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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans
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BTW no major problems to report, but this is a weekend car - only 2,700 miles since delivery. Minor issues have been metallic sliver paint related & intermittent remote trunk key operation. Everything else is flawless and predictable, especially engine warm-up idle and shifting.
Miki
My choice was between the C320 and BMW 330i (2001). I chose the C320 over the BMW for the following reasons:
1. Rear visibility on the C320 was much better than on the BMW. The head restraints on the C fold down at the push of a button; whereas on the BMW they remain up and obstruct the view out the rear window.
2. The trunk in the C320 is much larger.
3. The CD player for 6 CD's is installed in the glove compartment of the C; it is in the trunk of the BMW. There is a CD on the dash of the BMW, but it is only for a single disk.
4. The alarm system for the C is factory installed; BMW has it installed by the dealer.
5. I am 5'2" and the seat setting could be raised to a position that gave me front visibility that was better than that of the BMW.
6. Mercedes has Tele Aid -- a very important feature; BMW did not have it on the 2001 models.
7. Mercedes has free road assistance for the life of the car; BMW has it for only 4 years.
After having my C320 a few months, I went back to test drive a BMW and there just was no comparison with the C IMHO. I owned only BMW's for 14 years and they were nice cars, too -- but this year they were just not for me.
If you get a C320 that has only minor and usual new-car problems, you will be delighted with it. I don't know the percentage of problems that the owners of C320's experience, and I don't think we can measure by this forum either pro or con -- however, those without problems are not as likely to post, except for zmeenow
Miki
Like some on this forum, my wife and I were almost set on the BMW 330 until we test drove the C and compared the driving experiences of the two, not once, but several times. To date, I always have a smile on my face whenever we see a 3 series BMW and my wife repeatedly says she is so glad we didn't get a BM. A friend works for Lexus and has the opportunity to listen in on customer calls periodically. The nature of the problems she hears appear to be no different from what some are experiencing with their Cs. My heart goes out to those who have not been as fortunate with their cars yet I know statistically, this forum does not provide the most objective means of sampling for the worthiness of the C.
If your wife likes the C, I say go for it. I was concerned about buying a 1st year product myself yet have no regrets. Do some unorthodox research on your own. Before ordering, I talked to folks in the grocery store parking lot, and anywhere I could find Cs and their owners about their experiences. I even spent a couple of Saturday's at a dealership service bay talking to owners and finding out the reasons for their visits. Bubba sums it up well by saying "these cars are sophisticated and technically advanced, they are reliable but they are machines and imperfect."
Good Luck!!
im sure there are thousands of happy ,satisfied c owners that never even heard of edmunds!maybe as many dissatisfied... i dont know!
but for the newer readers... you need to know that there ARE well made good performing c's out there!
Sarg
Other than the above, I've had the car for eight months now, 6600 miles, 22.4 mpg (75% urban freeway driving), and NO problems.
Tom
I heard mine with or without applying the gas when driving on smooth pavement with the radio off. The whinning gets louder/faster as the speed of the car increase.
Any white stuff feedback??
Slee
I enjoyed the fact that they threw in a free CD changer. This is something no other dealer in the DC area would do.
Infact, I have a few gripes about certain dealerships in the area... does anyone know an email address or contact for MB corporate?
Thanks in advance.
Bubba
"... my friends all drive Porches, I must make AMENDS..." J. Joplin
Any comment?? Thanks.
Mr. Paul G. Juron, General Manager
Client Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
He will put you in touch with your local Mercedes Benz representative, who is totally empowered to handle all problems with the car, including those with the dealer and their service.
Miki
Miki
then feels like it's going to stall. When accelator is pressed hard, it then lurches forward.
Anybody experiencing anything like this?
No problems except for the exit feature. It's when I get in, the seat does not move forward enough to my original setting. One small chip on the hood and someone scratched the underside of the driver's side rear mirror. I have not checked the distortion of the windshield yet.
This morning, I made the ASR come on while doing a left hand turn. Love the car!
Dat.
None of the Germans can compare; VW is particularly weak in this area, but neither MB nor BMW have systems as powerful as Toyota. That doesn't mean there might not be something wrong with your car, but it is possible it is doing all it was designed to do...
thanks for everyone for valuable contributions
Host: Why doesn't THIS site recognize the Tab key or the space bar???
I have a 1993 Toyota Camry XLE AND a 1999 C280 MB. I must note that there isn't anything wrong with the MB air conditioning system. They both work very well - all the time.
Last year, we took a long trip to Southern California in the MB. One passenger actually complained that it was "too cold" in the car - this was in 96 degree weather!
I would like to know how you arrived at your broad paintbrush statement. ???
You might want to drop by the News and Views board and outline your problem in more detail in Our Software - Your Questions Answered.
