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I too, took delivery of the C Class back in Jan 26th. I havent (touch wood) had any bad experience or problems like the average here does except the engine clicking noise.
One question, does it really matter to just leave the ticking noise or better off to address the issue with service and resolve the problem. Will it cause any serious problems?
Ohh.. yess...hehe.. one minor default... the buckle on the front passenger seat belt is installed the opposite.. :-)
Somebody was wondering if the Northstar held enough oil to do any serious driving; I believe it's capacity is around 7 qts and the V-6 Shortstar is 6 qts. which should handle the everyday fast commute.
I find that the smaller Benz cars are not driven particularly fast; however the V-8 models are pushed right along at a good pace.. South of Orlando, Fl on the Fla turnpike several years ago I tangled with a CLK430--smallish 2dr coupe with a V-8, in fact first V-8 powered one I had seen; and it was a runner. He won and also got the ticket..
The resale value of the Benz is great, and will remain so if the demand outstrips production.. Once the market is saturated then the discounting will somewhat temper pricing..Since I haven't looked at a Benz for several years, maybe I shall see what the game is away from the large metro area of Detroit. A visit to Flint or Lansing should find some deals..
I am a little on the cheap side and like to beat up the Sales Mgr., the money looks better in my pocket..Buy it far away and they know they won't have to put up me on service/complaints..
Being practical, I think the only other option you would need is the CD player and the sunroof. The other options are nice to have and are cheaper on the other cars that you are looking at.
As far as the warranty, I was told that everything including the oil changes are taken care of by the dealer and any other problems that arise (given that it wasn't caused by adding aftermarket stuff etc)
Please correct me if i'm wrong.....
Check out my pictures:
See my photos of Clear Bra - By 3M at PhotoPoint
Great!! How much did it all cost out the door?
Did they say it could turn yellow after some time?
well,with no appt, they got one of the service supervisors out of the shop! Mike(i dont remember his last name) took me.. and my car out for a 20 min ride.. checked the throttle and torque in all gears.. and.. while doing so.. explained to me.. some nuances of the mb motor/trans.. and how to get the best out of it.
these days its so hard to find personal service,or people that take the time .i was impressed...
and.. theres nothing wrong with my car.
I can't independently verify the owner's manual for this car, as all of my MB experience ended last year, after 13 Mercedes over a period of 32 years...still try to keep up, though...still a member of MBCA. [I had a C240 on order that I canceled in favor of a Honda Accord V6...strictly a monetary decision...so I have been a close follower of how the new C is working in the real world. Not happy about the number of problems, but not real surprised, either. The new S-class cars drove the dealers nuts during its first year, as well.]
Some of us hate paint chips ;-)
You can't do much about bugs. Just wash them off when you get them.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Also do you mind if I ask approximately how much this cost.
Thanks in advance
1. ES300 Good solid car. My wife thought it was just like her Avalon. Pretty soft ride. Lots of nice features and probably bullet proof. Model was in 5th or 6th year of production and seemed to be aging a bit. Just buy an Avalon and save a few grand.
2. IS300 Cool but just not my style. No comparison IMO. After driving both the ES and IS several times, we preferred the ES. Just a matter of taste again. Very good acceleration and handling but the 325 would be my choice between these two.
3. 325I Great car. I like the interior of the Benz. much better. Hated the 325 center console arrangement. Far more features in the 240. MB dealer was better even though they share the same sales manager.
4. C240 This is what I bought so it is obviously my first choice. Loved the styling. Plenty of performance for an old-timer. I would recommend the 10 way seats if you have more than 1 driver. Zeemenow did not get them but he is the only driver. I really needed the memory seats as there is a big difference between my wife and my settings. C2 is a must for resale. Most of us did not get the leather. The MB Tex is fine but I do miss the full leather from our last car. I would also recommend the Bose.
The 3 pointed star on the hood was a factor I have to admit.
I have 4800 miles on the car in 2 months and have no regrets. (Also only one problem, the battery went dead in my key.)
When I researched the cost before ordering my C, I priced out the entire front end including side mirrors. The vendor told me $450 for the kit plus $150 for installation. I'm guessing hood only would cost around $150-200 plus installation.
The product is guaranteed not to yellow for 7 years. More than the term of my lease!
