[markus037]

was thinking about possibly trading my E90 for one. I drove a C300 4-matic at work and was really impressed with the 7-speed automatic. the inteiror wasnt as good as the E90 but I think it drove better. Ive had the e90 for almost a year now and was thinking about trying something else. the e90 has been good, the only real repair has been a washer fluid pump. Im just worried about the relaibility of the benz vs the bmw. my uncle had a few benzes back in the late 90s early 2000s and they were all pieces of shit.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Yup. My W204 C300 4Matic refresh blows my F30 320i xDrive out of the water. Mercedes has steadily improved in terms of reliability.

[TheBingoBalls]

You can pretty much lump all the German cars in one single category in terms of reliability. You can read horror stories anywhere whether it be a BMW, Mercedes, Audi - at the end of the day, German cars don't have the record of being the most reliable cars out there.

Rated ///M Power says his W204 C300 4Matic is good. My uncle's W204 C350 4Matic, while nothing major, TONS of sensor and electrical problems. Drives like there is nothing wrong but nothing annoying than starting your car and getting errors saying there is low tire pressure (it's not), or rear taillamp burned out (it didn't). When deciding between BMW, Audi or Mercedes, it just comes down to how the car feels to you. The W204 drives like a Mercedes so if you're looking for that, it's a good car if you're looking to switch it up but don't expect it to drive like your E90 even if the Mercedes had the sport package.

[Year's_End]

Pre or post-facelift W204?

I have enough knowledge and experience on the pre-facelift model and my old E92 to make some basic conclusions.

Powertrain/drivetrain: E9X had a better pairing of engine and trans options at any regular trim level. The pre-facelift W204s were uninspiring and not all that keen to work hard. Engines weren't as smooth to rev and the transmissions were better suited to cruising.

Interior: W204 had much better build quality; creaks/squeaks/buzzes are basically nonexistent. Switchgear and buttons have better tactile feedback. E9X had much better materials though.

Entertainment: E9X's iDrive unit has always been superior to the W204's COMAND system, regardless of the version either came with during their production time frame. It was better in terms of usability, depth of ability, and compatibility with plug-ins and Bluetooth devices.

Exterior: entirely down to preference, but I've always preferred every E9X model versus its W204 equivalent, aesthetically speaking. But the W204 looked solid and arguably more mature.