Yeah, I think you nailed it.

This is garbage. There is no hard plastic in this interior. Not even in the pre-FL C203.

This car is a good entry-level MB, and IMO it competes quite good with 1 and A3. It feels more upscale, bigger, more like a "real MB". The A3 feels a little smallish, and the 1-Series even more, compared to this. I like it, and I don't think the customers will even notice it has an old interior. Because it does not look old.

However I cannot understand why they did not lower the price. They should have used this opportunity to make it cheaper.

Have you been inside one?

I have... There is more visible hard plastic in the W204 c class, then there is in the W203. The entire transmission tunnel in the W204 is hard plastic, whereas in the W203 is soft touch. There is far more wood over the center console in the W203 instead of the W204's black plastic also.

The only hard plastic in the W203, are the side seat pieces, rear aircon vents covering and some around the doorhandles. also the area around the light switch controls.

Thanks. I was wondering if they had made some negative changes to the design and materials inside the CLC compared to the W203 interior.

I stated before that I was disapointed in this CLC and my stance hasn't changed but having read in Autocar that MB are planning a baby Merc coupe by 2011 which will eventually replace this CLC, I guess it makes sense that they only gave this CLC a "facelift"

Don't know if you guys have read it yet. I've included the link.

Autocar - Baby Merc coupé by 2011