I just got this car today and I must say I am impressed. My previous car was a Chrysler Sebring and I had been saving alot of money to get this Benz. Anyways, I am driving, absolutely loving it. Then I remember that the salesman said to push the "Sport" button and it will drive like a sports car. To switch gears, I had to simply move the stick left and right. So I'm driving down a local street that is basically deserted and just blazing down it. I then decide to try it out, so I hit the thing and its at 1, then I do it too 2, 3, then 4, and I'm basically flying. I then stopped because I realized I really didn't know how to drive with these numbers, so I put it back in D and now I am posting this question: Does anyone know a website where I can learn how to use the sport feature of the car?? Thanks a million.

Luis (Happy Proud owner of a c280)

 

Are you asking about the "Sport" button, or about the shifting?

In Sport mode, basically the computer lets u rev a little higher before it shifts.

The shifting, as much as people want to call it manual, it is only an electronic shift; so it is a semi-manual. You only upshift like u wrote....1--2--3--4. Mercedes does not want to see you downshifting, I am sure the book says it in bold letters or something.

Depending on how much power you want, you decide your own RPM where you will go to another gear. As long as you don't hit the red zone, u r fine.

From my experience...let me tell u this. When u r in this "mental mode of manual shifting" a new car, you tend to lose concentration of the road. In no time, you will be right behind someone....and yet the brain is still thinking to shift into another gear, and the foot keeps giving gas. That's dangerous. I've been there many times.

Just my two cents.

 

Does the "Sport" button also alter the shock damping, or is that another button?

 

If you have the standard 5 speed automatic electronic transmission. there is a switch top left that has W and S, W is for winter driving, only shifts down to second gear, and provides two reverse gear ratio's. the S is Summer driving. Now on the selector. if you have a D and to the left a 4 the 4 is the sport setting, the tranny shifts only up to 4th gear and the ratio's are electronically changed. The suspension remains the same. However you can improve that by fooling around with air pressure. I also changed the tires to one width size wider, and I am having the rear sway bar bushing changed to urethane Monday. to keep if flatter in corners. I wouldn't start down and up shifting like you described. If you don't sport model and the car is a 99, you don't have the stick shift like option as they did in model year 2000. Keep it in 4 for sport driving. Also this transmission is driver adaptable. When I got mine it was a dog, the former owner was a doctor and drove like an old man. Instead of letting the dealer reset the cpu backto default. Disconnect the GROUND cable of the battery in the trunk and leave it for 30 minutes, this serves the same purpose. Reconnect and drive the car as you feel fit until it responeds to your imput. Takes a few days, then go to D and drive it the way you want to. Until you satisfied with the up shift and down****s and the response of the kickdown switch. One thing, you will burn a lot of gas, doing this, but what the heck it is a Mercedes and if you have to worry about gas prices but a Colbalt, Right?

 

So when do I know when to upshift?? I was always under the impression that you need to upshift when the car is about to red line? The car is nice btw, I was driving it all day yesterday going in circles trying to figure out the "Sport" and "Comfort" driving differences. We didn't really have enough space to punch the gas but there was some pretty scary moments involving close accidents and the police. All in all, it was a great first day with my new car.

Also, my friend told me that the ability to have automatic but still be able to shift gears is called tiptronic? Is that true? If not, what is the proper name for the car's ability to manually change gears but still be an automatic car? Thanks a million!

 

What year is your C280, I am assuming it is a 2000? I have a 99 C280 with the electonic transmission. The gear lever has as a D and a 4 in the same slot. The 4 is for "sport driving." The ratio's are different and it only shift up to 4th gear, the shift are also crisper. These transmission are driver adaptable, it adapts to your driving style, which from you post sounds like your a cowboy. These are not sport cars, these are sedans, but some might call them a sport sedan, I do, every sedan out of the Fatherland is sportier then an American or Asian sedan all things being equal. if you have the manual shift feature which appeared on the C280 in 2000 the last year for the W202, you can shift it by a gentletap, driving to the redline is not a good idea, even thou with most automatics, they will shift before you get there no matter what gear you are in. Tiptronic is the name Porsche has for it auto/manual transmission, which can be shifted from the gear lever or from the steering wheel. Similiar but different transmission. Not that I don't like to drive "sportingly" your first day on the road sounds like you should have bought a M3, Evo,AMG Mercedes, the C280 is a great automobile, but I don't thing your driving style, (police, accidents etc) is going to do you or the car any good. slow down, you driving a Mercedes and not a Evo, or a Sentra or Maxima SE-R. Your driving a entry level top of the line C Class luxury car. As to when to upshift, a good driver gets a feel for the engine, when the torque curve starts to drop in the gear your in you upshift, takin each gear to redline or close to means nothing and can actually lessen performance. You need to feel and hear what the engine is telling you.

