The new C class rocks!
 

http://media.popularmechanics.com/im...C016_large.jpg

Never thought I'd really want a C class, well until I saw the new one! Its freaken sweet! Its looks real sharp and modern in person. Mercedes is getting back to the more vertical grill look. If they offer it with a diesel in this country that would seal the deal, where do I sign.:D

I bet you could get one with off the lot for $35k with a diesel if they offered it.

Hatt....

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/185188-new-c-class.html


Heheh.... I actually like the new C class too.. Looks really sharp.


The sports one looks really really sharp too.

I like this one better than the one we saw with the emblem in the grill... diesel yes I would sell my family for

The license plate S|CK - Is that supposed to be a subliminal "SICK" ...as in "cool" or "rad" or "bad" or "phat"?

Looks better than any of those descriptions - might have to come up with something superlative those those words.




PS: I used the pipe symbol (|)to imitate the two round stick-em tags, but it doesn't show up that well, does it.

Stands for Stuttgart C Klasse. ;)
Just a little Trivia.

They are going to offer the diesel here in the States. 42mpg combined so says the articles I've been reading. I'm interested!

-drool-

If they offer a diesel its my next car, sold! That would look so nice in the driveway next to the SDL.

At $4 a gallon I can't think of a better work car.

They had one at the car show that was very nice gray with a black interior, very sharp looking.

From AutoWeek:

"A next-generation 4Matic all-wheel-drive system will be optional, and a Bluetec diesel model is also in the offing for the States, with essentially the same drivetrain as is currently offered in the E-Class."

Read article here: http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070202/FREE/70125007&SearchID=73278144710138

Maybe the V6 diesel with 230hp and damn near 400ft pounds of torque!!! Drool.:cool:

Next time I am at the dealer I shall confirm this, that car will probably be a 42mpg rocket ship!:cool:

The E-Class in Car and driver was 208hp, and 400 lbs of torque. Observed 29 mpg. Heres a thought.... how much better would a stick get compared to that 7-Speed automatic? There has to be lots of wasted power and weight from that thing. For gods sake, its already 4000 lb car. But what I want to know is where this camless engine buzz went? Here's the '08 but no talk of the cool engine? Thats the only thing I cared about from Mercedes.

camless engine.. where... now im interested

isn't this a pic of the new S class with a 5.5 liter?

No sir, thats the C-Class, and I think it looks good!

No its the C, from that angle it looks like the W221. But in person it looks a little like a W211, but not a direct copy.

Its a big car, weighs as much as my SDL, and probably has similer interior room to the SD.

Get your car weighed on a properly calibrated scale, it should be, without any luggage or passengers but nearly a full tank of fuel and all fluids, approximately 4000 lbs. The real curb weight of an E320 Bluetec is about 3700 lbs without the 68 kg (150 lbs) driver and 7 kg luggage included in current directive 92/21/EC, version 95/48/EC. The old diesel S is ~ 2 - 300 lbs heavier.

The W221, W126, W140, and W220 have very similar real world interior dimensions if you've measured them out individually. How can a C-Class have as much interior volume as an S-Class? I admit I haven't been in the W204 to compare, but that's quite a tall glass to fill. Now the W210 had as much rear seat legroom as a W140 SWB sedan, this much I know. But a C-Class?

The W204 is generally accepted by the elderly crowd as a very ugly and unappealing car. The younger generation seems to love the angular look. I personally hate the fact that MB is not evolving from its earlier designs, as it has done for the past 50 years, and scrapping tradition for "bling-bling" looks (the sport edition with its centered grill star comes to mind).

It stings my eyes, take it away.

I think the same. I dont like it much.

Search on KDI EVT.

What is it with beige? If they want a younger crowd that ain't doing it. Whatev, new cars are hard to find worth buying.

According to the door jam the SDL is about 3,800 pounds and some change. I never compared the interior volumes just going by what it looked like, since they wouldn't let you sit in one. But it's a big car, looks to be larger then the W203.


