Long-Term 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Factory Vs. WeatherTech Floormats
Every year we wage a war against winter by fitting the interiors of Cars.com’s long-term test fleet with heavy-duty all-season floormats to keep salt, dirt and snow from tarnishing the floors of our purchased test cars. In the past we’ve used both WeatherTech’s FloorLiner series of form-fitting mats as well as manufacturer accessory all-season mats. This winter, we tested both styles inside our long-term fleet’s newest addition, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan.
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A set of the Mercedes-Benz accessory all-weather floormats costs $110 and includes mats for the front and rear, while the WeatherTech mats are quite a bit pricier at $189 for a full set and $109.95 for just the front two. The biggest difference between the WeatherTech FloorLiners and the accessory mats are their design: The FloorLiner series extend upward to protect the front and sides of the carpeted floor. We put both sets through their paces during a few wintry weeks to see which ones we’re going to keep for the long-haul.
The Mercedes accessory set is the traditional rubberized, all-season floormat that covers the same area as the carpeted mats. The color perfectly matches our C-Class’ black interior, and the thick material features grooves for catching melted snow; plus there’s a Mercedes-Benz emblem stamped in the middle. They’re utilitarian pieces that manage to look stylish and, of course, fit as perfectly as you’d expect from a manufacturer accessory. The pairs come molded together so a pair of scissors is needed to separate them and clean up the excess rubber. One of the biggest benefits of these mats is price: You get the all the mats for the same price as just the WeatherTech FloorLiner front-row mats.
A quick note: Save yourself a trip back to the dealership by making sure the accessory mats are for the 2015 model and newer W205 chassis and not the previous-generation W204 car. As we discovered after receiving the wrong mats, the packaging doesn’t list model years and the previous-generation mats won’t line up with the 2015 and its newer floor buttons.
WeatherTech floormats can be ordered online or purchased through a network of retailers and dealerships. We purchased the front pair from WeatherTech’s website and within a few days they arrived at our doorstep. For an aftermarket mat, the color is a surprisingly close match to the black interior with only a slightly more gray tone than the factory set. The FloorLiners buttoned in without a problem, only requiring a solid push to engage. Initial fit wasn’t great, though, as our mats had an unsightly gap on one side. WeatherTech’s customer service suspected our pair had been misshapen during shipping and suggested turning the mats upside down inside a warm area and placing a heavy object on top to help reshape them.
We plan to give that suggestion a shot in the future, but for now the WeatherTechs are doing their job of keeping much of Chicago’s nasty winter relegated to the protected area. The set has only allowed a small amount of salt residue to accumulate on the carpet after heavy use in snowy weather. Just another half-inch of height on the right side could have caught all the snow trampled into the cabin. Still, it’s certainly more protection than the alternative all-season mats, and the FloorLiners have inches more material covering the carpet on the front and sides.
Both sets are quality pieces and which you go with will depend on how often the car is used. Our C-Class spends most of its time with just one driver and the occasional backseat rider (kids, mostly), so we’re going to stick with the WeatherTechs up front because it’s hard to dispute the extra layer of protection for a car that gets used every day.
