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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Owners: Meet the Members
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If you have some time, we would really appreciate Town Hall members writing a review of their current auto, or a favorite make/model. It takes approximately a week for your review to appear on that make/model.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Thanks!
KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs
Thanks,
Nike
1998 C230 currently at 118,000 km. Bought new. 040 Black over black
1998 E300 turbo currently at 58,000 km. Second owner, nearly new. Smoke silver over parchment.
We have had:
1995 C36 AMG, sold to buy the E300.
1990 190E 2.6, sold to buy the C230.
1988 190E 2.3
1987 190E 2.3
1987 190E 2.3-16V
1973 300SEL 4.5V-8
The ACC works better, and the AC blows much colder than the 190E could ever muster.
The additional interior space is welcome, especially in the back seat. I found the 190E comfortable, but the C-Class is about perfect. My wife uses our E300 to commute, so it's even larger back seat is mostly wasted. But, the big diesel gets about 35US MPG, so the thing is economical to use.
The C has more safety gadgets than the 190, including side bags.
The real change is in the driveline. The DOHC four cylinder makes almost as much power as the old 2.6L six, and the car is much quicker and faster. The five-speed means better fuel economy too. The C230 gets much better gas mileage than the 190E did.
However, the four has a much more "sporty" exhaust note, and is not quite as smooth as the small six.
Some maintenance items have been improved. The oil filter is moved to the front of the engine for easy access, and the double row timing chain should outlast the single row unit in the M103.
Also, accessing things like blower motors and AC evaporators has become easier for real long haul savings. There is more room in the engine bay, thanks to the shorter engine, and someday that will pay off during things like rad replacement (all new cars have plastic rads...) and timing chain renewal.
Overall, the C-Class has been a pleasure to own. But, comparing it to the 190E isn't really fair. The 190E was designed in 1979. Things were VERY different then.
I was curious because when I leased my '95 C220, most of my friends who had MBs had the 190 - and I was wondering what I missed by being too late to get a new 190. I really still like their styling and sharp lines, even though I have never driven one.
In 1979 (the year I graduated high school) I never thought I could afford an MB, so did not follow the progression of the 190 to C-Class that closely. All that changed in 1995 when Alan Friedman at Ray Catena MB in Edison, New Jersey showed me how I could lease-to-own one for not too much more than any other fully equipped substantial car. I've had one ever since, and probably always will.
Thanks again for your info!
- Paul
Sorry to hear that. I hope that you can get some satisfaction out of the dealership that sold you the car. Please keep me posted, I'm interested to hear how they resolve your complaint.
- Paul
Is the chrome frame something that is added-on to the car after buying it? I have not seen that over here in the United States.
- Paul
The chrome frames are optional item and they were fitted after I've got the car. I've seen advertisement on these frames in some UK magazines.
well, the good news is this: i just picked up a beautiful 95 silver/grey 280 that i found thru ebay in st louis. i drove the car home to atlanta over 600 miles, and arrived tired but with a huge smile from the cars performance and ride quality.
the 280 far exceeded my expectations in all aspects. it rides/drives GREAT! it has 80% MXV4's that are smoother than any of my previous experience. the car was a dream at 85-95 mph. the I-6 engine has plenty of power and the 4-sp shifts flawlessly.
only a couple of items on my wish lish missing: MOONroof (only steel), heated seats, trunk release on console. i will eventually switch to 16in wheels (and will happily spend the $ for the mxv4 if they continue the present ride quality)
i got a great deal on the car that was well worth the trip. i spent $8800 drive out. the car is in great condition and beautiful, and in my initial trip, i could not be more pleased with the 280. i was very skeptical on the "C", but this car exceeds my 300e in every way i can think of except size.
thanks for all of your posts and all the info. i look forward to being an active participant here in the future.
happy motoring. - benton
i read on edmunds that if the dealer finds you exactly what you want, there is no bargaining power. in my case i was thinking of asking for $$ off. has anyone ever had this happen to them? as a first time mb buyer i am not real happy so far.
can you bargain with mb dealerships?
any input would be wonderful.
thanks,
frustrated mb buyer in colorado.
Put up a fight, the car is MOST CERTAINLY worth it. I absolutely love mine.
Good luck!
