Most recent MBs use aluminium for the suspension and drivetrain components. However, the structure of the car is often heavier than in the competition, surely because of the safety requirements they have.

MB usually prefers steel and high-strength steel to aluminium for the structure of the car. So their strucuture has, AFAIK, less light materials than BMW or Audi.

Daimler stated recently that weight will now become a main concern for Mercedes. The next SL will for instance have an aluminium body.

The W204 is not noticeably heavier than the 3er and lighter than the new A4, if I remember well (but the C63 is much heavier than the M3).

2008 Mercdes-Benz C300: Eye Popping


One of my complaints about modern German cars is that I think many features are way over engineered. I know this isn't a new topic or a mind-blowing concept so save the comments folks.

However, one over engineered aspect of our C300 that I think the folks in Stuttgart got right is the pop out screen. Complicated? Yes. Necessary? No. Cool? Oh yeah.

In my opinion, cars in today's hyper-competitive luxury segment aren't all that different from each other in terms of packaging, so it's the details and styling that will help differentiate yourself from the competition. In a recent trip up to the San Francisco bay area this past weekend, the pop out screen did the "oooooh" factor plenty from friends and family.

Is it going to be the key factor in a sale? I seriously doubt it. People have different tastes and preferences, but the cool factor of a high-resolution screen that pops out of a dash will resonate with a lot of buyers. It's that slight edge that might make the difference in a sale.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport: Sweet Austerity



I like dark interiors in cars, and I like the austerity of our 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300's cabin.

Sometimes dark interiors are an opportunity to camouflage materials cost-cutting from the brutal reality of natural light (see previous-generation C-Class or current-generation Infiniti G35). But in our '08 C300 Sport, the materials quality meets a high standard, so evidently, the cabin looks the way it does because the designers intended it. It's a cold interior. Next to a light-colored Audi or Lexus with bird's-eye galore, you might call it emotionless.

But I like its down-to-business character. It's not trying to coddle me or make me feel something about the C300 that I shouldn't really be feeling. All it does is put me in the right position to drive and manage the controls (most of which aren't too bad to use since the advent of New COMAND). And while this isn't a car that inspires me to take it on any really interesting roads, I know that wherever we go, it will be an orderly affair.

Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 11,456 miles

^ Lovely

2008 Mercedes-Benz C300: Maintenance Unfriendly



After driving the long-term 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 for a few days I looked down and saw the check engine light next to the gas gauge. My first thought (as always when I see this light) was, "Hmm, I hope it's nothing serious." So I drove with a notably lighter foot until I got home, then -- as instructed by the light -- I endeavored to check the engine.



But that's easier said than done, as the hood release on the C300 is literally hidden inside the dash. No, not under the dash -- inside. Perhaps it's a safety issue, as nobody wants their knee jamming into a release lever during a serious impact. Still, a little indication that it's down their, in the form of a "HOOD" label and/or arrow, would have been nice. As is, I spent several minutes searching and pawing the lower dash before finally getting out of the car, leaning way down and scanning the driver's footwell.



After (finally) opening the hood I looked for the oil dipstick to make sure the most vital of fluids was in the safe zone. Then I looked some more, and then -- just for fun -- I looked some more. Can you see the desired service point in this photo?



I'd almost given up when I happend to glance back at the middle of the firewall -- essentially the hardest part of the engine to reach (yes, even with the double-jointed hood). EUREKA! I spotted a sliver of yellow plastic and went in for a closer look. This location reminds me of the dipstick location in the Pontiac Solstice. Because that engine comes from the Cobalt, and was thrust into the Solstice during the car's development, you have to wedge your arm between the block and firewall to check the oil. Not sure what Mercedes' excuse is...

Upon inspection the oil level seemed fine (I think -- like our long-term BMW M3, the stick isn't very easy to read). I also checked the coolant and brake fluid levels -- all fine. Hmmm.

Then I went to put gas in it and, ironically, couldn't because the gas station's credit card reader was on the fritz. But I didn't discover this until pulling up to the pump and removing the gas cap. So I put the cap back on and drove away.

The light is no longer on.

Yes, I know this is the most common reason a "Check Engine" light comes on, but I think automakers should literally put a "Check Gas Cap" light in their cars so people can know when there's really a problem or not. BTW, the car had been driven over 100 miles without the light on after the previous fill up. And the cap seemed fully secure before I removed it.

I'm officially changing the term "idiot light" to "idiotic light."

Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com Editor in Chief @ 11,625 miles

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

^ Safety reasons,MB is very famous with all that

On all Mercedes' cars I have testdriven, I've never had a problem operating the hood-release mechanism under the dashboard. This guy is such a cry baby.

The only thing that has always bothered me on Mercedes' cars is a manual transmission model with the foot-operated handbrake. Now those are tricky to drive.

Hmmmm..

Seven or eight paras on "what a pratt I am".

What a tool.

Anybody that knows anyting about cars knows the "check engine" light has nothing ever to do with oil level but has to do mainly with all the wonderful emissions checking systems in a car. So a loose gas cap, a misfire on a plug, bad O2 sensor, or a number of no panic situations, send folks into a panic.

I'll agree that the "check engine" lights need to be changed. But that is exactly why they won't. If people know it's nothing fatal they'll ignore it and risk cranking more pollutants into the air. And this is NOT a Mercedes problem. It is an industry problem.

Agree, I don't know why he can complain about the hood-release mechanism.
I also can't believe he can't see the dip stick straight away.