 

The shift down doesnt have anything to do with the sport option. When you put the car into the sport the only difference is going to be that it is going to be starting from the first gear and changing the gear at high rpms in order to give better acceleration. The shift down is a complete different thing it gives you the ability to drive the car like a manual car. You have to pull it right in order shift up and pull it left to shift down.

 

The year is 2006, Brand New. My last car was a slow piece of garbage Chrysler. I got the Mercedes C280 because 1) Price Range 2) Its Luxury 3) I was told it can still drive pretty fast since its a "Sport Sedan" 4) Its a Mercedes.....

Now, to call me a cowboy......well, that would be a little extreme. My old car, I didn't feel anything when I first got it, I punched it and nothing really happaned. I wasn't shocked either but I wish I had something that can make some noise but still be a luxury car. On Day One, when we went for the test drive, the salesman kept on emphasising the speed and the way the car drives. He was switching gears left and right, and it just seemed so cool. So when I got into it and initally pressed the gas I was in heaven. The car quickly kicked up in speed and the engine made a beautiful sound that could only be done on the Chrysler if I had floored it. The mercedes did it with a slight touch and I just loved it. So as I am going home, I find straight ways and notice the car kept on doing it........I got hooked so fast. I should explain the accident and the police so you don't get the wrong impression of me. I was driving on a deserted street known for its sharp turns. I see it and say "This car is amazing, I wonder how it handles this since the guy (salesman) said it can handle like a M3." So I being driving the road (which starts off as straight, NOTE: Its a 25 mph speed limit) and hear the sound that I have become so in Love with it. Then I let go for like 4 seconds, then hit it again, me and my friend are instantly thrown back into our seats as the car gains more accerlation. Hear comes the dangerous part. As we are driving the turn approaches. In what has to be the most hollywood thing I have ever done in a car, I nearly drift as I am making the turn before slowing down drasitcally. If I didn't slow down, I probably would have had the car flip from the extreme turn and crashed into a bunch of trees. After the turn, I was scared/excited. I told my friend, "Holy *!@#" then kicked it up again, with the rest of the road being striaght.

The Police thing was nearly the same thing. After I left the movie theater, I hopped into the car and in my "showoff" mode, I whizzed pass all the pedistrians standing in front of the theater. Little did I know near the end of the street was a Crown Vic, and not the taxi kind if you get my drift.... (Crown Vic, in case you don't know, is the Crown Victoria used by most police, It is such a sick and fast car......). I knew it was a detective but he DIDNT DO ANYTHING!!! I was clearly in his sight and could have easily been written a ticket. A squad car then pulled up behind him and looked at my car. I assume he looked because I don't have plates on it, just a piece of paper representing the license plate. One of them began a U-Turn, and I thought I was done. Lucky for me, I got out of there then took another deserted street, thus losing the cop (Even thought it took an extra 20 minutes to get home).

All those cars you mentioned before are cool.......but lets face it....a Benz is a Benz and there is nothing like it. With this car, I can feel like going fast while at the same time driving up too a fancy restaurant. The car represents luxury while still maintaining a "Sporty" car in terms of performance. I needed a car that was elegant and professional, but still was able to show off just a bit. I feel with this car, that I can.

 

over-steer... it won't flip. instead it will excite you more hearing the tires screeching as you make such turn. was it equiped with ESP? ( i guess so).

 

My friend said the same exact thing, but being as this is the first luxury car I have ever drove, I was still a little paranoid. He said it wasn't gonna flip for **** but it was still a scary moment because I felt the balance shifting and I really thought the car would have flipped over. If it wasn't that, then it would have been me slamming into another car since I overlapped the yellow lines and half of my car was on the other side of the line. (NOTE: This would have been EXTREMELY Unlikely considering the fact that this is a road no one ever drives on. On occasion I have seen a car or two on it, but for the most part its always empty.)

This coming weekend, I'mma try some more stuff, but in more secure locations. I love owning a Benz...........