Pat
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Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Just a reminder that the MB chat is on tonight (6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/mercedeschat.html
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Ok, here goes:
81 Tercel; 82 Pickup; 82 Celica 4 cyl; 82 Supra; 87 Camry; 88 Camry [x2...one was wrecked for me by an idiot in an Olds Toronado...no contest]; 91 Cressida; 91 Corolla; 93 Camry; 98 Corolla
First, let's eliminate the non-AC Mercedes: 69 220; 71 220; 77 240D. That leaves the 73 SE4.5; 76 300D; 78 240D; 79 300SD; 81 300SD; 84 190E; 86 190E; 89 260E; 94 C220; 98 E320.
Plus 85 Civic; 86 Integra; 96 Acura RL; 98 Accord 4cyl; 01 Accord 6 cyl.
And 66 BMW 1602; 85 325e; 86 325e; 88 325i...and...the recent experiences of my best friend, who owns a new Passat that is not up to the task of taking care of Texas heat...just so you know the experience there is personal and fresh.
Broad paintbrush? You're darned right, partner...bought and paid for...
Miki
Every car I've owned in at the past 15 years, and the list is extensive, has had at least some windshield distortion. Certainly all of the MBs have had some waviness in the lower corners; to be perfectly honest, it has never occurred to me to speak up about it, either to a dealer or in this forum, because I guess I just never found it especially distracting. I can certainly imagine circumstances where it could be a real problem, but mine have never been in an area where I needed to focus for any length of time. Replacing a windshield is something I would not do unless the situation were serious. And you are throwing the dice that they can actually come up with a new one that is not going to have some of the same problems...
Maybe someone can check out that sensor location. I could be wrong, but it sure seems to make a difference in my car.
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I agree with you about the windshield -- there is no way I want to replace it. I was having a telephone conversation with my service advisor and he asked how everything else was other than the horn, so I mentioned the windshield. I have a circular driveway with two exits, so I do not back out. Because of the curve of the driveway and the street, this is the time when the distortion is most visible on the sides, when looking to the right or left for oncoming traffic. On the freeway at a fast speed the side scenery sometimes looks wavy; however, I don't often look at scenery while driving I can say with complete certainty that I do not have the least desire to replace the windshield until it becomes badly bruised.
Miki
I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned this, but the right side wiper of the new C-class is actually an adaptation of the former one blade system. There is a cam that allows it to reach further to the right, and higher up the windshield, hence providing excellent coverage. I only found this out on my last test drive when I had to use the windshield washers to clean the windshield of the C240; it was brand new with only 57 kms on the odometer, so they didn't really have time to detail the outside yet. There were a lot of water spots on the windshield as a result. On my 50 km test drive (1/3 of it was uphill, and the rest in the city; average speed of 65 km/hr), I still managed to average a very good 21 mpg.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
On a hot sunny day 95+F, I set the temp at 74F / AUTO ,the cooling system (blower) is in full power for hours to keep the car cool, and its kind of noissy. The blower just keep running in full power. If I set the temperature manually, then I won't have enough cool air, unless I set the blower at the highest. If I try to lower the blower then the temp inside the car raise.
Camry LE:
My 1997 Camry LE will do a better job with the same condition. I just need to set the blower at the lowest position and it does the job very well, keep the car cool, plus its very quiet . I enjoy driving in quietness rather then noissy.
My other Benz/380S and BMW/520 can't beat my Camry in this department.
Any comments are wellcome,
Joe
Drew,
Well.... It appears that "slightly wavy" windshields are here to stay for a while I noticed distortion first on the right side; but when I went and sat in the passenger seat, I could see there was some on the left, too. I can deal with it -- better than the other stuff. I would like to be able to use the horn, though.
You mention windshield washers as having better coverage on the C. Happy to hear that for those who use them. Would you believe I do everything possible to avoid using them -- they spurt water everywhere. The Obsidian has headlamp washers that are pretty wild, too. Have not used them yet. Put the seat warmers on once to ease the guilt of paying the extra money for things I did not need in order to get the Xenon, which, by the way provide very good and comfortable light for driving. I have not had to put on my high beams since I got the car, and I drive where it is very dark.
Miki
>automotive equivalent of flipping someone off
This is an interesting fact to know. Actually, I use my horn rarely, but it is that one time "before something really awful happens" that I want it to work. There have been instances when I have been grateful to someone else's horn, too, warning me not to go there
Miki
So what do the Europeans use, the finger?
Would you believe that the headlamp washer dispersal pattern is actually specially engineered to blast as much dirt away from the headlamps as possible? And all of this time I thought that all they did was simply squirt the washer fluid! I do miss those mini wipers that they used to have for the headlamps though. Seems like only Volvo has them now.
I didn't know that your new C had the Xenons. Did the Black C320 have them too? They're great aren't they? About 2.5 times more light (not to mention the much higher colour temperature) than the halogens, which are already very good too.
I didn't sit in the passenger seat for that C240 that I test drove, so I didn't notice any distortion. I didn't notice any distortion in other new C's that I have sat in on the showroom floor, but then again I wasn't moving along at highway speeds either. :-)