Here's a couple sites selling/whole selling clear bras and one reviewing the product:
http://www.stongard.com/sgcontent/default. asp
http://www.xpel.com/
http://www.keysolutions.com/M-Class.nsf/aac7d56ca8fd884b852563be00610639/f28f12a044f6238c8525699e0018bf1b
See if there's a oil/water intercooler on the GM *****star engines, or better still a proper oil cooler like the C Class has. If so, high speed sustained running is likely possible. If not, I'd be wary of pushing it. Also, I'm not sure about the autoboxes - they'd need oil coolers too, to survive German-style sustained high speeds.
imho..i still think that a $44,000 c class is priced out of the range.so does benz and the consumer.. why are they dealing more with 320's giving away cd's etc? more margine... translated.. the price you are paying does not reflect the real value.. its overpriced.. leaving them room to give away cd'sor knock $1000 off the price...
the c240 with a minimum of c2,for the value vs price, is the way to go. i understand that many drivers like to feel that surge of power as they jump from a red light.i guess its a matter of diminishing returns.. and if one really wants to pay for that..
incidentally,while at dealership yesterday,i saw a silver 320 with mag wheels.just doesnt match the personality of the car at all.kewel wheels tho!
Just wondering
Thanks
C 200 K: 0-60 km/h 4 s; 0-100 km/h 8.7 s; 0-140 km/h 16.5 s.
C 240: 0-60 km/h 3.8 s; 0-100 km/h 8.6 s; 0-140 km/h 16.3 s.
C 320: 0-60 km/h 3.5 s; 0-100 km/h 7.7 s; 0-140 km/h 14.4 s.
Note that the 0-60 MPH times would be about 0.3 s less than the 0-100 km/h time.
Also note that the C 300 in Europe has a longer final dirve ratio than the US/CDN version, so it will accelerate more slowly in Europe.
PS: I used the Dauphine as an example of oil capacity just to show how "under-oiled the GM 3.1 was. Yes, Ranault is better off without pretending to be a force in North America (excepting Mack Trucks(!).
In my area where I live I have two MB dealers, one got Black 240 C2 Auto sitting on his lot and other having Silver C 240 with Auto, C2
I asked about 2002 models and they said built date is JUNE and delivery in JULY
is it advisable to wait for 2002 Models or not, as it is just a couple of months away, or should I ask some rebate as this will be late year models and they will surely affect my re-sale
any word of wisdom on this would be appricaited
YESTERDAY had a Test Drive - man this is the CAR
Nice experience with the salesman when I picked up the car two weeks ago...after I had looked at the car and while I was doing the final financials with the F&I guy, the salesman removed the Sticker on the rear driver side window and found a "squiggle" (about one inch long) in the glass (probably something with the tint) in the window which had not been previously revealed because the Sticker covered it up. The salesman immediately told me about it (I may have not noticed for quite some time) and without any discussion, ordered a new window for me.
Lastly a blonde question...even though I have read the Owner's Manual cover to cover, I am still a little unclear on the TeleAid concept. Can the "I" button (information) be used for more than just info about the car, i.e. if I get lost (I said blonde), can I call them for directions which they could help using the GPS?? If that's the case, what other types of "Info" can you get from them? You all are experts, please let me know. Thanks and happy driving.
Direct link: www.discounttiredirect.com/shockwave/interactive.dtd.html
They don't have the new C-Class though.
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
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
in fact... the car is very quiet... at 60...70... 80...90......i can only imagine you are guessing at noise levels,, having driven one... i can tell you... the car is quiet... smooth and torquey at high speeds.... cruises comfortably.. no stress
but hey... if you like an intrigue??? go for it!
uhh i purchased my car... but i guess if i wanted to showboat... i might get some quickly obsolete gm muscle car.. "soup it up" so all the neighbors could "oooo and ahhhhh".. some mags.. noisy mufflers..lots of coooool pinstrips...jason have o forgotten anything??? heheh
None of the US-car driving souls in Germany did take delivery of any GM unless oil coolers had been added to avoid sudden death at 89 mph.
European transmissions are geared in such a way, because driving there is a somewhat more "active" occupation than it is here. People simply have fun sorting gears and reving engines! BTW, not every engine is like that, but that's why there are choices!
Any Northstar power plant pushed beyond 4000+ rpm will probably chatter from too much internal play until you are deaf before it waves good-bye with unmistakeable smoke signals.
Cars are often justified to serve a certain exhibitional desire, but hey, what's wrong with that? Bottom line is that lots of people rather ride in a visually appealing european car than in any Detroit steel, why belittle their choice just because you can't understand that train of thoughts?
Plus, we haven't touched on safety yet...
Tarik
oliver... sweet..silent...smooth...sporty... classy... no rattles..never!!!
sometimes.. i turn OFF the sound system.. just to hear the silence!
Zee... didn't mean to dis Cher. I LOVE her even though she's been stretched to the limit.
(maybe!),
but I will endure it as well quietly, securely, safely, and with the knowledge there are more ponies left. I swore at the kid....didn't feel any better afterwards. Then swore at him again later just to make sure...and nope, still didn't feel any better.