The world march's on MB can't make a W108 anymore. Their new line up is very impressive. Bash the new ones all you want, but they are fine cars. What am I suposed to do drive W126's for the next 10 years? Yeah right I'm tired of fixing old cars; besides the old ones are no bargin anyway, they have their fair share of issues.

According to my door jam, the plated VIN identification # the 300SDL is 3950 lbs after subtracting the maximum capacity (930 lbs) from the 4880 lbs GVWR. The scale I had mine weighed at rang in 3960 lbs without a spare wheel, an empty cabin, and about 22 gallons worth of diesel. 350SD weighs 60 lbs more according the same tag and the 300SE weighs about 100 lbs less than the SDL.

Drive W126's for the next 10 years? What a splendid idea! But only if a W126 is your cup of tea for a DD and you don't mind the frequent maintenance a 20 + year old car may require from a previous owner's negligence. Working on these cars is a joy to me. No matter the job, the satisfaction of getting it complete is well worth the aggravation.

If you're sick of repairs, and don't find a passion in maintaining what you already have, then you truly are better off having somebody else do all the work for you. As for me, I like to get grease under my fingernails and am always under the hood to see what else I can screw around with even when there is nothing to be done.:D

I agree. I hate the two S-Classes that succeded the W140. They seem to have completey severed the link to their past and now they are just Nissan's on steroids.

- Peter.

Luxury cars are supposed to be ho-hum. People don't like to stray too far from the norm these days. It's frowned upon to have original ideas, so the trend in the auto world is copy someone else. Usually Audi.

Holy ****.

I just might hold off on buying a new car until I see how these stack up!

Ahh I was off a bit, the SDL has been under a car cover since October, and my memory isn't so great.

I'll keep the old cars as a hobby, they are great fun to mess with on a nice weekend when I am not working or boating. See the problem with older cars, is as you are working on them every other weekend, fixing something. And complaining about how new ones are POS's, well the new ones require no work, they just kind of run. So you can take your new POS and go place's with it. While the quality 20 year old car requires work. :D

Difference of opionion I guess.:)

Please point out one Mercedes model that was a rip off of another companies. BMW and Audi are also very original. Lexus and the Korean's are most certianly not.

Lots of companies rip off Mercedes, like those old Chryslers that kind of look W126ish from head on.

The one at the top of the screen. Looks like a BMW. I dont know the exact car, but someone somewhere has pointed out that the sportcoupe looked identical to an 80s french? hatchback, some kind of european. This C looks like the CL, and then a little like the S, which look similar, so nothing new amongst themselves. They were johnny come lately with the I drive, and the "small" car. Almost every different venture they try is "aimed to compete with...". If you want to get down to it, them headlights have been on Citroens for years, and the grill is the only part of the front end thats mercedes. Rip-off? Maybe not, but don't call it original.

Have you seen the new C class in person? Because I can assure you that standing next to it, it doesn't look BMW ish at all.

Mercedes did a good job keeping the design in the family yet original. From this angle it looks very W221 ish, but not from other angles. The front grill is actualy very vertical, MB is going back to a more vertical grill it seems.

This is nothing new if you compare the 190E to a W126 or a W124 you will see similer family lines so to speak.

The I drive is rather annoying, bit its much better then the BMW I drive. So far the S class is the only model with it. The system Mercedes uses you can actualy figure out without the manual, mostly.

I don't know anything about Citroens since you can't get them in the US. But the wrap around headlight and taillight look is whats in, everyone is doing it. Its like how every car had more square headlights in the 80's, thats what was in back then.

That's a pretty nice looking little car. Hopefully, they will come out with an AMG version, that would be great too.

I like it a lot, if the build quality was improved I'd be very interested.