I haven't written on this site for a long time. I had forgotten about it when we moved.
I had the same problem with AM reception in my 1995 C220. Never did resolve the issue, as I always forgot to mention it at service time. The '00 C230 radio is fine in all respects - I've made good use of it, as it is one of the parts not covered by the extended warranty. If it's going to die, I want it to do so in the first 4 years!
Good luck and thanks for posting your progress!
- Paul
I must mention that my radio was fine for a couple of years. They replaced the radio to no avail. While still living in MA. they told me it was a loose wire, which they "fixed". That lasted about one week. It wasn't until I moved and went to another dealer that eventually it was fixed. If fact they too put in yet another radio!!! When obviously that didn't cure it, they pursued it further, especially when they had other cars in for same problem. So becareful with yours and check all stations on the AM.
I am hoping that if the radio has problems in the future the fact that while under warranty it is documented that problems did exist, they will still honor fixing it at no charge. We shall see.
- P.
Also, can someone recommend a good company to do service on Mercedes ?
We paid $25.000 for the car out the door. That was including an extended warranty for 7 years/100.000 miles. The car is silver metallic, auto transmission, auto dimming mirrors, and that's it. No leather, no CD, no moon roof. It took a good three months to get used to the very hard seats, but now they don't bother me anymore.
We bought the car from Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach, and that has been nothing but a pleasurable experience. The car has had a couple of annoying problems. Windows that won't go up, turn signals that malfuction, a break sensor that didn't work, and so on. All of these problems have been taken care of free of charge since they're covered under the warranty. Also, when turning the car in for service or repairs, we get a free loaner car for the day. I've had ML 320, ML 350, C240, E320, and a Sebring convertible. This has given me ample oppurtunity to get an idea of these other cars, what I like and dislike about them. The ML is kind of cool, but not for me. Too rough of a ride, and the ML320 is very underpowered (350 works fine though). C240 is too soft for me. E320 is also too soft (old model, not the new one). And the Sebring... No way! Besides the obvious, a convertible should come with sun lotion dispensers in the dash as standard. Yes, I was very red-faced after a day in that thing!
I am an avid fan of Volvos (I'm from Sweden, maybe that's why?) and I am now thinking about buying a new car. I am enamored by the new Volvo S40 T5, but having had the privalige of being co-owner of my wife's MB, I will most likely go for the new redesign (I know, it's very slight) C230 Sedan. To me it's the perfect vehicle. It looks good, feels great, and moves well. I will go for a black exterior with black leather interior and wood inlays (if I can get that), CD changer, sun roof and rear shades, six speed manual and if it doesn't drive up the cost too much, the fat spoked AMG wheels with high performance tires. I believe that on December 31st of this year, I should be able to get that exact car for around $30k (AMG wheels not included).
I was interested in a BMW 325 Ci, until I did the math and realized with all the options I want it'll be very expensive. If I could afford $40k on a car, I might look at the new BMW 525, but since I can't afford to spend that much for now that is nothing but a pipe dream.
My wife's car has the old 2.3 liter engine and it's a loud machine, but only outside of the car. Inside you only hear the whine from the supercharger (and of course, when you rev it it does become a lot louder than a C240 for instance). As far as I understand the new 1.8 liter engine is more quiet, get better milage, but is just as powerful.
I have absolutely no idea why I thought this would be interesting for anyone to read... But those are my thoughts. I recommend Fletcher Jones Newport Beach. Also, when buying from them, you get free car wash for as long as the car's under warranty, and free parking and shuttle to Orange County's John Wayne airport. So far I think my wife and I have saved about $250 in airport parking fees, and we don't even fly that often...
For $32,000 out-the-door, I'd say it's a good deal. The Bi-Xenon headlights and Comfort Pkg (power seats) would have been a nice addition though.
So far, no problems with the car. But if anyone has this car and finds any major faults, please warn. Thx!
so, ultimately, if you should have already taken possession of your car and have not due to the "transportation error" (how comprehensible can that be???), then you, as the consumer, should be allotted some form of discount or other benefit, for your lost time, and any stress that may have been caused - i.e. time you may have been perhaps without a car, the time you've spent second-guessing your investment, when it can't make it to you as promised... and then ends up in another city on the other side of the country.
there's definitely room to barter here. once you own a MB, you'll never want to drive anything else. Yet, first impressions are the most lasting and you would probably never return there for another MB given this situation, unless they can create a solution that satisfies both parties.
