Hi John,
Apologies for not responding earlier. My sister phoned me up to pick her up at the trainstation.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz  Having driven both a C200 Kompressor, and the C220 CDI, which did you feel offered the better driving experience from a powertrain/engine point of view - assuming they were both autos? |
Hard to answer since the C200 Kompressor is a gasoline powered car and was mated to a manual while the C220 CDI is a diesel mated to an automatic. I guess in engine response, the victory goes to the C200 Kompressor and this is because of the manual transmission. The C220 CDI 5-spd A/T had a slight delay before responding. I've also experienced this delay on C200 Kompressors
(W203) with the 5-speed automatic. On the higher end models like the C320 CDI with the 7Gtronic, there's virtually no delay in engine response.
However, in order to answer your question, I would personally suggest that the C220 CDI is the better drive. It drives more "comfortably". The C200 Kompressor ain't bad at all, but the engine is a bit noisy and at higher speeds struggles a bit. The C220 CDI on the other has massive torque reserves, feels more relaxed and packs a more powerful punch. It would be my choice and with an automatic transmission as well.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz Also given the different suspension tune between the Classic/Elegance and the Avantgarde models, which did you feel offered the better balance between comfort and sport? |
Very easy to answer.
Avantgarde all the way. Sporty yet comfortable. The
Classic version feels softer and therefore a tad more comfy, but the
Avantgarde version offers more sport and handling and a comfort quality that is just as good. A perfect balance in other words.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz That is to say whilst the Classic/Elegance setup is softer and more comfy than the Avantgarde, do you feel it gave away too much sporty feel in doing so? |
I didn't drive the
Elegance version yet, so I don't want to comment on how it could drive yet. The
Classic version on the other hand offered predictable handling and generally still was easy to drive and control - it just felt much "softer" overall meaning more comfortable and less sporty than the
Avantgarde model. So yes, I did feel that the
Classic model was too soft. Arguably, it still handled very nice, better than expected but the steering wasn't as direct (though very responsive) and the road feel wasn't as good.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz Conversly, whilst giving a more sporty feel, was the ride in the Avantgarde a little too, well, hard, or bouncy/lively for the gains in sportiness over the Classic/Avantgarde. |
Not at all. And this is surprising. The
Avantgarde C220 CDI I drove had a pretty sturdy suspension that surprisingly offered a near perfect balance between sport and comfort. It wasn't hard or uncomfortable at all. More like soft when you drove normally, yet sturdy when you switched to sporty driving. In order to believe me, one really has to drive this car and experience it themselves. Of course, when I talk "sporty", I mean sporty for Mercedes standards.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz Basically I want sportiness, but I dont want to achieve it at the cost of long term, long distance touring comfort over indifferent roads - I want a car that has a better ride than a 3 series Bimmer for example. |
In that case the
Avantgarde version is your car. It's both sporty and comfortable - perfect for long family drives. Our W211 2002 Mercedes E320
Avantgarde is sporty and also quite comfortable. I've driven
Elegance W211 E-Classes as well and they're much softer and less sporty. For you, John,
Avantgarde is the trim level to choose then.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz Re your comments about sound levels, it is interesting with the Edmunds reviews, that they do actually measure with a SPL meter, and the top 3 Germans and Lexus are all competitive re the A4, 3 series, C Class & IS250/350 Lexus. OK, there a few Db difference, but basically of small degrees rather than large differences - usually in favour of the Lexus. |
The cabin did a good job of keeping most exterior noises out, I can't stress that enough. I do know that Lexus is almost fanatical about total isolation from the outside world. Audi, BMW and Mercedes aren't as crazy about this as Lexus and I don't think Audi, BMW or Mercedes customers really care about something so extreme the way Lexus does it.
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz Have you driven an IS250/350? I'd be interested to read of a review of yours of one of those vehicles to see what you thought of it, given your ability to put into words some incisive and insightful thoughts re motor vehicles, and in a fair and relatively unbiased manner. |
I wish I could drive a Lexus to see how they feel etc., but no, I have not driven any Lexus. I have however checked them out at a Lexus show and while they're fine cars, I do find some aspects of them to be completely overrated such as interiors. Also, the IS and GS were very
cramped on the inside. I always wonder why people don't complain about this?
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Originally Posted by Benzboi_inoz I'd love to see Merc cover the engine in plastic shrouding as does Lexus. Not as appealing from an mechanical point of view, but a helluva lot easier to keep clean! |
They do this with their V6 and higher up engines, but their 4-cylinder engines are typically "exposed" if I can put it that way.