Review: 2024 Mercedes C300 4MATIC Chill or Smash?

Valuable life advice can come at you from unexpected places.  For example, I was driving through Oakland and spotted a bumper sticker on a Dodge Charger that said, “F*** around and find out.” What sage advice!  I applied this helpful nugget to my time with the Mercedes C300, f***ing around to find out why Mercedes offers a sports suspension on the C300.

To me, the Mercedes lineup has a split personality.  Comfort-first tuning is the primary personality applied to their models.  Their non-AMG coupes, sedans and SUVs have calming driving dynamics, excellent build quality, conservative exterior styling, and flashy interior tech.  To me, this is traditional Mercedes.

The secondary personality is seen in the Mercedes-AMG models.  The AMGs keep the high build quality and interior tech but add aggressive styling, bombastic engines and sport-tuned suspensions.  AMG is Mercedes on steroids and Red Bull.

If I want calming luxury, I buy a Mercedes.  If I want fiery emotion, I buy an AMG. 

Which is why I’m confused about today’s 2024 Mercedes C300 4MATIC with the AMG Line package.  Its engine, steering, brakes, and NVH tuning are traditional Mercedes chill, but the AMG sports suspension wants to smash.

Consider the car in city driving: its triple-sealed doors and acoustically-insulated glass block out traffic noises as its 2.0L turbocharged I4 (255 hp/295 lb-ft) purrs nonchalantly around town.  Its 9-speed transmission slips seamlessly between gears, and its steering smothers distractions like road texture and bump impacts.  These C300 attributes calm the nerves.

From this comfortable cocoon, the driver enjoys the high technology of the responsive and intuitive MBUX infotainment system.  He gets to pick between many virtual gauge clusters and configure the information projected by the bright color HUD.  

But the sports suspension spoils the relaxing atmosphere by letting tire noise and bump impacts reverberate through the cabin and chassis.  How rude!

It’s more of the same on the highway, where the C300 waltzes across the countryside with the hallmark tightness and composure of a premium German sedan.  Shall we do 100 mph until the tank runs dry?  No problem! 

The steering is accurate without being nervous and the drivetrain spins mere 1500 rpm for best fuel economy and silent running.  (The slippery C Class returns a respectable 23 mpg city/33 mpg highway.)  

But then, the sports suspension lets the tires’ whir slice the cabin’s silence and unduly jostles occupants over bumps and potholes.  There’s no benefit to the sports suspension on a highway slog!

So, I had to f*** around to find out. 

On a Sunday morning, I grabbed the C300’s keys and headed into wine country.  I hooned across the mountains between one vineyard-filled valley and the next, muscling the C300 through corners and shoving it at the horizon.  To my surprise, the sports suspension was incredibly capable, biting into corners with excellent front-axle grip, clinging to past apexes, shrugging off mid-corner hits, and carrying a head of steam onto the straights.  In this environment, the suspension’s stiffness seemed expertly judged.  The car moderated its body roll, breathed over the imperfections, and never allowed uncontrolled wheel movements or chassis float.  At pace, the sports suspension found a beautiful balance between chassis control and ride comfort.

But the suspension’s sublime turning was for naught because the mute steering, laid-back engine, delayed paddle shift, safety-first AWD, and are-they-fading brakes—they were soft, but didn’t fade—belong in a snoozy Mercedes.  The C300 with the AMG Line sport suspension was a Tempur-Pedic mattress with racing slicks.

Here is what I suggest: forgo the C300’s AMG Line package or pony up for a genuine AMG.   And don’t fret if you don’t have AMG money because the C300 in full-comfort guise would be a tranquil delight.

The C300’s compact size, tight turning circle, high-resolution 360-degree cameras, and excellent outward visibility make it a cinch to steer and park in town.  Its vast array of active safety systems keeps me safe when I’m backing out of store parking spots and when I’m opening my door into traffic.  (It also reminded me that I left my phone on the wireless charging pad!)

The cabin comfortably fits four adults—so long as those in the back are average size—and can transport five in a pinch.  I dragged my luggage out of the basement to measure the cargo capacity and found I could get two 25” suitcases or four 21” rollaboards into the trunk.  Trips to the airport should be smooth.

The C300 isn’t just safe and practical; it has features that wow, too.  My kids oohed and aahed at the extravagant multicolor cabin lighting.  I repeatedly caressed the pinstriped wood dash just to feel the wood grain with my fingers.

On the highway, the C300 is an easy steer and effortless cruiser.  The car’s body feels hewn from granite and stays flex-free while the suspension does its work.  The impressive body solidity gives me the faith that I’d walk away from a highway crash.

(I liked the DISTRONIC cruise control, but it needs more time in the oven.  The system aced pacing traffic and automated lane changes, but the active lane centering caused concern.  Frequently, the car would gently oscillate as it tried to keep centered.  More than once, it failed to track the curves and drove out of the lane.  These unnerving experiences made me swear off the system when driving close to K-walls and where the road had unusual bends or erratic markings.)

The C300 is by no means cheap—the C300 4MATIC starts at about $50k, and my car had $15k in options including the AMG Line sports package, Drivers Assistance package, and Pinnacle Trim—but I can see where the money went.  I like the car’s styling, quality, tech and comfort…I’d just skip the AMG sports pack!