Good luck!
Everything's great so far (1200+ miles already). The car has great acceleration, point-and-shoot steering and handling and is still a great highway car. It has a really aggressive, sporty style and, with the black paint, gets a lot of oohs and ahs from friends, neighbors and complete strangers. Not that I go for that kind of thing. Really. ;-)
The original rear wheels of my C230 Sport Sedan (2004) are of 8.5 X 17 X ET34.
Due to accident, I looked for a replacement and found a wheel of 8.5 X 17 X ET30.
I'd appreciate help with answers for the following questions.
What is the meaning of ET34 versus ET30?
Is it OK to replace the ET34 with ET30 wheel, although the first two numbers (8.5 X 17) match?
Many Thanks.
Ask Connor at The Tire Rack
That was over a year ago - the car now has 18,000 miles on it, and it has not happened since. Very strange. Local dealer had no idea what it could be. I have my tires balanced at least every 6,000 miles, so I doubt it was that. I am starting to drive the car again after storing it for the winter (no salt, no way) - so far, so good!
I have to echo the responses of others that it has been my experience that nobody knows these cars better than the Mercedes dealerships - although some have been better than others for me.
- P.
New to the board, and I purchased my first MB on Saturday! It is a 2002 C230 K with 58,500 miles. I live in Chicago and am looking forward to summer with my new (pre-owned) car!
VG
I recently bought MB C280 SE preowned precertified with 70 k miles and was wondering if you guys can throw some light on how to maintain the vehicle and care that i must take , also if anyone has the same model would like to know the maintance cost for the car .
Thank you for your time.
You can check the maintenance schedule for your C here:
Edmunds Maintenance Guide
My 2005 C230 Sport Sedan, six speed, has a strange vibration between 20 and 30 mph from the front end. The dealer diagnosed the problem as something in the transmission. They discovered a casting flaw in the transmission housing and decided to replace the entire transmission. This was a two week process due to parts required from Germany.
The new transmission did not solve the problem. I took it back and they proceeded to subsequently diagnose the problem with the following resolution:
Repositioned Exhaust, Repostioned Drive Shaft Carrier Bearing, Removed and Isolated Heat Shields and Sound Insulation Shields. This was another two day process.
The problem persists....again between 20 and 30 MPH. I had the tires checked and balanced etc. If I get up to speed and put the car in neutral and just coast at 20 to 30 mph while not in gear the problem persists....not the tranny I would assume?
Has anyone else had a problem like this? If so, any solution? I would appreciate any help as I love the car and really enjoy driving it. Only 13K miles on it and I had hoped for a lot more than that before moving on my next car.
1200 miles I bring the car in for welcome service, they fix the radio and order parts to fix the buzz in the windows. This was on last Friday before Labor day weekend. Saturday, the HK radio and CD changer fail again. Yesterday I visit the dealer, two hours later the radio is fixed. This morning no radio. I will visit the dealer this afternoon and see what the next fix is.
To think that I chose the vehicle over a 2006 BMW 330I, my wife was right, I am stupid.
The 05 is a big improvement over the 04 in fit and finish but we like both of them. Both have Sunroof package, heated seats, CD and Sirius satellite radio. The satellite radio is outstanding. The 05 has the power seat option, Tele-aid, folding seats and Harmon Kardon upgrade.
But on to my problem, please read below, I need help on the 04 with wheels and tires.
Bob
HELP!
I have a 04 C240 4matic. Currently with 205/55-16 and stock rims. The dealer had the car for a week. Got it back went to have the tires replaced and found out that someone bent a rim which causes a shimmy at 60MPH. So I will replace the rims or upgrade both the tires and rims.
I have found an OE Performance rim that looks like the E class rim. It comes in 16" and 17". Has anyone had any experience with this rim product? It is the OE performance 300M E class.
I will either have the 16" with Michelin Pilot Exalto AS 225/50R - 16
or
17" with Michelin Pilot Exalto AS 225/45R - 17
Anyone got any other ideas? I do not want the car to look too extreme. I would like to stay with the 16" size.
Thanks in advance......