I think the other replies have answered your questions, cd96ns. All metallurgy is not created equal. Plus engine speed is only part of the equation in stress; besides the effect that metallurgical quality has on longevity, piston stroke is probably a more accurate measure of engine stress, as the longer the stroke, the faster the piston acceleration and g-loadings (at a given RPM) on the related components. In this sense, the C 240 is theoretically superior to the 320, as the 240 has a substantially shorter stroke.
I think we would find that German engines, and M-B in particular, are built to the highest standards of engineering, as they are (by US standards) high-revving, and designed to sustain a steady 5000+ rpm in highway driving. This would also apply to the drivetrain components. Such technical rigour is not necessary in cars not designed for sustained high levels of performance. Enough said?
Now, about the ongoing questions regarding why the C 320 is not available with the 6 speed manual gearbox...
The same "MOT" article I extracted the C Class acceleration times from (MOT #1, 2001 - see my previous posting) states that the previous generation M-B 5-speed manual was designed for a maximum torque rating of 270 Nm (about 200 lbs-ft). But the new-generation 6-speed manual gearbox was designed for a maximum torque rating of 400 Nm (about 300 lbs-ft). So the C 320 is clearly within the range of acceptable torque ratings (having "only" 310 Nm).
MOT writes that it was basically a marketing decision not to offer the 6 speed on the C 320 - overall, even in Germany, 63% of all C-Classes are ordered with the 5 speed automatic. M-B just considered it to be too small a market to satisfy. However, MOT notes that the BMW 330i manual has that market all to itself (not too subtly encouraging a change of heart at M-B).
Cheers
-Mike
the fact that mercedes pioneered much of the technology that volvo uses to advertise.but seeing how many people are concerned about 0-60 times..cruising at 90+ ,taking hairpin turns at high speeds... maybe we just all take it for granted????
when telling perspective buyers here about why to buy this car vs any other in its class..it should be mentioned PROMINENTLY
Part # 203 860 00 14
Part # 210 860 02 14
They screw in easily where the cutouts in the trunk carpet are. While you are at parts, the 2 near the rear seat need (and don't come with) bolts, get 2.
The four brackets cost 13.60 + tax.
did i misunderstand something
thanks in advance
Most of us are changing oil around 3500 miles from mineral oil to Mobil 1 Synthetic 15W50.
Ref. Post #2726 by sandiegotom:
"I got my oil changed to Mobil 1 at 4400 miles at MB of SD. They were confused about how to price it with me supplying the oil. The total cost was $20.79, which included $13.20 for the filter, $1.90 for waste disposal, and $.99 tax. That indicates that the labor charge was $4.70!!! At that price, I may have to get the oil changed every couple thousand miles!"
Ref. Post #2730 by sandiegotom:
"For some strange reason, Walmart charges more per quart for Mobil 1 packaged six quarts to the box, then it does per quart when you buy them individually! I saw the about the same price per box in San Diego that you paid, but the loose quarts were $3.78 each. Maybe the box itself is valuable!! Anyhow, I bought 9 quarts and put them in my trunk for the MB service people. When I picked up the car, I found one-half quart, carefully wrapped, in the trunk. I presume the other 8 1/2 quarts went into the engine."
good idea to change it.. and for a $33-$45,000 car.its worth the cost.
I am asking in the views of re-sale value
any thoughts !!!!!!!!!
how much is the general cost of the oil change
Thanks.
anido... ive heard both here... and from my service rep.. that tinting windows may effect window performance... and when u see how quiet and smooth they are.. and.. how much noise they buffer out... i personnally wont mess with them.
My driver's side rear seat window doesn't work when "one click up" is engaged. All other locks and windows work fine.
Has anyone noticed their windshield has optical imperfections? Particularly when I'm turning, I notice a "ripple" effect, much like heat refraction, low in my viewing area. It is a tiny thing, but I find it odd given MB's production and parts standards. It's definitely the window, too.
Plan on getting my oil changed at around 2000, at which time I'll have them fix the window. Car purrs like a kitten, and all (C1-4, K2, Bose) is functional. Put my first coats of wax on last weekend---Griot's Best in Show liquid followed by their paste Carnuba. Very nice...easy to apply, and showroom shine results.
Getting right around 20 mpg in predominantly city driving...which is up from 18-19 I got in my first couple hundred miles.
Love the car. Quiet, stable, beautiful. No complaints thus far...considering extending the warranty...has anyone out there done this, and if so, how much did 3-4 years cost you? I presume this should be shopped from dealer to dealer...
Hey, its just a car and no one was hurt, but it was not a good day.