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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans
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observation:the fact that so few c's have hit our shores so far...the % of 1st model yr glitches may seem disproportionately high,albiet minor .also... high in comparison to competitors like bmw...who has had the time to work through whatever glitches(if any) their models may have had early on,and are shipping many times the quantity of autos to the usa
He recommended that I stop hard at least once a month, so I got in the habit of getting the car up to 60 or so and (if no one is behind me) I'll hit the brakes hard, almost a panic stop. It works great and according to the tech your car's brakes will work better because of it. I have never heard a squeal in any of my cars since.
If your brakes are squealing try a couple of hard stops - that should take care of it.
The 280 was a tad over $36,000. Given the liberal trade value I received, I am pretty happy. Any comments on the 280?
For those of you who are fortunate enough to have a C-class without squealing brakes, you just don't know how good you have it.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I will be putting a sign on my car and leaving it in the parking garage at the International Auto Show in Detroit for a week in January. Maybe I will eventually get MBs attention. I didn't spend $37,000 to just live with squealing brakes!
I wish that I were writing about how well the car handles and how safe it feels, but the damn brakes are so incredibly irritating that I forget all the good things about the car.
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I will have to go to talk to my dealer before signing the papers.
Will monitor this board for further developments.
thanks guys (gals)
Tarik do you have any info on this?
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I just checked, but there is no information other than Drew's concerning the release of the 4-matic version of the C-Class. I will contact my salesman in Deutschland, may be he knows (and is willing to share) more about MB's plans. Brake sqeal is not unusual, but the scope of your encounters leads me to believe that this is OUT OF THE ORDINARY! Let me check and get back with you soon.
Tarik
The COMAND manual says that you should press the AM/FM button, but I found that it simply toggles between AM and FM.
Jack
Interestingly I posted an email to the MB website to communicate this issue on 12/26/00 and still have not heard from them.
This is a great car and for 45 grand it should be.
By the way, does anyone know if the coolant temp gauge can be programmed from the centigrade scale to Farenhight? (This is not the outside temp/speedo setting I am asking about)
Regards to all
direct: kelfg@aol.com
Good luck with the 325xi!
Drew
Host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
So far, I drove about a total of 60 miles. The best mpg is 22 with mixed city and freeway driving. The car drives great and very stable even in the rain. Since it's a new car, it gets a lot of attention on the road. Many drivers would tailgate or drive right next to me to get a closer look. I thought that was a bit annoying if not dangerous. I've been driving stick shift cars my whole life. I feel very comfortable going up and down steep hills in stop and go traffic. With the extra gear and closer gear ratio, I find myself constantly shifting gears to the point that I wish I ordered the automatic instead. Maybe I am too old (30+) for this shifting gears stuff. I'll probably get used to it in a few weeks. For the kind of driving that I do, the power of the car is more than adequate.
The overall build quality of car is good. I do see a few other parts used in the old C being used in the new C despite Mercedes said the only thing they reuse was the wheel nuts. Cars that I looked at before deciding on the new C were BMW 3 series, Audi A4, Volvo S40, Honda Accord, Civic, Toyota Prius, Echo, Corolla, Lexus IS300, ES300, Acura TL, Volkswagen Passat. Cars that I almost bought were BMW 3 series and Lexus IS300. Personally, I like the new C the best. It could be the name that cast the spell. But I didn't tell my parents, brother and sisters, inlaws, coworkers, friends, and even my own son about the car (my son was surprised when we went to pick up the car), so I really don't know how to rationalize my decision. I told my wife it's my mid-life crisis but she didn't buy the idea.
Thanks to all those who posted their messages here. I learned many things from reading all the postings.
I am suppose to get my C320 in February. I am hoping, as I was told before, that there are people not taking delivery of the cars when they come it. With the stock market doing badly , I was told there are a lot of cancellations when the cars come in. I live in Atlanta, a.
I ordered a White C320 with lava interior.
Thanks a bunch
My overall experience is positive so far. Other than the small assembly problem, I have no other problems at this point. All the people, receptionist, finance, sales people, and service consultants from the dealership treated me with respect and courtesy. I really can't complain too much.