Even the old 124 and 201 and 140 had some distinction. The E was OK, but the CE was beautiful. But the engines, transmissions, they did different things to them all. Then even the CLK and 210, same thing. Now they've gotten too similar. Even the Audi's. It was very obvious the A6 and A4 much different and the A8 was obviously much bigger. And the TT never looked anything like anything until the Japs came in with the replicas. BMWs all look different from eachother, but they just aren't very attractive. I actually think this C looks alright, I liked the white better, and i'll have to wait on the coupe. But not because it is how it is, but what it could be-like a supercharged, camless high-revving beast with a 6-Speed, throw in some CF seats, remove the rears, some real rubber on there, no sunroof, no moonroof, decent exhaust. Mercedes only makes sports car engines, everything else is uninspiring. They shoulda made the old sportcoupe a rally car. Which goes back to my original point, they're just boring. Oh but what about the CLK-DTM? Or CLK63 black? Automatic only.... Ferrari, for example, not boring, and they're original. Even Maserati if you want apples to apples. Or Aston Martin, or Alfa Romeo..And the headlights is what I'm talking about. Trendy, bland, redone over and over, very un-Mercedes. Like fins, they'll be out whereas a Gullwing is timeless, or anything of the 50's or 60's and most of the 70's, the 80's and 90's were pretty good, but nothing to make history. Been a while since they've really done anything.

The build quality isn't necessarily the problem, the price is. Biggest problem i have is the orange peel paint.

I like it! Much better than that abomination version I posted a while back...:eek:

Hey Buddy, your in luck!

Oh, and there has been some new of this little C-Class getting the agility package, a nice 4matic system reworked for handling/grippiness, and that nice 6.3 liter motor!

Ladies and germs, I think that Merc wants to rival the M3.

Here is the production model in "Sport" trim level. Sport models recieve the grille monted 3-Pointed Star. "Elegance" models feature the traditional 3-Pointed Star on the hood. MB has done a very nice job of bringing back the class, definition, and boldness in design that I felt was lost with the W203; A return to angular lines, chiseled profiles, attention to detail, and well balanced proportions. A car that appears signifigantly more imposing, sporting, and refined than its predecessor.

The first C-Class I have fallen in love with since the W202.

Stunning.

The first models will be avail at my local showroom in mid-august. You can bet I will be there to check it out!

http://www.mbusa.com/models/future/cclass/index.do

Hey Nate, when you go check it out, give me a ring! It gets a bunch of the styling cues from the previous era (W124/W202)!

Justin, you should make a call to Von Housen... they are starting a guest list for the release party. The date is TBA, but it will be in mid-august. Get on the list and youll get an invite via mail when they send them out.

I havent had any desire whatsover to delve into the world of car payments....BUT if this car shows improvement in build qaulity and mechanical/electrical durability it may fit the bill as a graduation present to myself when I am through with college. By that time the w204 will be in the beginning of its 3rd year of production, allowing some time for the typical first production year "bugs" to be worked out, and perhaps some technical and equipment enhancements to be added.

I prefer the more edgy look of the Sport model over the more luxury oriented Elegance model. Make mine a C350 Sport in Midnight/Black Tex :)

I cant find the direct link, but MB's W204 world premiere show is avail for viewing somewhere on the MB int. site.

More Photos: 2008 C class Avantgarde (Sport)
 

Production model press photos

Hatter, are you sure the first pic is the C class? To me, the first picture you provided looks much different than the other pictures in the end of this thread.

They are indeed the C-Class. Ones just the sports edition, and ones the elegance edition. The Sports Edition has the star in the center of the grille, and the elegance has the star perched atop the hood.

We'll see, what I've read is the stick is only going in the weak models. And most probably not AMG V8's.

The first pic on the thread looks like one of the pre-production W204 mock-ups that were leaked to the press quite some time ago.

All trim levels of the production W204 C class will share primary sheetmetal.

Avantgarde models recieve lower body aerodynamics, AMG wheels, revised sport grille with star on front.

Elegance, and Classic models delete the lower body aerodynamics in favor of a more conservative look, feature traditional grille design with star on hood, and wheels that are more luxury oriented in design.

Here you can see the production Avantgarde next to the production Elegance:

http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/newsID/2070118.005/pageview/photo/photo/Mini7/page/1/country/gcf/mercedes/new-2008-mercedes-c-class-revealed

I like the "sport" one better still, interesting to see it in coupe form. Still going to be a tough sell against a S5 though, even a 3-series. I can't figure out Mercedes, do they want a chunk of the young, sporty segment of the market or just the poseurs with the badge on the trunk?

Well the old C class is very popular with women, it seems like everyone has one around here. This new one seems much more masculine.

I'd be interested in seeing how this car stacks up to the BMW 3 series and the A4. The A4 is pretty nice.

I wish it would kick some a$$. I would love to own another Mercedes, they just won't make me a car. I'm sick and tired of reading the same reviews of mercedes vs. audi vs. bmw. They're all their own separate car, Audi owns AWD, Mercedes is luxury, BMW is sport. And thats it. Theres no competition, everyones comofortable, no toes getting stepped on. And god forbid Alfa Romeo ever gets their act together. If they can get their lineup RWD with AWD capabilities, lose some weight, and sell it here, they'll gobble Audi and BMW with ease, and probably reel in some Mercedes crowd.

I too prefer the Avantgarde aesthetics over that of the Elegance... the Elegance is a little soft looking for me.

Its seems that rather than focusing on rivaling its direct competitors from a performance standpoint, the objective of this car is to improve the quality and attention to detail in design and operation over that of the outgoing W203. This focus on quality and improved design is what is reeling me back in to the C class. The W203 left a sour taste in my mouth.... it had poor fit and finish, and looked like the skin of a W220 melted over a dodge neon frame... I never liked it, it never grew on me, and I doubt it ever will.

Along with Hatties observations, I too I find that the new C class looks more substantial and elegant over the W203.., it brings back the more masculine, taut, angular look that was lost after the W202 went out of production... it is bold and strong looking like a Mercedes ought to look. The W203 was a little too rounded and swoopy for my tastes- everything was rounded and curved.. from the headlights and grille to the dashboard and console- which really lent the car to a more mundane, generic, and less striking over all look.

The new design of the W204 is a grand improvement over the W203. It also sounds like it will be a much better car in terms of fit and finish. If all goes well, MB probably wont step on the toes of its rivals with this car, but they will undoubtedly win back many previous buyers with the quality improvements, younger buyers that prefer MB's with its Avantgarde models, traditional buyers with the Elegance models, and true performace oriented drivers with the C63AMG.

The 3 series, while having its legendary sporting qualities never did much for me in the way of aesthetics. The Audi A4 features unique qualities, but from experience has never felt anything more special than a dressed up VW. The W202 had the ability to blend a certain amt of performance, luxury, and good design into one package. The W203 came out of left field and was one of the first flop cars in terms of lacking traditional MB quality. Im crossing my fingers on the W204. The only other new mid size luxury sport sedan to appeal to me almost as much as an MB of the past has been Volvo's S60R.

In regards to Alfa's, my aunt and uncle both drive them. She has a 147, and he has a 166. Stunning cars in every way. I too would agree, that with some minor tweaks (primarily quality control) an Alfa sport sedan would have an edge over all 3 German staples of this segment here in the U.S. if a strong dealer suppor system could be put in place here, along with competitive pricing.

I agree the W203 never did anything for me either, if I were in the market for a used C I would specificaly look for a super mint W202. But now the W204 comes along, its a very impressive car in person. It projects the imige that a MB should project.

The only downside would be the car payment, I don't think I could ever bring myself to lease. I'd probably want the CDI version with a few options, so I'm probably looking at just about $35k-$38k out the door. I'd have to put at least half down to make me feel better about the car payments.

I don't like it much. On the sport version the hood/headlight combo looks almost like the current 5-series. The grille looks way to big compared with the headlights and in the side profile the grille looks silly, I know that isn't a good explanation but it seems to be lacking. The rear taillights remind me of a newer Saab, and that interior does not look like a happy place. Everything is so very muted, gray and cold. It doesn't jump at me in any way and is it just me or are the center portions of a new dash way to big? It seems to buldge out, which in one way creates that "tight" cabin atmosphere but on the other hand, for many American men and women, makes it almost closterphobic. I've said it once and will say it again, I miss the old style designs for open cabins, subtle but prominent lines and COLOR! Mercedes only offers 2 non-metallic colors, white and black. Whats up with that?