clearly a generational leap in terms of chassis dynamics. The ride quality, solidity, refinement etc are noticeably improved.
* The 19 inch wheels on the new C are non run flats while they are run flats on the W205. This has helped Mercedes improve ride considerably, despite airmatic no longer being available. Our W205 does have airmatic BTW.
* The Mbux interface, drivers display, driving assistance systems etc. are substantial improvements over the old C. Technology has clearly been a heavy focus for the new C.
* Despite what the images suggest, this is no mini S in terms of quality. There are even a substantial number of differences in the execution of the displays, particularly the HUD and driver assistance systems, that place the s class notably above the C.
* The build solidity of the new C is drastically improved over the W205. The only element that creaks if pressured are the vents. Everything else is firmly secured and solid. Even the timber veneer is solid to touch and does not creak under pressure as it did in the W205.
* The switchgear is a bit of a mixed bag with bits of the W206 feeling better and then other bits feeling inferior.
* Interior finish of the W206 is a drastic step down from the W205. Cheap hard scratchy plastics are abundant.
* Massive evidence of decontenting is also evident in the W206 which you will note in the images. Examples include:
No sunglass holder
Removal of the trademark luggage net in the passenger footwell
No pull down handle for the boot at the trunk edge.
No felt lining in the Glovebox.
No fabric lining on the inner side of the door bins etc.
These are just a few examples.
* The entire focus of the W206 interior is on the dashboard, particularly the top half, whereas the majority of everything else seems like a retrograde from the W205. More in line with the A class range than the E-class. If you look at things like the door cars, seat design and so on you can see the W205 is far more premium in terms of design and execution.
* The W206 seats look noticeably cheaper than the W205, but they are more comfortable.
* The W206 shown here retails for about AUD$105k with a fixed price policy. The W205 retailed for about AUD$90k with a purchase price of $82K in August 2015. The interior finish and overall interior ambience of the new C absolutely does not justify this sort of price premium. Its a noticeable retrograde.

Interestingly existing Mercedes customers such as my dad and cousin, another post FL W205 owner, immediately commented how cheap the interior felt compared to the previous C. Other younger individuals who saw the car said it looks so cool and were impressed with the LED lighting, vents and screens. I would suspect current C owners will be disappointed with the new Cs interior, whereas conquest buyers will be swayed by the fancy LEDs, a dashboard that looks impressive in isolation and some seriously useful and easy to use technology as well as a damn good driving experience.

For me the new C as it is is such a damn shame as the car would have been an absolute home run had it had the same attention to detail, design flair and finish of the W205. It's clearly a representation of a company in a bit of turmoil and at the cross roads of an ICE past and an EV future with the required R&D having a massive drain on resources and need to cut costs where they think buyers won't notice.

MB Should be a little embarrassed about the new Cs interior. Premium it is not.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Please excuse the poor write up and editing of this post. I've had to do the entire thing on my mobile and my descriptions are perhaps not expressed as well as I would normally like, nor as detailed.

I will have the car for another day or so, so if there's any specific queries let me know.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Does the W206 come with embarrassingly noisy wipers just like the W205?

Wiper performance is impacted by so many things such as treatments to the vehicle, washing regime, climate etc. I've never had an issue that a trip to the dealership hasn't resolved.

I believe the wiper rubbers on the W205 were modified during the vehicles life cycle.

I have not experienced the W206 wipers as it has not rained.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Impressions of build quality and plastics?

Build is very solid and impressive. Plastics in many areas are extremely poor.

 

[fortuner]

Build is very solid and impressive. Plastics in many areas are extremely poor.

Loveely to read your review.

Good that the build is better my moms C the press and crack noise was very evident on the entire dash. I loved the seats in my moms C w205.

The sad thing here from your review is that if you look at the two cars the new one looks better. As you say ride and technology are way ahead but they screwed the lower part of the interior which is sad as had they just solved that. The car would have been a mini E.

Sadly i dont think its soemthing they will fix up too maybe face lift.

If only they had maintaned good plastics then this would have been a winner.

Thanks for your review.

Lets us know about the S hope no major issues.

 

[Merc1]

I guess we're getting closer to 4-cylinder heaven:

M

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Couldn't resist going to BMW today for a test drive in the 330i and back to back interior impression comparison.

- Both interiors have similar levels of solidity/build quality.
- The BMW is noticeably superior in the following areas, using soft touch plastics instead of hard plastics:
* Lower door cards
* Lower dash
* Glovebox lid
- The Mercedes counters with an artificial leather stitched dash and upper door trims. I suspect most people will actually fall for this trick as it does create a quality impression and distracts from the crap lower area plastics.
- The BMW glovebox is felt lined
- They are otherwise very comparable in terms of overall amenity and finish and design is purely subjective. I suspect the glitz of the Mercedes will win it fans.

They are both however obviously built down to a price and while both have superior build/solidity to the W205, the level of finish is not on par. The W205 just seems cut from a higher quality cloth in terms of luxury impression.

In terms of drive:
1. The Mercedes is noticeably more comfortable
2. The Mercedes is quieter by a hair
3. The Mercedes steering is more natural compared to the artificial feeling BMW helm
4. The BMW engine is more refined and quieter
5. Both gearboxes are on par IMO
6. The BMW contains body roll better in hard cornering

So pretty much what you would expect from both brands, apart from the Mercedes steering feeling more direct and natural.

Interestingly if you order a C-class now in Australia the only equipment you can't get at the moment is digital lights. If you order a 3 series BMW has stripped everything down including head up display, touch control for the iDrive knob, adaptive cruise control etc. They are all showing as July 22 or early 23 availability.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Does the W206 come with embarrassingly noisy wipers just like the W205?

You're in luck. It rained today. No wiper issues.

 

[wgerman]

My question is how reliable is the present generation of C class as a used car? Is it a dealer service queen?