Compared to my shopping experience at other dealerships, Mercedes is definitely the best in town. At one of the BMW dealerships I visited, they didn't even let me test drive the car. They gave me the price list and told me if I wanted to buy one I had to wait. I did get a testdrive from another dealership. My wife would not let me buy a Volvo because no one greeted us at all for the entire hour we spent inside the showroom. We were sitting inside every single car in there and the sales people just walked by us. Finally when we asked the receptionist for a brochure, she reluctantly gave us one. The first time when we went to an Audi dealership, they were closing and would not talk to us. I went back the second time by myself. I was looking at the cars both inside and outside the showroom for half an hour, no one would talk to me. Finally, I saw a salesman showing an A4 to other people; I walked up to the car hoping to see the inside since all the cars were locked. As I was near the car, the salesman closed the door, locked the car with the remote while I was standing right next to the car, and walked away without saying a single word. I thought he was going to call security to remove me from the lot. Unless an Audi car is a must for life and death situations, I'll probably never consider an Audi again. The Mercedes people on the other hand were very nice to my family. On entry to the showroom, the receptionist stood up and greeted us with a smile and asked if she could help. The sales people shook our hands. My children were given gift packages (coloring books, pencils, and candy of course). We were offered Italian soda, etc. Before I even asked for a testdrive, they brought out the car that I was looking at and asked if I would like to testdrive the car. I know this sounds like I'm the poster boy for Mercedes. To be honest, I'm not a car enthusiast, I can't tell the minute handling differences among cars that are in the same segment. But good service is what I can tell right away.
I don't feel betrayed by MB. I was promised good service by the salesman not a perfect car. The new C is a complex machine and things will go wrong. As long as they take care of the problems in a professional and courteous manner, I have no problem with that. Things I like are: the seats, the audio system, the quiet and firm ride, and the ability to make very smooth turns.
incidentally.. when the 1st c;s arrived at my dealer in oct.. i was invited to a buffet brunch for new c owners with cars on order to see and sit in the new car... very chi chi with champagne!
enjoy your car!
Thanks a bunch
I've not been in any real big snow yet, but it seems to hold the road reasonably well on the snowy roads I've been on (I do have two 60 lb. bags of tube-sand in the trunk). A friend that just bought an S-type Jaguar is having a very rough time with the same road conditions that I am getting through with little difficulty (just driving slower than I did with the front wheel drive car that I had); he also has sand in his trunk.
The car is a little smaller inside than I remembered from my test drives (4 or 5 of them), but it is a very personal driving experience that I'm enjoying. I can't wait for better weather to more fully enjoy what the car has to offer.
Just like most of you, I tried BMW, Volvo, Saab, Jaguar, Lexus, Audi & Acura - but MB was the best for my personal taste. I liked the way the dealership treated me, I like the confidence that friends have in the product (4 current owners of MB products), and I like the car. When I sat it one for the first time, I knew it was right for me.
Thank you all for your comments. I hope you enjoy your cars as much as I do.
Oh.. Zmeenow.... those new C's are rolling off faster than Bimmers... pretty soon you're gonna see yourself coming and going.... just proof that MB has hit a home run!!
i havent quite gotten the knack of the remote opening and closing of the moon roof and windows.. i may not have the remote programmed correctly..but its jan.. and snowing ..so no biggie right now..
re:snow..i did take my car out the morning after the storm in nj... the roads were snowy.. but plowed..i feel that the esp does a fairly good job of keeping the car stable and straight.i have no sand in trunk.. and.. just for the heck of it i turned OFF the esp to see what the car might do without it... FORGET ABOUT IT!.. it works.. and works well!..as to whether its better than a bmw in the snow? i dunno....
One thing I'm experiencing, not sure if it's a problem or just the nature of the driver's seat.
but, when I go over bumby or hilly road the seat seems to dip a bit in the lumbar section of the seat, kind of like the seat just pops down then up. Has anyone experienced this..
I'll cut to the chase for you on a couple of the questions, though: I think you'll find the overall experience truly memorable, and they work hard to take care of you well at the Delivery Center. Be sure to take the factory tour, and visit the D-B museum at corp hq in Stuttgart. Return times to the USA are the same for any car produced in Germany - 2-6 weeks from dropoff, depending on how close you hit the next ship's scheduled departure, and where you live in the US.
I'll do the long version of the EU delivery tutorial some time in the next few days.
I don't have a C, I own an E and I have Nokian (Nokia cell phone company) snow tires. The tire store recommended them over the Blizzaks because of longevity. He claimed that he has never seen Blizzaks last beyond 15-20K miles. I already have 15K on the Nokians and they aren't even showing any wear. And they work just fine with their unique curved vee tread that is supposed to be more stable on corners.
The Blizzaks, especially the original WS-15, is excellent for heavy snow/ice conditions partly due to its soft and sticky tire compound. This same compound is why the tire wears out faster and should be removed immediately after the winter season. I'd even go as far as saying that the Blizzaks perform better than the Nokians. Bridgestone does say that the Blizzaks will last about 20K miles as a winter tire + another 20K miles with snow performance closer (but probably still better) than an all-season tire.
Drew
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Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards